Last Updated on December 30, 2024
Chinese culture strongly influences how consumers engage and make purchasing decisions in the country’s dynamic digital ecosystem. Traditional festivals and holidays, in particular, often trigger the height of consumerism in China, and the Dongzhi festival is no exception.
With deeply rooted traditions and ongoing online shopping trends, the Chinese Winter Solstice festival is a chance for foreign brands to connect more deeply with their target audiences.
Through this guide, our team will share insights about the Winter Solstice celebrations and how foreign brands can maximize these marketing opportunities.
What is Dongzhi Festival (Chinese Winter Solstice)?
In ancient China, the Dongzhi Festival (冬至) or Winter Solstice was believed to hold more importance than the Lunar New Year and other Chinese festivals. Typically, the event falls on December 21st, depending on which date has the predicted longest night and shortest day in the Northern Hemisphere.
With over 2000 years of history since the Zhou dynasty, the Dongzhi festival traditions run deep and are widely practiced in the country, especially in Northern China. In most regions, this time of the year is meant for family unity, making dishes out of glutinous rice flour, eating roasted meat, and visiting temples.
Locals celebrate Chinese Winter Solstice with traditional foods (Source: SCMP)
How do Chinese people celebrate the Winter Solstice Festival online?
While Dongzhi doesn’t command the same commercial fervor as other local festivals like Singles’ Day or the Spring Festival, there is always a discernible uptick in online purchases related to traditional foods and seasonal products on domestic e-commerce sales channels during this period.
On the Chinese Winter Solstice, younger generations are particularly active on social media platforms. User-generated content is prevalent during this period, with most local internet users sharing festive greetings, family photos, and culinary experiences.
As an official holiday, the tradition of giving red envelopes or hongbao has also become a norm among Chinese people during the winter festival. Some popular platforms like WeChat enable users to send virtual red envelopes and gifts through their built-in e-wallet systems specifically to honor and encourage this Chinese culture during these events.
Because the Dongzhi festival holds historical significance in the Chinese market, the consumption of event-related content is also notably widespread on local video streaming platforms.
Videos discussing the festival’s history, traditional customs, and regional variations also tend to go viral as local audiences are keen on commemorating the spirit of the holiday, even in digital spaces.
Marketing Opportunities During Winter Solstice in China
● Brand Localization
Beyond making sure that your digital marketing assets are in Mandarin Chinese, brand localization requires a more nuanced adaptation of brand messaging, products, and marketing efforts to align with China’s rich cultural heritage and consumer behaviors.
One strategy that will work well is tailoring brand offerings to reflect the customs of the Winter Solstice Festival in China. Even domestic businesses are incorporating elements into their products and services to maximize the user engagement often generated as the event approaches.
Even the popular streaming platform iQiYi launched a series specifically targeting the theme of the Dongzhi festival to leverage the buzz of this annual event. Other domestic F&B brands like Suzhou Bridge capitalize on the gift-giving tradition during this holiday to trigger the consumption of their winter wine offerings.
Brand localization also means promoting these event-specific offerings on local social media platforms like WeChat, Weibo, and Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book). Choosing where to post is also a turning point for your Dongzhi festival promotions, so choose channels where your target audience is generally active.
Related keywords and tags are also important when promoting during the Winter Solstice celebration, especially on trend-driven platforms. Optimizing your content with these local terms will increase the chances of your target audience discovering your content.
For example, the terms “what to eat during winter solstice” and “winter solstice gift” are particularly popular on Xiaohongshu.
Meanwhile, Douyin shows a mix of commercial and informational keywords, with tags like “the origin and customs of the winter solstice” and “winter solstice gift for girlfriend,” simultaneously gaining more search volumes on the platform.
● Influencer Collaborations
For foreign marketers aiming to resonate with local consumers during the Chinese Winter Solstice Festival, collaborating with influencers can be a golden opportunity to build visibility and credibility in China.
KOLs wield a strong influence over consumer behaviors and online purchasing decisions in China. In fact, these influencer campaigns often surpass traditional paid advertising channels in effectiveness.
Their deep connection with followers allows them to shape opinions and drive purchasing decisions. As locals, they’re also more familiar with the sentiments and culture surrounding the Chinese Winter Solstice.
This domestic knowledge gives them the power to resonate and be more credible when recommending products and services to their audiences.
Always remember that Chinese consumers value authenticity and cultural sensitivity. Collaborations that appear genuine and respectful of traditions are more likely to resonate.
Brands should ensure that influencer partnerships during Winter Solstice in China are not merely transactional but reflect a deep understanding and appreciation of Dongzhi’s cultural significance.
● Live-streaming Campaigns
Traditional Chinese festivals are rich in cultural activities and customs, so it’s only natural that live-streaming content is particularly popular during these periods.
As of 2023, the live-streaming market in China was valued at approximately 700 billion yuan, reflecting a 53% year-on-year growth. With a reported user base of 750 million, these numbers show how well Chinese consumers view real-time content and how it affects their purchasing decisions.
While many of these live-stream sessions feature how the Dongzhi festival is celebrated, most brands and influencers take this opportunity to introduce product launches, reviews, demonstrations, etc.
In some instances, brands chose to showcase products related to family reunions, such as preparations for winter solstice dumplings or making festive decorations, to tap into the event’s cultural significance.
● E-commerce Integration
Winter Solstice is a prime time to create campaigns that blend festive traditions with modern shopping habits. Chinese consumers expect personalized recommendations related to the Dongzhi festival, so many e-commerce platforms tend to push relevant product listings to their users.
Brands can extend the reach of these event-related products by utilizing the advertising ecosystems integrated within local e-commerce platforms. They can customize these ads according to their target demographics and choose strategic placements to drive potential conversions.
These apps have evolved over the years and no longer limit themselves to traditional online shopping channels. These days, e-commerce giants are integrated with social networking features like live-streaming and video-sharing landscapes, which makes the purchasing journey more dynamic.
Popular Brand Categories During Winter Solstice in China
1. Food and Beverages
Food is central to the Dongzhi Festival. Families come together to eat tangyuan and other longstanding culinary traditions. Reputable brands selling sticky rice cakes, dumplings, and warming broths typically see an increase in demand.
Similarly, hot drinks, from traditional herbal teas to modern variations like ginger-infused lattes, have become highly sought after for their comforting and healthful properties.
2. Health and Wellness Products
With the Dongzhi Festival marking the start of the winter months in China, health and wellness products have become highly sought after in the local market. This is because locals place a heavy emphasis on staying healthy and resilient against the cold.
Traditional Chinese medicine, particularly herbal tonics and ginseng, is also a popular gift during this event. Modern wellness brands also capitalize on this trend, with items like electric heating pads, immune-boosting supplements, and essential oils seeing higher demand this season.
3. Cosmetics and Personal Care
Winter dryness challenges the skin during Winter Solstice in China, and personal care brands respond to these market challenges by highlighting moisturizers, hydrating masks, and nutrient-rich body lotions.
As the Winter Solstice approaches, most well-known local and international skincare brands launch limited-edition winter kits that appeal to consumers seeking intensive nourishment.
4. Fashion and Apparel
The Dongzhi Festival is known for its cold weather. It’s a seasonal event that not only marks the consumption of popular food items but also the height of winter fashion. Warm clothing items such as down jackets, wool coats, thermal underwear, and scarves dominate the local apparel trends as consumers look for stylish ways to stay warm.
Your Trusted Digital Marketing Partner in the Chinese Market!
The Winter Solstice marks a culturally significant event in the Chinese consumer market. While not as commercialized as other local festivities, aligning your digital marketing strategies to this event helps foreign brands appeal to domestic tastes and build rapport with their target audiences.
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At Sekkei Digital Group, we understand the significance of the Dongzhi festival in attracting Chinese consumers. With our extensive industry experience and expertise, we can help your brand maximize its audience reach and conversions during this event.
Whether you plan to work with KOLs or launch advertising campaigns, we have all the digital solutions you need. Contact us today, and let’s start working together.
