This week, Taobao (淘宝) rolled out its Autumn Milk (秋奶) campaign. The premise is simple but poignant: don’t buy your first cup of autumn milk tea for yourself, buy it for grandma. In a country where elder respect is deeply ingrained, that message hits home. And so, what could have been another routine seasonal push instead becomes a reminder of family bonds. It also becomes another example of how Taobao’s marketing deftly toys with emotions, elevating their brand from simply an e-commerce platform to something personal, cultural, and emotionally resonant.
Taobao: Case studies in emotional marketing
Taobao knows what it’s doing. They’ve been at it a while, putting out some memorable campaigns along the way. Here are a few of our personal favourites:
Old Treasures, New Listings
The Autumn Milk campaign isn’t the first time Taobao has used the respect of elders in China as a touchstone for an ad run. Back in 2022, they saw wide engagement with the Old Treasures, New Listings campaign. Timed for the Double Nine Festival – a time of year for the appreciation of the elderly – Taobao ran short videos and posts introducing seniors with captions like “See the old treasures, discover new wisdom,” (看见老宝贝，淘到新智慧).
Rather than selling things, Taobao ‘sold’ the idea that elders are valuable, vibrant, and worth celebrating – turning the platform into a medium for the kind of emotional storytelling that sticks.
Hometown Treasures Onboard
No stranger to the idea that Chinese people are great lovers of traditional festivals, Taobao timed the release of their 2024 Hometown Treasures Onboard campaign with the Spring Festival.
Through agricultural livestreams and storytelling sessions – as well as a collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism – Taobao highlighted unique products and traditions from across China.
By tapping into the nostalgia many people feel about the traditions and products of their hometowns, Taobao not only promoted these products but also fostered a sense of pride among consumers. Perhaps smartest of all, it turned the act of purchasing into a celebration of tradition and community.
The Maker Festival
OK, sure, not an ad campaign as such, but Taobao’s annual Maker Festival serves as a great case in point. Actually a series of festivals held offline in multiple Chinese cities, the concept showcases independent creators, small businesses and entrepreneurial spirit. It’s a chance for buyers to learn the stories behind the brands, and for Taobao to position itself as a platform that goes beyond commerce to support innovation.
With the Maker Festival, Taobao’s marketing, ever emotionally resonant, extends beyond family and nostalgia to include personal growth and self-identity. Ultimately, this reinforces the brand’s image as one that’ll be there beside you as you grow, change, and move through life.
Why emotional marketing works for Taobao
With stiff competition from rival online shopping brands, Taobao needs to do something more than just the basics. Their approach works because they go beyond providing an e-commerce service to becoming an active part of customer’s lives.
Price, speed, or selection alone cannot build long-term loyalty, but pride, nostalgia, trust – these are powerful emotions. In uniting good service with a tug at your heartstrings, Taobao makes you feel understood and valued, not just sold to. In moments of real advertising gold, they also make the act of buying emotionally resonate with some of the most valued parts of our lives. That’s a hell of a reason for your thumb to tap Add to Cart.
