Providing Digital Marketing and Public Relations Solutions for UK Brands in China
Digital marketing is evolving in China. We are in the social “ME”dia (or “We Media”) era, which means that brands must be prepared to compete in a market built on personal experiences, rather than in the traditional mass media marketplace. As part of our extensive social media marketing and PR consultancy services, DDUK specialises in making an impact on real-time communication digital platforms in China via collaborative creation and user-generated content. Get in touch today to learn more.
Why you need digital marketing
In 2018, there were around 674 million social media users in China, making the country one of the world’s biggest social media markets. Even though platforms like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter are unavailable in the country, local platforms such as Tencent WeChat and Weibo are dominating the market with millions of users. Chinese social media is not simply an online communication channel, but the main information sources for news and entertainment, spending advice, and even e-payments. DDUK has extensive experience of using “WE Media” in China to achieve marketing objectives, including:
- Baidu
- Little Red Book (XiaoHungShu)
- TouYin
- Yizhibo Livestream
- KuaiShou
- Xigua
Tourism & Hospitality
By 2030, it is estimated that China will make up nearly a quarter of all global tourism. In particular, there has been a rapid upwards trend of Chinese inbound tourists to the UK. This is especially noticeable with younger travellers, with 46% of Chinese visitors to the UK aged between 16 and 34. Additionally, VisitBritain projects that Chinese spending in the UK will grow to £1 billion annually by 2020.
An increasing number of Chinese tourists are relying on information, comments, and suggestions from China’s emerging social media when planning for their trips. DDUK specialises in complete digital marketing strategies and solutions for the hospitality and tourism sectors. We are experienced in providing services for retailers such as shopping arcades and restaurants, serving more than two-thirds of the property developers listed in the Hong Kong stock exchanges.
Helping businesses reach out to Chinese tourists using social media marketing tools, we help businesses to implement an online-to-offline shopping experience through an integrated digital media marketing solution. We serve a range of businesses in the tourism and hospitality sectors, including; but not limited to:
- Destination Marketing Organization
- Tour Operators Agents
- Hotels
- Restaurants
Demand for experiential travel is on the rise among the younger generation of Chinese inbound tourists. Having been helping majority of shopping arcades in Hong Kong in planning and managing shoppers-engagement campaigns, DDUK’s help to crave off-the-beaten experimental travel journey for Chinese tourists based on each travel destination’s uniqueness. We connect the truly local and authentic insider tour experience in the UK transcending the windows of tour bus, with the interests of Chinese travellers to make them tick.
When you choose DDUK, we act as your one-stop marketing solutions provider, designing a tailor-made marketing campaign to suit your needs and budget, including:
- Market Consultancy
- WeChat Account Subscription
- Mini Program Launch
- SEO and SEM on China’s Top Search Engine
- KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders)
- KOCs (Key Opinion Consumers)
- Mega-, Nano-, and Micro-Influencers
As one of the few China-focused social media agencies, we are confident in pioneering our unprecedented “no charge unless you’re on the first page” ROI guarantee. We are uniquely placed to get your brand’s message to users on WeChat, which has one of the largest user-bases in the world, connecting more than 1 billion people with chats and calls.
Specifically, we harness the WeChat platform “英國麻瓜在 UK” (literally translated as UK Muggle) to raise awareness of your brand and drive constant promotions across popular Chinese booking portals such as Ctrip, Mafengwo, and Sohu. Whether you already have a Chinese website, or you are looking to adapt to a new market, our expert team have got you covered.
Limited Time Offer - Free Exposure on DDUK’s wechat Plus 3 lifestyle/ food bloggers on Dianping or Little Red Book at £399
ENQUIRIES
If your organisation has any new happenings and promotion offers that you would like us to feature on the WeChat platform, please contact us and our editorial team will get in touch with you shortly.
Property Development
Chinese buyers’ interests in the UK property has reached a record high, particularly after the government announced an additional 2% stamp duty surcharge on foreign investment, which will come into effect in April 2021. With so many redevelopment and rejuvenation projects going on across the UK, there are tremendous property investment opportunities available to overseas buyers.
in his book “Mall City: Hong Kong’s Dreamworlds of Consumption”, Dutch architect Professor Stefan Al wrote: “Hong Kong is a city of malls.” Supported by a dedicated team who have worked with two-thirds of the property developers listed in the Hong Kong stock exchanges, DDUK offers a wealth of exposure to potential buyers in Hong Kong and China through an array of multimedia marketing services.
While Hong Kong has the largest concentration of shopping arcades in the world, UK property developers have continued to invest in traditional brick and mortar locations too, prompting a surge in retail spaces opening in the last few years. Appealing to customers’ leisure experience needs, UK shopping centres will continue to attract locals and tourists and DDUK is ideally placed to promote new retail developments and entice shoppers offline through experience-led marketing campaigns.
ENQUIRIES
If you have any residential or retail properties for which you are seeking investment from overseas buyers and tenants, please contact us for a free consultation and proposal.
Education
China is also the world’s leading source of international students to UK university degree and master programmes. According to the statistics from UK Council for International Student Affairs in 2018/2019, the majority of international students of UK universities coming from non-EU countries come from China, representing 35% of all non-EU students are from China. The trend will continue to grow upwards amid a series of recent changes to the Home Office’s Immigration Rules. Specifically, the foreign students for the 2020/21 intake of students to UK universities will be eligible for a new route to find a job in the UK after graduating for two years post-graduation.
We understand the challenges faced by UK universities and independent schools in international recruitment amid COVID-19. Complementing with the strong network with the Chinese students unions registered with The Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA), DDUK offers bespoke marketing solutions to create synergy with your in-house team and representing agents in China, from arranging 1-to-1 virtual orientation session, China’s international schools and parents lobbying.
The UK is one of the top three overseas study destinations for Chinese students. Many Chinese parents would opt for a British-style international secondary education in the country for better preparing their children to study abroad. More than 300,000 children in China are now enrolled in an international style of education and 66% of these children are Chinese nationals attending international Chinese-owned private schools.
Therefore, a growing number of reputable British schools have plans to expand into China by tapping the huge market potential of the Greater Bay Area. Experienced in the UK education sector, DDUK have worked with a wide range of clients, from Oxford University Press to Lady Eleanor Holles (LEH). Our projects include the ground-breaking ceremony of LEH’s first overseas school in Foshan, China in 2018 and EtonX’s debut online summer programme in 2019.
Addressing the high demand for quality education in Hong Kong and Greater China, we have accumulated a strong track record in providing services to institutions. As experts in managing the affairs of international schools, we offer strategic counsel, media relations, and event management services. We also host private dialogues and roundtables with the local community to help bridge the culture and language gaps.
ENQUIRIES
DDUK can help your universities to embark on marketing campaigns to promote to the Chinese audience in Hong Kong and China. If your school has any new program and initiative you would like to promote on our WeChat platform “英國麻瓜在 UK”, please get in touch and we will arrange for our editorial team to contact you shortly.
Cross-Border eCommerce
There is enormous business potential to be found in China’s OTC (Over-the-Counter) pharmaceuticals market. As of December 30th 2019, the China National Medical Products Administration has approved a pilot programme for the bonded importing of OTC pharmaceutical products in Beijing, enabling foreign merchants to store products in the Tianzhu bonded warehouse area and fulfil customer orders.
With the growing awareness of health issues in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, the market demand for OTC non-prescription drugs in China is increasing. As the first UK partner of Zenecom360, one of five e-commerce companies that the government has granted the Green Channel Permit for OTC non-prescription drugs, DDUK can help you connect with this market.
Working with healthcare and clinically proven cosmetic skincare brands in the UK, we collaborate with Zenecom360 to deliver premium qualifying products directly to China, ready to sold online complementary with the seamless offline product display at over 10,000 strategic locations including more than 3,800 stores of DaShenLin Pharmaceutical Group Co., one of the five largest public listed companies engaged in the pharmaceutical retailing business in China.
ENQUIRIES
If your brand has non-prescription healthcare and cosmetic products that you want to trade in China, contact us by using the form below and we will get the ball rolling by arranging a free consultation.
ARTrepreneur
Working closely with licensors, we have delivered successful campaigns featuring a wide array of licensed characters in shopping malls throughout Hong Kong and China. These Instagrammable attractions help to distinguish malls from their competitors, attracting traffic and boosting spending.
DDUK will continue our efforts to facilitate the creative change of ARTrepreneurs who are eager to forge international contacts through showcasing their work with exhibitions and performances in retail spaces across the UK and Hong Kong.
As well as working with young and emerging illustrators in Asia Pacific, we have liaised with an array of licence holders over the years, including:
- USA – Walt Disney and LEGO
- Japan – Sanrio
- Korea – Line Friends
Whether you are an individual artist or a licencing design owner who plans to get into the Hong Kong or Chinese market, DDUK is here to help you gain global exposure and create business matching opportunities with retailers and other businesses in Hong Kong.
Green & Sustainability
At DDUK, we understand how important sustainability is to the future of business. We are committed to protecting the planet by deploying effective communications to make positive change to the environment. This includes an array of pro-bono work on eco-friendly projects, such as working on WWF’s sustainable seafood campaign and Green Power to preserve biodiversity. For us, sustainability is not a PR slogan or statement, but an important contribution, which sets an example and calls everyone to action.
ENQUIRIES
We are always looking for opportunities to positively promote green and sustainability through our pro-bono work. If you are in the green business or you want to embark on sustainability campaign, DDUK is ready to be your PR partner. Please contact us below with more details and we shall be in touch with you within 24 hours.