Chinese Australian Marketing

China is the most lucrative market in the world. This is thanks to rising incomes, increased consumerism and greater wealth dispersal over the past decade.

However, Australian businesses trying to grow through China often launch into the mainland without considering the significant Chinese population here in Australia. There are nearly 3 million total Chinese shoppers in Australia each year, spending up to 3 times more than everybody else.

Join us as we uncover this huge untapped Chinese opportunity right under our noses.

Chinese in Australia – A Massive Opportunity for Businesses

Chinese Living in Australia

There are over 1.2 million Chinese living in Australia. They are the biggest spenders in multiple sectors like luxury and retail. Chinese shoppers account for two-thirds of all Australian luxury purchases. They’re expected to contribute over half of retail growth in the next 5 years.

According to the 2016 census, there’s 1.2 million Chinese people in Australia, a figure that’s grown 115% since 2001. Of these, 25% were born here and are on average, younger and more educated than the average Australian. But even so, why should you care?

Chinese people in Australia are the biggest spenders on luxury goods. Industry leaders estimate that Chinese shoppers are responsible for at least two-thirds of all luxury related sales in Australia. “The success for these brands has been because about 60 to 80 percent of the spend in Australia is from Chinese. Not just tourists, but Australian-based and Australian-born Chinese as well,” says Tim Starling, head of CBRE’s Australian retail occupier team.

Australia’s retail spend will grow by an estimated 28% in the next five years. Nielsen’s Ethnic-Australian Consumer Report believes Chinese shoppers will contribute 57% of this growth. This will amount to over $18.7 billion, in just the retail sector alone.

The Chinese consumer is a demographic with more spending power than any other in Australia. And that’s just the locals.

Tourists From Mainland China

Chinese tourism is the equivalent of US and UK tourism combined. Chinese tourists are sophisticated, brand-savvy and purchase-happy, and are the most influential demographic for Australian stores and businesses every year.

While Australian-born Chinese consumers are highly relevant, it is also just as important to take note of Chinese tourists. There were 1.4 million Chinese tourists in 2018, essentially the total visitors from both the US and UK combined. One out of every three Chinese tourists are first time visitors, giving every brand an opportunity to benefit.

Chinese tourists aren’t afraid to spend a little (or a lot) extra in return for quality and a memorable experience. Chinese tourists spend an average of $8900 during a visit to Australia, 78% more than the standard international visitor. Over the course of 2018, Chinese travellers spent a whopping total of $11.7 billion according to Tourism Research Australia (TRA).

TRA forecasts Chinese visitor numbers to reach 3.9 million by 2027. This is an average annual growth rate of 11.9% for the next 7-8 years. Total estimated visitor spend will reach $26.2 billion; an average annual growth rate of 10.6%.

The opportunity to benefit from Chinese tourism will remain for years to come. But by starting now, you can get ahead of competition early, and stand out amongst other Australian businesses.

Chinese High Value Travellers (HVT)

China is home to the most affluent HVTs, who spend as much as three times more than normal tourists. Over ten million Chinese HVTs are considering Australia in the next four years, how ready is your business for this opportunity?

High Value Travellers represent high value with above average trip expenditure. They have distinct key drivers for destination choice like food and wine, aquatic and coastal, and nature and wildlife experiences when choosing a holiday destination. China boasts the largest segment of High Value Travellers out of any country, accounting for 41% of total global HVT. One in three Chinese Travellers are classified as HVT.

Out of the 20 million HVTs in China, over half are considering travelling to Australia within the next four years. In addition, Chinese HVTs spend 2-3x more than the average tourist. It’s important to ask how prepared are you, and whether your business is positioned properly to market to this particular demographic.

How Vantage Digital helps YOU reach the Chinese Market in Australia

The Chinese market in Australia is flourishing with opportunities that no other demographic in the world comes close to providing. But this means nothing without the right marketing strategy. You need to know them and what motivates them. You need to publish content in their language and on the social media sites that they use.

Social Media Presence

Although your brand’s key messages might stretch globally, the digital platforms for delivery do not. If you’re serious about reaching the Chinese consumer, then forget Facebook, Twitter and Instagram — and think WeChat and Weibo. If your business doesn’t have a presence on WeChat or Weibo, you immediately forgo over 500,000 potential local Chinese shoppers, and several million more that may be planning on visiting Australia.

Our solution?

At Vantage Digital, we will provide our in-depth Chinese Social Media Marketing Strategy that maximises your brand’s visibility. We will drive direct engagement to your products and services, through content marketing, Key Opinion Leader (KOL) campaigns, and more.

• We analyse and define your brand, objectives, and specific audience in order to build a long-term social media strategy plan;
• We set up the appropriate social media profiles, along with a proven content strategy plan;
• We will identify the Chinese KOLs best suited to your brand and budget and liaise with them to arrange cooperative partnerships;

Appropriate Website Design

Chinese buyers have different values than your typical customer, this means websites have to be optimised. Your website is often the main channel which people view your business without physically being there. You should also have Chinese third-party payment methods implemented. Simon McGrath, the chief operating officer of AccorHotels says this: “The luxury Chinese traveller is ready to spend however, Australian businesses often miss opportunities to increase revenue as they are unable to cater for Chinese payment methods such as Alipay and UnionPay,”.

Our solution?

At Vantage Digital, we will provide our tailored Website Design to fully optimise your website. Whether your website just needs a few adjustments, or a complete overhaul, we create the design, marketing messages and overall UX that will resonate well with Chinese people.

• We analyse your business to understand the brand image you want to convey;
• We adhere to Chinese culture and barriers while curating effective designs and content for your website;
• We guide you through implementing key Chinese third-party payment solutions like Alipay, Tenpay etc.

Cultural and Language Barriers

It’s difficult to market to people who don’t speak the same language and have a completely different set of wants and needs than your normal customer. Having quality Chinese translations to reach non-English speakers is extremely important. Take a lesson from Pepsi, who tried to enter the Chinese market with a slogan about their beverage bringing people “back to life”. It was mistakenly translated to “Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the grave”. While this may seem funny to Australians, the Chinese put a lot of importance on their ancestors, and did not find it amusing.

Our solution?

At Vantage Digital, we will provide our thorough Chinese Translation Services that communicates your ideas in an authentic and engaging manner. We create culturally appropriate translated content that drives sales, and gets your consumers interested.

• We guide you through the cultural and linguistic differences and their effects within your industry;
• We do keyword research, to better understand your customers and what the best tone of voice is to use within content and campaigns;
• We make sure the translated content is tailored to be informative and attractive to the Chinese ears.

Get Started Now

Whether you’re a start-up looking to kickstart your Chinese social media, a mid-sized company looking for KOL partnerships, or a multinational looking for cultural insights and an extensive Chinese marketing campaign, Vantage Digital can help. We deliver value and measurable results through quality marketing strategies and strategic thinking.

What’s more, we’re so easy to partner with. In fact, collaboration is something we truly pride ourselves on at Vantage Digital. We can help any brand get started on their journey, and be with them every step of the way. So the question is, are you ready to take your Australian Chinese marketing to the next level?