Why do Chinese fashion addicts love niche brands ?

Today is the right time to create or launch a brand in China. Chinese people are seeking innovative and fresh stuff as they are more and more willing to spend money and time on fashion. Many opportunities are open to foreign niche fashion companies ready to take up this challenge.

However, it is important to ensure good positioning. Fashion brands wishing to establish themselves in the country have the opportunity to develop in the fashion market in China, especially in mainland China (the real China).  Also, targeting the second tiers cities represents also a good deal as the competition is less strong than in big cities such as Shanghai or Peking.

There are more and more wealthy Chinese consumers

with the country’s development, Chinese people see their economic situation getting better. Because they have more money, Chinese consumers want to improve their life. They want more quality. Some sectors are more affected by the increase of the middle class, it’s the case of food, education, and fashion.

The Chinese middle class is also growing at a rapid pace, considered the biggest in the world. Brands turn more and more their business towards China because a new consumer segment is born. The Chinese market is becoming a very lucrative market for brands.

Both wealthy consumers and middle-class Chinese are seeking to buy international luxury products. In fact, as the purchasing power of the consumer increases, their desire to distinguish themselves from others is also constantly increasing. This explains why consumers are more likely to buy unique and exclusive products at any cost.

Niche Brands are wanted

Nowadays, Chinese luxury consumers are changing their buying habits and now they are looking for ‘niche’ and high-end fashion items to express their personality. They are looking for brands that better reflect their style, taste, and also their status.

A “niche” brand is a brand with a strong identity and specializing in a field. This identity is designed to appeal to a specific group and cultivate a strong sense of belonging.

Fashion consumers seek to stand out from others. The growing popularity of niche brands in China reflects this trend. People are looking for something that is less common and brands that are not necessarily well-known, which can be a very positive thing for new fashion brands wishing to set up in China.

Chinese KOLs lead consumer’s taste

New trends are one of the most important things that people in China pay attention to. The fashion addicts are the ones who are the most concerned about this. They are nowadays increasing in number at a rapid pace on Chinese social networks, also called the Key Opinions Leaders. These “fashion addicts” are mostly women, middle-income professionals in larger cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou.

KOLs are often Chinese stars, internet celebrities or popular social media users, experts on a specific subject, columnists, socialites, fashionistas, or bloggers … They have created viral content and developed a community around them. They have a lot of followers because their content is quality and knowledgeable. They post on various social media websites on all types of different topics: sports, video games, fashion, food, traveling, luxury goods, cars, etc.

Why is important to launch a niche brand?

Be connected online

Because new trends are born on the web. Chinese consumers learn about new trends on the Internet (through social media) or in fashion magazines. Thus, they are well informed and try to stand out from the crowd, especially the current millennial generation. Influencers, besides helping people know about new brands or new products could represent also a trend by themselves.

Don’t miss to set up your Weibo account and WeChat account. These platforms are a kind of reference for local consumers. When they need to do some research, they will naturally go on these platforms to seek after whether you have already an account. Don’t see them as only a marketing tool, they are also part of your branding, because of their official nature.

Collaborate with KOLs

Along with the development of the internet, social network has become a necessary part of people’s daily life. People are now more often reading and speaking online instead of through more traditional forms of mainstream media.

In China, KOLs appear to have a stronger influence on society than in any other country. This may be due to the chaotic market and less trust between businesses and customers. Chinese customers, therefore, tend to trust someone they view as a ‘real person’ which they get by following them on social media. People normally like to check the reviews about what they are going to buy. If they read positive reviews, they will be more inclined to buy. Contact bloggers and give them a reason to post positive reviews about your business in order to efficiently start building your reputation.

We can help you to find the right KOL for your business in China.

Ensure your online visibility

All these solutions are useless if you don’t ensure your visibility online. Your site must have some technical attributes in order to be put forward by the main Chinese search engine Baidu. One can evoke the title tags, the meta descriptions, or even the meta keywords. Repetition of keywords is also preferred, as is a very home page, for example.

Baidu SEO is one of the keys to success in digital marketing

Create quality content and a Chinese website

Quality content is first of all a fast loading speed of your pages. It is then necessary that your site is hosted in China. Moreover, Baidu only takes into account the Chinese language, you must then write your site entirely in Chinese in order to be well referenced.

Your content should, of course, interest your readers, but also be frequent and refreshed regularly. Even though Chinese consumers can read English, so set up a Chinese website is better to attract and catch their attention.

Gentlemen Marketing Agency

GMA is specialized in digital marketing in China. We have developed many successful projects because we master the solutions presented above. Our team is familiar with the latest digital tools and market trends, which allow us to provide you with a complete range of services from business consulting to marketing operations.

Feel free to contact us