SUCCESS IN CHINA

A great example of a local brand which has achieved success in China is Tourism New Zealand (TNZ). The organisation responsible for marketing New Zealand to the world has built a strong following on Chinese social media channels including Wechat and Weibo. Agency UMS helps them engage and connect with Chinese consumers. The brand’s social media channels consistently rank number one or two among national tourism body accounts, with particularly strong engagement numbers – this is despite competing with much larger countries, such as the US, Canada and Japan, which also have much bigger budgets. The success of TNZ’S China marketing is reflected in the more than 400,000 Chinese tourists that arrived in New Zealand last year and the many more that will visit this year. Many New Zealand brands, such as Anchor, Zespri and Ecostore, have benefited from their inclusion within the Taste New Zealand platform, a Wechat loyalty program which promotes Kiwi brands and products to Chinese consumers. Taste New Zealand, which was created by UMS for New Zealand Trade & Enterprise, works by providing consumers who purchase products from a New Zealand company with a dedicated QR code. Once a user scans the code, they can sign up to Taste New Zealand to earn points and prizes every time they purchase New Zealand products. The programme also keeps users active with regular competitions and prize draws and provides brands with valuable data on Chinese consumer behaviours. The programme has more than 70,000 members and continues to grow.