{"id":14558,"date":"2024-09-13T06:30:00","date_gmt":"2024-09-13T06:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/?p=14558"},"modified":"2025-04-23T08:57:56","modified_gmt":"2025-04-23T08:57:56","slug":"how-to-approach-mid-autumn-festival-marketing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/how-to-approach-mid-autumn-festival-marketing\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Approach Mid-Autumn Festival Marketing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Traditional Chinese festive occasions like Mid-Autumn Festival represent an important opportunity for brands. But with consumer trends around Chinese festivals evolving, how can brands keep their marketing relevant?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Mid-Autumn Festival, which falls on 17 September this year, is one of many occasions in the Chinese calendar that brands need to keep an eye on. Beyond their cultural significance, national holidays are also important drivers of consumption, marking rises in spending on everything from snack foods to travel as consumers enjoy time off work and connect with family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, in recent years, the impact of the pandemic and the economic headwinds facing China have muted spending around festive occasions as consumers take a more pragmatic outlook.<\/p>\n\n\n

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For example, sales of mooncakes \u2013 the traditional pastry associated with Mid-Autumn Festival \u2013 have been declining in recent years, as consumers avoid excessive gifting. A rising level of health consciousness is also playing a role, as mooncakes are traditionally high in sugar and fat \u2013 although healthier versions are now widely available. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nevertheless, many brands continue to produce limited-edition mooncake gift boxes, and these have the potential to go viral if the positioning and marketing is right. The most successful are usually a blend of recognisable branding, traditional Chinese elements and high-quality craftsmanship (whether that is in the packaging or the recipe for the mooncakes themselves). For example, Jing Daily highlights Prada\u2019s 2024 Mid-Autumn Festival gift box, which comes with a wooden puzzle in the shape of the brand\u2019s signature triangle that can be arranged to form moon rabbits, a mythical figure associated with the festival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ultimately, storytelling is key with products like mooncake gift boxes, and the goal should be to create something that feels authentic to a brand while also leveraging a sense of cultural belonging. As has been the case since the guochao<\/a> <\/em>trend rose to prominence in the past couple of years, products or campaigns that take a shallow approach to incorporating Chinese cultural elements will quickly be identified and criticised by Chinese consumers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n