What do Acupuncture, Paper, and Fireworks have in common? Except for being fascinatingly exceptional inventions, they all share a common country of origin – China.
If you haven’t been living under a rock, you should be aware of celebrations for Chinese New Year that have been taking over social media in the glory of a bright red storm.
Love it or hate it, you cannot, not be cognizant of the influence and existence of the Chinese culture!
Especially so, given the fact that we live in a globalized society, where it is important as a business owner and also simply as an individual to learn about different ways to bridge the culture gap between what we grew up experiencing and what we didn’t.
The 2020s call for less ignorance, more acceptance, and to enlist ourselves as global citizens. And we’re here to help you achieve that. Let’s find out how in this video.
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Now it’s time to find out all about Chinese New Year, the importance of red color among Chinese households, along with some of the best marketing tips to personalize your future Chinese New Year campaigns.
Happiness is the best cosmetic.
Old Chinese Proverb
The Year of the Ox
On the first few minutes of February 12, 2021, the world celebrated Chinese New Year- the year of the ox. FYI, the Chinese lunar date is about 21–51 days behind the Gregorian (the corresponding international calendar) that we follow!
The Chinese New Year isn’t always on the same date; in fact, the New Year falls somewhere from January 21 to February 20.
The New Year’s celebrations go on for 16 days, starting from the New Year and ending with a lantern festival (February 12 to 26 in 2021) where the citizens observe a standard public holiday for seven days (February 11 to 17).
A smile dispels many worries.
Old Chinese Proverb
You may also be wondering what the year of the ox means. In the Chinese zodiac, every year is assigned an animal, and 2021 happens to be the year of the ox.
The 12 animals are Pig, Rat, Rooster, Monkey, Horse, Goat, Snake, Dragon, Rabbit, Tiger, Dog, and Ox. (I’m a Dragon. Is that why I spit fire when I fight? Ummm… Asking for a friend!)
These zodiacs are assigned as per an individual’s birthday. For example, people born in the year of the ox have ox as their zodiac and so on.
Sing It With Us Taylor Swift Style: Re-e-e-e-ed!!!!
In Chinese culture, the color red is popular as it is associated with the symbol of joy, luck, prosperity, and happiness.
The color also represents the season of summer and the element of fire. This is also why red is an important color for Chinese New Year.
Traditionally, Chinese brides wore red on their wedding to ward off evil, and it is believed that decorating the kitchen in red attracts good luck to the household.
Yellow and green colors are considered lucky for the Ox year, with red being the perpetual color for good luck and prosperity. It is best to stay away from black and white during the celebrations as they are considered negative and unlucky.
Every step makes a footprint.
Old Chinese Proverb
The New Year Fashion
During the Chinese New Year, the fashion is centered on the red color, and people sport traditional Chinese attire like Tang suits, Qipao, and Hanfu.
These traditional textiles boast vivid colors and intricate designs and handiwork, which are adorned by the whole family when they gather for a big Chinese celebratory feast.
One who stands straight doesn’t fear a crooked shadow.
Old Chinese Proverb
Best Chinese New Year Marketing Campaigns for the Fashion Industry
When it comes to localizing your content for a specific festival, it is imperative to understand the essence of the said event to best convey the brand’s messaging.
Employing the following points whilst planning a marketing strategy for the Chinese New Year will guarantee a well-received customer experience.
- Paint it red!: As mentioned throughout this article on why red is an important color for Chinese New Year, red packaging and decoration will always be well received.
- Planning the sales and releases in advance: It can be beneficial to schedule releases of your products that are red well before (and continue) during the New Year to make it in time for delivery.
- Research: Did you know that shoe shopping and gifting during the Chinese New Year is considered bad luck? Make sure to do your due diligence before putting out a specialty item.
- Collaborations: The New Year just may be the perfect time to collaborate with Chinese brands and influencers.
- A token of love!: One of the ways to incorporate the New Year in your brand is by printing out red gift vouchers and the corresponding animal on the packaging or the envelopes.
- Redirecting: Directing your customers to Chinese-owned businesses or restaurants will be a step in a mutually beneficial long-term collaboration between your brand and them, not to mention the special nod of appreciation.
Social Media Content Planning Practices for Fashion Bloggers
You don’t necessarily have to be a global brand to jazz up a little for the Chinese New Year.
Fashion bloggers and influencers also stand to benefit from doing a little something for the festivities as (to the Chinese demographic) it is always nice to have their culture and traditions acknowledged and embraced.
Most influencers and celebrities painted their Instagram red and posted pictures of themselves celebrating the Chinese New Year with their SOs or with their friends!
Some even gave their fans a preview into their homes and the traditions with which they’ve celebrated the CNY over the years!
(If you are a fan of ‘Bling Empire’, these two don’t need a special introduction 😉)
Collaborating with global brands is beneficial to both the marketer and the influencer! Most brands took advantage of the CNY and worked together with content creators to target different niches.
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Burberry, a leading luxury brand, worked together with several actors, models and musicians such as Wang Xiangguo and Liu Wen for their Chinese New Year 2021 campaign.
On the other hand, Gucci not only released a new collection targeting the biggest Chinese festival but also collaborated with over 100 influencers to reach over 380 million consumers.
Those who just want speed don’t succeed.
Old Chinese Proverb
If you are the owner of a global brand, China can perhaps be your largest international market. Thus, it is important for you to localize your brand’s content and image to best fit your international customers.
If you find yourself struggling to develop creative marketing tips for Chinese New Year 2021, a little professional help from a fashion and lifestyle content marketing agency can benefit your brand to globalize your brand professionally.
It takes more than one cold day for a river to freeze a meter deep.
Old Chinese Proverb
There’s a Shade of Red For Every ‘Brand’
Colors have had a significance in global cultures for centuries now. The color red is more than just a primary shade for global citizens and can hold different meanings to different cultures.
For instance, the hue is associated with mourning among South Africans. For the Indians, it stands for fire, power, and wealth. While in the middle east, it evokes caution and danger.
However, in Chinese culture, it stands for prosperity, happiness, luck, and joy! This shade, worn by brides on their most important day and the color that stands out during celebrations, is one that merchants can market on.
With the right content marketing tools and proper research, you may well be able to cash in on the ‘Red’ and pave some prosperity for yourselves.
The Article Gist:
- Red is an important color in the Chinese New Year for its symbolism of good luck, prosperity, and happiness.
- The Chinese New Year 2021 was on February 12.
- 2021 is the year of the ox.
- While it is beneficial to curate your brand content as per some of the world’s festivities, thorough research about the novel culture is a must so as to not accidentally offend a whole demographic.
- Celebrating major global festivals, such as the Yuan Xiao festival aka Lantern festival or Dongzhi festival aka winter solstice, can help your brand expand its exposure.
- Content localization will serve as one of the most important factors while taking your brand into a global market.
- There are companies that professionally localize your content to best serve your new market.
Header Image Source: Photo by Skylar Kang from Pexels
How did you like May Thawdar Oo’s blog post “The Significance of Red For Chinese New Year”? Let us know in the comments if you have anything to add, have another content idea for beauty content marketing blog posts, or just want to say “hello.” 🙂
