Case Study: Fashion and Lingerie Industry in China – Development Strategy

Our client is a dynamic and inspiring fashion and lingerie brand for young women. The brand has many stores across Mainland China and Hong-Kong. The company turned to Daxue Consulting with a request to conduct market research regarding its own consumers, in the hope of developing the company’s marketing strategy for the next years, which also included its online strategy on an e-commerce platform in Mainland China and Hong Kong.

Phases of the market research for Fashion and Lingerie Industry in China: Development Strategy

In order to answer and guide our client in its China operations, our team followed the phases presented below:

Phase 1: Desk research

Daxue’s team performed a desk research regarding Chinese millennial’s behaviors, perceptions and expectations regarding fashion. The team also analyzed the Chinese fashion market environment, listing the local competitors and the Key Opinion Leaders (KOL) in this industry.

The data gathered online helped to have a better understanding of this industry and to better define a model of Unique Selling Point (USP) in the Chinese fashion market.

Phase 2: Online survey

An online survey in China is a methodology which uses the internet to gather data and information about the market, the competition, and the consumers. This is an innovative and fresh part of the market research discipline. It has been enhanced with the growth of social media as not only the level of difficulty but also the number of opportunities has been multiplied.

Through its client online channels (Weibo and Linkedin), Daxue Consulting carried out a high scale online survey among Chinese millennials in order to identify and segment its client consumers (150.000 respondents).

Thanks to the surveys’ geo-localization, it was also possible to compare the results of each macro-area involved in the survey (Hong Kong, Northern China, Southern China, Eastern and Western China) and compare the differences also in a regional perspective.

Phase 3: Marketing planning 

The findings of the desk research and the survey were then used to develop hypothesis, concepts and strategy routes for the company’s future development in China. The geographical differences in consumer’s behaviors, perceptions and expectations pointed out the need to adjust our client strategy to Mainland China.

Daxue’s team then tested during series of consumer focus groups the concepts and the strategy routes developed to be able to prove to our client the best advice for promoting their products in China and also be able to make their stores suitable for being considered Unique Selling Point (USP).

Finally, data collected throughout the market research were combined and triangulated in a tailored comprehensive marketing plan.