WeChat is China's dominant social media platform with over 570 million daily active users, serving as an "ecosystem" where people can communicate, access services and information, make payments, and integrate many aspects of daily life entirely within the WeChat app. The document outlines examples of how brands can connect with users on WeChat throughout a sample day, from using voice assistants in the morning to ordering food delivery, accessing entertainment, and socializing in the evenings. It emphasizes integrating online and offline experiences, using mini-programs, and providing useful services to build loyalty and drive sales within WeChat's massive built-in audience.
2. What is WeChat
Indispensable social
media networking app
connected to many
facets of daily life
*WeChat is NOT a copycat of
570M daily userbase
is larger than America’s
population by 50%
MUST
HAVE
APP
in China
73M+ Business/Media
accounts reaching out
to 80% of WeChat users
Source: Tencent 15Q3 Results, WeChat Official
WhatsApp Facebook LINE Sina Weibo
It is everything and more.
3. WeChat’s ambition is to connect
PEOPLE to EVERYTHING
Information
• Actively search information
• Passively receive information
from accounts you subscribe to
• Discover interests and trends
People
• Daily communications/chat
• Make new friends
• Social networking
Service
• Utility features like eCommerce
and online booking
• Built-in wallet and financial
services
• Enterprise management
• Infinite possibilities based on
APIs and web-apps
*Tencent has developed/invested/made strategic partnerships with many Internet companies (e.g. Didi taxi) for
access to their data, which has made WeChat into an operating system for your life.
5. Let’s experience the power of WeChat through
A DAY AS A USER and see examples of how
brands connect with users.
Start a new day
07:00 23:00
Off to work Mid-day break Off Duty Leisure Bedtime
These are not BETA use cases.
6. Start a new day Off to work Mid-day break Off Duty Leisure Bedtime
*View demo video on Youtube
Getting Ready
出⻔问问 (a mobile intelligence voice
search company) uses their official
account as a voice search assistant.
• Voice search weather
• Quick look traffic situation &
optimize routine before going out
• Think Google Now
“Show me the way to
the nearest Starbucks.”
7. Start a new day Get to work Mid-day break Off Duty Leisure Bedtime
Getting Coffee
A typical O2O2O (online to offline to
online) scenario. WeChat is used by
many brands as a replacement for their
specialized Apps.
• Pre-order your drink for pick-up
• Collect promotion coupon in-store
• Pay using WeChat wallet
• Share discounts with friends
• Think Starbucks App + Apple Pay
*View demo video on Youtube
“Give me a triple shot soy
frappe, extra whip, extra
sugar, no gluten.”
8. Start a new day Get to work Mid-day break Off Duty Leisure Bedtime
*View demo video on Youtube
Get Brand Info
Brands can run accounts to push
information to followers. WeChat also
supports rich-media and interactive
HTML pages within it’s in-app browser.
• Reading high quality subscriptions
from brands / media / influencers, etc
• Enjoy rich-media micro-sites or games
• Delivered to you like messages from
friends so you know when there’s
something new
• Think Facebook’s brand pages
“What’s up with
VANS?”
9. Start a new day Get to work Mid-day break Off Duty Leisure Bedtime
Productivity
Here listed some features for productive
works. An on-demand developed enterprise
accounts can cover most productive
products in daily life.
• Internal training/sharing
• Group messaging
• Daily Punch-in
• Supply chain management
• Contacting approved suppliers
• Think Salesforce, SAP, Slack
“Timesheets can now
haunt you on mobile.”
10. Start a new day Get to work Mid-day break Off Duty Leisure Bedtime
*View demo video on Youtube
Free Wi-Fi
Many shops offer incentives like Wi-Fi in
exchange for following their accounts.
Payment also makes it easy to split a
check from lunch among colleagues.
• Gain followers by offering Wi-Fi, free
photo-prints
• Offer utilities like online payment or
discounts at lunch
• Split costs between diners
• Think iBeacons
“Follow the MacDonald’s
account for free Wi-Fi!”
11. Start a new day Get to work Noon break Off Duty Leisure Bedtime
*View demo video on Youtube
Get Services
Brands can launch rich-media web-apps
within their accounts that are as simple as
raffles or games, to full-fledge services such
as taxi services or dating apps.
• Get a taxi
• Pay your bills
• Book plane tickets
• Contact customer service for repairs
• Check on a queue number without
waiting at the restaurant
• Think UBER
“Let’s take a helicopter
to Cannes.”
12. Start a new day Get to work Noon break Off Duty Leisure Bedtime
*View demo video on Youtube
Remote Control
Many consumer brands like Xiaomi and
media companies like iCNTV have started
integrating their WeChat accounts with
their products and services.
• Offer functions such as remote control
for consumer products
• Choose a program on your phone and
it plays on your TV
• Scan a QR code during an advert to
access raffles or live chats
• Think NEST or AirPlay
“Netflix & chill”
13. Start a new day Get to work Noon break Off Duty Leisure Bedtime
*View demo video on Youtube
Bedtime Social
WeChat’s moments function is a Chinese
user’s perferred method of sharing media
and updates with friends. It is a brand-free
zone except for advertisements.
• Post photos or videos
• Share links to articles or pages
• Comment and like statuses
• Sponsored content from brands
• Think Facebook’s news feed (with less
spam!)
“One more place for baby
photos.”
14. 1. Think Service or Utility - Don’t just think about creating a brand account and pushing
information. Many brands have loyalty programs built into their WeChat accounts.
2. Integrate with Offline – Best use-cases have to do with some sort of offline
integration, even for campaigns.
3. No website? No problem – You can develop your brand’s .com for China at a fraction
on WeChat by utilizing their APIs and ready-user base.
4. It’s just PR – Think about advertising, influencer seeding or paid advertorials with
media owners that have large followings.
5. Think about moments – Think about moments or snippet’s of a consumer’s daily life
and how your brand’s message can be expressed through functions in WeChcat.
6. It comes down to sales – Where people talk, is where people most likely want to buy.
WeChat’s wallet feature makes it easy for impulse purchases if your brand markets
correctly.
Key Takeaways
15. Don’t Worry
The Shanghai team is here to help:
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Name
Email
Contact
Title
Region
What’s Up
Nicolas Chan
NChan@golin.com
+86 2411 0094
Senior Planning Mngr
Shanghai
Doc
Profile Photo
Name
Email
Contact
Title
Region
What’s Up
Minhua Yu
MYu@golin.com
+86 2411 0040
WeChat Specialist
Shanghai
Contact me for help!