What’s changing about 11:11? No longer about sales discounts, it’s about laying the groundwork for yearlong success

As we’re in the midst of the global sales period in the lead up to Christmas, it’s a key time to examine how mega shopping events can benefit a holistic brand strategy.?

There’s been an explosion of new shopping occasions largely thanks to Chinese e-commerce giants, JD.com and Alibaba. In the West, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas and Boxing Day sales all peak in the latter half of the year. In Asia, Mega Sales Days, as they are known, are now happening almost every month - with campaigns extending well beyond the actual day.?

During the 11-day Singles Day campaign period this year, Chinese consumer spending on Alibaba’s e-commerce platforms was reported to be US$84.54 billion. Due to slowing retail sales, supply shortages, power disruptions and COVID-19, only a small increase in gross merchandise value was expected from last year. However spending increased roughly 14% from 2020; further cementing 11:11 as the world’s biggest shopping event.?

Facebook’s 2021 Digital Consumer Report showed these mega sale events serve as a point of entry for many new online shoppers, with 70 million people in Southeast Asia becoming first-time buyers since the pandemic began. The percentage of online sales is projected to grow by 85 per cent by the end of this year alone.

Originally created as the antithesis of Valentine’s Day, Singles Day is now celebrated around the world. Taken from Chinese culture, it has been embraced globally by retailers wanting to drive up sales. Since its inception in 2009, its phenomenal success has paved the way for copycat shopping events like 9:9, 10:10, and 12:12. This date trend has expanded to other days earlier in the calendar year such as 3.3, 4.4 and 6.6 too.

Cultural and religious celebrations have also been co-opted into online shopping events. Chinese New Year, Eid al-Fitr, Songkran (Thailand’s annual water festival) and Merdeka (Malaysia Day) all coincide with sales spikes as advertisers run major discounts on their products.?

While these cultural days can reap a huge financial reward, it can be dangerous territory for brands to experiment with. Jumping on these branding opportunities can be perceived as trying to be all things to all people. With this comes the risk of alienating other consumers and groups in the process. In the digital age, years of brand equity can be swiftly undone in a simple tweet or poorly executed campaign.??

As global brands try to be more meaningful and relevant across global markets, the desire to be universally appealing can ultimately dilute the brand. Mega Sale Days can be useful in brand building as many new customers are willing to try new brands during these times of high spending.?

While trend-based campaigns can have cut-through at the time of the event, marketing teams may not be considering how all these different occasions potentially support one another or drive value across their content calendars. In large FMCGs, culturally significant days or events are often left up to local marketing teams, who with free rein can stray far from the brand.?

This 11:11,? we’ve seen the continuation of gamification, cross-brand collaboration, and limited edition products with a new focus on sustainability and inclusion. China’s new legislation around excessive overpackaging is bound to impact the beauty and luxury markets. Tmall is encouraging eco-friendly consumption and big brands can leverage this as an opportunity to make big statements this year. L’Oreal has risen to the challenge by creating plastic-free recyclable packaging and Unilever has developed new low-carbon products in collaboration with the e-commerce giant. ?

Tying together inclusion and cross-brand collaboration is the ‘One Shoe Program’ (一只鞋计划) , launched by Tmall for people with disabilities. Several footwear companies such as Skechers, Reebok, Jordan, Camel, Semir, and ECCO have already participated. Under the program, consumers have the option to buy only one shoe and pay half the price of a pair.?

The One Shoe Program cleverly coincided with the opening of China’s 11th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the 8th National Special Olympic Games. The companies participating in this memorable and heart-warming campaign can expect high brand affiliation long after the sales period has ended. ?

No longer are these days about sales discounts, they are about laying the groundwork for yearlong success. Brands will gain the best outcome by filtering these sales days against what their brand stands for. If it fits, brands need to invest in new content and investigate innovative collaborations and partnerships - not simply emulate the occasion.?

When looking to capitalise on 11:11 and other cultural or shopping events, brands must retain their core purpose and positioning. We’re seeing this with luxury brands who previously would never have been associated with sales events now finding innovative ways to be involved without discounting their goods. If a brand is trying too hard to be relevant for an occasion or celebration, it’s a good indicator it's not right for the brand - no matter what the revenue reward. As the One Shoe Program demonstrates, when you hit the right tone; you can have both sales and long-term brand equity.?