Whether it’s a Gordon Ramsay menu at Harrods members’ club in Shanghai, a Vivienne Westwood-branded afternoon tea at the Ritz-Carlton in Guangzhou or Burberry’s camping-style experience in Zhongshan Park with deckchairs and parasols, top British luxury brands are well aware of the impact of British marketing in China.
Mainland China’s love for quintessential British culture is behind the popularity of certain heritage brands, from Rolls-Royce to Alexander McQueen. Fragrance and lifestyle brand Jo Malone London is a prime example, with a large social media following: The brand has 156,200 followers on Xiaohongshu, and the hashtag “#JoMalone” has been viewed 130 million times on Weibo.
The brand recently announced a collaboration with Paddington Bear, the lovable fictional character beloved as a national icon and popular around the world. Its Chinese name is #paddington (帕丁顿熊) and has 8.1 million views on Xiaohongshu. For this launch, the fragrance and lifestyle brand was so confident that they invested heavily in their marketing in China, taking over Shanghai’s most popular subway line (Line 2) for the campaign, taking over influencer buses and hosting an event on the Bund waterfront.
“Paddington is a British icon that is loved all over the world and evokes nostalgia,” says Joe Dancey, senior vice president and global general manager of Jo Malone London, who asserts that all of its business in China is done in partnership with the brand’s local team. “There are ways to bring Britishness to China. We want to communicate the depth of the British lifestyle to Chinese consumers.”
After all, China’s British fan culture is huge — #UK has been read 4.8 billion times on Xiaohongshu, and China even has its own mini-England property development called “Thames Town” near Shanghai — but today brands need to act specifically according to market needs and can’t just rely on being British.
Even Burberry, which recently reported a massive 34% drop in annual profits in the fourth quarter of last year compared to the previous year, blamed largely on a steep decline in sales in China, its largest market, is frankly a great time to learn how to appeal to Chinese consumers and capitalize on its Britishness.
Founded in Derby in 1784, John Smedley is a historic knitwear manufacturer that has been promoting its identity in the Asian market for over 100 years. In fact, 2024 marks the 110th anniversary of the company’s entry into Japan.
Deputy managing director Jess McGuire-Dudi explains that the brand expression in the East is more detailed compared to the West.
“We know that customers in Asian markets are incredibly loyal and want to buy more than just clothing, they want to buy the story and resonance of a brand, so we’ve expanded our product line with specially tailored silhouettes and fibre profiles that suit the region,” says McGuire Dudy.
As well as its extensive product range, John Smedley also publishes a magazine that tells the story of its manufacturing process, design inspiration and historical archives. McGuire-Dudy adds: “We see these as an important tool in expanding how we communicate with our customers. With the return to print, our magazines have become collector’s items for true fans of the brand.”
Giving local consumers a deeper understanding of the cultural nuances inherent in British brands helps forge important connections.Jo Malone London’s Dancy visits China around three times a year to deepen her knowledge of the market.
Explaining how important it is to be mindful of national preferences, Dancey says: “We still use British idioms – some really funny ones – but we always include a lovely translation to explain the meaning behind them and the British etiquette they’re linked to. We’re an apologetic nation, so we like to weave that into our tone.”
Dancy stresses that brands need to be clearly articulated, otherwise nuance gets lost, whether that’s a description of the ingredients used or more information about why a product was selected.
In a densely populated market like China, brick-and-mortar retailers must make every effort to build awareness among their fans and increase online traffic and foot traffic in stores. Leveraging this, British brands can incorporate elements of their own identity to attract some sort of tourism within China.
For example, in October 2023, Burberry hosted a pop-up store at Norman’s (pictured above), a famous North London cafe known for its quintessential British cuisine, bringing British culture to Shanghai.
This experiential aspect can be further enhanced through community connections: for example, in December 2023, Jo Malone London collaborated with cult Chinese cafe chain Manor to promote its Christmas fragrance “Gingerbread.” Fans who purchased the seasonal Manor Caramel Cocoa Latte received a Christmas candy cane pin and a fragrance sample.
China’s burgeoning coffee culture can be harnessed to create photogenic moments: Xiaohongshu is filled with photos of influencers holding branded coffee cups and local foodies holding up drinks in front of cafes and restaurants.
“Our collaboration with Manor was about leveraging cultural relevance and capturing an authentic moment in the market,” Dancey explains.
She goes on to explain how physical marketing, such as the Paddington Bear subway rollout, is crucial to Jo Malone London’s China strategy: “High traffic volume is a relatively China-specific phenomenon. There is a certain amount of community building required[in mainland China]through KOLs, ambassadors, partnerships and even collaborations.”
While concepts, trends and artefacts such as afternoon tea, TV shows like Peaky Blinders and prairie dress may be symbols of British culture in China, those traditions are perceived differently in China and need to be taken into account.
But the brand’s emphasis on Britishness means educating consumers on cultural nuances to avoid coming across as mere parody. Asked why Chinese people are so drawn to Jo Malone London, Dancy says, “It’s the ingredients, the depth of inspiration and the importance of the story.”
“In China, information is highly absorbed and appreciated, especially in the luxury sector. Chinese consumers want reasons to explain why they are buying something.”
A level of sophistication about a brand’s history, manufacturing and reputation are hallmarks of luxury consumers from mainland China – and these are all touchpoints that influence how international heritage brands can best tell their story in mainland China.
