Otte sees big opportunity in the Chinese fashion market

Otte the boutique shopping experience for women launched in 1999 in Williamsburg, Brooklyn will finally open a shop in Shanghai next March.

Otte is a multi-brands shop targeting women loving luxury and contemporary design. They gather in their shops many different designers and have a great and stylish selection of ready-to-wear, shoes, jewelry and accessories.

Otte strives to provide to its customers with a selection of pieces from both established and emerging designers. That’s why fashionistas from all around the world check their website to find inspirations and discover new designers. 

Right now, they have 5 shops in New York and an e-commerce website on which Chinese consumers can already buy.

Why do they want to tap into the Chinese market?

Currently, more than 50 percent of their online customers are Chinese (living in the United states or in China). That’s the reason why they saw a huge opportunity by coming in China and finally decided to launched a shop, the first one outside of the United States.

Otte which register more than $10 million of turnover for 2014, will partner with a Chinese company regarding the local operations.

Why are they so successful in China and why Chinese consumers love their concept?

First we can say that it’s fo sure thanks to their refine selection. The founder of these concept store is the Korean Kay Lee.  Thanks to her Asian background, Lee definitely knows how to shop and which pieces are suitable for Asian bodies (that are usually smaller than the western or american bodies for example).

The second reason that can explain the fact that the shop is performing well in China is because since more than 3 years, Lee and her team have developed and conducted a social media strategy on Weibo and WeChat. They’ve been (and are still) very active on these social media and it helps them for sure to increase their brand awareness and visibility.

They’ve saw in social media the most cost effective way to reach their customers.

What is Otte’s strategy on WeChat?

Otte has develop a website within the app, which allows the Chinese customers to directly buy without leaving WeChat.

They also provide high quality content and stylistic advices. An Otte’s girl is also answering to all the private messages sending by Chinese followers.

There is also a VIP Club where the subscribers can get VIP perks such as discounts, exclusive offers and exclusive giveaways.

They’ve tried to connect with their Chinese consumers and establish personalized connection with them.

What is Otte’s strategy on Weibo?

They use Weibo to promote their new products/items and ask their followers some questions about what kind of products they would prefer. Thanks to that strategy they have a real connection and interaction with their followers.

The Otte example show us how important social media are in a brand strategy in China. Having a presence on WeChat and Weibo helped them to be recognized by Chinese consumers and increase their brand awareness. This really shows that a good social media strategy can help a company looking to penetrate the Chinese market.

Otte now knows that Chinese consumers love their shop concept and it’s way less risky for them to open a shop now that they know what their consumers are looking for.

Social media can be a way to start increasing your brand awareness and it’s nowadays unescapable if you’re looking to enter into the fashion Chinese market.

If you’re looking to develop a social media strategy for your fashion brand, you can contact us.