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.
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 :
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.
Sources :
Blog de Mya. 2020. Le 520 Day, la Saint-Valentin chinoise version e-commerce. https://blog.agence-mya.fr/chine/520-saint-valentin-chinoise-sur-internet-ou-chinese-internet-valentines-day/ Consulté le 08 Novembre 2022.
HyLink Europe. 2021. 520 : Tout savoir sur cette célèbre fête de l’amour chinoise. https://www.hylinkeurope.com/portfolio/520-tout-savoir-sur-cette-celebre-fete-de-lamour-chinoise/ Consulté le 08 Novembre 2022.