Global Brand Trend Week Unleashes Summer Sales Surge in Baby & Maternity Products
The “Global Brand Trends Week – Summer Boost for Babies” event has set a new standard in the baby and maternity industry on Douyin E-Commerce Global, delivering standout results and surpassing even the highly anticipated 618 Shopping Festival.
This year’s event achieved a remarkable boost in sales of cross-border baby & maternal products with GMV (gross merchandise volume) growth of +167% compared to last year. Notably, livestreaming contributed a stunning +180% increase in GMV, while GMV from short videos increased 94% over last year’s event, demonstrating the effectiveness of engaging video formats in influencing consumer purchases.
In this post, we explores the event’s impact, successful strategies, and key highlights from six successful brands from as far as Italy and New Zealand, illustrating how global brands leveraged the week’s momentum to achieve impressive sales growth.
Douyin E-Commerce Global unveils this year’s special theme
The Global Brand Trends Week – Summer Boost for Babies showcase event is a groundbreaking initiative hosted by Douyin E-Commerce Global, designed to drive sales and brand visibility in the baby and maternity sector during a critical time of the year.
This annual event aligns with the peak summer period, a time when parents are especially focused on children’s health and nutrition. The event aimed to capture this heightened consumer attention and translate it into strong business market growth with a special focus on infant formula, complementary foods, and nutritional supplements.
The power of strategic partnerships
The event’s success can be attributed to its strategic integration with the CBME (Children, Baby, Maternity Expo) Expo hosted this year in Shanghai, the largest and most influential trade show in the baby and maternity industry in China.
By combining online and offline efforts, Douyin E-Commerce Global effectively amplified the reach and impact of the event. The CBME exhibition provided a physical platform for brands to showcase their products, while Douyin’s digital ecosystem offered a virtual stage for broader consumer engagement.
Why summer was the right time to leverage trending attention
Douyin E-Commerce Global’s strategic approach to identifying and capitalizing on emerging trends played a pivotal role in the event’s success. With summer’s heat affecting children’s health and increasing the demand for nutritional supplements, there was a noticeable shift in consumer behavior.
Historically, summer did not see significant spikes in child nutrition products, but this year’s event highlighted the gap and turned it into an opportunity for brands.
The partnership with CBME also allowed Douyin E-Commerce Global to leverage the exhibition’s industry attention and integrate it into their online event. This synergy between the supply of global brands and demand in consumer attention helped brands reach a broader audience and create a substantial buzz around these events.
Driving up consumer interest on the Douyin E-Commerce Global platform
In the lead-up to the event, Douyin’s marketing strategy focused on generating excitement and anticipation. High-profile brand executives released promotional videos on Douyin’s official accounts, which served as a prelude to the main event. These videos featured endorsements and highlighted the exclusive deals available during the week, effectively warming up the audience.
The “Super Value Purchase” tag was also introduced to identify high-quality products at competitive prices. This tag not only enhanced the visibility of featured products on the Douyin E-commerce platform but also guided consumers toward excellent deals, thus increasing conversion rates and driving more sales.
How Douyin is providing a helping hand to global baby & maternity brands
The event saw significant growth in several areas, thanks to Douyin’s tailored support for high-potential merchants. The Global Brand Acceleration Program, for example, offered targeted collaboration with high-potential merchants based on each merchant’s strategy, maximizing their potential for success.
Next, Douyin E-Commerce’s “Super Value” daily promotion featured multiple heavily subsidized products, encouraging consumers to take advantage of these attractive deals. This approach facilitated substantial consumer engagement and boosted sales for participating brands.
Additionally, Douyin E-Commerce Global released a comprehensive trend report that provided insights into the maternal and infant market. This report served as a valuable resource for market awareness and was widely disseminated through various channels, further enhancing the event’s visibility.
Finally, in terms of offline and online integration, exclusive venues and pop-up studios at CBME allowed influencers to livestream and share content, amplifying the event’s impact. Participating merchants set up on-site displays, while influencers conducted live product promotions, enhancing brand visibility.
Event sparks explosion in online interest
The event saw a surge in activity, driven by effective marketing strategies and extensive use of Douyin’s advertising engine. Merchants saw substantial benefits from targeted marketing, including the use of Douyin’s vast advertising network to drive traffic and increase visibility.
The event featured vibrant livestreaming booths, where brands showcased their products in real-time. This dynamic approach not only engaged viewers but also provided a platform for direct sales. Prominent brand placements and exclusive event features further amplified the event’s impact, driving significant traffic and sales.
How 6 brands boosted sales during Global Brands Trend Week
Numerous brand stores achieved remarkable results during Global Brand Trends Week, showcasing the effectiveness of their strategies and the event’s potential for driving growth.
Leading stores, including inne, Witsbb, and U.G.A, emerged as top performers, showcasing their ability to attract and convert consumers during the event. Among the overall top-selling products were Liquid Calcium (inne), valued for its benefits in child growth, Healthy Eyes Supplement (inne), noted for supporting eye health, and Nutraceuticals (Ferrolip), known for its nutritional benefits.
Below are more highlights from the top-performing brands at this year’s event.
Ferrolip: Boosting GMV and brand rankings
Ferrolip, an Italian baby nutrition brand, experienced impressive results by participating in Global Brand Trends Week and CBME Expo. The brand’s GMV soared to 6.26 million RMB, achieving a top 3 ranking in the cross-border baby products category on Douyin E-Commerce Global.
Witsbb: Dominating the baby nutrition sector
Witsbb, an Australian brand under Forestpark, saw a staggering 185% increase in GMV during both industry events. Known for its “no-allergy” formula, Witsbb capitalized on the events’ momentum to strengthen its position as a leading brand in the baby nutrition sector. The combination of Douyin’s digital support and CBME’s offline presence helped Witsbb achieve top rankings in both the baby nutrition and milk powder categories on Douyin E-Commerce Global.
Little Umbrella: A surge in sales and visibility
Little Umbrella, a brand specializing in children’s products, experienced a significant 127.5% increase in GMV. The brand’s success can be attributed to its effective use of Douyin’s marketing tools and its strategic presence at CBME. Little Umbrella’s campaign effectively captured consumer attention and drove substantial sales growth.
Inne: Leading the child nutrition market
Inne, a German children’s nutrition brand, surpassed 20 million RMB in GMV during the event. The brand’s success was driven by its comprehensive strategy, which included leveraging Douyin E-Commerce Global’s summer promotion and participating in CBME. Inne’s approach to marketing and product presentation set a new standard in the child nutrition sector.
A2: A strategic partnership with Octonauts
A2, a New Zealand-based dairy brand known for its milk and protein products, leveraged a strategic partnership with the popular children’s IP, The “Octonauts,” to enhance its presence during the event. By aligning with a well-known brand and utilizing Douyin E-Commerce Global’s platform, A2 achieved a remarkable GMV increase of 52%. The brand also secured top rankings in both cross-border milk powder and general milk powder categories, showcasing the power of strategic collaborations and effective marketing.
ChildLife: Rewriting the script for product launches in China
ChildLife, a renowned global leader in children’s nutrition, saw a remarkable 310% increase in content reach and a 93% boost in search index. The brand’s successful launch of its “Liquid Calcium” product resulted in a 28x sales increase and top 10 ranking for both Liquid Calcium and Algal DHA products. This case study highlights how ChildLife set a new benchmark for product launches in China’s competitive market.
Key takeaways from this year’s baby & maternity event
From tapping into seasonal trends to mastering promotional strategies, here are six key takeaways we learned from China’s summer of key industry events.
Key takeaway 1: Align your event with seasonal trends and consumer behaviors.
Lesson: The event’s timing, during the peak summer season when parents focus on children’s health, was crucial. Brands should consider aligning their campaigns with relevant seasonal trends and consumer interests to maximize impact.
Key takeaway 2: Combine digital and physical platforms for more comprehensive reach.
Lesson: Douyin’s integration with the CBME Expo showcased the benefits of merging online and offline strategies. Brands can enhance their visibility and engagement by leveraging both digital platforms and physical events to build relationships, create buzz, and drive sales.
Key takeaway 3: Collaborate with popular IPs and influencers to boost brand presence.
Lesson: Strategic partnerships, such as A2’s collaboration with the “Octonauts,” demonstrate the value of aligning with well-known brands and influencers to increase brand visibility and drive sales.
Key takeaway 4: Employ targeted marketing tools and promotions to engage consumers.
Lesson: Douyin’s use of promotional tags, high-profile endorsements, and the “Super Value” tag effectively increased product visibility and consumer engagement. Brands should use similar tools to enhance their marketing strategies and drive conversions.
Key takeaway 5: Leverage livestreaming and engaging content to captivate audiences.
Lesson: The use of livestreaming booths and real-time product showcases was highly effective in driving engagement. Brands should explore livestreaming and interactive content as part of their marketing strategy.
Key takeaway 6: Implement a multifaceted promotion strategy to drive sales.
Lesson: The success of Douyin E-commerce Global’s Global Brands Trend Week was due to a combination of promotional strategies, including exclusive deals, high-visibility placements, and extensive use of Douyin’s advertising network. Brands should adopt a diverse approach to promotions to achieve better results.
To learn more about Douyin’s Global Brand Trends Week and other promotional industry events in China, contact Ocean Engine for one-on-one support and access to further resources according to your business needs.
To help you take the next step in China’s baby & maternity market, you can also find the “Trends Radar: An Annual Review of the Mother & Baby Industry on Douyin” available for free to download on Ocean Engine.
