China already had one of the most lively online e-commerce set-ups before COVID-19, and the pandemic drew even more activity online (see Lucire issue 42, and Lucire KSA September 2020). Emporio Armani is no exception in its dealings inside the Middle Kingdom, with Chinese spokesman Song Weiling (宋威龍), the actor and model, launching its Meccanico skeleton watch collection on Tmall on September 13.
Song’s appeal to Generation Z (born between 1995 and 2012, according to some) is said to help broaden the brand’s appeal to a younger audience. Since joining Tmall in 2016, Emporio Armani has pushed a number of “hot” products appealing to younger buyers, including a gypsophilia watch series.
Earlier marketing efforts in September 2019 and August 2020 (for the Qixi Festival) saw Emporio Armani team up with actress Tong Liya (佟麗婭).
Emporio Armani says that Generation Z will account for 40 per cent of overall consumer purchases this year, hence its keenness to attract the group. Purchases in the 2,500–5,000元 segment have risen by 90 per cent. Tmall, in particular, has managed to appeal to Generation Z users, with the men’s watch category increasing 14 per cent between 2018 and 2019.
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