Background

Benchmarking °

Objective With a major focus to promote its extraordinary gifting products, T2 plans to create a campaign connecting with the target audience on an emotional level. The benchmarking analyzed the competitors’ previous campaigns for Chinese Festivals, and the perceptual maps define T2's position in the high-end gifting market.

Tea & Coffee

Dessert

Chocolate

Body -care

Benchmarking ° 1

La Belle Miette La Belle Miette is a macaron specialist brand founded in Australia by Maylynn and Hugh, who got married after studying professional patisserie in Paris together. They came up with the brand name, La Belle Miette, which broadly means “beautiful small things” in French, and they insisted on using only the finest ingredients on their products. The brand has 4 locations in Melbourne and Sydney now; apart from macarons, dragées, and chocolate bonbons, it also provides "Mariage Frères' tea" for customers to serve with their superb desserts.

Campaign

La Belle Miette offers two auspicious selections in different gift box sizes to welcome the Lunar Year of the Metal Ox in 2021. The bigger one contains 3 distinct flavors: Golden Mandarin Coconut, Passionfruit, and Caramel Earl Grey Tea, which is beautifully colored in golden orange, shimmering white, and silver-grey respectively. The smaller box named “golden mandarin” is embossed in gold to bring good fortune; contains eight lucky macarons featuring a combination of caramel and vanilla flavors.

Strengths ° Nicely photographed gift boxes, very visual appealing ° Balanced color palette that well-represent “the Ox year” from the Chinese zodiac ° Clever usage of tangerine and golden elements that successfully create the vibe of Chinese New Year

Weaknesses ° Without a strong, catchy campaign name ° Limited (only 4) flavor options for this special edition ° Solely advertised on Instagram and Facebook, having a lack of exposure through various media channels

Benchmarking ° 2

TWG Tea TWG Tea is a Singaporean artisanal tea brand and luxury teahouse established in 2007. They are iconic to having everything in gold or black colour. Not only tea, but they also sell tea-infused food (such as savoury items, pastries and desserts) and tea accessories (such as gold and platinum teacups). Within the next 6 years, they have expanded their tea salon to 14 countries, including Australia.

Campaign “Daring to break the tradition, the Hidden Pu-Erh Tea is TWG Tea’s festive, limited edition creation this Lunar New Year” (TWG 2020). This earthy and matured black tea has been modified with wild forest berries and flowers to be sold as a gift set online, in stores, and in airport. The gift set also includes a Buffalo Horn Tea Scoop in Black, as well as a complimentary limited edition TWG Tea Red Packets to be given while the item is still in stock..

Strengths ° Eye-catching packaging and complimentary items ° Products being sold in the airport is a brilliant strategy to attract Asian audiences, as most of them would fly back to their hometown during the Chinese New Year ° Exclusive and luxurious feeling that is suitable for gifts

Weaknesses ° Minimal social media ads (only Website, FB & IG) ° It is not an Integrated Marketing Campaign ° Weak social media engagement with the audience ° The complimentary red envelope limited in stock may disappoint customers if it is out of stock

Benchmarking ° 3

Starbucks

Starbucks is a global coffee brand connecting with millions of customers every day in 76 markets. With a simple vision to “offered some of the world’s finest fresh-roasted whole bean coffees” (Starbucks, 2021), the first Starbucks was opened in Seattle’s Pike Place Market, Washington in 1917, and the brand name, inspired by Moby Dick, successfully evoked the romance of the high seas and the seafaring tradition of the early coffee traders.

Campaign Starbucks Lunar New Year 2021 collection is a product line that features the year of the Ox and imagery surrounding the ox, flowers, and a beautiful colour scheme of reds, golds & blacks. The line offers 20 different items, including hot and cold beverage cups as well as mugs, keeping them on the go. It also has a cute little stuffed bear toy, coin bank, music box, snow globe, teapot, and teacup set. Overall it has something to fit everyone's needs and taste as you celebrate the new year.

Strengths ° Beautiful colour scheme ° Cohesive product line ° Something for everyone, no matter your needs ° Celebrates the Lunar New Year and the year of the

Ox without being culturally insensitive

Weaknesses ° Expensive ° Have a lack of in-store displays ° The collection is in limited supply, which is supposed to be seductive, but they don't have much advertising