Roger Dubuis launches WeChat campaign to introduce DNA, daring lifestyle

Roger Dubuis Excalibur Skeleton Automatic

Richemont-owned watchmaker Roger Dubuis is guiding Chinese consumers to their ideal timepiece through an interactive WeChat campaign.

“Daring Partner” invites users to tap, swipe and shake their way to the Excalibur timepiece that is right for them. With more than 768 million users, WeChat offers luxury brands the opportunity to reach the digitally connected generation of Chinese consumers in an engaging way.

“WeChat is an eco-system where almost anything is possible; from messaging, to Web browsing, to social, to payments,” said Juliet Carnoy, marketing manager at Pixlee, San Francisco.

“As of June 2016, the platform has over 762 million users and 90 percent of them are daily users,” she said. “The size of it alone makes it a powerful marketing channel.

“However, the main reason that WeChat is a key emerging channel for international fashion brands is because the WeChat user base is very engaged, social and ready to buy.”

Ms. Carnoy is not affiliated with Roger Dubuis, but agreed to comment as an industry expert.

Roger Dubuis did not respond before press deadline.

Path to discovery
The campaign is housed on an HTML 5 microsite within Roger Dubuis’ official account. After tapping a button on the landing page, consumers are brought to a screen that asks them to choose between two opposing images.

Screenshot of Roger Dubuis’ WeChat campaign

A city skyline at night is juxtaposed against an aerial shot of skyscrapers during the day. Next, consumers are asked to pick coffee or tea.

Communicating an affluent lifestyle, the following screen asks for a preference of a yacht or a sports car. Speaking to Roger Dubuis’ racing affiliations, a speeding boat and a race car are the next options.

Screenshot of Roger Dubuis WeChat campaign

Playing off opposites, the participant also has to choose between fire and ice.

Once they reach the end of the quiz, the user is instructed to shake their device to get their result. The watch within Roger Dubuis’ Excalibur collection that resembles their preferences is shown.

Excalibur is Roger Dubuis’ core collection of timepieces, with styles ranging from sporty to office-ready. Since Roger Dubuis does not operate its own ecommerce, there is no option to buy directly from the experience.

Consumers who share pictures of the watch are also given the opportunity to enter for a chance at prizes, such as tickets to the FFF GT race in Shanghai in September or attendance to a Roger Dubuis event.

Roger Dubuis worked with digital marketing agency Velvet on its campaign.

Expanding the awareness beyond its own followers, Roger Dubuis tapped influencers, or key opinion leaders. For instance, JiLiang took the idea of the sword of Excalibur as an example of the hero’s partner, sharing with his 256,000 followers.

The brand is also running display ads on WeChat. First introduced in 2014, WeChat’s advertising has become more sophisticated, enabling brands to target based on the consumer’s activity and likely interests.

Roger Dubuis WeChat ad

Founded in 1995, Roger Dubuis has shown its innovation through virtual reality experiences at brand events and unique entertainment, such as a dinner atop Mont Blanc in the French Alps.

Direct line
Luxury brands are not taking advantage of WeChat’s direct marketing capabilities, according to a new report by L2 (see story). However, this may be changing, as luxury brands take to the platform to reach the large audience of users.

With bricks-and-mortar sales continuing to decline, social selling is poised to alter the current retail model by facilitating purchases seamlessly through branded communication.

French atelier Christian Dior recently tried its hand at social selling by offering its followers on Chinese messaging and social application WeChat the opportunity to purchase a limited-edition handbag directly through a post. While not alone in its WeChat efforts, Dior has become the first luxury house to sell a high-end handbag through the app, showing its potential for direct-to-consumer sales (see story).

Also, French menswear house Berluti is introducing its Fast Track footwear to Chinese consumers through a contest exclusive to WeChat.

Through a microsite on the social platform, consumers can read profiles of three local ambassadors and vote for their favorite style from the line for a chance to win a pair of shoes. Localized campaigns offer brands the opportunity to reach consumers with content and promotions that cater to them, making it all the more likely that it will resonate with the intended audience (see story).

“The social component of WeChat allows users to interact with brands’ official WeChat accounts and even submit user-generated content directly to brands on the site,” Ms. Carnoy said. “WeChat’s open API allows users to buy products and to access customer service within the platform.

“Luxury brands, such as Roger Dubois, looking to reach international audiences can run social campaigns within WeChat, share content with browsers directly in the platform and work with WeChat influencers.”

from Jewelry – Luxury Daily https://www.luxurydaily.com/roger-dubuis-launches-wechat-campaign-to-introduce-dna-daring-lifestyle/
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