Why brands need to leverage WeChat Mini Programs

In China, WeChat Mini Programs have effectively replaced websites and native apps, creating a social O2O commerce environment which has had a profound impact on marketing strategies; Mobile Now’s Thomas Meyer outlines what brands need to do.

Why it matters

In China, O2O retail strategies are heavily underpinned by WeChat Mini Programs, which offer brands integrated opportunities for commerce and CRM. But to truly leverage the channel and unlock social O2O commerce, marketers need to ensure that they have all the pieces in place.

Key insights

• Success requires a clear and aligned strategy to invest into multiple “bricks” to make it all work.
• The pre-requisites for brands to embrace WeChat Mini Programs are many, from systems readiness (retail, CRM, commerce, after sales) to retail-team training.
• The approach is also a radical change from the more “marketplace-oriented” approach that brands have been prescribed for the last decade.