Pages

Showing posts with label Marketing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Marketing. Show all posts

Friday, January 19, 2018

Getting a Head Start on Showing Love: A Valentine's Month Sale at Qsquare in Taipei

Yesterday, January 18, I didn't expect to be thinking about Valentine's Day, which isn't until February 14. However, sale signs at the Qsquare shopping mall in Taipei changed that.

Valentine's Day Winter Sale sign at Qsquare in Taipei


The mall's website now prominently features its Valentine's Day themed winter sale as well.

Valentine's Day Winter Sale promotion on the Qsquare website


I don't know whether it is typical for Qsquare to start a Valentine's Day promotion nearly four weeks before the holiday. Qsquare may have chosen the timing because another holiday with sales potential — the Lunar New Year — falls on February 16 this year. However, I have seen similarly early starts to holiday sales elsewhere. So I wouldn't be shocked if Valentine's Day signs would now be up even if the Lunar New Year fell on a later date.

In any case, the Chinese message on the banner indicates the sale will be an opportunity for couples to show evidence of their love. It doesn't mention that depending on your significant other it may or may not be beneficial to mention you bought their gift on sale.

Thursday, December 28, 2017

Public Post-it Wishes in Taipei

At Maji Square, which offers a number of options for shopping and eating, in Taipei there currently is a display featuring Post-it notes.

Post-it notes wish board at Maji Square in Taipei


Instructions recommend: "Write down your xmas wishes and share your ideal life with us!"

directions for Post-it notes wish board at Maji Square in Taipei


And the board was full of neatly placed Post-its.

posted wish on Post-it notes wish board at Maji Square in Taipei


In most cases the wishers didn't identify themselves, though they apparently had no problem that their various wishes weren't very top secret.

Sunday, December 24, 2017

A Hearty Perfume in Taipei

Over six years ago I wrote about some similarities in Taiwanese and Italian food culture. Today in Taipei I saw a promotion reminding me of that post.

Dolce & Cabbana poster in Taipei


More soon. I'm definitely eating well, though I don't now have anything special to report about perfumes.

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Windows on Changsha

Sometimes things don't go as planned.

Windows desktop screen appearing on a digital billboard
At Huangxing Square in Changsha

More soon.

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Dinosaurs (and Lamborghinis) Featured in a Promotion at City of Dreams in Macau

Admittedly, I would have a tough time deciding if given the chance to choose one of these:

Lamborghinis and Tyrannosaurus sculpture display at City of Dreams Macau


back of yellow Lamborghini on display at City of Dreams Macau


Lamborghini and Triceratops sculpture display at City of Dreams Macau


But after much consideration, I suspect in the end I would go with the Tyrannosaurus. Unfortunately, winning one of the dinosaur sculptures did not appear to be a possibility in the "Unlock the Power" promotional campaign at the City of Dreams casino resort in Macau:
Promotional car keys will be distributed at prominent locations around Macau, including ferry terminals, border gates and shuttle-bus stops, giving lucky guests the chance to win a Lamborghini. Keys can also be obtained by visiting City of Dreams, or by playing the mobile app game. The WeChat-based competition allows players to race a supercar by using their “engine voice” to propel the car around the track – the louder you roar, the faster you go! The more keys entrants can accumulate, the more chances they will have to win a Lamborghini.

Guests at City of Dreams can also participate in a daily instant game to be in with a chance of scooping the grand prize by spending at any of the resort’s many shopping, dining, entertainment or hospitality outlets during the campaign period, and enter the stage game that will take place every Thursday to Sunday at 8pm. The entrants drawn to play the game will have the chance to drive home a Lamborghini, or to receive HKD2 million [about U.S. $250,000] in cash.
I haven't played the mobile game, which can be downloaded from either Google Play or Apple's App Store, so my engine voice remains untested. I also didn't watch a stage game, so I can't report whether it too involved using one's engine voice.

As far as the dinosaurs, without further explanation the press release states they "personify the Italian supercar". I am not aware of any evidence indicating dinosaurs had good engine voices though.

Anyway, after yet another look . . .

view from above of Lamborghinis and Tyrannosaurus sculpture display at City of Dreams Macau


Lamborghini and Triceratops sculpture display at City of Dreams Macau


I must say, maybe I would go with the Triceratops after all.

Monday, October 9, 2017

End of National Day and Beginning of New Sales in Zhongshan

The eight day long holiday period in China combing National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival concluded yesterday. Today the Sun Wen West Road Pedestrian Street in Zhongshan was far less crowded then it was during the holiday. During the day small vehicles were permitted to use it, which made things a bit less pedestrian.

Sun Wen West Road Pedestrian street with small vehicles


The end of the holiday also meant the end of the related holiday sales, though a few persisted. But that didn't mean an end to sales. A number of stores now had Autumn sales, even though Autumn began over two weeks ago in the Northern Hemisphere and the temperature still reach over 90°F (32°C) daily in Zhongshan.

Autumn sale sign in Zhongshan


But for at least one store, today was the beginning of a Halloween sale on cosmetics.

sign for a cosmetics Halloween sale at a mall in Zhongshan


And the year goes on . . .

Wednesday, October 4, 2017

Holiday Patriotism and Mooncakes in Zhongshan

Today at the Dasin Metro-Mall (大信新都汇) in Zhongshan there were patriotic signs of the ongoing National Day holiday.

patriotic flag and star display at the Dasin Metro-Mall in Zhongshan, China


Chinese flag at the Dasin Metro-Mall


Today is also the Mid-Autumn Festival. Like elsewhere in Zhongshan, the conjunction of holidays apparently inspired some "Buy One Get One Free" sales at the mall. Perhaps because of the overlap, I noticed just one sign which only mentioned today's holiday.

sign with "Happyiness mid-autumn festival"


Mooncakes are a popular feature of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Unlike last year, this year I have no sightings of Hello Kitty mooncakes or mooncakes for dogs & cats to share. I saw both of those in Macau, so maybe a short trip would have fixed that.

Instead, for some mooncake spirit here is a photo of an advertisement for mooncakes from Starbucks at Lihe Plaza in Zhongshan:

Starbucks ad for its Mid-Autumn Festival mooncakes


A single Starbucks mooncake costs 59 yuan (which at the moment equals U.S. $8.88 — how lucky). A barista pointed out it came in a fancy box which looks like a lantern. It isn't hard to find even pricier mooncakes for sale in China.

Or you could go somewhere like Walmart and buy tiny mooncakes for about 2 yuan (about U.S. 30 cents) each. The ones with black sesame filling and salted egg yolk aren't bad.

Tuesday, October 3, 2017

National Day Sales in China: Buy One Get One Free at War Ground

As usual, National Day in China means . . . sales.

sign with "national day" printed with "NATI", "ONAL-", and "DAY" on separate lines


This year is a bit different in that the Mid-Autumn Festival happens to fall during the seven day National Day holiday period, which has been extended to eight days this year to accommodate both holidays. Some stores have played off the double holiday theme this year with variations of "Buy One Get One Free" sales.

For example, a New Bailun LP (Xinbailunlingpao) store I passed today in Zhongshan displayed a "Buy One Get One Free" sign.

buy one get one free sign at New Bailun LP


And so did a YG-Niubailun store nearby.

buy one get one free sign at YG-Niubailun


Both of these stores sell sneakers with logos remarkably similar to New Balance's — fascinating story there for another day.

Now I can't mention holiday sales in Zhongshan without bringing up War Ground - a military-themed clothing store. Two years ago, I noticed that a War Ground store in Zhongshan had a sale for International Women's Day. Later in the year, I saw that they also had a sale for National Day. Today I briefly stopped by the same store. The promotion there was toned down in comparison to two years ago, and I didn't see any explicit mention of the National Day holiday. But there was a red colored "Buy One Get One Free" sign.

buy one get one free sign at War Ground


You can decide whether this counts as a National Day sale or not. Perhaps they decided they could have a sale but it would be best not to mention the holiday directly. War and all that.

Friday, September 29, 2017

Vivo & Oppo: More Mobile Color in China

Contrasting phones from Apple and Xiaomi appeared in a recent post. For more color, two current promotions in Guangzhou for the Chinese brands Vivo and Oppo.

ad for Vivo X20


Oppo promotion at an Oppo store

Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Apple & Xiaomi, Red & Blue in China

iPhone7 Red advertisement in Zhuhai


Like elsewhere in the world, Apple sells red iPhones in China. Unlike elsewhere in the world, Apple's promotions for the phones make no mention of their connection to (RED) — a charity that directs contributions to be "invested in HIV/AIDS programs in Africa, with a focus on countries with high prevalence of mother-to-child transmission of HIV". In addition to Chinese sensitivities regarding AIDS and (RED) displaying a picture of the Dalai Lama on its Instagram page, Josh Horwitz suggested another possible reason for Apple's notable omission:
Overseas charities like (RED) occupy a precarious position in China. A law enacted in January requires all foreign NGOs operating in the country to find government sponsors, register with the police, and submit yearly reports on their financing, plus jump through other hurdles. The regulations, which remain frustratingly vague, have sparked fear among nonprofits in China. Some worry that the government might use the rules as a pretext to kick them out of the country.

Shawn Shieh, a Hong Kong-based expert on Chinese civil society, says it’s possible Apple’s partnership with (Red) could be seen by authorities in China as incompatible with parts of the law.
Apple hasn't publicly clarified the issue. In any case, it isn't hard to spots the localized promotions for the phone at stores in China.

And now at some Guangzhou metro stations, and presumably many other places in China, it isn't hard to spot signs of a blue phone recently released in China — in fact, only in China.

Mi Note 3 advertisement in a Guangzhou metro station


Mi Note 3 advertisement in a Guangzhou metro station


Xiaomi's Mi Note 3 is also available in black though. And it has no stated connection to any charities. Instead, Xiaomi promotes it as a great phone for selfies. In a review of the phone, Mitja Rutnik describes some of the hardware and software which may lead to a more beautiful you, at least in your selfies:
With a powerful 16MP front facing camera, it is clear that Xiaomi is really trying to capture the imagination of its beautify-addicted user base, as it was clear in their marketing for the phone. Crazy video packages and gorgeous models aside, the phone uses face scanning to find the different zones of face and provide more accurate (if that is even the word to use) changes to the user’s visage. Eyes can be pinpointed for enlargement, the chin can be singled out for easier slimming, and the cheeks can be airbrushed to remove spots, to name a few options.

There are even different settings in order to add what could be described as “virtual makeup” to take it to the next level. Xiaomi even made a big deal about their new AI Beautify working for men just as well as women.
Even though it makes less explicit mention of color, Xiaomi's marketing may be deliberately playing off people's awareness of the red iPhone, particularly in the Mi Note 3 ad with strong contrasting blue and red colors. In any case, at the moment both Apple and Xiaomi likely face more direct competition from other companies, such as Huawei and Oppo. More about those companies and their promotions, colorful or not, another day.

Monday, August 7, 2017

Codes and Antlers Abound at a Coca-Cola China Promotion in Bengbu

Coca-Cola promotion in Bengbu, China
Coca-Cola promotional event in Bengbu, China

For this year's summer campaign, Coca-Cola China with the help of McCann World group rolled out new packaging called the "Code bottle":
Cia Hatzi, McCann Worldgroup Regional Vice President for Coca-Cola said, "The codes include more than just emoticons, but also numbers mixed with characters and graphics. When communication involves feelings and emotions, we can turn conversations into real connections, which is the role Coca-Cola can help facilitate.”

The campaign debuts with two films that will run on both TV and digital platforms. The stories focus on friendship and romance, two themes which appeal to Chinese youth. The first spot, “Friend Hunt” [which came out in June] centers around an invitation, using codes, to connect with friends for a special moment. . . .

The second film, “Break-up”, [which came out in July] incorporates codes for consumers to trace a young couple’s relationship journey, from the first time they met, to their first date, first kiss, first fight and first break-up, and ultimately how they reconcile over a bottle of Coke.


Versions of both ads were displayed yesterday in a Coca-Cola promotional event at the Intime City (银泰城) shopping center in Bengbu, Anhui province. The last time I took a close look at a similar Coca-Cola promotion, I possibly came close to destroying one of the displays due to incorrectly believing the intended interaction involved slamming a red target as hard as one could. This time I decided to avoid any undesired feats of strength and just observed.

In addition to the large video screen, there were interactive booths, none of which even to me looked like they required any hitting.

Booths at a Coca-Cola promotion in Bengbu, China


The more stations visitors attended, the bigger of a gift they could receive in return. For example, with a stamp from one station visitors could get a small bottle of Coke. With five stamps, though, visitors could use a machine which produced a large Code bottle according to their own specifications. The station with the longest line was a virtual reality ride.

virtual reality ride and large video screen at Coca-Cola promotion in Bengbu, China


Also popular was a money grabbing booth which somewhat ineffectively blew paper tokens instead of money.

kids in a money blowing machine at a Coca-Cola promotion


Of course there was plenty of Coke around.

Coca-Cola bottles with deer antler caps


And at least some of the part-time staff were college students.

two young women wearing deer antlers and one young man at a Coca-Cola promotion in Bengbu, China


The full festivities lasted just one day, and today only a scaled-down version remained.

smaller version of Coca-Cola promotion in Bengbu, China


All of the red deer antlers on displays, bottles, and heads of female staff aren't signs of Coca-Cola getting into the winter holiday spirit way too early. Instead, they are an integral part of this and other Coco-Cola promotions featuring the popular Chinese singer and actor Lu Han, who is the main character in the "Friend Hunt" ad. The character for "Lu" — 鹿 — in his name means "deer" and many of his fans wear deer antlers to show their support. One of Lu Han's performances in Beijing even set a Guinness World Records title for "largest gathering of people wearing antlers" with 1,731 participating. For context, this number surpasses the world record for "most dogs in costumed attire", which was set by 1326 dogs in St. Louis, USA, but falls well short of the world record for "largest gathering of people wearing false moustaches", which was set by 6,471 humans in Denver, USA.

In addition to the antlers, the displays include other references to Lu Han, such as the Shanghai mailbox he made famous. So along with the codes, there was no shortage of symbolism. The event seemed to be a success in terms of turnout yesterday. They may have hoped for a slightly larger crowd when I happened to be observing, but many more people would have made it difficult to move around and participate.

After conversations with some of the staff, I was given an small ice cold bottle of Coke. Perhaps they felt I had interacted enough despite not participating at any of the stations. Perhaps they were just happy I didn't mistake anything for a strength tester this time.

Friday, June 23, 2017

Baijiu Blue in Ningbo

Last December at the Ningbo Railway Station, I saw yet another example of advertising for Yanghe Distillery's blue-bottled brands of baijiu. As I saw more recently in Changsha, in this case Mengzhilan M6 was featured.

advertising for Mengzhilan M6 baijiu at the Ningbo Railway Station


Just as they often do above aboveground, the advertisements stood out in the underground area at the railway station. Nearby Ningbo (perhaps in Ningbo), I once noticed a man drinking baijiu (and beer as well) on a high-speed train. But since he stored the baijiu in a Tibetan spring water bottle, I don't know whether or not he was drinking the blue.

Wednesday, June 14, 2017

Putting a Face on Property in Changsha

Just a block away from the baijiu advertisement I saw at Huangxing Square in Changsha was another visually striking advertisement. One billboard displayed a mundane advertisement for AIST — the "beauty hospital" whose promotions have caught my attention before. However, below it another advertisement stood out in the busy shopping area.

billboard advertisement for a "beauty hospital" and a property sale


If your first thought after looking at the two painted faces was "there must be some residential property for sale" then pat yourself on the back. The advertisement reminded me of a "colorful" billboard with eye-catching faces promoting a commercial real estate project in Guiyang.

Thursday, June 1, 2017

Baidu Map, a Banana, and Baijiu: From Guiyang to Changsha

Not so long ago in Guiyang, I woke up early one morning and caught a taxi. At the first intersection, the driver took an unexpected turn. Based on the traffic signals, it seemed plausible it was a wise choice, and I said nothing. A couple of blocks later, he signaled to make a turn heading in a direction nearly opposite of where I was headed. It didn't seem likely this choice was in my best interest, so I asked why he wasn't turning a different direction on another road. After some back and forth, I mentioned I had checked the routes on Baidu Map. The best option was rather clear and the most reasonable alternatives didn't involve what he had in mind.

He said "Oh, you checked Baidu Map. Then we will go that way."

It worked out pretty well.

Once I was inside the departure hall of the Guiyang North Railway Station, I wasn't surprised by the small crowd. I was catching an early morning train at 6:52 a.m. after all.

quiet departure hall at the Guiyang North Railway Station

Guiyang North Railway Station departure hall

But I found it notable that the retail space on the upper levels on two sides of the departure hall, a design common in China's larger new railway stations, appeared to be completely vacant and lacking any restaurants or cafes. There wasn't even a Texas Burger. It reminded me of a similar pattern I saw five years ago at the Shenzhen North Railway Station — a place that is more occupied and busier now.

Soon I was on the high-speed train, which departed on schedule. Like my previous two trips, I was traveling a route for the first time. This route spent less time in tunnels than my previous trip though. And the train traveled at a much higher speed (about 300 km/h) than on the previous two routes (which maxed out at about 200 km/h).

A college student sitting next to me on the train kindly offered a welcomed banana, providing some balance to having had a mangosteen stolen in Guiyang. After discovering I liked spicy foods, she then gave me two small packages of spicy treats. One of them was especially tasty, and I was confident I was not going to go short on my salt intake for the day.

When I later mentioned I was catching a flight out of the Changsha the very next day, she asked whether I couldn't have flown out of Guiyang instead. Indeed, I would have done that had I better predicted things when I purchased the ticket. My schedule during the past month or so hadn't gone exactly as first planned. I spent more time than expected in Hengyang, which meant I had to skip Yongzhou. I then spent more time than expected in Guilin, which meant I had to skip Liuzhou and some other potential locations. I had just spent more time than expected in Guiyang, which meant I had to skip Kaili and Huaihua. In short, I wasn't arriving in Changsha a few days before my flight from a closer city as I had first expected. All of this reflects a tension between spending more time in individual cities versus visiting more cities. Both have their merits.

So after a three hour and twenty-something minute train ride, I had about 24 hours in Changsha. I initially thought I would put together a "day in Changsha" post similar to the one when I was last in Changsha, which also involved a one day stay followed by a flight. But that visit had occurred less than half a year after an earlier visit to Changsha, when I spent much more time there. A quick catchup here made sense. But this visit involved a one and half year gap from the previous one day visit and a nearly two year gap since my last extended stay. Not only was there much more which had changed, I more effectively maxed out my time. By the end of the day I wasn't just exhausted, I felt like all of what I had found deserved more than being put together in a single post.

So instead of a new "day in Changsha" post, for now I will share a single scene from Huangxing Square in Changsha which reminded me of scenes I have shared from Guangzhou and from Shenyang.

Mengzhilan M6, Oppo, and Huawei advertisements displayed at Huaxing Square in Changsha

Yes, on the digital billboard is yet another blissfully blue baijiu advertisement from Yanghe Distillery. But instead of featuring their Tianzhilan baijiu, it features their Mengzhilan M6. which according to Yanghe:
. . . inherits the element of the ancient Yanghe Liquor, and transforms itself gracefully in the new historical period by perfectly interpreting the definition of the treasured Liquor with pure and exquisite technology.
How about that?

Anyway, more soon. I will be in less of a exploratory mode during the next few weeks, so I hope to get slightly caught up on some things. Just need to decide what is next. Perhaps more about Changsha. Perhaps where I headed after Changsha. Perhaps where I was before. Perhaps some other new historical period.

Sunday, May 14, 2017

Two More Mother's Day Promotions in China

This year I have no stories to share of Mother's Day promotions involving fashion shows or QR codes in China, though I would bet examples exist. The rain and a desire for some rest ensured my explorations were limited today in Guiyang. Yesterday, though, I saw a beauty salon's "Super Mummy" promotion at the Century Golden Mall* (世纪汇金广场) where live sessions were displayed on a large screen.



And today I saw a children's clothing store at the Hunter City Mall (亨特城市广场) with a simple Mother's Day sale.



That's all from me on this holiday. Happy Mother's Day to all of the mothers.




* "Century Golden" is prominently displayed next to the mall's Chinese name on the building. However, a much smaller outdoor sign used the English name "Golden Plaza", and online I have seen "Huijin ONE Mall" used.

Thursday, May 11, 2017

Thursday, April 13, 2017

A Heavy Dose of Core Socialist Values Signage at an Intersection in Guangzhou

Earlier I shared a photo taken of a sign promoting China's 12 "core socialist values" at Guangzhou's Shangxiajiu Square. An easy walk from there along the Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street takes one to the intersection where Wenchang South Road heads northward and Shibafu North Road heads southward. On the southeast corner of the intersection another sign displays the values.

sign with China's 12 "core socialist values" in Guangzhou


And a smaller sign promotes the values on the northwest corner.

sign with China's 12 "core socialist values" in Guangzhou


The northeast corner also sports a similarly themed sign.

sign with China's 12 "core socialist values" in Guangzhou


And so does the southeast corner.

sign with China's 12 "core socialist values" in Guangzhou


If there were a fifth corner, it too might have a patriotic sign. I don't recall seeing any other intersections in China with such a high density of core socialist values signs.

On most of the signs it isn't hard to see earlier advertisements which had been displayed on the billboards. For example, if you look closely at the sign in the last photo, you may be able to spot the iconic image of Colonel Harland David Sanders in an ad for KFC. Like baijiu, which was promoted near the earlier sign, KFC is popular in China but not explicitly mentioned in the core values.

I don't know whether the current signs more reflect fulfilling requirements, their owners' patriotism, or an inability to find interested buyers for the advertising space. Whatever the case, if you are a connoisseur of core socialist values signs, you may want to get here quickly before things possibly change. 

Sunday, March 26, 2017

Two Guangzhou Samples of Text

Both seen today . . .

shirt with an image and the words "SAMPLE TEXT — FOR YOUR TEXT HERE"



advertisement including the text "Sample your text"


I have in mind a point connecting all of the posts since last week beyond the simple "Two Guangzhou [X]" theme. After at least one more two I will try to make it.