Chengdu IFS - Most Innovative Marketing Team of the Year

Name of Organization / Company: Chengdu IFS, Hong Kong
Category: Most Innovative Advertising or Marketing Team of the Year

Entry Title: CDIFS – The Marketing Team that won 20 international marketing awards in a year

Essay:

CHALLENGES

Chengdu is among the most competitive markets of shopping mall industry in APAC which COMPETITION TRIPLED vs 2016; targeted- customer base is equivalent to half of Europe’s population.

China’s retail growth slowed since 2016Q3 to 6%.

With 600 top- tier international brands, Chengdu International Financial Square (CDIFS) is the benchmark of premium mall in Chengdu & China. However, its premium leadership blurred its relevancy to the fast- growing sector of young families.

MISSONS

Consolidate CDIFS’ leadership in fashion & luxury sectors

Expand penetration into affluent parents with young kids

1) BRANDING – A BATTLE OF LEADERSHIP

To enlarge its fashion reputation, CDIFS collaborates with international fashion leaders in promoting Chengdu as a world- class fashion hub. This strategy also opens the door for co- op with governments, which in turn uplifted the mall from a retailer to “Chengdu’s ambassador”, and allowed the brand’s awareness to penetrate into new segments like tourism and export trading.

CDIFS’ team further expands the fashion reputation into the cultural territory for a broader appeal. It sponsored China’s artworks to be featured in Paris reaching 30- million Chinese tourists, while on the other band brings the world to Chengdu with large- s76cale happenings, such as Parcous Art Show, world’s debut of 180- meter Sonic Runway from New York, and the re- creation of the century- old Parisian Café de Flore.

2) BRANDED ENTERTAINMENT TO BUILD VISIT HABITS OF FAMILY TARGETS

CDIFS partnered with New York artist Sean Kenney to introduce China debut of the awarded international art tour - Nature Connect. This branded entertainment aims to:

Broadening FAMILY targets – by positioning CDIFS as must- visit destination for families in summer holidays

Prolonging visitors’ stay time with enriched in- mall experience

Increasing repeat visits with variety of happenings over 6 weeks

CDIFS further elaborated the exhibitions of over ten Lego art pieces into Chengdu’s largest EDUTAINMENT program for family on animal endangerment, the balance of ecosystems, and mankind's relationship with nature. A series of parents- kids activities, e.g. drama performance, workshops and field camps, were planned to outstand CDIFS’s role as the common platform for parents and kids to experience special journeys together

3) HOLISTIC USE OF SOCIA MEDIA MARKETING TO LOOP IN SPENDERS

CDIFS’s branded social channel anchored in WeChat, the largest social platform in China. Its social plan goes far beyond social:

BRANDING – Users can access CDIFS’ service & real- person CS directly, ie turning its social site into 24- hours customer service center.

ATTRACTING TRAFFIC – spread social post, pre- heat H5 teasers, animated content and viral videos to draw eyeballs and acquired online fans.

ON- SITE ENGAGEMENT – video tour in the mall, LED interactive message board, AR photo machine etc. enhance the on- site shopping experience via digital engagement, users can also easily share the outcome of their interactions to social media with a click.

INCREASED MEDIA EXPOSURE – tailored photo opportunities in events encourage user- generated content which enlarges the brand

E- COMMERCE – a 24- hours e- shop is set up in social platform to broaden the distribution.

REWARDING LOYALTY – members can record and redeem bonus points and shopping coupons directly in CDIFS’ social channel

RESULTS IN 18 MONTHS (2017.07- 2018.12)

Earned coverage from 2,300+ media in China and overseas

Brand mentioned in Baidu (China search engine) DOUBLED reaching 5 million web pages

Attracting a record high visits of near 53 million

US$1,154.3 million sales, the growth is near 290% better than the industry average!

Sales of profitable VIP segment grew by 121%

6 communication campaigns won over 20 reputable marketing awards, including Gold in Stevie International, Stevie APAC, Event & Marketing Awards Asia, Mall China Best Marketing Plan of the Year, and the Global VIVA Best- of- the- Best Awards by International Council of Shopping Centers

LINKS:

URL 1: https://vimeo.com/265144976
URL 2: https://vimeo.com/274829053
URL 3: https://vimeo.com/308837321
URL 4: https://vimeo.com/312890287