Lanterns, dragons, citrus fruit, and all things red. Even if you’ve never celebrated Lunar New Year, you’ve seen these markers of the traditional Chinese festival. As Asian communities welcome the Year of the Dragon, it’s a great time for retailers to join the party.
Lunar New Year has other names, too. Many know it as Chinese New Year. Others call it the Spring Festival. Whatever the name, it’s a major holiday in Asian countries and a favourite time of year for Chinese populations around the world.
Tying your brand to the festivities honours tradition and connects with multicultural audiences. Are you ready to try something new? The celebrations start this year on February 10. Here are some ways to celebrate.
Social Media: Showcase Your Brand on Little Red Book
Little Red Book or “XiaoHongShu” is a Chinese social media and ecommerce platform favoured by young Chinese audiences. Millions of Gen Z shoppers use the site daily to share beauty tips and fashion trends and discover new overseas brands.
Placing your brand on Little Red Book during Lunar New Year is a retail power move. It’s where the world’s most stylish shoppers are scouring the site for holiday gifts. So, grab their attention with a holiday-themed campaign.
Signage: Make it Clear it’s Lunar New Year
Tell your customers you’re joining the Lunar New Year celebrations with bright, beautiful signage and festive decorations. Add new year’s greetings to your in-store displays. Design festive banners and glam up your online shop with dragon-themed animated popups.
In addition, decorate your packaging and email messaging with lanterns, firecrackers, fish and other imagery representing luck and prosperity. You’re not only recognizing the holiday, you’re promising your store visitors good fortune. That creates a meaningful and lasting emotional connection with your shoppers.
Packaging: Go Red!
The colour red is always stunning, but it carries more weight at Lunar New Year. Representing great success ahead, many festival-goers wear red during the festival and exchange gifts in red envelopes.
Whatever your brand colours, make a splash at this time of year with a coat of red and gold calligraphy. Swap out regular packaging for red bags and boxes and distribute store gift cards in traditional red envelopes.
Giveaways: Mark the Lunar New Year with Gifts and Chances to Win
Gift-giving is an important part of Lunar New Year. It’s also a quick way to your customer’s heart. Offer a festive gift with every purchase. For example, think dragon decorations, chopsticks, and wall calendars.
With enough lead time, customize an existing product especially for the holiday. Offer it as a limited-edition purchase or as a giveaway.
Marketing for the Multicultural Landscape
Don’t miss a valuable opportunity to honour Chinese traditions and strengthen your brand. Tying promotions to festival themes makes your products and services stand out and builds deep connections with audiences.
Seek guidance to ensure your marketing is culturally appropriate and join the celebrations!
Need expert advice to connect with your audience and serve them better? Connect with our OTT Pay marketing team today: marketing@ott.ca