China, live streaming and opinion leaders to conquer a yet distant consumer

On the one hand, wine, the made in Italy agri-food product that made Chinese consumers fall in love more quickly, on the other a channel of dialogue and interaction that has become the first way to put Chinese brands and audiences in contact: live streaming, which in China has its largest stage in the world. A disruptive experimental marketing tool, already in vogue before 2020, which, with Covid-19, has further amplified its reach, becoming today the most popular communication channel with the public. Also for Italian wine, which in 2021 saw its shipments to Beijing grow by + 29.2%, to more than 126 million euros, and which, in order to grow, needs a mediation that knows how to translate the history and tradition of large companies and small ones, which appear in China for the first time, in a captivating and attractive story for an audience culturally and linguistically distant from the Western world, and still not very aware of the oenological richness of Italy.

A wealth which perception also passes through the face of the Key Opinion Leaders, prominent personalities of the Chinese social, cultural and digital landscape, capable of launching a product or increasing its sales simply through their image. “There are no distributors that can cover the entire Chinese territory”, explains Nicola Canzian, Managing Partner of Digital Retex, the company that brings the business of Made in Italy companies and brands to China, through the implementation of dialogue channels, opening of official social accounts, up to the interaction itself with Chinese users, and which has collaborated with Tenute Lunelli, Frescobaldi and Banfi. “For foreign brands, acquiring national exclusivity is very difficult. In addition, most of the importers are located in areas where there is a strong market, such as Beijing, Shanghai and southern cities such as Guangzhou, Shenzhen. Looking at the great increase of Italian wine exports to China in 2021 - continues Canzian - it is easy to understand how providential it can now be for an Italian producer to take this train on the run. The competition is already alive both between our local labels, which enjoy an excellent reputation in China, and between our productions and those abroad. Therefore, it is necessary to know the right channels, and to be able to speak in the right way to the right people”.

From the latest surveys by Digital Retex, the internet is the fourth most used channel for buying wine in China (17%), behind specialized wine shops (22%). In addition to pure online players, hypermarkets such as Walmart and Carrefour have also opened their own e-commerce platform to intercept the omnichannel wine consumer. Although most wine drinkers in China choose to go to a specialty wine shop to purchase a bottle or two, specialty retailers like Jiuxian.com or Yesmywine.com are not the most popular choice online - among the first 5 retailers used for the purchase of wine, the multi-category Chinese online shops JD.com and Tmall.com are respectively in 3rd and 4th place, right after the foreign hypermarkets Walmart and Carrefour. “Consumers trust the service, delivery and support provided by JD.com and Tmall.com - concludes Canzian - they have fewer doubts about the authenticity of the wines sold on these platforms compare to other retailers. Due to the growing competition for entry-level wines, the largest e-commerce platforms are shifting towards premium wines and fine wines in order to increase profit margin and seek differentiation”.