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Younger, More Independent & Adventurous
Marketing to today’s Chinese FIT
Rebecca Dai
China Ready Workshop - Mighty Waikato TourismMay 2019
1. Digital trends shaping China today
2. thl’s view – what did we try, what worked, what didn’t
3. Takeaways
4. Q&A
1.Digital, Social Media & Pop Culture Drive Trends
What are the latest digital trends shaping China today?
Top 20 internet leaders 6 years ago = USA @9... China @2…
Source: Mary Meeker Internet Trend report 2018
Source: Mary Meeker Internet Trend report 2018
Top 20 internet leaders in 2018 = USA @11… China @9…
Ant Financial: formerly Alipay, part of Alibaba group
Meituan-Dianping, group buy / restaurant review / food delivery & now TRAVEL
China short-form video leaders: massive growth + high engagement
• 350+M combined DAU• 50 minute daily average time spend• Users 24-30 yo• Fun way to showcase destination
Source: Mary Meeker Internet Trend report 2018
Mobile payment growing rapidly, now a $16 Trillion industry
Source: Mary Meeker Internet Trend report 2018 & China International Travel Monitor 2018 by Hotel.com
Alipay +209% , WeChat pay +116% Yoy
Most desired services by Chinese FIT travellers while overseas
Source: China International Travel Monitor 2018 by Hotel.com
Film & TV are a major influence in travel inspiration & planning
• Long form online video content budgets now exceeding TV network
• 25% of Chinese FIT & 42% post-90s generation will visit a film or TV shooting location in their next domestic or international trips – LOTR, Harry Potter Studio, Lost in Thailand and now GOT
• Reality shows, TV series & animations have more influence over FIT traveller than any other genre
• Chef Nic filmed in NZ 2017, 1.04billion views on Chinese online video platform iQiyiSources: Mary Meeker Internet Trend report 2018;
Chinese Outbound Travel: 2017 in Review and What to Expect in 2018, from Mafengwo & Dragon Trail; Tourism NZ
Chef Nic & guest singer GEM with celebrity chef Al Brown
Millennials are becoming a major force in outbound travel
Traits• 40% millennials share their trips through selfies• Love to get a good deal, highly receptive to
promotions & sales• Expectations are high – demand seamless online to
offline technology & service • Authentic experiences are more influential
Sources: Where next? What influencing Chinesemillennial travelers - Jing Travel 2018; China International Travel Monitor 2018 by Hotel.com
Proportion of travel decision makers between 19-29 = 22%
2.thl Operator’s View – Digital Marketing to Chinese FITs
What did we try?
What worked?
What didn’t?
Translate signages/ collaterals / websites / social
Waitomo.com/china
Britz.cn
• Mobile first
• Booking experience
• Ongoing maintenance
• Branding or Conversion?
• Channels aplenty
• Paid SEM – Baidu / 360
• Social advertising – WeChat / Alipay coupons
• Domestic Chinese online media
• OTA campaigns & partnership
Online advertising is costly – focus on goals & ROI
One KOL couple, over 5millon views on Tik Tok & Weibo, Zero Cost
KOL marketing - 4 things we learned
1. Chinese FITs love to share, previous customers are the best ambassadors2. Celebrity KOL opportunities – jump onboard!3. Be clear with expectations4. Amplify the content wide and far
Top funnel influence – growing the RV category awareness
• thl recently sponsored Beautiful Youth, a 12 episode Chinese youth travel reality show featuring household millennial celebrities such as Chengcheng Fan, Ziyi Wang travelling through New Zealand in thl’s maui motorhome brand
• Dedicated episode in Waitomo featuring Black Water Rafting
• The show launched on iQiyi on 3 March 2019 and
has reached #3 in entertainment shows in China
• The hashtag trending at 4.7 billion on Weibo
In 2016 Discover Waitomobecame the first tourism operator in NZ to launch both Alipay & WeChat Pay
Alipay campaign – over 7,500 coupon collected, redemption rate over 30% at Waitomo giftshop
Mobile payments – not only a transactional method
Identify the gaps
• Net Promoters Score
• Step through as a customer
• Talk to customers
Improving visitor experience
Chinese language audio guiding App launched at Waitomo Glowworm Caves
[TING听.怀托摩 ]audio guiding App
3.Five things any operator can try TODAY
1. Accept Alipay & WeChat pay (if you haven’t already)
2. Be China Ready, improve technology / service – offer free WiFi, get a QR code, selfie wall…
3. Any KOL opportunity? Jump on it!
4. Get involved on social media – directly / KOLs /partnerships
5. Channel agnostic. Trade / direct, as long as they come to you!
