As Chinese consumers increasingly shift towards luxury goods and fashion brands, social media platforms have become an integral tool for marketers to reach their target audience. Bilibili, a rising video-sharing platform in China, offers a unique space for luxury and fashion brands to connect with young audiences through engaging content creation.
With its growing popularity and diverse user base, leveraging Bilibili can yield significant benefits such as building brand awareness, effectively customizing marketing strategies, and reaching younger demographics.
Bilibili also is China’s biggest anime streaming site, the Shanghai-based company markets itself as the online home for fans of ACG: Anime, comics, and games.
In this blog post, we will explore how luxury and fashion brands can better leverage Bilibili in China to tap into this untapped market.
How Did Bilibili Become Popular in China?
As Chinese consumers’ behavior continues to shift towards digital platforms, Bilibili has emerged as a key player in the luxury and fashion industries with its unique appeal to younger audiences – read on to discover the benefits of leveraging this video platform for your brand.
Shift In Luxury Consumption In China
The shift in luxury consumption in China has substantially impacted the luxury and fashion industry, making it essential for marketing managers to adapt their strategies.
As Generation Z gain disposable household incomes, their preferences and behaviors differ from those of previous affluent consumers.
In this new landscape, Bilibili has emerged as an invaluable platform for reaching these tech-savvy Chinese active users who crave authenticity and engagement.
The video-sharing website Bilibili provides a platform for luxury brands to showcase their products through creative storytelling and connect with influential KOLs.
By using gamification marketing, brands can capture the attention of young Chinese consumers through interactive campaigns tailored to this audience.
Bilibili’s Unique Appeal To Chinese Consumers
China’s most popular platform where luxury and fashion brands can target the right audience and create genuine connections with customers in the Chinese market is Bilibili – a popular video platform known for its highly engaged youth-oriented community.
Bilibili is a social media platform that offers a more intimate connection between users by hosting various subcultures with diverse interests ranging from gaming to beauty.
Bilibili has grown into the “YouTube of China“ and now has over more than 305.7 million monthly active users.
Luxury brands like Dior have partnered with Bilibili to launch makeup tutorials during China’s 520 events, generating millions of views and engagement.
By leveraging Bilibili’s unique features like bullet chats, luxury brands can engage authentically with their audience, particularly young affluent consumers who are influential in China’s booming consumer market.
Benefits Of Using Bilibili For Luxury And Fashion Brands
There are many benefits of using Bilibili for luxury and fashion brands, and as many foreign companies never heard of this platform, it’s good to get familiar with it and be a few steps ahead of your competition. Here are some of the main benefits of the platform:
Reaching Younger Audiences
China’s Generation Z is a key target audience for luxury and fashion brands using Bilibili. With over 80% of users under 24 years old, this social media platform offers direct access to the emerging group of consumers who are driving future growth in luxury consumption.
Luxury brands such as Fendi and Louis Vuitton have successfully reached this youthful audience through online advertising campaigns and sponsorships, showcasing their connection to contemporary culture and tapping into China’s massive youth gaming community.
Building Brand Awareness
By leveraging Bilibili’s unique features, brands can create engaging video content that resonates with younger audiences in China.
Not only does Bilibili offer a platform for advertising and market segmentation using influencers or KOCs (key opinion customers), but it also fosters online communities where users discuss their interests and hobbies in depth.
This presents an opportunity for brands to participate in these discussions and engage with potential customers on a more personal level.
Leveraging Video Content
Bilibili provides luxury and fashion brands with a unique opportunity to leverage their video content by reaching Generation Z consumers who are increasingly turning to platforms like Bilibili for entertainment and inspiration.
By using Bilibili, luxury, and fashion brands can build brand awareness through visual storytelling and customized marketing strategies tailored specifically to this platform.
Brands like Chanel have successfully leveraged Bilibili by creating engaging videos that showcase their products in creative ways while also entertaining viewers with fun animations or subculture references.
For example, Chanel has successfully built a presence on Bilibili by partnering with local influencers and creating exclusive video content that resonates with Chinese consumers’ interests.
Another example, Dior has been successful in engaging with Chinese users by partnering with KOLs and leveraging Bilibili’s incentive mechanism for quality content on the site.
Bilibili Marketing Strategy to Promote Your Brand in China
To effectively use Bilibili, brands must collaborate with influencers and KOLs, create engaging content that resonates with subcultures, and focus on community engagement- read on to discover more about these key strategies.
Collaborating With Influencers And KOLs
Users on Bilibili enjoy live streaming, which opens up the potential for companies to collaborate with popular KOLs who are active on the platform.
KOLs are extremely influential in China’s digital landscape, and collaborating with them can help brands reach their target audience and diversify their content and reach different segments of their target audience.
When choosing a KOL, it’s important to find someone whose values align with your brand. This will ensure that the content they create is authentic and resonates with their followers. Brands should also consider the size of a KOL’s following, as well as their engagement rates. It’s not just about having a large following – a smaller number of highly engaged followers may be more valuable.
Some luxury brands have also experimented with working with virtual influencers (VIs) on Bilibili, who are computer-generated but seem like real people. Consumers in China and neighboring markets may be more open to engaging with VIs than in other regions.
Creating Engaging And Entertaining Content
Here are some tips for creating engaging and entertaining content on Bilibili:
- Use storytelling: Storytelling is a powerful way to engage viewers emotionally and connect with them on a deeper level. Incorporate narratives into your videos to keep viewers interested.
- Experiment with formats: Bilibili has unique formats such as bullet comments, Douyin-style video editing features that can make videos more engaging and interactive. Experimenting with these formats can help you stand out from other brands.
- Collaborate with Creators: Partnering with creators who have a large audience or are in the same niche as your brand can help you reach new audiences while adding credibility to your brand message.
- Participate in Challenges: Creating challenges or participating in existing ones is an excellent way to generate user-generated content and increase engagement with your brand.
- Be Authentic: User-generated content is central to the experience on Bilibili, so be authentic in your approach by showcasing real people using your products or experiencing your services in real-life settings.
Understanding And Engaging With Subcultures
The key to success in Bilibili is understanding and engaging with different subcultures. Bilibili is not like any other Chinese platform and you can use this feature for your favor. In order to do so, you need to start by researching different subcultures on the platform to identify relevant trends and preferences.
You also need to avoid cultural missteps by adapting your content and messaging to fit the values and interests of specific subcultures. You can engage your audience in this task, by leveraging user-generated content on Bilibili to build stronger relationships with your target audience.
Establish a two-way communication channel with users in various subcultures through community engagement tactics such as live streaming or Q&A sessions.
Case Studies: Success And Innovation Of Luxury And Fashion Brands On Bilibili
Luxury and fashion brands like Gucci, Dior, and Fenty Beauty have effectively utilized Bilibili to reach young Chinese consumers through influencer collaborations and engaging video content that showcases their brand values.
In-depth Examples Of Effective Marketing Campaigns
Lancôme, for instance, collaborated with a popular beauty vlogger who has millions of followers on the platform.
The brand created engaging content that displayed how their products could be used in unique ways.
Another notable example is Louis Vuitton’s partnership with a popular KOL (Key Opinion Leader) who created videos showcasing her daily life while seamlessly integrating Louis Vuitton products into her outfits.
These examples show that effective marketing campaigns require creativity, strategic partnerships with influencers or KOLs within relevant subcultures, attention-grabbing visuals coupled with thoughtful messaging catered to your target audience on Bilibili.
Analysis Of What Worked And Why
Luxury beauty brand Lancôme successfully leveraged Bilibili by collaborating with popular influencers who were able to authentically showcase their products to younger audiences.
Another successful strategy used by Western luxury brands such as Dior and Burberry was investing in high-quality production values for their videos. These brands recognized the importance of creating visually stunning content that appealed to Chinese consumers’ aesthetic sensibilities.
Additionally, these brands collaborated with local KOLs who had a deep knowledge of Chinese culture and could help them tailor their message accordingly.
We are your local partner in China!
In conclusion, for luxury and fashion brands looking to expand their reach in China, leveraging Bilibili’s unique platform can be a game-changer. With its growing popularity among Gen Z consumers and subculture communities, there is an untapped potential waiting to be explored.
By utilizing the right strategies such as collaborating with influencers and creating engaging video content catered to the target audience, brands can increase brand awareness and ultimately drive conversion rates.
We are a China-based marketing agency offering cost-effective solutions to foreign brands interested in tapping into the Chinese market. Our team of Chinese and foreign experts has the experience and know-how needed to succeed in this lucrative, yet complicated market.
Gentlemen Marketing Agency offers many digital marketing and e-commerce solutions, such as web design, e-commerce and social media marketing strategies, localization, market research, KOL marketing, and more.
Don’t hesitate to leave us a comment or contact us, so that we can schedule a free consultation with one of our experts, that will learn about your brand and present you the best solutions for your China market strategy.
