On November 11, the Chinese celebrate mass consumption. Indeed, “11.11” is the “China’s Singles’ Day”. On this day, consumption is in full swing and purchases are at an all-time high. The event is even more important than Black Friday or Valentine’s Day.
To understand this phenomenon, we have to look at its origin. The Singles’ Festival was originally called 光棍节(guānggùn Jié), which means “festival of bare branches” or “festival of single branches”. The festival is now known as 双十一 (shuāng shíyī), which means “double 11”. This day was created in the 1990s by Chinese students who saw the date as symbolic. Indeed, in China the number 1 represents individuality. Thus, Singles’ Day became an occasion to celebrate celibacy or to declare one’s love. Alibaba then turned this holiday into a kind of Chinese black Friday.
As with Valentine’s Day, brands have seized on this holiday to offer discounts and turn it into a day of consumption. Therefore, it generates about $140 billion in a single day, which reveals its importance for brands. In addition, many Chinese people wait for this day to shop online and on platforms such as Alibaba and Aliexpress which offer special promotions.
Photo: Single Day promotion on AliExpress France, in 2022.
Trends
Chinese, international and particularly French brands must therefore seize this opportunity. As a matter of fact, the luxury sector is also particularly concerned, as China represents one-third of the world’s luxury revenues, a figure that is constantly growing and should reach 48% by 2025.
Moreover, French products and brands are very popular in China.
Finally, brands must focus on digital marketing and work on their reputation. Indeed, in the country, more than one out of two purchases is made via the Internet.
Alibaba is now looking to export this event abroad, particularly to Russia and Brazil, and more than 220 countries now have access to the promotions.
The 520 & 521 Days are important days in China but what do they represent ?
Well, they simply represent love.
Indeed, May 20th and 21st, are the occasion for the Chinese to celebrate what they call “the virtual Valentine’s Day” or “the e-Valentine” in China during the 520 & 521 Days. The choice of the dates is not random, on the contrary there is a logical explanation to it : May 20th sounds phonetically similar to “Wo Ai Ni” which means “I love you” in Chinese. May 20th is therefore, in tradition, the occasion for men to offer gifts that would symbolize the love that carries to the women who share their lives. And on May 21st , it would be for women to respond to this declaration of love by offering something in return. This love festival is virtual and very trendy on social networks such as Wechat or Douyin. Indeed, unlike the February 14th celebration, here, the declaration of love is usually done through a screen, which can be easier for some people, which makes this day so popular.
“30-second Teaser Video with ‘link card’ on the bottom left. Master Kang’s Jasmine Tea ‘520’ Douyin Campaign”
So what does this have to do with e-commerce ?
As mentioned earlier, this holiday is an opportunity to exchange gifts, however, the person to whom we offer the symbol of our love is not only restricted to his / her partner, but also to friends and family. This makes even more potential sales for companies that see in this holiday, the perfect opportunity to see their turnover increase. There are major players in China actively participating in this event, such as Tmall, Taobao, JC.com that will adapt their marketing to this holiday. They will set up marketing strategies especially for this holiday such as discounts, exclusive products in limited edition.
We also find a large number of so-called luxury brands that seize the opportunity and launch new marketing campaigns.
Here is an example of a marketing campaign designed for this special day in China :
Givenchy campaign for the 520 & 521 days in China
The brand Givenchy launched a limited edition collector’s box containing multiple beauty products such as perfume, makeup and others … All this with a packaging that suggests this spirit of romance.
Lors de mon stage chez Carrévolutis, j’ai eu l’occasion de participer aux différents afterworks que l’entreprise organise. Ceux-ci consistent en la rencontre entre des candidats et des entreprises afin d’échanger et de networker lors d’une soirée. Le but principal est de créer un lien entre les participants et les entreprises tout en leur proposant des services variés comme des animations, des activités ou des tables rondes.
Pour en savoir plus, vous pouvez lire l’article en cliquant sur ce lien.
En France, tout le monde connaît le Black Friday, mais avez-vous déjà entendu parler du Single’s Day ? Peu répandu chez nous, c’est pourtant bien lui le plus grand événement de vente en ligne au monde, loin devant la concurrence.
À la base “fête des célibataires”, le 11 novembre est aujourd’hui un événement commercial à échelle unique, et une occasion pour les plus grandes plateformes d’e-commerce de Chine telles que Tmall (Alibaba) ou Jd.com d’afficher des prix défiant toute concurrence. Depuis sa popularisation en 2009 par Alibaba, le Single’s Day explose les records année après année, avec près de 134 milliards d’euros de produits vendus en 2021 grâce la participation de plus de 800 000 000 de Chinois.
L’infographie suivante présente les chiffres XXL d’une opération commerciale à échelle unique, qui pourrait très vite trouver sa place chez nous.
Alibaba et sa stratégie d’implantation en France : retour sur le festival La Nuit Aliexpresshttps://dmb-shanghai.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/elena-de-soto-w423NnHFjFg-unsplash-1-300×300.jpgLe site chinois de vente en ligne a encore frappé en organisant ce 11.11, journée des célibataires en Chine, son plus gros évènement en France : La Nuit Aliexpress au parc des expositions de la Porte de Versailles à Paris. En tête d’affiche de ce festival, il était possible de retrouver de nombreux artistes français tels que Bob Sinclar, Offenbach, Vladimir Cauchemar, Soso Maness, etc. Pour les accueillir ainsi que le public, la jeunesse parisienne privée de fêtes ces deux dernières années à cause de l’épidémie mondiale.11.11 ou Single Day, un jour pour fêter les âmes seules
Qu’est-ce que le Single Day ? Littéralement traduit comme le “jour des célibataires“, il est célébré annuellement le 11 novembre en Chine. Cette date a été choisie en 1993 par des étudiants de l’université de Nankin pour organiser des festvités pour les célibataires. Le 11 novembre ou 11.11, quoi de mieux pour stigmatiser le chiffre – 1 – l’individualité par excellence.
En 2009, l’entreprise Aliexpress décide de s’emparer de cette à des fins commerciales pour organiser des promotions spéciales pendant 24 heures.
Aujourd’hui le Single Day est le jour où le groupe Alibaba réalise ses plus grosses ventes de l’année. En 2020, le géant bat son propre record et communique un chiffre d’affaires de 74,1 milliards de dollars en 24h, soit une progression de 92% par rapport à l’année précédente.
Cette journée de supers promotions s’apparente au Black Friday en occident. Le principe est le même : 24 heures de réductions défiantes toutes concurrences.
Aliexpress et sa stratégie d’implantation en France
Bien que le site Aliexpress soit piloté depuis son siège à Hangzhou, l’entreprise cherche à s’implanter en France depuis 2018. L’objectif pour le groupe chinois est d’être “un acteur local sur l’e-commerce français“, selon William Wang, general manager d’Aliexpress France, Italie et Espagne. Ainsi, la plateforme compte aujourd’hui environ 1000 marchands français. Dans un futur proche, le but serait d’exploser ce nombre et installer un “écosystème de marketplace performant au marché français“.
Cette stratégie d’implantation en France passe par l’exploitation des canaux digitaux servant une communication sur les réseaux sociaux mais surfe aussi sur la tendance actuelle du live shopping. Défini par Robin Coulet comme “une technique de vente online. Celle-ci permet aux utilisateurs des réseaux sociaux et des plateformes d’acheter en direct des produits présentés par un influenceur ou par un vendeur dans une vidéo diffusée en streaming.” Ce moyen d’achat populaire en Chine se révèle également pertinent auprès des consommateurs français.
À long terme, le but est d’ancrer la tradition chinoise du 11 novembre promotionnel dans la culture française.
https://dmb-shanghai.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/cardmapr-SGj4fw55Y7w-unsplash-1-300×300.jpgLa Nuit Aliexpress, un coup de communication pour conquérir la jeunesse française
L’objectif marketing caché derrière l’organisation de cet évènement s’inscrit dans la stratégie globale de New Retail du groupe Alibaba et plus précisément de créer un lien entre le physique et le digital. Nous pourrons donc parler ici d’un évènement phygital, c’est-à-dire “un point de vente physique qui intègre les données et méthodes du monde digital.”
Durant l’évènement, des influenceurs ont réalisé des live streaming sur Instagram pour présenter les produits disponibles sur la plateforme Aliexpress et ainsi alimenter le canal digital.
Sébastien Badault, directeur d’Alibaba France précise dans une interview avec le média Républik Retail, “si on constate que la soirée du 11.11 est un vrai succès au niveau de l’événement physique en tant que tel et de la répercussion sur les ventes, peut-être que nous organiserons une autre soirée pour Noël. Nous y réfléchissons car nous estimons que c’est une bonne manière de faire le lien entre les clients, les partenaires et la technologie.”
Une question persiste cependant, cet évènement et ceux à venir seront-ils capables de convertir cette jeune cible française à acheter chez le géant chinois Aliexpress ? Contre son très sérieux concurrent Amazon (près d’un français sur trois consomme sur Amazon) ou marketplace et d’autres encore… Rendez-vous au prochain 11.11 pour le constater.
Références
Chenevoy C. (2021). Alibaba : « Avec la Nuit AliExpress, nous voulons créer du lien entre le physique et le digital ». Républik Retail.
(2020). Singles’ Day : Alibaba explose son record de vente avec 62 milliards d’euros !. Génération Nouvelles Technologies.
N’tsia S. (2021). “La France est le marché européen qui a connu la plus forte croissance chez Aliexpress en 2020”. Journal Du Net.
Coulet R. (2020). Live shopping : la prochaine révolution retail. Journal Du Net.
Qu’est ce que le phygital ?. Retail VR.
Aliexpress, site officiel France.
(2020). Quel est le poids d’Amazon en France ?. Capital.
Here we are, Tokyo’s 2020 Olympic Games have finally started this Friday, on 23rd July. The games formerly scheduled to be held during summer 2020 were delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These Olympics are gathering around 11,000 athletes from 206 countries, and it is also the opportunity for Japan to perform a real show of technological innovations.
Robotic guides, autonomous cars, crowd control directed by artificial intelligence, facial recognition and immersive virtual reality are among the technologies presented at the Olympics.Let’s take a look at some of these technologies.
What are the technological challenges for the city of Tokyo?
For these Olympic games and especially because of the pandemic, security will be a key concern, and high-tech may help with crowd control and infection risk management.
These technological innovations are not just created for the Olympics. The city is actually studying how can IoTs be used to improveeveryday life in Tokyo. However, such a big event is the perfect opportunity to implement and test them.
Tokyo has already implemented many smart city ideas usingIoT technology. For instance, in the public transports an IoT-based smart maintenance system was introduced to minimize disruption.Sensors can collectdata to identifyweak points, predict equipment failures, and inform when and where maintenance is needed.
Tokyo also wants to useIoTs to helpreduce carbon emissions and become a more environmentally friendly city. For instance, parts of the Olympic village are meant to be turn into fully hydrogen-powered smart districts after the Games.
How IoT solutions will beapply to the Olympic Games?
Robots
In Japan, Robots are an emblem of the technological innovation. This is why we could not imagine Tokyo 2020s Olympic Games without those humanoids. If you watched the Opening Ceremony, you probably have already seen some of them.Robotsare puts in the airport to welcomevisitors and ensure multilingual guidance. Olympic athletes can meet no less than six different models of robots. All robots are there to provide an assistance to the spectators and the personnel of the Olympics. Since no foreign spectators are allowed to come to the Olympics, Robots are also equipped with cameras which allow to live a virtual experience, as if you were in the heart of the Olympic sites in order togive access to the greatest number.
Immersive Live Viewing
As stated before, since no foreign spectator can assist to these Olympic Games, immersive virtual-reality experiences are available. It will allow them to enjoy the event in a more engaging manner. Viewers can enjoy the events in such a way that it really feels like they are sitting in the stadium.
Autonomous Cars
Autonomous vehicles will be used during the Olympics. These cars are made to drive passengers on some specific trips like from the airport to the Olympic village and around differentOlympic places in Tokyo.It will ensure the transportation of athletes and staff. Around 100 self-driving cars will beon the road during the Olympics. This new technology is not onlyuseful during the Olympics but if it works properly, it can become one of the next generations of public transport in Tokyo. In partnership with Toyota, the International Olympic Committee has developedvehiclespowered by artificial intelligence.
Facial Recognition Systems
The Facial Recognition technology is going to be used at Tokyo Olympics 2021. Autonomous cars will be equipped with a facial recognition system to identifyathletes, staff members and journalists and prevent from identity usurpation, falsification and use of lost or stolen accreditations.
Facial recognition will also provide a way to prevent from coronavirus spread by using touchless security screening process. It will also track people’s moves to identified infected ones and find out those who were in close contact.
Language Translators
Olympics gamesgatherpeople from all over the world speaking many differentlanguages. To helppassing through the language barrier Japan has developed instant translation systems. English to Japanese translation AI chatbots will be available on the robots.
As you can see, these Tokyo 2020’s Olympic Games are not just a sport event, it is also an opportunity for Japan to show its technological innovations. We will have the opportunity to support our team for two weeks until August 8th.
2021 China Beauty Expo successfully closed out the 3-day show on the evening of May 14th at the Shanghai New International Expo Center ! This edition welcomed more than 3,200 beauty enterprises.
8 trends were discovered :
1 New regulations catapults inspection
Cosmetic companies have been facing new challenges due to the new regulations implemented earlier this year. Inspection and testing institutions are increasingly demanding with the efficacy and safety of products.
Indeed, the system of evaluation of the efficacy of cosmetics is a key feature.2 Technology, More Choices, Customization
Always in search of innovation, the R&D of cosmetic companies seek to integrate the latest technologies into their products to stand out. The integration of science, technology and innovative products is accelerating. Indeed, the world of cosmetics is very competitive.
3 Traditional categories, more precise
The categories of masks and treatments are evolving rapidly, becoming more and more specific. Products are becoming more and more adapted with the use of new technologies, ingredients and concepts.
4 Sustainability & Green Beauty
The concept of Clean Beauty is very topical, the “minimalism” takes all its sense in the framework of the new current regulations.
The reduction of plastic in product packaging is also a strong trend. There is a growing demand for the use of natural, biodegradable and unique materials.
5 KOL/millennials are the key
Millennials are very present on social networks, they find recommendations and promotions online. These young consumers have become more and more demanding, especially in the field of cosmetics. They are looking for effective products with special features. The current young generation of consumers is already paying attention to skin care products.
6 Pharmaceutical skincare
Consumers are paying more attention to the health of their skin, especially sensitive skin. To meet the many demands of consumers, companies are trying new pharmaceutical experiments.
7 Cross-border integration
With the continuous emergence of new products, cross-border integration has become a new trend. This allows to multiply sales.
8 Ins style, more interesting and fun
We are in a digital first era where social platforms allow the cosmetics industry to create, innovate and showcase their products. Skincare, makeup and other products can be presented in different interactive, fun, interesting forms.
The Chinese cosmetics industry is engaging in new regulations and new technologies.
For more trend and insights, category analysis, please follow the official WeChat account “ChinaBeautyExpoGlobal”.
In China, there are 3 special days during the year to celebrate love. Let’s focus on the 520, what is it?
Today is May 20 also known as the 520. This day is taking its origin from the pronunciation of I love you in Chinese. Indeed, I love you “我爱你 wǒ ài nǐ” is similar to “五二零 wǔ èr líng”.
This internet Valentine’s day is dedicated to the expression of love. From small to luxury brands, both have been taken this opportunity to create special campaigns.
Along the years, May 21 has become the day of the lover’s positive answer. So it’s common for men to offer gifts to Women during the 520 and vice versa during the 521. However, it is not limited to lovers and some Chinese offer gift to friends or families. Many couple have chosen this date to get married as well.
During the 520 & 521, e-commerce is touching mainly Generation Z thanks to the different touchpoints on social media like WeChat or Weibo.
Some brands created a special collection/product for the 521 or collaborated with a KOL. It is also possible to find discount coupons.
Let’s take a look at 2 different campaigns:
FLORASIS, a cosmetics brand, campaign for the 520.
Limited edition lipsticks that express love: “520” (I love you) & “7319” (Love remains)
COACH campaign for the 520
Collection of bags revisited especially for the 520 for her and for him.
Weibo post “How do you make sure that he / she receives your heartbeat signal accurately? Embellish with the love the embroidery elements on the handbags, master the secret code of love and of your heart, show your love as soon as possible for the 520! ”
There are few chances that you missed it, however here is a small reminder. On February 18th 2021, the rover Perseverance from Nasa landed safely on planet Mars. Here is the very first picture from its official Twitter account.
A stunning view on Mars ground. Such an event brought many people to watch the live broadcast on NASA YouTube channel that followed the steps of landing of this rover called Perseverance, little brother of famous Curiosity rover. One day later, a more defined image of Mars landscape was posted on Twitter.
Samuel Étienne: from TV presenter to Twitch streamer
Who is Samuel Étienne ?
Samuel Étienne was far from being a Twitch streamer at first. He gained fame since he was chosen to host the most famous cultural French TV show named “Questions pour un Champion“. With his joyful behavior, he created an attraction among the youngest, and succeeded to increase the number of viewers in a show with decreasing audience when its former presenter, Julien Lepers, retired. As a journalist, Samuel is quite active in many domains. He is the presenter of “Questions pour un Champion” but also of “La Matinale” show, from the France Info channel.
He really is considered by his audience has someone very dynamic, playful, and most of all very humorous. His interactions with others through the Twitch platform has valued him to be loved by the public, especially the 15-34 age group.
The arrival on Twitch
An opening on the streaming world
With such an aura Samuel was bound to be brought to a wider, different audience. His show “Questions pour un Champion” fed the interest of someone that would later change his life. His pseudo is Étoiles. He is a young Twitch streamer who grew found of general culture. Since the moto of Twitch is to share content with an audience, Étoiles created a format where he could review the different episodes of “Questions pour un Champion” with his viewers and a guest, interacting while the broadcast, whether to guess the answers or to analyse them. The name of this format is “La Nuit de la Culture” and it began to get bigger as time passes, particularly during the French lockdown in March 2020 due to Covid-19.
As more and more viewers came, “La Nuit de la Culture” came to be mentioned in the news and on TV, right into the ears of Samuel Étienne. The latter then contacted Étoiles, intrigued by the show purely focused on culture he was hosting. Then, after some texts exchanges, Samuel got its first hosting of “La Nuit de la Culture” on Twitch with Étoiles on April 10th 2020. A new chapter in the life of Samuel Étienne just opened.
The results were beyond the expectations. The whole French Twitch community knew about this incredible achievement, and the program eventually gained awareness. Étoiles’ channel was growing at high speed, and Samuel Étienne grabbed the attention and the liking of a whole new audience, Twitch audience. A public that wanted to see more of Samuel’s personality, his passions and activities, in order to be inspired or just because he was quite friendly and attaching. The media then declared him “the ambassador of TV on Twitch”, though he only cared about meeting and exchanging with this new world, these new faces.
Hosting Twitch events
Rapidly, he was invited by another famous streamer called Ponce, who is used to hosting a program with different guests about their passions and hobbies, like music. Participating to this program, “Ponce la Nuit” was also a success. People discovered a Samuel Étienne with multiple interests, a whole new face that he used to show on stage. He truly became the most loved TV personality on Twitch France.
His fame grew up even more when he hosted a special show “Questions pour un Streamer” with Étoiles during the Z Event, a streaming event supporting the Amnesty International association that gathered €5.7M. This precise show got the highest count of viewers of the event, with more than 200,000 viewers total, contributing to the expansion of Samuel’s story on Twitch.
A new Twitch channel
While watching Étoiles streams, Samuel actually created a Twitch account on his own. Boosted by the success of “La Nuit de la Culture” and willing to know more about the Twitch platform, he made official his Twitch channel with a stream of “La Nuit de la Culture” with Étoiles. The official arrival of a someone from the world of Television made quite some noise and everyone on Twitch France enjoyed to see the confidence he obtained following his first apparition. The viewers saw his as a sympathetic, understanding and open individual from a sector that had hardships to understand the streaming sphere, yet who gained the heart of thousands.
With time, Samuel Étienne came to bring new content and programs on his channel, now streaming several times a week. His main program, “La Matinée Est Tienne”, with a 12,000 viewers average on its first edition, consists in reviewing daily newspapers and basically exchanging about them, taking position and debating with the viewers through the chat. This program, based around culture and information, helped Samuel to familiarize with the different tools of the platform and gave him even more confidence than before. While still pursuing his job in “La Matinale” and “Questions pour un Champion”, he is now a fully active streamer in the top 10 France, and gathers every week people interested in culture.
The alliance of Twitch and TV
With the creation of his Twitch channel, Samuel opened a bridge between the platform and the world of Television. In that regard, France Television launched a show on its own Twitch channel on January 22nd 2021, co-hosted with Samuel Étienne. The doctor Damien Mascret represented France Television. The goal of this show was to answer the viewers’ questions about the Covid crisis with a focus on the vaccine. The results: a 16,000 viewers average, ranking top 8 stream in the morning. The experience turned out to be a triumph for France Television, which will reiterate as soon as possible.
What about the future of Samuel Étienne on Twitch?
Samuel Étienne showed in 2020 a courage and an attitude that deserve a praise. He entered in contact with a world he didn’t know a thing about, with an audience quite different that he used too see. His personality, full of surprises and ambition, took the heart of the Twitch viewers in an instant. He really is the exemple of a good transition between Television and Twitch. We shall see in the future more collaborations with television channels, as Samuel defined the termes of a perfect agreement between the two worlds. Hopefully they will get along following that way of thinking.
As a Twitch viewer, I personally followed his path along the platform and I was quite surprised when I discovered how interesting his tastes and stories are, how captivating he is, gaining the approval of everyone on Twitch. I really hope that his channel will continue to grow and that it will share the raw aspect of culture to everyone. Thanks to him, new generations get a taste of what culture and knowledge is.
I wish all the best to Samuel, may he be continuing to cary the flag of culture on Twitch as long as he can.
