Challenge
French maker of eco-footwear VEJA is determined to bring their eco-sneaker lineup to the Chinese market. VEJA offers a unique take on the footwear industry—their products are ethically sourced from Brazil, earth-friendly and fair trade, all while maintaining a fashionable design true to their Parisian roots. At present, China is undergoing a paradigm-shift in favor of a lower environmental impact, and VEJA’s brand message would speak well to a new generation of Chinese consumers.
Solution
What we did Sekkei Studio came on board to help VEJA achieve their goals in China and give them a solid start, especially with Chinese social media platforms Weibo and WeChat. We successfully helped VEJA to setup their official social media accounts on the two major platforms, then we managed their content localization and engagement on WeChat and Weibo. Once the operations were on track, we started to reach out to influencers and support the organization of local events. Social Media Account Setup & Verification Two media platforms, Sina Weibo and Tencent Wechat, dominate Chinese social media space and are critical for any businesses that wish to reach a Chinese audience. Other major social media platforms, such as Instagram and Facebook, are not available in China, presenting an adaptation challenge to overcome. Creating an official account for these platforms, however, is not always straight forward. Sekkei Studio was able to help VEJA through the verification and account setup process, allowing them to have an official social media presence in China. Content Management and Localization After creating VEJA’s social media official accounts, the next step was to study the assets provided for the brand. VEJA’s eco-friendly, fashionable message needed to be not just translated into Chinese, but localized—transformed to conform to local language use and expectations. Sekkei Studio’s copywriters and community managers were able to take the materials provided by VEJA and convert them into a message that would resonate with Chinese consumers, while sticking closely to the brand guidelines. Key to this was an intimate understanding of the local language, especially proper use of slang. Languages change quickly as each generation adds their own unique spin on a language that separates one generation from another. For VEJA’s target market of young, fashionable, ecologically minded consumers, using correct tones of voice were important to establish VEJA as an in-group brand. Sekkei Studios used these techniques, in combination with addressing hot topics pertinent to VEJA’s audience, increasing user engagement and identification with the brand. A regular posting schedule ensured that users received most updated content timely. With steady streams of content-rich messages, posts, and links, VEJA’s customers would learn that the brand is actively engaging the Chinese market. Supporting this, Sekkei Studios provided VEJA with community management services, ensuring that clients and social media users would be supported for any needs, inquiries, or concerns they might have. Chinese Social Media Consultancy Managing social media in another culture can be a daunting task. Miscommunication can damage a brand’s integrity, or worse, end in PR crisis. To prevent such mishaps before they start, Sekkei Studio’s community manager created a step-by-step guide, and shared the know-how with VEJA’s team in Paris on how to accomplish certain tasks within the backend of social media accounts. This gave VEJA the tools and information they needed to support their Chinese social media goals, i.e. driving sales and boosting brand awareness. KOL Sourcing and Management Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) are a critical part of a modern digital marketing and branding strategy. These young, culturally tuned-in influencers have cultivated audiences in the millions, providing brands with groups of targeted audience that can make-or-break a marketing campaign. Sekkei Studios researched and consolidated a list of viable KOLs suitable for VEJA’s marketing needs. With this list created, Sekkei Studios reached out and contacted each KOL, providing them with important details such as client information, brand introduction, event details, project briefs, and invitations. Once the KOLs were on board, Sekkei Studios provided VEJA a short-list of KOLs suitable for VEJA’s needs and strong fit for the brand’s message. By helping VEJA to throw an influencer mini-party in October 2019, 15 influencers bought-in to help promote a VEJA exclusive event without the need for monetary compensation—only product seeding. This was a big win as high-end KOL fees can be quite costly, especially for emerging brands. The branding event was a great success—the KOLs who attended the event got at least a pair of the latest, authentic VEJA shoes, and were happy to share the experience with their followers. All agreements made between the VEJA and the KOLs were managed through Sekkei Studios, who negotiated on VEJA’s behalf with their best interests in mind. No KOL budget was spent, only product seeding.
Results
VEJA’s social media presence has grown rapidly since August—content posts have always been on brand and communicative with its Chinese audience. From a totally blank slate, and with no previous Chinese market presence, VEJA trusted Sekkei Studios to help make their brand relevant to a market in a new and unfamiliar culture. VEJA has come a long way from that first initial step into China and, with the help of Sekkei Studios, VEJA is well on its way to becoming a popular brand amongst their new Chinese fans.
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