1. Jessica Zimeng Guo
(765) 430-0552
guoz@purdue.edu
ROOM 409
102 N Chauncey Ave
W Lafayette
IN, 47906 (Moving to NYC)
Fifty Games to Play and Condoms Made into Rainproof Gear: How to Get all Chinese
Young Adults Hot for Condoms
A case study of social media campaign from Durex on Sina Weibo
Establishing relationships with consumers via social media is the second hardest thing on
earth, only a little easier than running for the President. Culture environment, economic
and national news can all determine whether a topic will be trendy, meanwhile childhood
experiences, education background and personal interests will determine whether
someone is going to like you. However, if a brand can achieve “being digital best friend”
with their consumers, the chance of having a loyal fan base will be significantly increased.
Durex on the Chinese social network Weibo is a perfectly good example of effective
social media management.
Think about your best friend. Doesn’t he/she always provide something you lack?
Durex’s official Sina Weibo account offers young Weibo user a fun-loving, trouble-
seeking, quick-witted 20-something online guy friend with a lot of exciting information
about sex. Because of the reserved culture, young Chinese crave excitement and craziness
and fun and relaxation and creativity. Via every thoughtful update, the official Durex
Weibo posts naughty, graphic and sometimes sentimental content related to sex. The
Durex page becomes young Chinese’s go-to recreation spot on weibo. The key to
Durex’s success is that it always gives the weibo savvies what they need online: fun.
One rainy night in June 23th, 2011, Durex China reposted a picture of a pair of blue
sneakers covered by two Durex condoms. The caption reads: What genius are our Durex
fans! Get your protection! It’s made to play with wetness.” The original post was crafted
and posted by Durex public relations team member on his own account. This weibo was
reposted 90,0000 times, and gained approximately 50 million exposures. It tapped into
the needs of young web users on a rainy day: staring at their cellphones, wishing for
something exciting to pop up.
Durex on Weibo is also like that friend of yours who always makes a snappy comment
about celebrity romance. In another word, Durex marketed itself via social media and
created an image that make you feel like it’s a safe zone to talk about gossipy or shy
topics. On February 8th, 2015, famous Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi and Wang Feng got
engaged. Zhang Ziyi posted a picture captioning “I do!” Durex responded to this hot
weibo by posting “I do” with a picture of a man putting a Durex Play Vibrations on a
woman’s finger. Needless to say, the web user went wild for it again. Today when erotic
movie Fifty Shades of Grey is due in the cinema, Durex created
hashtag#fiftygamestoplay to introduce different sex positions. The content it produced is
entertaining and in consistence with Durex’s brand image.
Besides being fun, what is one other thing a great friend provides? The answer will have
to be companionship, a sense of belonging and a community. The official Durex account
constantly posts exciting topics that drive conversation under its comment section. It may
be a specially designed sexy online game that’s meant to be played only by followers that

2. Jessica Zimeng Guo
(765) 430-0552
guoz@purdue.edu
ROOM 409
102 N Chauncey Ave
W Lafayette
IN, 47906 (Moving to NYC)
are couples, or a call of submission of “the sweetest text messages you have ever got.”
Durex always talks about the topic young web users care deeply about, and engage in
conversation with them by replying and liking. On a recurring basis the Durex account
will post recurring hash tags like My Super Fans or Durex Is Always Honest. Good
friends are never just about themselves. In My Super Fans category the official Durex
account reposts the best answer selected from participating followers who answer the
question it asked. These categories convey the same brand message to the consumers and
work with the latest trend of apps, online games or a lottery. Although Durex defines its
identity as a male it also often provides “insider information” that benefits both male and
female in their sex lives, like “what kind of position does he/she really likes.” When
reading Durex’s online, I personally feel like I know men’s sexual preferences twice as
better. Because sex positions don’t usually come up in the conversations of Asian females,
Durex became the young Chinese female’s secret supporter when exploring their sexual
needs. A very good friend, indeed.
If Durex were a guy we talked about, he is also very socially active. The Durex
account did not limit itself to posting topic about sex. Everyday, a wide range of other
related topics that young people care about including love, relationship, dating tips,
embarrassing truth about sex, tattoos, festivals, blood types and new manual for your
girlfriend’s boobs are under discussion on Durex’s page. On a daily basis Durex has 7 to
8 updates. Frequently it interacts with celebrity accounts that drive the discussion.
It’s lucky that we can tailor a brand’s personality and design them to be liked by their
targeted audience. Social media relationship building can feel like finding the soul mate
and maintaining the relationship. The process can be mind-blowingly slow, but if you can
always provide something that no one else can offer, the audience eventually will become
the most loyal and supportive company you could ever hope to get.