The Campaign

Considerable tax refund is always the biggest motivation for Chinese to go outbound shopping. Global Blue, the world leading international tax-refund company, planned to launch a new tax-refund card - The Global Blue Card in China in Aug, 2013 to attract more Chinese users. With limited brand exposure in China, how to increase brand awareness and promote the card enrolling in 3 months with $300K budget was extremely challenging. Our strategy is to attract online registration through PR driven campaign themed “Global Smarter Shopper” with social media and KOLs engagement. We firstly held a press conference to launch the card to 35 key media in tier 1 cities. During the launch phase, we hosted a consumer party with hundreds of consumers recruited by The Global Blue Weibo online interaction - ‘smart shopper’ competition APP, more than 10 KOLs in fashion, lifestyle, traveling were invited and live report the party on their personal social media platforms, card benefits related engaging games, Weibo microblog wall allow on-site social interaction, animation teaching how to apply and use the card were all set in the party. After the party, we also arranged a media/KOL FAM trip to Europe to share real Global Blue Card tax-refund shopping experience through magazines, Weibo, and Blogs coverage. After 3 months’ campaign, 192 media placements with 42 millions ppls media impression and $ 1.3 millions PR values, and over 3 million social buzz were generated. The number of Global Blue Card enrolls increased 3.3 times, card users 2.6 times.

The Brief

Our goals are -Increase media exposure and social share of voice. -Build up Global Blue brand awareness and preference -Attract more Global Blue card users so that grow Global Blue market share in China

Results

The Global Blue Card “Global Smarter Shopper” Campaign has achieved great success both in traditional and digital parts. For the press conference and FAM trip, we've received 192 Media Placements in total, including: 53 Direct Media Placements and 139 online pick-ups, all from top travel, life style, business magazines and top portal websites, eg: Vogue, L’Officiel, 21st Century Business Herald, sina.com etc. Approximately $1,386,104 media value was generated, which is 7 times of the campaign budget as ROI. For the digital part, before the campaign, the social buzz of Global Blue in social platforms is nearly zero, after a series engagement of KOLs and weibo online activities, we've generated more than 45 million+ social impressions, 25 million + PVs and 344,432+ social buzz on sina.com. After the campaign, the number of Global Blue Card enrolls increased 3.3 times and card users 2.6 times

Execution

-In August, hold a press conference in Beijing to engage 35 key media, fashion KOL and Qunar VP (Chinese tripadvisor) as guest speakers to unveil the secrets of how to be a global smarter shopper with Global Blue Tax-refund Card as part of the solution. -Created/seeded 10 groups of card related Wiki Q&A. -2 weeks before consumer party - ‘Smarter Shopper’ contest puzzle application rolled-out on Weibo, recruited 200+ netizens to attend consumer party. Card related questions were activated on pieces of card puzzle every day, counting down to the party day with unveiling the imagine of the Global Blue Card. -In September, consumer party engaged 10+ KOLs to live-report party on social platforms with hundred thousands of followers. -Created an animation to introduce the card and promoted on mainstream video websites. -In October, organized a media/KOL FAM trip to Europe, earned coverages on TV/magazines/weibo/blogs.

The Situation

Statistics showed the number of Chinese outbound travelers has reached nearly 90 million in 2013, however, the lack of tax-refund knowledge and complicated tax-refund application processes are two key barriers for Chinese shoppers to apply tax-refund, which directly restrict the commission of tax-refund companies such as Global Blue. The world’s largest tax-refund company Global Blue planned to launch new tax-refund card that simplified tax-refund process for Chinese consumers to increase market share from China. To build up Global Blue brand awareness and increase card registration in 3 months was really challenging.

The Strategy

Based on the reading habits of Global Blue Card’s key target audiences - Chinese white collars and Chinese travel agencies, we think a PR driven campaign with social media and KOL engagement will be most efficient to influence both media and consumers, as well as promote online enrolling of the card. Traditional media press conference is the best way to deliver key messages to media and influence business partners and consumers; Consumer party is the perfect approach to engage on-target consumers and KOLs to generate WOM and promote enrolling; Social media approaches such as Weibo, interactive application and animation are the most efficient ways to create and curate Global Blue Card content to right people and maximize online buzz. Last but not least, Q&A seeding on Wiki is must-have for any new-launched brand in China because of the online search habit of consumers.