We are happy to announce that Regroup China will be the official sponsors and speakers at the upcoming London & Partners event next week on how London can improve its welcome and offering for Chinese travellers to start the journey to becoming China-ready today.
Event Sponsor – Regroup China
Formed by experienced digital marketeers and technicians, Regroup China is a specialist digital marketing agency committed to helping Western brands define and action strategy for growth in China – the World’s largest online marketplace. We provide a full digital service offering for China spanning market sizing, branding, social media (WeChat, Weibo), content, China web development and market-place strategy.
The event running order:
- 8:30am Welcome Breakfast
- 9:00am Opening remarks and company presentations
- 10:00am Structured networking session
- 11:00am Close
As anyone who has visited China recently will know, WeChat is enormous, with over 1- billion users, it is the largest App in the Country.
WeChat is best described as an ‘eco-system’ rather than as traditional social media or a ‘WhatsApp of China’, as the BBC recently described it. Describing WeChat as an eco-system captures the fact that it is all things in daily life in China.
It is Tencent’s (WeChat’s owners) vision for Chinese nationals to use WeChat throughout their day; using it for calls, messaging, playing games, paying bills, buying products, hiring taxis and posting their social media.
Key WeChat Functionality
What are Mini Programs?
Mini Programs are best described as ‘apps within an app’. WeChat is an app and a mini program is an app within the WeChat eco-system. These apps sit on Tencent’s server, not on the users’ mobile phone, as such they are typically fast to access.
For brands looking to enter the China market, mini programs can provide additional functionality to their WeChat account, to add shopping functionality for instance, to sell directly via a shop front, or to add booking engine functionality, to take bookings directly. The whole process can be done within the WeChat eco-system, using WeChat Pay as the payment gateway. The end-user never has to leave WeChat.
As such, Mini Programs can help brands monetise their WeChat account.
For UK brands wishing to test the waters in China, WeChat is the ideal vehicle, serving as a base to build brand awareness, and as a route to establishing sales.
Building a shopfront on WeChat
Using a mini program, brands can build a shop within WeChat at relatively low cost. The process typically involves taking a product data feed of product SKUs and marrying this up with design templates for the shop front. The whole process can take as little as 4- weeks to build significantly less than setting up a Shopify or Magento e-commerce channel.
Building up an audience on WeChat
Using the WeChat advertising platform, brands can target users based on age, gender, education, location and importantly on search behaviour, meaning brands can build up a targeted audience over time.
The other main key channel to building up an audience is via Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) who are effectively influencers and hold huge sway in China.
It has never been easier to set up a WeChat verified account
It is now easier than ever to set up an official Service account on WeChat for overseas brands. The days of requiring a Chinese business licence to register a verified account are long gone. UK brands can use their UK business licence and the whole process takes 2-3 weeks to process, faster than ever. Ownership resides with the brand, not a third party.
All of this makes for exciting times post Brexit. China accounts for a fifth of the world’s internet users, and 40% of worldwide e-commerce. Regroup China has been working with Tencent to produce some of the best known mini programs in the UK, including the WeChat shop for the Best of British event in Shanghai this year, where we onboarded over 30 UK brands selling product at the event via WeChat, using WeChat pay as the payment gateway.
The Best of British WeChat mini program
Regroup have also been at the forefront in producing mini programs as booking engines, producing the UK’s first property booking engine for Downing Property, the student-property business, who are targeting Chinese students in the UK, via WeChat.
Student Property Booking Engine on WeChat
Why should UK brands be excited about this?
We believe that UK brands wishing to test the market in China should be excited about this for many reasons, namely:
- WeChat is getting bigger all the time, with well over 1 billion users and counting
- Establishing an official WeChat account has never been easier for foreign businesses, and the process is fast. You own the account not a third party
- Brands can build up brand awareness via WeChat ads, building up a highly targeted follower-base
- Brands can set up a shop front easily, quickly and relatively cheaply on WeChat providing a direct route into this ever-growing market
- Brands can take payments using WeChat Pay, with each transaction costing only around 2% per transaction in commission and the acquirer’s fee
All of this adds up to providing a unique opportunity for UK brands wishing to test the market in China. As a proof of concept, no other channels provide the ability to build awareness and sales, at low cost.
As such, we are of the view that WeChat is the priority channel for brands getting established in China, as a phase 1. Once the concept is proved, then we advise moving into key e-commerce channels such as Tmall and JD, who collectively own c 70% market share of b2c e-commerce in mainland China. Getting active on these channels is not a small consideration and requires investment. But building awareness and sales initially is far safer on WeChat as an initial undertaking.
For more information on reaching the World’s largest market please contact us. We’d love to hear from you.
- Call us on +44(0) 207 458 4147
- Email at info@regroup-china.com
- Visit our web site at https://www.regroup-china.com/
What we do transforms businesses.
We are pleased to announce the launch of the newly created corporate web site for Melchers in China.
Melchers China is a part of the globally operating Melchers Group, establishing its first Asian branch in 1866 in Hong Kong, and employing over 400 people in Greater China. Melchers support businesses looking to set-up a presence in China.
Regroup China designed and built the new Corporate site, in English, Chinese and German, and is part of a wider project communications project with Regroup overseeing Melchers content strategy on Social Media for China.
Visit the new site at – https://melchers-china.com/
We are happy to announce the launch of the brand new Usborne Publishing web site for China at http://www.usborne.com.cn/
Usborne Publishing is a leading independent publishing house for children’s books, with a global market. The new web site is part of an overarching digital strategy for China, being managed by Regroup that includes management of the WeChat and Weibo channels.
Regroup are happy to announce the launch of the Atega London brand. Atega London is a new to market high-end marbleware brand, specialising in hand-crafted white, black and green marble vases. Regroup designed the brand identity for Atega, and have overseen the development of a Magento e-commerce site – http://atega-london.com/
Join us to find out the optimum channel mix for global commerce and hear from a whole host of retailers and experts on how they are taking their businesses to the next level.
Wednesday 8th May 2019
The Club at the Ivy, 9 West St, London, WC2H 9NE
6pm till 8pm
Overview
Join us for an invite-only evening at the world-renowned Ivy club for drinks, canapes and a networking dinner in the private club. Mingle with fellow brands, retailers and experts to pick up tips and tricks on how to scale your business through global expansion.
We’ll be putting on an interactive retailer and expert panel to explore how businesses have successfully implemented multichannel strategies globally.
Hear from a host of retailers including Lucy Dix, Head of Ecommerce at Olivia Von Halle, Amy Thom, European Marketing Director at GAP, Richie Jones, Consultant at Stance as they share advice, experiences and strategies on how they’ve achieved success in new markets, particularly in an ever-evolving and complex economic climate.
No pitches, no powerpoints – just a chance to share stories and hear from a whole bunch of other retailers and brands. If you want advice, want to validate your experiences or you’re struggling to know where to start, then this is an event not to be missed!
Topics include
- Optimizing your international buying experience to scale
- The role of ecommerce and marketplaces and how they are evolving
- Finding the winning channel formula for key markets
- De-risking global expansion plans
Agenda
- 6 – 7 pm : Arrival – drinks and nibbles
- 7 – 8 pm : Merchants and experts panel – Hear, interrogate and discuss
- 8 pm – Late : Mix and mingle with further food and drink from the Ivy
Meet the Panel
Lucy Dix
Head of Ecommerce at Olivia Von Halle
Amy Thom
European Marketing Director at GAP
Richie Jones
MD at Vvast
We are proud to announce that Regroup has been selected as the official digital partner for Best of British 2019; the largest exhibition of premium British brands and services in China.
This deluxe showcase features the finest in British consumables including food, drink, fashion, design and culture for an audience of trade, press, VIPs and high-end consumers from across China. Staged over four days in the stunning Shanghai Exhibition Centre, this spectacular multi-focused event is organised by Media 10 in partnership with the British Consulate General Shanghai, the Department for International Trade and the GREAT campaign.
Regroup will be supporting this exciting and ground-breaking event across all key China digital platforms including the management of a JD store and the management of the official Best of British 2019 WeChat store.
Scott Muir, founder of Regroup stated “This is an exciting opportunity for Regroup to be involved in the largest all-British trade event in China. Best of British is the perfect platform for British Brands and services to promote themselves to the World’s largest market. We look forward to being a part of the Best of British story”
For more information on Best of British, please visit – https://www.thebestofbritishshow.com/
We are proud to announce the launch of the new Regroup-designed China web site for Brennenstuhl. Brennenstuhl provides high quality cable reels, extension cables, socket strips and LED lighting.
The new web site is part of a multi-channel launch campaign in China which includes 1688, and WeChat.
The new web site can be seen here – http://www.brennenstuhl.cn.com
We are pleased to announce the launch of Bremont’s first dedicated Chinese web site at http://bremont.net.cn. Bremont is an award-winning British Company producing beautifully engineered chronometers at their HQ in Henley, UK. Regroup are overseeing Chinese social Media on WeChat and Weibo, as well as exploring other e-commerce opportunities for China, the World’s largest market.
London-based Digital Marketing Agency Regroup Media has been acquired by the German based China-Trading specialist C. Melchers GmbH & Co. KG (Melchers).
Regroup Media, (https://www.regroup-media.co.uk, https://www.regroup-china.com/) founded in 2011, provides digital marketing services for businesses both in the consumer and business sectors looking to expand their markets online.
Regroup has a unique offering; providing digital solutions both for Western markets, via channels such as Google, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, as well as having a dedicated division for brands wishing to enter the China market, via channels such as WeChat, Weibo, Baidu, JD and Tmall.
Regroup has become a leading force for Western-brands looking to reach China, the World’s biggest online market, servicing a wide and rapidly growing client-base in the luxury retail, high street retail, education, property and B2B space.
The services provided by Regroup include WeChat and Weibo management, being one of the first UK agencies to develop WeChat mini-programs; the applications within WeChat’s eco-system that enables brands to develop e-commerce, gaming, and geo-location driven services. Regroup has developed mini programs for clients such as The British House and Bremont.
Regroup also provides a consultancy service for China, and a development capability for brands wishing to establish a web presence there.
Melchers is a German headquartered company with more than 50 subsidiaries in Germany and overseas with a strong focus on Asia. Having been involved in China for over 150 years, this is now their key market with more than 450 people employed there.
Melchers provide a full support service for businesses wishing to expand their markets in Asia and specifically China, including sales and marketing, back-office, retail and sourcing as well as for consulting in market expansion and cross border M&A transactions.
The acquisition is perfectly timed as interest in the West continues to grow to reach this ever-expanding marketplace. China has one fifth of the World’s web users, and accounts for 40% of online transactions, yet with only half the population online, there is clearly a significant growth potential going forward.
More and more Western brands are establishing themselves in China.
Scott Muir, MD and Founder of Regroup stated “The partnership with Melchers makes perfect sense for Regroup. We are focusing on our China operation, to help more Western brands develop a strategy to reach this ever-growing market. We already have offices in Shanghai and Guangzhou, Melchers have been operating in China for over 150 years and have an unrivalled infrastructure and network there, which will ultimately help us grow further in China”
Dirk Saenger, Managing Partner of Melchers started “that Melchers has the infrastructure and legal set up in China to offer market expansion services to its partners, including the physical handling of goods being for buying or selling in the China market. With the digital marketing know-how Regroup will add to the services offered, Melchers will extend its reach and services on offer for its partners even further “.
Press contacts
For further information please contact Scott Muir, MD, Regroup Media at:
scott.muir@regroup-media.co.uk
About Regroup Media
Formed by experienced marketeers and technicians, Regroup is a London-Based digital marketing agency committed to helping clients define and action strategy for growth in the digital domain.
Regroup provides digital marketing services for Western markets, via channels such as Google, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Regroup also provides a dedicated service for Western-brands wishing to enter the China marketplace via WeChat, Weibo, Tmall, JD, and Baidu.
www.regroup-media.co.uk
www.regroup-china.com
About C. Melchers GmbH & Co. KG
C. Melchers GmbH & Co. KG is a global company with a wide range of services and with trading know-how in diverse areas of business.
Their network of more than 50 subsidiaries in Germany and abroad makes Melchers a powerful, dependable partner.
Their experienced experts are there to support clients at local level, ensuring the successful implementation of their specific requirements.