The analysis of marketing strategies adopted by Durex on Chinese social media, taking Durex official Weibo account as example

Abstract

In the era of mobile Internet, the information is transmitted in high speeds using the mobile terminals as the medium. The media platforms for marketing activities have also expanded from traditional media to the new media with social media included. When a brand conducts marketing activities on such new platforms, it is necessary to consider various factors including the characteristics of the product and its positioning, the characteristics of the media platform, and the identification of the target consumers to formulate appropriate marketing strategy plans. Durex, as one of the leading brands of the contraception product industry, has managed to be popular since 2016 on the hotspot topic of Weibo, the largest social media platform in China, under the China’s conservative culture. This work will analyze how Durex adapts to Chinese social media marketing environment and conducts marketing activities with success on Weibo by tracking the brand’s social media marketing activities on its official Weibo account, taking into consideration the characteristics of the era of mobile Internet and social media, the peculiarity of Chinese social medias, and China’s cultural background and its influences on Chinese consumers toward contraception products. The thesis discusses about the strategies that Durex has used in the social media marketing activities on Weibo to attract the target group of consumers, thereby exploring the factors that lead Durex to the success of the management of official Weibo account and providing reference for sex product brands to carry out social media marketing activities on Chinese social media platforms.