On 22 December 2023, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution to make the Spring Festival a United Nations holiday. Chinese culture is becoming more and more popular abroad, and the auspicious meaning and unique cultural symbols contained in the Year of the Dragon make overseas consumers feel new and mysterious. From the end of September, Google Trends showsThe search popularity of the keyword "Year of the Dragon" has risen rapidly, the hot areas cover Southeast Asia, Europe and the United States and other popular areas to go to sea. China's New Year has come to the world, which is a huge business opportunity for cross-border e-commerce.
Source: Google Trends Some multinational brands have played with their products at the level of product design early. For example, Nike launches the "Chinese New Year" series every year, which includes:Inspired by elements of Chinese cultureshoes and clothing. This year, Nike continued to make efforts to launch a number of new shoes for the "Year of the Dragon" limited to overseas markets.
*: Some examples of Nike's "Year of the Dragon" products, such as the Dunk Low, which is only available in North America for kids, features a muted gray color scheme with a brightly colored dragon wrapped around Nike's iconic logo, blending oriental elements with the brand. Air Force 1 Year of the Dragon product has soared in search volume just after the news was released, among which the Mid Easy On incorporates a novel dragon element design, and now, Nike'sChinese New Year seriesIt has become a series of products with the highest expectations in the sneaker circle every year.
*: Nike Year of the Dragon related Google search trends
*: Air Force 1 Mid Easy On, of course, except for the head brandProducts with dragon elements on the Amazon platform have also received wider attentionFor example, there are many "dragon element" products in the recent Amazon hot list, especially in clothing accessories, the "dragon element" design is more prominent.
*: An example of an Amazon Dragon product1. In the preparation and warm-up stage, you can start from the following two points
01 Product design
Merchants can be on product packagingAdd a design with a traditional Chinese dragon motif, or incorporate dragon elements into the shape and color of the product itself, such as combining "dragon" and "red" for festivity. It is also possible to make use of the image of a dragonCombine brand characteristics to deepen consumers' brand impression, passedCreative designWhile attracting consumers' attention, it also arouses consumers' empathy for the Year of the Dragon culture. Merchants can also launchA limited product for the Year of the Dragonto attract consumers with limited quantities and uniqueness, creating a buying boom.
02 Shop decoration
Merchants can conduct online and offline platforms for brandsFestive themed decorations, including banners, logos, theme colors of online platforms such as **, apps and apps, etc. Or the window design, theme display, employee accessories, etc. of the offline storeMake consumers feel a strong atmosphere of the Year of the Dragon and the New Year when shopping
2. Maximize the capture of search traffic by laying out more keywords
In the theme of the "Year of the Dragon", the popular keywords cover a variety of traditional cultures, New Year's wishes, etc., and merchants can effectively use these keywords in the process of store and brand promotion, expand the coverage of consumers, and quickly capture the attention of consumers. Here are some keywords that might be trending in the Year of the Dragon theme
1.Merchandise sales and keywords:
dragon-themed products
lunar new year deals
limited edition dragon products
festive discounts
exclusive dragon year offers
2.Social** operation and promotion keywords:
dragon year celebration
share your dragon year joy
tag dragon-inspired photos
join the dragon community
spread the dragon vibes
3.Keywords to shape the brand image:
embrace the dragon spirit
unique dragon-inspired designs
creativity sparked by the dragon year
modern twists on traditional dragon symbols
dragon-inspired lifestyle
For the Year of the Dragon theme, brands can launch different activities and content, including:Story-based advertisingPromotion of dragon-related events, as well as in line with the brand's core valuesYear of the Dragon themed marketingWait. The following campaign and content marketing strategies can be used as a reference:
01 "Dragon" story marketing
Create a brand story that is relevant to the theme of the Year of the Dragon, such as combining the brand founder, the brand's association with traditional culture, etcEmphasizing the brand's deep connection with the spirit of the dragonto create interesting and touching stories around the brand's core values. At the same time, the story cleverly integrates elements of the Year of the Dragon, such as the symbol of the dragon, the image of the dragon, the legend of the dragon, etc., to build a storyline full of emotional tension, such as the origin and development of the brand, or the touching moments that users and the brand experience together, which resonates.
Then share the story with the brandOfficial**Social platformand other channels to encourage users to share their views and feelings on the story on social **, and can also set up relevant interactive activities, such as users sharing their own stories of the Year of the Dragon or the personal stories of people who belong to the "dragon" among the users, and have the opportunity to receive brand gifts.
02 Brand cooperation and co-branding
By partnering with other brands, especiallyLaunched IP co-branded products, which can strengthen the influence and popularity of the brand. Brand owners can choose well-known IPs that are consistent with the brand positioning and the theme of the Year of the Dragon, such as Pokémon, to jointly plan and launch brand joint promotional activities, display IP co-branded products through various channels, and joint ** and limited-time activities. It is also possible to passPartner's social accountsto expand brand influence.
FENDI x Hiroshi Fujiwara x Pokémon Year of the Dragon collaboration.
03 "Dragon Dance" Challenge
Encourage users to participate in the brand's "dragon dance" challenge, record a creative dragon dance**, display the brand's products or iconic elements in **, and share them on TikTok, Instagram and other social **. Titles or descriptions need to be tagged with a specific event, cross-promoted across the brand's multiple social channels, and incentives to be offered with prizes such as discount coupons and limited-edition products. In this way, establishing a deeper level of interaction with users can not only improve the brand's social activity, but also expand the brand's popularity.
04 Traditional culture experience activities
There is also the option to work withTraditional cultural elements related to the theme of the Year of the Dragon, such as traditional Chinese clothing, calligraphy, martial arts, etc., through **, live broadcast and other ways to cooperate with Internet celebrities, highlight Chinese cultural characteristics and the theme of the Year of the Dragon, attract user participation, and increase the brand**.
In the end, in European and American cultures, dragons are often seen as mysterious and powerful creatures with special abilities and intelligence. Dragons are often featured in fantasy**, movies, and games, representing the unknown and adventure. For example, in the hit ** and the American drama "Game of Thrones", the dragon not only symbolizes the force and power of Daenerys, the mother of dragons, but also symbolizes hope and change. The appearance of the dragon makes the whole plot more intriguing, presenting a mysterious and magnificent atmosphere. In overseas "Year of the Dragon" events and content marketing,Brands can also incorporate the local culture to innovateto attract your target audience, increase brand awareness, and boost sales.
With the Year of the Dragon just around the corner, it's important for brands to create a unique holiday marketing strategy if they want to stand out. Through the clever use of the "dragon" element, from the application of the "dragon" element, to the coverage of popular keywords, to the brand marketing campaign, the brand is able to achieve it on multiple platformsPresent a unique atmosphere of the Year of the Dragon to attract the attention of consumers。Not only that, through traditional cultural experiences, story marketing, and interactive activities, brands can deeply integrate Chinese cultural characteristics and establish a closer emotional connection with users.