SOUTH KOREA. The Shilla Duty Free has launched its Lunar New Year marketing campaign with an array of online and in-store discounts and other promotions aimed at Chinese customers.
On 18 and 19 January a live-streaming event featuring ‘wanghong’, Chinese social-media influencers, garnered 30 million online views, according to Shilla.
Today, wanghong from popular Chinese travel sites such as Mafengwo, Ctrip and Tuniu will visit The Shilla Duty Free downtown store in Seoul to promote the company and its Chinese New Year events.
A further live-streaming event will be held tomorrow.
In addition, between 26 January and 26 February, the Seoul branch of The Shilla Duty Free will give away more than 2,000 prepaid gift cards and wallets that can be attached to the mobile phones of any customers spending at least US$200.
The cards will feature the word ‘fortune’ printed upside-down in Chinese. This honours a Chinese custom stemming from the identical pronunciation of the phrase ‘luck to you’ and the upside-down form of the word ‘luck’.
In addition, until 10 February, every customer who buys at least US$1,000 of goods is eligible to enter a ‘Lucky Ball’ event to win prizes such as gift cards, thermos flasks and travel pouches.
At Incheon International Airport Terminal 1, all customers who spend at least US$300 and US$500 will respectively receive US$10 and US$20 gift cards to be used on the same day.
To mark what the company is calling this year’s ‘Korea Grand Sale’, The Shilla Duty Free will make additional offers such as prepaid gift cards and tax-free refunds of up to US$20.
Online stores are also offering discounts as part of the campaign. Discounts of up to 40% will be made on products including international and Korean cosmetics, fashion accessories, youth products, food and ‘daily essentials’. These discounts run until 6 February.
At The Shilla Duty Free’s Chinese website, customers can win prizes including a Samsung laptop, a Ctrip gift certificate worth CNY3,000 (US$341), a one-night stay at the Shilla Hotel and gift cards.
Finally, from 1 February to 10 February, Chinese customers can download a gold membership card from Shilla’s Chinese website and present it at the Seoul or Jeju stores.
They will then receive a gold membership card featuring discounts of up to 15% on certain goods.
