How can you better export your wine to China? What role do e-commerce visuals play?

Ganbei! This word, this Chinese tradition means health or to drink “dry ass” depending on the case. In recent years, without saying goodbye to the millennium of rice alcohol, more and more Chinese people have welcomed the tasting of French wines. How do you export your wine to the Middle Kingdom? What are the mandatory passages and the visual codes to be respected? Some answers in this article.

Year 2016: China overtakes the United States and is becoming the largest distribution market for wine and spirits. China's growing middle class has seen its purchasing power increase. Thus, the young Chinese generation travels more and is interested in brands, especially French ones.

Made in France for China

Many sectors, including wine, are thus doing well.

They take advantage of this Chinese digital boom as e-commerce mag mentioned:” fashion, cosmetics, food and wine, as well as the children's universe are the most sought after products by Chinese people online. For each of these categories, France is the leader or in the top three in terms of market shares but also in terms of image, especially among Chinese consumers. Nearly 200 French brands are present on the Alibaba platform (Decathlon, L'Oréal, L'Occitane, Cache-Cache), major groups but also SMEs. Alibaba wants to promote “Made in France for China”, which it has already begun to undertake by partnering with the Provence region to sell local products on a dedicated Chinese e-commerce platform.”

Betting on a remote market: how to sell your wine in China?

Online sales platforms: in China, there are sites like Alibaba with its B2C Tmall marketplace. Launched in 2015, they distribute hundreds of thousands of bottles of wine & spirits per month throughout China. E-shops appeal to a large clientele, eager for luxury products. The founder of Alibaba, Jack Ma, also acquired several wineries in Bordeaux last year.

680 million Internet users in China and me and me?

Alibaba is playing hard on the niche of opening up to the Chinese market. Also, the brand has set up its offices in France. The ambition of the group is tosupporting French companies in their development in China. Alibaba is also setting up payment solutions for Chinese tourists in France. But the question that many winemakers, farmers or even wine cooperatives ask themselves to succeed in China is: how to break through sustainably and make your products known in the Middle Kingdom?

First rule: build a local reputation

The thing is not necessarily easy: different traditions, language barriers, etc... But in the end, The markers are the same ! There are numerous lounges dedicated to alcoholic beverages in China. These are essential steps to maintain the reputation of your products. The Tang Jiu Hui Lounge whose last edition was held in Chengdu from 23 to 25 March 2017, is open to both local and international distributors. It brings together all the players in the profession and is a reference brand. Other living room: the Top Wine China which takes place in Beijing from 22 to 24 May 2017. The official website of Event invites future exhibitors to “develop a sustainable business in China”. This includes setting up a network with buyers and having the possibility of concluding deals directly at the show.

Social networks and digital presence

To strengthen its presence on this huge market and especially that of its products, a presence on the most famous platforms is essential: Weibo and Wechat. China is becoming more and more connected. The Wechat revolution has made it easier for Chinese consumers to scan QR codes. Labels equipped with QR codes thus allow Chinese consumers to be informed and especially to know where the product they want is distributed. Specialized opinion leaders or influencers on the web (Weibo and Weichat) are also, in another way, a good way to convince future consumers to buy your products. They contribute, for example, to promote word of mouth.

The visual rules to be respected for popular packaging in China

The packaging is an important element for wines & spirits and perhaps even more so in China. Let's take itexample of a French red wine. Some cliches last a long time, but are essential. La Presence of an image of a castle is an element that will be perceived not only as aesthetic, but also as qualitative. To this beautiful image of Épinal are added colors: Red and gold are very popular in China. Without forgetting of course the words “castle”. Appellations such asAOC, are also a guarantee of quality for the finest local connoisseurs.

Charles Carrard in an article on his blog Wine Marketing in China in the run-up to Chinese New Year also mentioned Chinese wines. The latter say they are French, but have false inscriptions. He cites the example of a “French” wine, Côtes-du-Rhône AOC, which, when the bottle was observed more closely, was bottled in Côte d'Or...

High-quality visuals are a weapon against counterfeiting

How do you photograph your wine bottles?

Stick as closely as possible to the original colors, get beautiful reflections on your product photos, give all the information visible on the labels of a bottle, be used on social networks... Quality visuals are essentials. In addition to showcasing your packaging, they are vectors of communication and information. For example, they allow consumers to read labels and back labels written in Chinese.

Some Packshot photography equipment allow you to produce photographs and animations of your wine and spirit bottles in-house. They prioritize not only quality, but also ease and speed of execution.