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Table of content ExecutiveSummary3PartA1. Introduction4

1.1 ImportantWechatstatisticsinChina41.2 Wechatecosystemandlifestyle41.3 Issueoverview:Westernizationdilemma5

2. CommunicationStrategyAnalysis5

2.1 CelebrityCommunicationandBrandValue52.2 GlobalizationandCulturalStudies7

3. ProblemsandOpportunities9

PartB

MarketingCommunicationStrategy114. Objectives11

5. TargetMarketAnalysis11

5.1 Segmentation135.2 Positioning14

6. OverallStrategyConcept15

6.1 Customer-BasedBrandEquityModel156.2 IMXapproachesandAIDAModel16

7. CommunicationPlan17

7.1 SpecificCampaignContentDelivery177.2 IMCprocess177.3 MediaMix18

8. Conclusion18

9. References19

10. Appendix22

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ExecutiveSummaryWechat, as themostpopular socialmessagingmobileapplication inChina,hasexperiencedconsiderablesuccessforitshighlevelsofpenetrationandaudienceengagement.However, theapp’s fortuneschangewhenitattemptstoentertheWestern social appmarket. SomeWesternmedia outlets havedescribed theseattempts at Westernization “disastrous”, as Westerners; on the whole, preferWechat’s competitors, namely Facebook and Snapchat. Apart from obviousreasons suchas the timingofWechat’s late assertion into theWesternmarket(2012), there remain other, more complex causes of Wechat’s ongoingWesternizationdilemma.ThisfoliowillbeginwithanintroductiontoWechat’sachievementsinChina,andthe moribund status of its Western expansion due to ineffective marketingcommunicationstrategies.Next,theLionelMessiWechatglobalcampaignwillbeexamined and presented as an example of why this campaign failed to keepWestern audiences engaged. Also, a new celebrity endorsement proposalfeaturing George Clooney will be discussed in depth in Part B. From acommunicationperspective,thiscampaignexhibitssomepracticeshortcomings,which will be analyzed using the theories and concepts of celebritycommunication,audienceengagement,globalizationand localization,semiotics,and cultural studies. At the end of Part A, problems and opportunities drawnfromtheaboveanalysiswillbeexploredbriefly.PartBwilldevelopsomefurtherintegratedmarketingcommunicationstrategiesthatcouldbe implementedpractically inregards toWechatWesternization,onthebasisofthecurrentissuesinPartA.TheIMCobjectiveswillbelistedatthebeginning of Part B to determine the appropriate direction ofWechat’s futuredevelopment.Secondly,segmentation, targeting,andpositioning(STP)strategywillbeappliedtoanalyzethetargetmarket.IntheSTPsection,thenewcelebrityendorsement idea will be launched, and a new targeting strategy aimed atgenerating a breakthrough with seniors and E-merchants, according to thereferencegroupconcept.The overall strategy concept will introduce the theory applied in the specificcommunication plan: CBBE model and AIDA model associated with IMCapproaches. Finally, the communication planwill be detailed according to theprocess direction,media selections, and assistedwith a new PR event plan. Aconclusionwill summarize themarketing communication strategies ofWechatWesternization,andevaluateitsviability.

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1. Introduction1.1 ImportantWechatstatisticsinChina

Launched in2011byTencentHolding limited,Wechat isChina’smostpopularsocialandinstantmessaging(IM)mobileapplication,whichhasdevelopedasanall-in-onemultifunctional “super-app” as a smartphone-based service platform(Petiet, 2016). With its overwhelming and extensive ecosystem, there areapproximately889millionmonthlyactiveWechatusers(MAUs),over10millionofficial accounts, andnearly200 thousand third-partydevelopers. (ChinaTechInsights, 2017). Another notable statistic is that among users,more than 90%useWechatdaily,83%forworkingpurposes,andover50%formorethanonehour(ChinaChannel,2017).AsaBloombergjournaliststated,Wechathasbeenpart of Chinese daily-life, influencing users’ social behavior and graduallycultivatinga“Wechat-lifestyle”inChina(Lawrence,2016).1.2 Wechatecosystemandlifestyle

The “Wechat-lifestyle” derives from the app’s broad range of functions, whichcould satisfy most, if not all of the average user’s demands. ThroughWechat,Chineseuserscaneasilypaybills,hireanUber,performinstantmoneytransfer,takecareofinvestments,accessemail,establishandoperatepersonalbusiness,shop online, order food by delivery, play games,meet and date people, accessone’sdailystepcount,sendandreceivedigital“redenvelops”(thisfunctionwillbedescribedbelow)andsoon(Millward,2015).Asaresult,statisticsshowthat61% ofWechat users use the app at least 10 times per day (Graziani, 2016),which assists in generating a user-base “ecosystem”. The Wechat functionsmentionedabovereflectahighcustomerinsightoftheChinesemarket.However,comparedtotheubiquityofWechatinChina,theglobalexpansiondevelopmentofthis“every-thingapp”isnotasgoodasexpected.

Feature1:Wechatfeatures

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(Imagecredit:JessieChen,uxdesign.cc)

1.3 Issueoverview:Westernizationdilemma

The international expansion of Wechat has encountered several difficulties,especially among Western countries. Wechat started to be popularized inoverseas markets in 2012, with the endorsement of the famous ArgentinefootballerLionelMessitargeting15countriesaspartofaFather’sDaycampaign(Beattie, 2013). Afterward, Tencent persisted in launching overseas offices inEurope, aswell as the U.S., and partneredwith South Africa (Turner, & Chen,2017).AlthoughTencenthasinvestedlargesumsinadvertisingandpromotionwithitsglobalizationcampaigns,theresulthassofarprovendisappointing.WiththeinitialstimulationoftheMessicampaign,thedownloadrateappearstohavesurged temporally, but user “stickiness” remains low, especially in the“Facebook-and-Whatsapp-dominant”Westerncounties(Millward,2016).

It is also well behind Line and Blueberry in several South Asian countries,excluding Malaysia (Millward, 2016). To analyze this failure of Wechat towesternize,communicationstrategieswillbeaddressedindetailbelow.2.Communicationstrategyanalysis

2.1 CelebritycommunicationandbrandvalueIn terms of communication, LionelMessi’sWechat globalisation campaign is arepresentative example to considerwithin celebrity communication discourse.Fromtheperspectiveofbrandvaluedelivery,LionelMessi isprobablynot theideal spokesperson. Despite Messi’s personal charisma and considerableachievements as a soccer player, his choice is hardly satisfactory. Indeed,celebrity communication is aneffectivemethod togainpublic attentionand toenhancebrandawarenesstothetargetaudience,asdispersalbeyondmediatedsurfaces (Sonnet, 2010). Especially in the fans economy era, a successfulcelebrityadvocatorcanbeveryusefulinwinningoverconsumers.Therefore,inordertoarrangeforanidealcelebrityendorsement,marketersshouldchooseacelebritywhoreflectstheculturalbackgroundandvalueoftheproduct,sothattheadvertisementcanappealtothetargetaudiencecluster,notjustthefameorfans volume. As a soccer star, Messi’s fans would certainly comprise mostly

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soccer enthusiasts, and considering that soccer,while verypopular, is but onecodewithinthevastsportinglandscape,itsfansarebutaminordemographicofthesocialappaudience.Inotherwords,totherestofthepopulationwhoarenotfansofMessiorsoccer, thiscampaignmightbeperceivedas“odorlessculturalpacking”,lackinginbothattractivenessandcogency.

Feature2:LionelMessi’sWeChatbillboardspottedinHongKong,July2013.

(Photocredit:Engadget’sRichardLai.)

Apart fromthecastingMessi, thecontentofthisFather’sDayspecialcampaignmightalso stray from thebrandvalueofWechat,whichcanbeanalyzedusingsemioticstheory.Inthisvideocampaign,Messientertainshiscryingbabyviathefree video call function ofWechat, by showing his football juggling skills (seeAppendix1).Thefamily-friendlyvalueoftheFather’sDaythemefrommightbeimpressive to audience members who are raising children and have a strongemotional attachment of family, but the campaign could attract a greateraudienceifitwentwithadifferentthemeofcommunication.Also,thiscampaignmightnotrelatetothecorevalueofWechat.TheoriginalintentionofWechatisdemonstratedonitsstartupinterface(seeFeature3):

Feature3:Wechatsignininterface:the“bluemarbles”

Ahumanstandsaloneonanaliensurfaceinspace,diminutiveinformbeforethe

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grandeurandbeautyoftherisingEarth.，Itrepresentman’ssenseoflonelinessin thecosmosandan implicit connotation ismade to thedesireof connection.Thepictureisbasedonarealphotograph,popularlyknownasthe“BlueMarble”,shotin1972byamemberofApollo17.Itwasthelasttimethatahumantookaphotograph of our home planet from another celestial body (NASA, 2015).Interestingly, Tencent has not given any official explanation for why theyselectedthisphotograph,openingroomforspeculationonthepartofusers. InChina,many users believe this picture symbolises the initial purpose of socialappsasacommunicativetool:toremovedistance,andtoreduceloneliness(Ji,&Wang, 2015). This well-accepted answer reflects a more profound semioticmeaning than theMessi campaign, since there is neither a proper signifier of“distance”,northedemandofinterpersonalcommunication.Theonlyfunctionsfeaturedinthecampaignareinstantvideocallsandaudiomessaging,whicharebasicandbanalfunctionscommonacrossIMapps.Overall,theMessiWechatglobalcampaigncanbeperceivedasanunsuccessfulcommunication strategy for its lack of semiotic application and emotionalresonation with the audience, and also failed to convey the brand value andproductideologyofWechat.2.2 Globalizationandculturalstudies

Another problem of Wechat’s global campaign might be the unsuccessfuladaptability of its functions to Western culture. For instance, the digital redenvelope is oneof the app’smostused functions, since it is a cultural productbornfromthehistoricalChineseSpringFestival(seeFeature4).

Feature4:Wechatdigitalredenvelope

(Imagecredit:JessieChen,uxdesign.cc)

Duringthe2017ChineselunarNewYearholiday,around43billionredenvelopewere sent on Wechat, included many foreign users living in China (Reuters,2017). The red envelope embodies Chinese culture’s “lucky money” tradition,andcouldbeappealingtoforeignusersasauniquelyChineseculturalpractice.

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However, in terms of the Westernization issue, it’s worth considering thenumberofwesternerswhowouldunderstandandbewillingtousethisfunction.Nevertheless, the “virality” as shown in the red envelope could be a valuableinspiration for Wechat in seeking other breakthroughs like Christmas orThanksgiving,andhelptoresonatewithusersofaWesternculturalbackground.Inamacroperspective,Wechat’s“over-powerful”functionscouldalsoexplainwhyithasnotgainedhighaudienceengagementinWesterncountries,althoughdifferentWechatoverseasversionhavebeenslightlyalteredtosuitgivenculturalenvironments.Firstly,an“everything”appcandelightChineseusersduetotherecentphenomenonof“Chinabusinessstyle”(Baden,2011).Itisusedtodescribethefast-paced,multi-tasking,stressfullifestyleofmodernChineseurbanites.Wechatassiststhemintheirdemandforawiderangeofproducts.However,accordingtosomeWesternculturalstudies,Westernersmightpreferasimple,minimalistproductthatcanbeeasilymasteredatthebrandrecognitionandawarenessstage(Spenner,&Freeman,2012).Forexample,Whatsappmaintainsstrongrecognitionforitssimplemessagingutility,andthemessagingfunctionattachedtoFacebookwasexcisedintoanother,simplerapp,“Messenger”.AsZuckerbergexplained,itisbetterthatoneappfocusesononefunctiononly(Tweedie,2014).Similarly,whenreviewingthepopularizationofWechatinChina,itevidentlybeganwithbasicmessagingfunctions,andthengraduallyevolvedwiththeadditionofotherfunctionstothecurrent“supperapp”cateringtothetargetaudienceofChineseusers.Inotherwords,WechatshoulddevelopfeaturesthatbettersuitWesternsensibilitiesandin-keepingwithWesterncultureandvalues.Finally,theWechatstickerisasignificantandcharacteristicallyChinesefeaturethatgreatlyappealstoChineseusers’taste,butapparentlyfailstoholdtheattentionofWesterners.Asanimportantcommunicationtool,expressivestickerscanspiceupvirtualconversation,whichcontinuestoproliferate.AtthebeginningofWechatglobalization,thedevelopmentteamseemstohaveoverlookedthisaspectoftheappandfailedtocreateaseriesofstickersthatappealtoWesterners.Afterrealizingthisin2015,Wechathasaddedstickerpacksforparticularregions,includingIndia(seeFeature5)

Feature5:WechatIndianstickerpack

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(Imagecredit:Chatterbox,officialWechatblog)The launchingof this specialnational stickerpackhasbeenapositive step forWechat’s globalization, but must further expand this approach to differentculturecontexts,mostprominently theWest.AsTechAsiannoted, it ishard tofind stickers for the Westerners in the Wechat sticker gallery (2016). Searchresults fail to turn up Western themes like sports, festivals, and celebrities;whereasit is fullofChinesestickers.Thesticker issuecouldbeavital factor intheexperienceofusers,andleadtoareductioninuserengagement.Takingtheexamples of popular social networking platforms such as Facebook, theirstickers and GIFS are replete with Western themes and iconography, whichassists in the prevalence of memeing, a driving force of internet culture. (seeFeature6).

Feature6:screenshotofFacebookGIFsgallery

“Meme”isdefinedas“unitofculturalinformationspreadbyimitation”(Rogers,n.d.).Generally,aFacebookGIFstickerdepictsarealpersonorastrikingartisticworkdesigned to conveyemotions.Thus,memes shouldbe analysedas an essentialcomponent of recent developments inWestern Internet culture. Furthermore,Internet culture could partly represent the pop culture of a particular era orcountry(Furedi,2014).Tosummarise,WechathasshownpoorinsightintopopcultureandfailedtolocalizetoWesterncountrieswithitsChinese-centricrangeofstickers,butfromanotherviewpoint,thisproblemcanbereversedrelativelyeasily.3 ProblemsandOpportunitiesAs has been demonstrated, the communication strategies of Wechatwesternizationhavebeenunsuccessful,butstillshowspromisingsignspointing

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toremedyandreversal.Problemscanbecategorizedas:· Low audience engagement due to improper celebrity communication and

semioticapplication.· Inadequateglobalizationandlocalizationduetolackofculturestudies.

Potentialopportunitiesderivedfromthecurrentproblemsare:· Generating a new celebrity endorsement campaign to restructure audience

feelings.· Further utilization of semiotic theory in the next campaign, based on the

brand value of Wechat, and the core benefit of IM applications. The BlueMarbleimagecouldbere-used

· Localizationfeaturingcommunicationtools(forexample,stickers)basedonculturalcontext,togarnerhigherstickiness(userloyalty).

· SimplifyfunctionsforWesternusersintheearlystages,togainmoreWechatstarters.

Thepossiblesolutionsareasshownabove,whichcouldbeimplementedinthemarketingcommunicationanalysisinPartB.

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PartBMarketingcommunicationstrategyAsanalyzedinPartA,thewesternizationofWechathasfacedseveralobstacles,includinglowaudienceengagementandpoorbrandrecognitionandawareness.TherootcausesofthesedilemmasarethatWechatremainsovertlyChineseinits design and array of features, which Westerners may find alienating anddifficult to understand. However, there is still room for improvement inmarketingtheapp.Inordertotackletheproblemsandseizetheopportunitiestoamelioratethesituation,PartBwillanalyzeanddevelopseveralviableIMCcampaignsandstrategies.4.ObjectivesObjectives to further develop Wechat’s westernization draw from its formerstrategies,whichcouldbepresentedasfollows:· Increasing westerners’ recognition and awareness at the decision makingprocess(DMP)stagebyproximitymarketing;findingbreakthroughsintotheinitialtargetmarket.

· Conveying the brand value of Wechat in an emotionally resonate mannerthrougheffectiveadvertising.

· Enhancingandunderpinningconsumerloyalty(userstickiness).· Fostering a “Wechat lifestyle” in Western countries, as has been

demonstratedinChina.All of the objectives will be practiced by means of a long-term multi-mediachannel. Initially, during the first two stages of attracting the public, a moreemotionalcampaignshouldberuntoemphasizetheuniqueproductfeaturesofWechat: a revolutionary “super” app, and to show how its “all in one” naturecompares favourablytovariouscompetitors inenhancingusercommunication.Secondly,inordertodeliverthecorevalueofWechatmoreeffectively,apropercelebrity endorsement should be launched. The core values in question being:reducing lonelinessand increasingsocialisation inacreativeway,as its sloganread, “the newway to connect ”. Next step will focus on increasing customerloyalty,which should focus on the target audience. The current disadvantagesarecausedby the fact thatWechatwas introduced toWesterncountriesmuchlaterthanitscompetitors,anditstargetaudienceoverlapswithsaidcompetitors.Therefore, it is necessary to identify another target audience group as the“breakthrough”oftheWesternmarket,thisprobablybelongingtothereferencegroups, which can influence themajor users’ option (Bearden & Etzel, 1982).Finally, remaining innovative but also adapting to Western ways is a crucialstrategy to maintain user stickiness, which could ultimately lead to greaterWechatecosystemsandtaketheappclosertoachievingitsobjectives.5. TargetMarketAnalysis

Targetaudiencecanbeanalysedfromtwoangles:theoverallmacroscopeofthesocialappmarket,andtheprecisemicroaudiencegroupbasedonthefunctionsandfeaturesofWechat,especiallythosethatdiffertoWhatsappandMessengers.

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Furthermore,thekeypointoftargetmarketanalysisistodeterminewhowouldmostlikelyaffordtheswitchingcosts(Klemperer,1987)ofadoptinganewsocialapp,andwhichcustomerclusterhasthegreatestpotentialtocultivateaWechat“lifestyle”.Firstly, inrelationtothemacrosocialappmarket inWesterncountriesarethefollowingreferences to theusagedataofFacebook inAmerica(seeFeature7):demographically,themajoruserbaseisyoungadultsaged18-29(88%),withanincreasingtrendofolderpeopleengaging.As forgender, femalesare8%moreinclinedtousethesitethanmales.Theaveragebackgroundandlivingstandardsofauseristhatofaneducatedpersonwithanincomelevelconcentratedatlessthan$30,000USDandslightlyhigherthan$30,000USDperyear.Finally,whengeographyisconsidered,theyaredispersedrelativelyequallyinurbanandruralareas(Greenwood,Perrin,&Duggan,2016).AsthearchetypalWesterncountryand themostpopularsocialapp,AmericanFacebookuserstatisticsprovideanessentialreferencetothemacrotargetaudienceanalysis.

Feature7:2016FacebookuserstatisticsinAmerica

(Imagecredit:PreResearchCenter)

Themicrotargetaudienceshouldfindanotherbreakthroughtoanalyzeindepth.Toretraceandexpandonapreviouspoint,themacrotargetaudienceofWechatissimilartoFacebook’s,thuswecanattempttotargetseniorsandE-merchantsin theearlyphase. Inasense, theoldergenerationcouldbeareferencegroup,which may influence the major user (youths)’s options when communicatingwith theirelders.Secondly,according to thedistinctivecommercial functionofWechat, 95% of luxury brands have partneredwithWechat to advertise theirbrand and products using “Moment” (similar to Facebook’s news feed); andWechathasalsoaccruedprofitsfromtheseE-commerceactivities(ChinaInsight,2017). Secondly, from the features of Wechat, many developed functions arelikelytofacilitatebusinessinWesterncountries.Forinstance,“Wechatpay”isa

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unique function,whichunlike similar features from rival apps, allowsusers toaddpersonalcreditcardstotheir“Wechatwallet”,whichcanpayforthepartnerenterprise. And, by creating an officialWechat public account, companies canadvertise theirproducts inarticles, thenews feed,andpersonalmessages (seeFeature8),whetheritisabuddingprivatebusinessorafirstclassglobalbrand.

Feature8:BurberryOfficialWechatAccountAdvertisingonChicnessWechat

ForWechat,aimingatseniorsandE-merchantsmightbeaprofitableavenuetoexpand theWesternmarket at the first stageupagainst the likesofFacebook.Thecharactersofthesetwogroupswillbediscussedinthesegmentationsection,andthecorrespondentcommunicationstrategywillbeanalyzedandpresentedinthecommunicationplan.To appeal to the target audience,Hollywood star cumsuccessful businessman,GeorgeClooney,couldbetheidealpick,fortheimagehehascultivatedpossessesmulti-generational appeal: mature, handsome and the winner of acclaim in avarietyoffilmandTVroles,hisresumeincludesasuccessfulsidebusinesswhichhe invested in and developed: his own brand of Tequila known as Casamigos(Bongat, 2016). Further discussion of the George Clooney campaign will beanalyzedinthesectionofcommunicationplan.5.1 SegmentationAsTable1 illustrates, according to theuserbehavior features, theWestern social app

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marketcanbesegmentedintofourgroups:retiredpeople(seniors),E-merchants,socialanimalswhoareavidsocialmediaaddicts,and“basementdwellers”whotendtosufferpsychological barriers in face-to-face communication but have active lives on theinternet.

Table1:Segmentationofwesternsocialappmarket

Segment Retiredpeople E-merchants Socialanimals “Basementdwellers”

Benefitssought Killingtime,Acquire

information,Company

Advertising,Replyingconsults

DatingChatting

Emotionventing

Communicationassisting,Stalking,Entertaining

Usageoccasions Morning Wholeday Random Wholeday

Usagerate Low-medium High High Medium-highLoyaltystatus Low Medium-high High MediumLifestyle idle,free busy,stressed emotional,

stylish,studentacademic,introverted

Optimalbrand Facebook,Whatsapp

Wechat,FacebookInstagram

Snapchat,Line

Instagram

FacebookTwitter

As the evidence shows in the targetmarket analysis, retired people are listedfirstandhaveahighpotency,relyingonsocialmediaforsituationsinwhichtheyhaveanemotionaldemandforconnectionwithothers,andapsychologicalneedto keep up-to-date with the waves of change in the information era (Hara,Zadorozhny, & Buchmann, 2010). For this group, the campaign should bedesignedtoappealtoemotionsandhighlighttheapp’suser-friendlinessanditsfunctions that have the ability to assist people with low tech-literacy. Theseinclude audio messaging without mis-typing; also, recalling the mis-sendmessagemaybeattractivetoseniorssincetheymakemistakesmorefrequentlywhenusingelectronicproducts.Withthisapproach,thecampaignwillbemoreprimedtocompletethe“increasingawareness”objective.

Similarly, in order to attractE-merchants, a combinationofparticular functionemphasisandanewcelebrityendorsementshouldbetakenintoconsideration.Apart from themobile payment and advertising business functions ofWechat,celebrityendorsementbasedforasuccessfulentrepreneurscouldbeamotivateelement to appeal businesspeople, especially the new entrants for their ownprivate business. The overall segmentation strategy is to start with the targetsegments,andthenincrementallypermeatestotheothertwogroups.Ultimately,a“Wechat-lifestyle”wouldbecultivatedamongdifferentsegments,whichisonthetrackoftheobjective.5.2 Positioning

Themajor IMappsallocation isdescribed in theperceptualmap (Feature10),accordingtotwomagnitudes:thecomplexityoftheappfunction,andthecontentopenness. Wechat is pitching the location with a high complexity for itscomprehensive features, and a higher than average openness, for it require avalidation to add new friends and can block any particular user from yourpersonalnews feed.Conversely, strangers canbrowseyourFacebookpersonalpagewithout sending a friend request.Also,Whatsapp can automatically fetch

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yourphonecontactsandsendmessagestothemwithoutyourapproval.Thisgulfbetweenthepublicandtheprivatearerooted inChineseandWesternculturaldifferences(Lim,2016).

Feature10:PerceptualMap

Therefore, toWesternizemoresuccessfully,acorrectdevelopmentstrategydrawnfromtheperceptionmapofWechatistoapproachtheWesternusersusing habits, meanwhile remain some unique features to keep distinctivefromitscompetitors.Approachingtowesternerscanbrieflymeanssimplifysome Chinese-culture-oriented features, like digital red envelope, orwesternizethesefunctionsbyrepackagingthefunctions.Repackagingrefersto, for example, adding stickers with western elements, absorbingThanksgiving festival cultural to inherit the “Luckymoney” and “blessing ”ideologythatoriginallydevelopedfromChineseLunarNewYear.Intermsoftheopennessconcern,Wechatcouldappropriatelyremovesomenewfriendsverifystepstomakeitmore“westernized”.Overall, on the perceptual map, Wechat is pitching the gap betweencomprehensive features and intimate content openness,which is filling themarketvacancyinthewesternIMappfield.WithaproperstrategytoarisethepublicawarenessofWechat,itwilltendtobeonapositiveandpromisingdevelopmentinthefuture.

6. OverallStrategyConcept6.1 Customer-BasedBrandEquity(CBBE)Model

Communication strategiesofWechatWesternization couldbederived fromKeller's (2001)BrandEquityModel (seeFeature11).Thereare four steps:firstly, identifying brand value (creating awareness) by choosing GeorgeClooney to appeal to target segments, and shaping customerperceptionbypresentingWechatfeaturesastheUniqueSellingPropositions(Farrell.,&Lee,n.d.), through the content of the campaign. Secondly, enhancing the brandimageryasa“super-app”whichsuitscustomerdemand.Thirdly,atthebrandresponselevel,continuingtofocusonadvantagesdrawnfromtheformertwosteps, in order to enhance customer satisfaction and expectation. The top

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stage of this pyramid, brand resonance, is the essence of this campaign’sobjective: building up a Wechat ecosystem, presented in a long-termcustomerrelationship.

Feature11

6.2 IMCapproachesandAIDAmodelIMCapproacheswillbethemainmethodtoadvertiseWechat.Accordingtothecharactersofsocialmedia,theuserbasewouldtendtoengagewithsocialmediaasamultimedia informationsource.Therefore, integratedmarketingcommunication is the appropriate strategy with a consistent general toneand a synergy scope combined with both new and traditional media.However,Wechatasanewentrant to thewesternsocialmediamarket, thesocialmediapromotionwouldbeabigchallengeforitsincemostothersocialmedia are its the competitors. Possible solutions about this social mediachannelconcernwillbeanalyzedinthecommunicationplansection.AIDA model will be applied at the IMC stage of setting campaign content.According toDukesmith andMitchell (1905), under the context ofWechat,AIDAstandsforthepotentialuser’sawarenessandinterest;usagedesireofbothnewusersandavidusers;andactionsfromthewholerangeofexistingand potential users, demonstrating how they adapt, feel, think, react, anddecide when using Wechat; additionally, user retention is deserving of

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marketers’attention,whichwilldirectlyaffectuserstickiness.

7. CommunicationPlan

7.1SpecificcampaigncontentdeliveryThe primary tone used when engaging the target audience should be anemotional one. Relaxing and comforting, this tone conveys the ideology ofWechat’s brand value: no more social isolation (for seniors), and a newcommunicationapptoimproveyourlife(forE-merchants).Semioticelementscanbederivedfromthestartuppage“BlueMarble”(explainedinPartA),thesmall human silhouette could be George Clooney, facing a new world (theEarth)withasenseofeuphoriaandoneness. ItcouldgoontoshowGeorgeClooneyusingtheWechataudiomessagingfunctiontocatchupwithfriendsandfamily,andusetheapptoadvertisehisTequila,andsharinga“moment”withfansandhisTequilaconsumers.Theslogancanderivefromtheoriginalone, “Wechat, anewway to connectandanewway toachieve”, reinforcingthebrandvalue“nomoreloneliness,morefunctionsandmorefun”.Withthisenvisionedcampaign,Wechat’sfunctionsandbrandvaluecanbehighlightedtoWesterners,andfulfillWesternusers’expectations.

7.2IMCprocess

The overall IMC process will begin with a “push” marketing strategy viatraditionalmedia, graduallymoving to a “pull” strategy thatWesternusersbegintoshowinterestinexperiencingthisannotativeIMapp,anddesiretocontinue usage. George Clooney’s endorsement video campaign will bereleased at the timing of Thanksgiving Day, which, with its strongatmosphereofunityandconnectedness,tapsintothepublic’ssentiments.7.3MediamixMediaconvergenceisintegraltothewholeIMCprogress,withanintegrationofbothtraditionalmediaandnewmedia.Inthemediaselectionplan,socialmedia platforms will not be the object of much concentration, especiallyFacebook and other competitors. However, other Internet channels wouldstill being more effective. For example, partnering with influential andeducationalYoutuberswithdiverseaudiences,andsocialwebsite like9gag,4chan, and Reddit, which appeal to Western youths, are more likely togenerate virality. Website banners are also a visible channel to raiseconsumerrecognition.Therefore,linksandE-posterswithWechatdownloadaccess QR codes should be designed and disseminated to a wide range ofwebsites.Traditionalcommunicationtoolscanbedividedintotwodistinctcategories:indoor and outdoor. Newspapers are the traditional indoor channel forseniors,asarebusiness journals formerchants.CampaignsonTVarea far-reachingcommunicationtoolthatanyrandompersonmaywitness.Outdoorcommunication, like billboards at shoppingmalls and print posters on the

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wallofpublicbathrooms, ismorelikelytoappealtopeoplewhohavemorespare time for social apps. In addition, advertising on public transport isanother an appropriate strategy, given that people increasingly usesmartphonesduringtheircommutingtime(Sensis,2016).PublicRelationsconsistingofeventsandsponsorshiparealsoeffective,butshouldbeusedinmoderation.LaunchingaWechatstickerdesigneventcanassistingainingdownloads,publicattention,andinterest.Extendingitevenfurther would be to allow users to design their own stickers, which canfurtherWechat’sWesternisationandboostuserengagement.

8. ConclusionByexaminingthereasonsforlowaudienceengagement,andengaginginWesternculturestudies,thenewIMCcampaigncanhelpWechatpenetrateWesternmarketsbytakingthefollowingsteps:gainGeorgeClooney’sendorsementinordertoresonatewiththeaudienceandenhancebrand-building;placeemphasisonWechat’suniquefeatures;andstageaDIYstickerevent.ThesearealleffectivePRchannelsinthemixofIMCmediaapproaches,whicharedirectedtowardsacommonobjective:establishingthe“Wechatecosystemandlifestyle”inWesternsociety.

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10. AppendixesLionelMessiinWeChatTVCommercial2013AdCampaignFIFA:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrjnzCanAj0