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Aurelien Rigart
Helping Fortune 500 & Ambitious companies with Digital Transformation in China and APAC | IT Consultis | Hiring Salesforce Consultant & Architect, Digital Transformation Consultant and many more positions
Aurelien Rigart is a distinguished serial entrepreneur and the present Managing Director & Co-Founder of IT Consultis (ITC), a renowned agency dedicated to enhancing the China & APAC strategy for Fortune 500s and C-level executives through Digital Transformation initiatives. Aurelien Rigart's exemplary leadership has led ITC to several prestigious awards, including being crowned the Gold Specialist Agency of the Year 2023 in Greater China for CRM and Digital Transformation.
Highlights
📣 China just released a LONG-AWAITED update on CROSS-BORDER DATA TRANSFER regulations.
🏛️ The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) has published the Regulations on Promoting and Regulating Cross Border Data Flows, aiming to better facilitate data transfers between Foreign Investment Enterprises (FIEs) and their overseas headquarters. 🌐 This will have a massive effect on ALL businesses that were really waiting for clarification on many aspects, particularly benefiting INTERNATIONAL enterprises looking for a clearer direction. With reduced compliance burdens, it will be much easier for all, especially B2B enterprises, to do their jobs and set up infrastructure in China.
Now, data transfers that can be EXEMPT from going through security assessment or certification include:
🔹 Data (with no personal or critical information) from activities like international trade, cross-border transportation, academic cooperation, manufacturing, and MARKETING.
🔹 Overseas-collected personal information processed in China, then provided overseas without adding domestic personal or critical data.
🔹 Personal information transferred for CONTRACT PERFORMANCE (e.g., cross-border shopping, delivery, visa processing), and examination services.
🔹 Aggregated non-sensitive personal info concerning LESS THAN 100,000 individuals
📊 The new regulatory updates can help greatly streamline cross-border data transfer, which is essential for international businesses that need to consolidate LOCAL MARKET DATA to their global HQs for further analysis. 🛍️ This is especially significant for LUXURY brands, whose clienteles demand PERSONALIZATION across global markets they often travel to. We've seen this in the In:China Monitor report on what Chinese clients seek when traveling to foreign countries: When visiting a brand/store in Italy, 51% expect staff to understand the Chinese language or culture, while 44% wish to get special experiences (Don’t hesitate to ping me for the report if you still haven’t read it 😉 ).
📈 This regulatory update can also boost investments back to China. However, things have fluctuated back and forth in the past, so hopefully things will be more relaxed and stabilized in the future. 💡 Nonetheless, the key is, companies still need to ensure they LOCALIZE their CLIENT DATABASE and CRM in Mainland China as much as they can. ITC is helping our partners implement Salesforce in China, building a holistic CRM system that seamlessly integrates with their global CRM and all the local business systems, all while ensuring compliance with data regulations. For more information, don’t hesitate to DM me 😉 What do you think of the new regulations for cross-border data transfer? Let me know in the comments 👇 Many thanks to DS Avocats for the timely share. Stay tuned for more updates. #China #DataCompliance #PIPL #CRM
✈️ Although the holiday season boosted China’s traveling rebound, the outlook for travel retail sales in Q1 still HASN’T returned to pre-pandemic levels. However, recovery chances are OPTIMISTIC for the rest of the year. Some brands are proactively seeking to get ahead of the competition by ensuring shoppers can better access their products via #TravelRetail WeChat Mini Programs.
Reading a few articles from Lisa N., Evelyn Cheng, Preethi Ravi and GSMA, I wanted to share my opinion on the topic.
📱 In China, EMAILS & SMS marketing and WEBSITES do not really work (unless you are a top-10 brand or have crazy brand awareness).
Local consumers are far more accustomed to using WeChat Mini Programs or buying remotely from Sales Associates on #WeCom. What’s more, China is a central hub of mobile economy, with nearly 1.3B people subscribed to mobile services, and mobile technologies and services contributing 5.5% to 2022’s GDP (anyone with the 2023 figures, welcome to comment 😉 ).
🛍️ Travel retail Mini Programs can provide various functions to improve the shopping experience, including AI-powered product recommendations and addressing common issues faced in physical stores, like long checkout lines and stockouts.
📊 On brands’ end, the Mini Programs are a valuable source of CUSTOMER DATA. As a PRIVATE traffic channel, it allows brands to capture and own 100% of the data securely. Integrations with the brand’s CRM system and other channels, like WeCom clienteling and loyalty programs, for future retargeting strategies are A MUST.
🤝 These Mini Programs also NEED to be on-point and efficient with using perks and features to ENTICE users. One common tactic is providing services such as pre-trip assistance, loyalty programs, smooth shopping, and post-trip follow-ups to encourage consumers to stick with them in future travels, effectively fostering RETENTION.
💎 Take, for example, LVMH-owned skincare label Fresh's "The Fresh Indulgent Voyage" WeChat Mini Program, allowing travelers to EXPLORE brand story, product offerings, personalized services, and exclusive gifts. Similarly, Estée Lauder's "Beauty Travel Star Circle" SEAMLESSLY integrates pre-departure, pre-order, and post-departure channels, enhancing the overall shopping experience for consumers.
📈 Overall, such Mini Programs combined with the right Marketing Automation and Clienteling strategies can have game-changing potential. As travel picks up after the pandemic, they're ESSENTIAL for brands, especially with the luxury market dip in Q1 of 2024.
🚀 In the last few weeks, we’ve seen a SURGE in sales for airports’ Mini Programs. It is also high time for all airports to ensure they are at the forefront of travel retail Mini Programs. What do you think? Can these Mini Programs bring large impact for domestic and international Chinese tourists?
#China #WeChatMiniProgram
