The brief
Student accommodation provider Pure Student Living wanted to develop a strong brand presence in China and drive awareness of their services to Chinese students, both in the UK and overseas.
Pure Student Living, providing a home from home
Pure Student Living (PSL) is a London-based student accommodation brand which offers students secure, high quality, competitively priced properties in good locations. The company has a portfolio of four accommodation blocks in the Capital; Hammersmith, Highbury, Bankside and City.
With 83,790 Chinese international students in the UK during 2012 / 13, China has more people studying in the country than any other international territory. In fact, China currently sends more students to the UK than India, Nigeria, the United States and Malaysia; the second to fifth largest international territories.
A new market: a new challenge
Pure Student Living was keen to capitalise on this high proportion of international students coming from China, and promote their accommodation to this potentially lucrative market segment. The company was looking to build a strong brand presence within the Chinese student population, and to clearly communicate the quality of the accommodation alongside the ‘added value’ features included within the properties.
PSL prides itself on being a ‘people-focussed’ business: a quality which is reflected throughout the company. They offer high levels of customer service, and the staff are helpful, hospitable and eager to accommodated the needs of their clients. In raising the profile of the Pure Student Living brand to Chinese international students, it was essential that this personal approach was conveyed.
The key challenge was actually reaching this market, given the sheer size of China and its distance from the UK.
The client’s needs
The primary goal for the activity was to raise the profile of the PSL brand in China, and therefore generate a high level of awareness amongst Chinese people looking to study in London.
As well as increasing awareness of Pure Student Living directly to students, the company were also looking to engage with education agents in China, in order that these organisations could advocate PSL accommodation as part of their own offer.
A key indicator of success for any activities was an increase of traffic coming to PSL site from within China. Ultimately PSL were keen to see new bookings from Chinese international students, and as a result, growth in revenue from this segment of the market.
All of which required an understanding not just of Chinese students, but of the marketing channels most likely to reach them, too. That’s where UKC Company came in.
A considered approach
Once UKC Company was commissioned, we set out to identify the most appropriate social media platforms that would help us spread the word.
According to research conducted in 2012 by Chinese student matching service, Zinch, 80% of those studying at high school and college in China use Weibo. By comparison, the same study found that just 31% of college-aged students in the United States were using Twitter. With such compelling numbers, it was clear that a campaign utilising Weibo would be essential in reaching the target audience.
UKC understands Chinese consumers. Culturally, Chinese social media users are more inclined to share information with other users than in other parts of the world. Intel’s Mobile Etiquette Study 2012 found that approximately half of all adults share via social media on a daily basis. Recognising this, we knew that a carefully designed digital campaign, using the most appropriate channels, could quickly amplify brand awareness for PSL.
Our insight into Chinese consumers also meant that we could create a content strategy for the campaign which would reflect the company’s brand values, such as their personal and helpful approach, and localise this to the market in China. And our understanding of the audience meant that we could identify the key elements of the accommodation that would appeal to Chinese students.
Our strategy: reach and recommendation
UKC Company’s approach to raising Pure Student Living’s profile in China reflected upon our in-depth knowledge of Chinese consumer behaviour and media channels.
We created social media accounts, including Weibo, and created an extensive content strategy that would establish and build presence amongst students looking to study in London over a 12 month period.
Influencers were a key part of the strategy: people with significant reach and authority amongst our target audience. It was vital to engage these people; a ‘retweet’ from such users could instantly extend our reach by thousands.
We identified the key Chinese websites that were used by the target audience when looking for student property, and placed striking online adverts on them.
Throughout the campaign, our team provided frontline customer services to prospective tenants using China’s most used messaging platform, QQ. This meant that the UKC team to respond to initial enquiries in Chinese, and field on direct leads to Pure Student Living’s booking department.
To further drive brand awareness, we developed a number of activities that would harness Chinese consumers’ tendency to share via social media media. One such tactic was the ‘I Recommend’ campaign, which actively encouraged PSL tenants to become advocates for the service.
The ‘I Recommend’ campaign was designed to secure property bookings in the weeks running up to the beginning of the August term. It utilised Weibo and encouraged users to follow Pure Student Living, and to mention the company’s properties in tweets to their friends. The campaign reached almost 400,000 people and generated over 3,000 clicks to the PSL website. A significant increase in brand visibility: people were genuinely excited and enthusiastic to share.
Success, measured
For Pure Student Living, the campaign was a real success. The activities throughout the campaign achieved all of the company’s goals: raising awareness of PSL to Chinese students and agents, increase traffic to their site, and secure bookings.
Through our considered and informed approach, content about Pure Student Living’s property service was seen by over 1 million users on Weibo, with the ‘I Recommend’ activity alone generating over 3,000 clicks on the their website.
Ultimately, the most compelling measure of how effective the campaign was is the additional revenue it generated for PSL: our work resulting in a Return On Investment of 36:1.
If you want to reach an audience in China, you don’t have to be there. However, you do need a real understanding of Chinese consumer needs and the media channels they engage with.
To raise the profile of your brand in the Chinese market, speak to the people that can give you that insight. UKC can take you further.
About UKC Company
We’re a full service creative agency. With an emphasis on the service.
We create beautiful designs, we craft digital solutions, and we help brands communicate with their audiences.
Interested in UKC Company? Get in touch now to start the conversation.
China Marketing Team
UKC Company
0161 236 6411
The brief
Student accommodation provider Pure Student Living wanted to develop a strong brand presence in China and drive awareness of their services to Chinese students, both in the UK and overseas.
Pure Student Living, providing a home from home
Pure Student Living (PSL) is a London-based student accommodation brand which offers students secure, high quality, competitively priced properties in good locations. The company has a portfolio of four accommodation blocks in the Capital; Hammersmith, Highbury, Bankside and City.
With 83,790 Chinese international students in the UK during 2012 / 13, China has more people studying in the country than any other international territory. In fact, China currently sends more students to the UK than India, Nigeria, the United States and Malaysia; the second to fifth largest international territories.
A new market: a new challenge
Pure Student Living was keen to capitalise on this high proportion of international students coming from China, and promote their accommodation to this potentially lucrative market segment. The company was looking to build a strong brand presence within the Chinese student population, and to clearly communicate the quality of the accommodation alongside the ‘added value’ features included within the properties.
PSL prides itself on being a ‘people-focussed’ business: a quality which is reflected throughout the company. They offer high levels of customer service, and the staff are helpful, hospitable and eager to accommodated the needs of their clients. In raising the profile of the Pure Student Living brand to Chinese international students, it was essential that this personal approach was conveyed.
The key challenge was actually reaching this market, given the sheer size of China and its distance from the UK.
The client’s needs
The primary goal for the activity was to raise the profile of the PSL brand in China, and therefore generate a high level of awareness amongst Chinese people looking to study in London.
As well as increasing awareness of Pure Student Living directly to students, the company were also looking to engage with education agents in China, in order that these organisations could advocate PSL accommodation as part of their own offer.
A key indicator of success for any activities was an increase of traffic coming to PSL site from within China. Ultimately PSL were keen to see new bookings from Chinese international students, and as a result, growth in revenue from this segment of the market.
All of which required an understanding not just of Chinese students, but of the marketing channels most likely to reach them, too. That’s where UKC Company came in.
A considered approach
Once UKC Company was commissioned, we set out to identify the most appropriate social media platforms that would help us spread the word.
According to research conducted in 2012 by Chinese student matching service, Zinch, 80% of those studying at high school and college in China use Weibo. By comparison, the same study found that just 31% of college-aged students in the United States were using Twitter. With such compelling numbers, it was clear that a campaign utilising Weibo would be essential in reaching the target audience.
UKC understands Chinese consumers. Culturally, Chinese social media users are more inclined to share information with other users than in other parts of the world. Intel’s Mobile Etiquette Study 2012 found that approximately half of all adults share via social media on a daily basis. Recognising this, we knew that a carefully designed digital campaign, using the most appropriate channels, could quickly amplify brand awareness for PSL.
Our insight into Chinese consumers also meant that we could create a content strategy for the campaign which would reflect the company’s brand values, such as their personal and helpful approach, and localise this to the market in China. And our understanding of the audience meant that we could identify the key elements of the accommodation that would appeal to Chinese students.
Our strategy: reach and recommendation
UKC Company’s approach to raising Pure Student Living’s profile in China reflected upon our in-depth knowledge of Chinese consumer behaviour and media channels.
We created social media accounts, including Weibo, and created an extensive content strategy that would establish and build presence amongst students looking to study in London over a 12 month period.
Influencers were a key part of the strategy: people with significant reach and authority amongst our target audience. It was vital to engage these people; a ‘retweet’ from such users could instantly extend our reach by thousands.
We identified the key Chinese websites that were used by the target audience when looking for student property, and placed striking online adverts on them.
Throughout the campaign, our team provided frontline customer services to prospective tenants using China’s most used messaging platform, QQ. This meant that the UKC team to respond to initial enquiries in Chinese, and field on direct leads to Pure Student Living’s booking department.
To further drive brand awareness, we developed a number of activities that would harness Chinese consumers’ tendency to share via social media media. One such tactic was the ‘I Recommend’ campaign, which actively encouraged PSL tenants to become advocates for the service.
The ‘I Recommend’ campaign was designed to secure property bookings in the weeks running up to the beginning of the August term. It utilised Weibo and encouraged users to follow Pure Student Living, and to mention the company’s properties in tweets to their friends. The campaign reached almost 400,000 people and generated over 3,000 clicks to the PSL website. A significant increase in brand visibility: people were genuinely excited and enthusiastic to share.
Success, measured
For Pure Student Living, the campaign was a real success. The activities throughout the campaign achieved all of the company’s goals: raising awareness of PSL to Chinese students and agents, increase traffic to their site, and secure bookings.
Through our considered and informed approach, content about Pure Student Living’s property service was seen by over 1 million users on Weibo, with the ‘I Recommend’ activity alone generating over 3,000 clicks on the their website.
Ultimately, the most compelling measure of how effective the campaign was is the additional revenue it generated for PSL: our work resulting in a Return On Investment of 36:1.
If you want to reach an audience in China, you don’t have to be there. However, you do need a real understanding of Chinese consumer needs and the media channels they engage with.
To raise the profile of your brand in the Chinese market, speak to the people that can give you that insight. UKC can take you further.
About UKC Company
We’re a full service creative agency. With an emphasis on the service.
We create beautiful designs, we craft digital solutions, and we help brands communicate with their audiences.
Interested in UKC Company? Get in touch now to start the conversation.
China Marketing Team
UKC Company
0161 236 6411