OUR SERVICES
CHANNEL DEVELOPMENT
In all global consumer markets the importance of brand has never been more important. With it becoming more difficult to differentiate in a market where consumer demand is driving R&D and new brands to market with blistering pace. With what separates one product from the next could solely come down to brand recognition and awareness. Brand recognition and awareness associates trust, no market is brand and product more reliant on trust than in Asia. Research tells us that trust and country of origin are high priorities in the decision making process when purchasing a new branded product.
With this in mind and from our experience working with many brands and retailers we understand the critical steps in developing a successful channel strategy and believe this all starts with seeding a product in a network of consumer to consumer (C2C) stores or channels. "This network is often referred to and commonly known as Daigou (Overseas personal Shopper) and whilst this may form part of channel, relying to heavily on a one-channel strategy can impose risks". De-risking and having a well planned distribution strategy can ensure maximum long-term success.
DIGITAL STRATEGY
Asia is a lucrative consumer market with enormous opportunity for growth through the consumers appreciation for premium international products and brands. Given the size of the opportunity and recent growth in this region, it is highly competitive and it can be a challenge to stand out among the many brands with similar attributes or selling points. BAM aims to cut through this noise by understanding your brand and utilising this in depth knowledge matched with our strong consumer insights to develop a message and voice that will resonate with the consumer in each market, whether its China, Vietnam or another one of these attractive regional markets.
Each region has its own eco system of digital channels to market brands, what’s suitable for one country could be completely different to their neighbour, we have a thorough understanding of what’s the best path for maximum consumer engagement and brand building.
KOL (Influencer)
Firstly, you’re probably asking what is a KOL? In the west KOL’s are better known as Influencers but in countries like China they are called a Key Opinion Leader (KOL). BAM can manage your KOL campaign from start to finish. Strategically choosing the right KOL partner/s based on your brand and unique selling point can be crucial for maximum engagement. Formulating genuine and insightful content can ensure authenticity and maximum ROI, maximizing this through careful planning and tweaking as we see fit before and during the campaign. Working closely with our brand partners to ensure we are working collaboratively throughout the whole process.
There are many social channels, some KOL’s have a bigger fan base and better engagement in one channel versus another and others are more specialised in a niche category. We base our decision making process on all of these factors and who will better represent your brand for maximum return on your investment and reflect your brands values.
Social Media Account Management
The Asian social media eco-system is completely foreign to what you may understand, in countries like China popular social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram are not readily accessible and as a result China has it’s own eco-system of services offering a platform for brands to engage with fans and build content and awareness.
Each social platform has it’s pro’s and con’s, some platforms like Wechat have a closed loop system and therefore can limit the reach, others can be more specialised and are more targeted to the shopper like the popular platform, Xiaohongshu or otherwise known as Little RED Book which is similar to a hybrid of Instagram, Pinterest and Amazon rolled into one app.
Verification of these official accounts across the platforms is essential, without it and posts could be deemed a violation and will be removed, effectively negating any investment into the post to begin with. Understanding this intricate web of platforms and endlessly evolving rules and process changes is how the team at BAM safeguard investment into official account management.
A handful of these social platforms have integrated e-shop capabilities, which then provide the capability to convert traffic into an immediate sale. At BAM we wholly understand this eco-system and make decisions from the outset maximizing the investment and managing the entire process, from social right through to the point of sale.
Website Creation & SEO/SEM
The Asian consumer is arguably more savvy and thorough in their research of a new brand or product than in other parts of the world. This could include conducting a search on an e-commerce platform, social media or more traditional methods like search engines and websites.
However, a market like China makes is difficult to access some popular search engines like Google; furthermore China has a firewall that can make it difficult and very slow to access a company and brand website outside of China. So without the presence of a handful of search engines and a firewall that makes it complex and slow to access foreign websites what do you do?
We have a third party partner that has a platform to build a website with ease that will sit behind the firewall with a .CN domain as well as management of your SEO and SEM through the major search engine platforms such as Baidu, Sogou, 360 Search and more.
ECOMMERCE OPERATION
Globally it's hard to ignore the fact that e-commerce is growing, it's nowhere more evident then Asia with countries like China in double digit % penetration of total retail sales. Each country has a different eco-system of online e-commerce platforms and in Asia its always evolving, some are more niche than others, some offer more specialised categories, then you've got others that work on a marketplace model vs the direct purchase.
To complicate things further there are others that have both marketplace and direct purchase, so how do you choose one from the other? If and when you’ve made that choice how do you manage it? There are obvious language barriers and operational complexities, BAM have a full-localized team in China and Vietnam to manage the entire process on a distribution based model. We don't charge large monthly retainer fee's which may give you some peace of mind knowing we're in in together and not for the short term.
EXAMPLE OF OUR DISTRIBUTION MODEL
AGREED WHOLESALE PRICE
COST + MARGIN
BRAND
(EXW/FOB Terms)
CONSUMER
PLATFORM
PRODUCT FLOW
We work closely with your sales and marketing team to establish a recommended retail price in the target market and working backwards to an expected EXW or FOB wholesale price. We manage the entire distribution cycle, from the time it leaves your warehouse to when it arrives at your customers door, including the management of any customer service and feedback.
OFFLINE RETAIL DISTRIBUTION
Online and e-commerce have been creating a lot of interest of late, however more recently we have seen the resurgence of offline / bricks & mortar trade in part driven by the new retail model we have witnessed in countries like China. Merging offline traditional trade with online e-commerce, all underpinned by technology that can facilitate cashless checkouts, home delivery and traceability.
Offline Retail in parts of Asia can be quite fragmented with no one true dominant player, however with our localised team and knowledge we understand one retailer from the next. Working with the best retailers in their respective categories we ensure your brand is where it belongs.
