How to Market a Furniture Brand in China?

With the improvement of the standard of living in China, consumers have started to look at Western and European influences and are increasingly willing to invest in home decoration thus driving China’s furniture market. Consumers’ increasing purchasing power has driven the furniture market to develop beyond expectations. Urbanization has driven furniture market growth.

Data from the National Bureau of Statistics show that the urbanization rate in China reached 58.5% in 2017, up 1.2 percentage points over the end of 2016. With urbanization, wage and salary earners, as well as previously disadvantaged families who have migrated to towns and cities, have become major furniture consumer groups. It is estimated that by 2020 about 54 million houses will have been renovated under the country’s shantytown reconstruction project, and these renovated houses will also generate demand for furniture. How can your company be a part of this market and become a recognized brand in China?

Let’s take a closer look at the market

The market is huge and with millions of people living in urban areas, there are millions of tastes, needs, and wants to be addressed. There are 2 points to consider:

A) Mainland furniture consumers can be divided into 3 groups:

Avid consumers

These consumers are rich. They favor expensive western styles, classical Chinese style,s or avant-garde furniture.

Luxury/branded goods consumers

These consumers want the furniture to reflect their personalities, paying attention to aesthetics, cultural elements, trends, and origin.

Average wage-earning consumers

This is the majority of consumers. They are willing to shop around for the best price and value their comfort.

B) Furniture buyers also have different requirements that need to be taken into account:

Home Furniture

This is all furniture is used in the homes of urban residents, including cabinets and kitchen appliances.

Childrens’ furniture

Parents are adopting new living concepts and becoming increasingly able to afford furniture specially designed for their children’s development and safety.

Outdoor furniture

The elements need to be considered in a country like China. Furniture needs to withstand heat and cold.

Hotel and guesthouse furniture

This industry is huge and should not be overlooked.

Office furniture

To make money, businesses must spend money, and some of that money will go to furniture.

Public institution furniture

Public-sector facilities, such as medical, sports, cultural and educational institutions all need furniture to function and last. Duration is key in this sector.

How can our agency help your brand?

It doesn’t matter how good a product is. If no one knows about it in China, it simply will not sell. Chinese spread hours browsing the internet, interacting with stores, asking questions on social media, and looking for good comments about products and services they are interested in. Let us help you be the first brand they recognize in your industry.

Social media

Western platforms have no place in China. Chinese have their own social media platforms that they trust, such as Wechat, Weibo, etc. Why are these the more efficient ways of promoting your brand? Take a look at the example below.

The snap above is from the WeChat application. It is convenient, because of all the information available on a page. By clicking on the preferred furniture brand, the user gets access to the official brand account on WeChat. The marker just beside the post lists it as an ad. The external link to your website makes it easy for the WeChat user to see more of your products. Below everything is the comments which give you the opportunity to get closer to your target audience by interacting directly with them.

 

Influencers campaign 

In this case, Key Opinion Leader won’t be the case of a world-famous superstar taking a picture of himself using one of your products. A KOL can be anyone or anything that has a following that takes their word when they recommend a product or service. A key opinion leader that is just as successful but more cost-effective than a celebrity in this area: is the furniture and design magazines and magazines about interior design. Besides magazines, cooperation with high-end real estate developers can be really interesting, as most of the clients of the property are also the most potential clients of high-end furniture

Lead Generation Professionals

We are professionals in lead generation. To be effective in your lead generation, you need first to develop a good e-reputation. Investing in online advertising and creating quality content will help you develop your e-reputation. Finally, measure results to improve your performance.

We are lead generation experienced and we apply it to our agency. We get an average of 350 leads per month (March 2018) by applying the method we offer to companies that use our services.

Experts in digital solutions

• Website Creation, Development & Auditing.
• Baidu Search Engine Optimization.
• Social Media Marketing (WeChat & Weibo).
• Reputation Management & Community Development.
• Public Relations & Exposure in Chinese E-Media.
• Analytics, monthly reports & analysis from our team of experts.

Case study: Ethnicraft

Let’s talk about Ethnicraft, founded and managed by a Belgian group of entrepreneurs that have to succeed to get a solid strategy digital marketing strategy to lead society to these results:

“European furniture brands” got ranked 5th on the first page

“Where to buy furniture in Shanghai” got ranked 1st on the first page

“Shanghai furniture exhibition 2015” got ranked 1st on the second page

Here are some key secrets of Ethnicraft’success: the first one is being presented on Baidu News. To be well-ranked on a search engine page, you need to have PPC  (pay-per-click) ranking and a natural one with SEO (Search engine optimization).

Ethnicraft chose to combine online website with physical ones. Consumers could go online, select their products and place an order. For more information, they could go to the showroom.

A FRENCH AND CHINESE TEAM

We are a French and Chinese team, here to help you develop your business in China. We understand the needs and wants of the Chinese market. We also understand the difficulties foreign brands incur when they try to enter the Chinese market. Each member of the team is specialized in a field. They have experience and they are effective. Let us help your brand.

If you want a quotation or more information about us, please send us an email.