CDFG and Beam Suntory create pioneering Brand Hall in CDF Member WeChat mini-program

CHINA. China Duty Free Group (CDFG) has struck a breakthrough agreement with Beam Suntory Global Travel Retail, which will become the first partner to set up a dedicated Brand Hall in the CDF Member WeChat mini-program.

The drinks company plans a range of promotions targeting CDF members to celebrate the initiative.

“The exclusive online showroom fully demonstrates the brand equity and creates a new and sensational online consumer journey,” CDFG said.

“There is a story behind every bottle,” said CDFG, “a long, timeless story involving different tastes. The establishment of the brand’s showroom creates the opportunity to connect CDFG members with Beam Suntory.

“From design to distilling and maturing, consumers can learn about the birth of exquisite spirits such as Courvoisier and Bowmore in the brand showroom. They can also understand each product more vividly through detailed tasting notes, which record alcohol level, colour, aroma, taste and finish.

“At the conclusion of the tasting journey in the page, members can click directly on the product link and access the CDF Member ecommerce platform and complete their pre-orders. At the same time, consumers can keep up with the brand’s new products and promotional campaigns in the Brand Hall.”

The cooperation between the two parties has set a new level of digital enhancement in the travel retail sector, CDFG said. “Digitalisation creates more imagination for brand marketing, and the establishment of a Brand Hall puts that imagination into practice.”

A Beam Suntory Global Travel Retail marketing spokesperson said that through leveraging the CDF membership ecosystem, the Brand Hall will enhance consumer brand awareness and satisfaction levels. It will improve the user experience while simultaneously providing carefully curated promotions targeting loyal customers. The ultimate goal is to achieve a “win-win” of higher brand value and sales growth, Beam Suntory said.

As the first partner to start such brand promotions within the CDF membership system, Beam Suntory places great importance on digital development, and frequently tests the waters of digital marketing, the drinks company noted.

Following a series of online promotions for Courvoisier Cognac last year, Beam Suntory also boosted its Mainland China travel retail presence through a one-stop digital service from product promotions to pre-ordering for popular Islay single malt whisky Bowmore.

With its large pool of loyal members, the CDF platform offers a high-value opportunity for brands, CDFG said. The CDF Member WeChat mini-program is designed to create an entry point to online traffic for high-value customers by promoting brand values and sales through targeting active daily users.

The establishment of the Brand Hall will enrich the content of the CDF Member mini-program and help attract and retain traffic, CDFG noted.

The mini-program has attracted over 9 million new member registrations since it went live in November 2020. These members are highly enthusiastic about outbound shopping in general and offshore duty free shopping in Hainan, in particular, with a higher conversion rate than other customer groups, CDFG commented.

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The go-live of the CDF Member mini-program marked an important milestone for CDFG’s digitalisation transformation, which aims to enhance the company’s integrated service capability in travel retail.

The mini-program offers members a range of privileges and exclusive products, while they can also earn and manage points through the platform. In terms of overall digital development, CDFG said that it plans to complete the construction and integration of a unified member platform.

It will also create an integrated brand image and service experience, and gradually unify multiple functions of the membership system and sharing of privileges and points. This will ensure connectivity between online and offline, overseas and domestic, and duty paid and duty free shopping, CDFG said.

CDFG currently has 17 million high-end members from core cities who have made purchases abroad or locally in Hainan.  “Going forward, the CDF Member mini-program will become an important marketing arena for international brands in China’s travel retail market,” the company concluded.

Click here to open a recent edition of The Moodie Davitt Spotlight Series eZine, dedicated to the Bowmore Timeless Series – The story behind a whisky definitively shaped by time
“Let the whiskey do the talking” — Beam Suntory celebrates Jim Beam Lineage with virtual tasting

Beam Suntory-owned bourbon brand Jim Beam celebrated its batched, premium travel retail exclusive Jim Beam Lineage expression this month with a virtual tasting event.

The virtual tasting was hosted by eighth-generation Beam family distiller Freddie Noe, who co-created the expression with his father Fred Noe

Jim Beam Lineage will be launched in European travel retail this summer, with a special focus on the Nordic markets.

This will be followed by a launch in Asia Pacific travel retail, which will be supported by in-store consumer activations.

The batched premium expression is the brand’s first collaboration with seventh-generation Beam Family Master Distiller Fred Noe and his son Freddie Noe, representing the eighth generation.

Click here for our full report and Martin Moodies tasting notes.

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