The Integrated Media Marketing Channels of MINISO
In today's volatile market environment, the effectiveness of brand marketing strategies increasingly relies on diversified communication channels.The PESO model (Paid, Earned, Shared, Owned) provides a comprehensive framework for brands to help marketers systematically integrate different types of media resources.By combining the precise delivery of paid media, the credibility of earned media, the social interaction of shared media, and the content control of owned media, brands can more effectively connect with target audiences and increase awareness and loyalty. MINISO is a good example, and I will analyze its marketing strategy under the PESO model framework in depth.
MINISO is a retail FMCG brand in mainland China. As of 2024, it has 7,000 offline stores worldwide. Its marketing model combines online and offline very well, and has produced many outstanding marketing cases, successfully developing from a small boutique to a household FMCG brand.
In terms of paid media, MINISO advertises its products and promotions on social media, search engines and offline channels. Before the opening of the MINISO LAND store in Shanghai, the brand placed a preview advertisement in a row of giant billboards outside the mall for several months. In addition, MINISO also cooperated with the foundation to hold charity events related to the adoption of stray animals and obtained naming rights.
I think the two key actions for MINISO's successful transformation in recent years are co-branding with a large number of IPs and cooperating with a large number of KOCs. These two points can be reflected in earned media, shared media and owned media. First of all, MINISO has achieved a number and speed in the IP co-branding track that other brands cannot match. From the initial Sanrio, Disney and Loopy, to this year's popular Chiikawa and Harry Potter, MINISO can always quickly reach cooperation with IPs when the IPs first become popular and quickly launch new products. During the preheating period of new products, MINISO will use its official accounts on social media, such as Xiaohongshu, Weibo and Douyin. In addition, through the popularity of the IP itself, fans will spontaneously help the brand spread the information about new products, and actively share their purchase experience on social media platforms after purchasing the products, accumulating word-of-mouth for the brand.
At the same time, MINISO often holds offline pop-up store activities when the IP launches new products, and uses the strategies of limiting the flow of stores and the number of new products to increase consumers' sense of urgency, so that the popularity of offline stores continues to increase. In the early stage of the pop-up store opening, the brand will invite KOLs to participate in store activities, co-create marketing content with them, and use their channels to reach a wider fan base. For example, in May this year, a 520 offline pop-up store was held in Guangzhou, and the famous cosplayser Karina was invited to be the store manager for one day, which attracted many fans to the pop-up store to participate in consumption activities.
In addition, MINISO's koc marketing strategy is also unique in size, and its operating model is beyond everyone's imagination. You may be curious, why can you always see a lot of creative content about new products of MINISO's co-branded IP on social platforms? Do they really have such a great charm that fans can continuously produce interesting media content? In fact, MINISO has subtly integrated the content of koc marketing into a large amount of UGC content to the extent that it is difficult to distinguish. The brand will invite a large number of amateur authors to publish product evaluation content, and provide prizes or bonus incentives to high-quality content creators based on data such as views and interactions, which can encourage them to continue to pay attention to the brand's new product and produce better quality media content. In addition to the brand's official account, the company also encourages employees of offline stores in various regions to establish their own store accounts and publish creative marketing content. Once the innovative content form gains popularity, the brand will quickly synchronize it to koc for reproduction. Surrounded by a large amount of marketing information, other consumers are gradually attracted, understand, purchase, and actively share relevant information with relatives and friends.
From the case of MINISO, we can conclude that when the four media resources of the PESO model are integrated, the marketing effect will be better. This is also the direction that many brands need to think about and develop in their marketing strategies.
The essay provides a comprehensive analysis of how MINISO became a household brand in the FMCG sector, employing its unique and effective marketing strategies. It highlighted the integration of online and offline marketing channels, with a strong emphasis on co-branding with popular IPs and leveraging KOCs to amplify their reach.
ReplyDeleteAs regards the co-branding with IPs, it is suggested to pay more attention to maintaining brand image and cooperative relations, showing respect toward the culture of IPs. When MINISO partnered with Chiikawa, MINISO deteriorated its brand reputation resulting from using inappropriate nicknames for characters in promotion. This gave a lesson in co-branding which is to use the IP characters, logos, and other elements correctly according to guidelines provided by the IP owner, avoiding any alterations that might distort the original identity.
Given the ad spending trend and significant preference for mobile in our country, UGC seems to serve as one of the most effective ways to spread brand awareness and affect consumer perceptions as it makes ads more authentic and trustworthy. The content is often designed to guide the audience through the buyer's journey, from awareness to consideration to purchase, with the aim of converting prospects into customers. Besides, the approach can improve SEO at a comparatively low price since it often generates fresh, unique content that search engines value, resulting in higher search rankings and increased visibility.