Collaborating with celebrities and KOLs is a popular way for brands to leverage vast fan bases, reach new audiences, and ultimately spur revenue.
Collaborating with celebrities and key opinion leaders (KOLs) is a popular way for Chinese and global brands to leverage vast fan bases, reach new audiences, and ultimately spur revenue. This is particularly true when a brand taps a celebrity or KOL who is associated with a specific niche — be it sports, wellness, cosmetics, or fragrances. “Fan-focused” collaborations are a tried-and-tested approach in China.
While brands have signed Chinese brand ambassadors and spokespeople for decades, collaborations in which the celebrity takes a more active role akin to a co-creative director and essentially “co-brands” a product or collection have only gained ground over the past several years.
Although the ever-changing dynamic of the Chinese consumer market makes it impossible to predict the results of a collaboration between a brand and KOL, here are five tips — which we explore in greater detail in our report Big in China: Brand Collaborations — that can help increase the likelihood of success.
1. Limited-edition capsule collections are king
Whether in the vein of Givenchy’s 2019 collaboration with the popular Chinese handbag blogger Mr. Bags (Tao Liang) on an exclusive pink Mini Horizon purse that sold out in just 12 minutes or the unisex Palm Angels x Team Wang apparel collection, KOL-driven capsule collections and limited-edition items ooze scarcity and attract the most rabid Chinese Culture Consumers (CCCs) interested in building their collections. Continue to read the full article here
