On November 13, Chinese coffee chain MANNER and British fragrance brand Jo Malone joined hands to launch a winter campaign across China, coinciding with the release of new products from both brands.
This latest initiative offers a total of 150,000 perfume gift bags containing a sample of Jo Malone’s holiday limited-edition ‘Gingerbread’ fragrance and a festive Christmas candy cane pin to customers who purchase one of MANNER’s seasonal winter drinks from its ‘Caramel Cocoa Latte’ series.
Known for its quintessential English scents, Jo Malone has steadily built its market presence in China since 2014, primarily through its Tmall online store. In a market where recommendations heavily influence consumer decisions, Jo Malone has harnessed the power of recommendation-based marketing or zhongcao (种草) on Xiaohongshu to bolster its online brand appeal. This strategy, combined with collaborations with KOLs and celebrities, has significantly increased the brand’s visibility and engagement, as shown by its high ranking in Xiaohongshu’s user engagement with brands’ paid advertisements.
Moreover, Jo Malone’s ‘Blossom’ campaign on WeChat exemplifies the effectiveness of combining zhongcao marketing with paid campaigns, witnessing a 14% increase in conversion rate over conventional advertising. The brand’s focus on user-generated content and interactive promotions has also seen substantial success, with promotional WeChat articles garnering over 100,000 views.
By collaborating with MANNER, Jo Malone taps into the Chinese coffee chain’s local market knowledge and customer base, which could lead to more tailored and effective marketing strategies in China. The potential increase in brand awareness and customer engagement through this partnership could also translate into a broader customer base and increased sales for Jo Malone as it continues to expand its foothold in the lucrative Chinese market.
