10+ luxury brands on WeChat Video; Cloud Fashion Week attracted 4M＋ viewers | Luxe.Co News Brief, Issue 1 of 2020

【10+ Luxury Brands Open WeChat Video Accounts】

Over the past month, at least 10 luxury brands including Louis Vuitton, Fendi, De Beers, Longchamp, Burberry, Prada, Dior, and Bulgari have launched WeChat Videos Accounts.

A WeChat Video Account is a short content platform that everyone can use to create either one-minute videos or sets of images (up to 9). This platform is still at the internal testing stage.

Brands' WeChat Video Account Page screenshots

Luxury brands, which have previously been more cautious about short video platforms in China, are now experimenting with WeChat. Most of the short videos released by the brands are new product advertisements and brand image videos. Louis Vuitton, Fendi, and Burberry even released videos of their Autumn/Winter 2020 fashion shows on the platform. In addition, Prada released three videos of #SeaBeyond that promotes its marine sustainable development education program.

The release data for each brand are as follows:

(statistics as of April 9, 2020, counted by Luxe.Co)

Luxe.Co Editor’s Comment: Luxury brands always have higher standards for communication, and users also have higher expectations for their content. In the digital age, users can no longer be satisfied with traditional advertising and video materials, so luxury brands need to try harder to explore content demand and platform distribution methods through short videos.

During COVID-19, many luxury brands are more active than ever by creating online content and digital experiences that are relevant to consumers around the world.

Chinese short-video users are looking for higher-quality content. If luxury brands can capitalize on this momentum and leverage their brand influence and content creation strengths, they may be able to make a qualitative leap forward in the digital process. (Source: Luxe.CO, WeChat)

【Shanghai Cloud Fashion Week Ends with 150 Brands Taking Part and 4 Million Viewers Tuning in】

On March 30, the first "Shanghai Cloud Fashion Week" jointly held by Shanghai Fashion Week and Tmall came to an end. In one week, about 150 brands completed live streams, attracting more than 4 million online viewersThe event garnered a total of 11 million views, bringing in more than 500 million yuan in brand revenue.

"Shanghai Cloud Fashion Week" web page

"Shanghai Cloud Fashion Week" is a bold exploration and special presentation during COVID-19 that took only two weeks from concept to execution. The Shanghai Fashion Week organizing committee and Tmall jointly helped brands to get started, and Tmall opened an express online channel for brands and buyers. . They also joined forces with XINTIANDI to create XINTIANDI POP-UP and cooperated with SF Express to provide guaranteed operations and logistics and a one-stop service for customers.

Shanghai Fashion Week has released a special "Cloud List" of designer brands that have done well in this event:

Based on the creativity and presentation level of brand live streams:

• TOP 5 for Creativity: Le Fame, Bronze Lucia, 8on8, Short Sentence, FFIXXED STUDIOS
• TOP 5 for Presentation: HEMU(荷木), Le Fame, FENGYI TAN, Ms MIN, MISHAKA

Based on the growth rate of sales generated by brand live streams/live streaming data provided by Tmall:

• TOP 5 for Transactions: initial, H’S, MISS SIXTY, OZLANA, HEFANGJewelry
• TOP 5 Most Influential: H’S, MISS SIXTY, AIVEI, BABYGHOST, OZLANA
• TOP 5 for Popularity ：Bronze Lucia, ZUCZUG, YES BY YESIR, IMMI, E.I KIDS (E.I 亲子时装)
• TOP 5 Favorites：ZUCZUG, YES BY YESIR, E.I KIDS (E.I亲子时装), Sprayground, initial

(Source: Shanghai Fashion Week organizing committee)

【Japanese Lifestyle Retailer LOFT Will Open its First Store in Shanghai in July】

The Japanese lifestyle retailer LOFT announced that it will enter the China market this year, with its first outlet in Shanghai expected to open in July. In February, LOFT set up a Shanghai subsidiary to operate and manage the new stores. On April 5, LOFT signed a lease with Metro City in Shanghai's Xuhui District.

LOFT website frontpage

LOFT's move into China is meant to “drive the company's growth over the next three decades,” a spokesman said. In May 2019, it was reported that LOFT would open its first store in China at Ito-Yokado in Chengdu in the spring of 2020, and planned to open six stores in China by . LOFT said that the reason why the first store was not located in Chengdu was mainly due to the outbreak of COVID-19, which led to the extension of the construction period of the local mall. (Source: Kyodo, Nikkei)

【L'Oréal Brand Urban Decay Enters the Mainland China Market】

On April 9, 2020, Urban Decay, a high-end professional cosmetics brand under L'Oréal, officially entered the mainland China market and opened its official overseas flagship store on Tmalland announced that the Hong Kong singer G.E.M. (邓紫棋) as its global spokesperson. According to L’Oréal, the formal entry of Urban Decay into the mainland China  market will focus on opening up the high-end eye makeup market, bringing high-end, professional, refined and personalized options to consumers. (Source: L'Oréal official)

| Editor: Maier