How best to connect with Malaysian consumers this Chinese New Year

FOR many Malaysians, the Chinese New Year (CNY)  is not only a celebration to be enjoyed with families and friends, but an interval filled with captivating entertainment and an abundance of shopping bargains.

The celebration, which marks the turn of the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar, falls this year on Feb 16.

And with 75 percent of Malaysians owning an average of 3.1 Internet-connected devices per person, including 1.8 million Chinese households, the Internet has become a staple for entertainment and commerce during the period of festivities.

In the run-up to this year’s celebration, Google Malaysia has released a compilation of what Malaysians are watching and searching for during the CNY period.

So, let’s take a look at what efforts your brand should be making in order to boost interaction and sales during the CNY festivities.

YouTube as a popular platform

According to Google’s report, YouTube seems to be the go-to platform for Malaysians looking for CNY-related content.

During the period of January to February 2015, YouTube watch-time for CNY-related videos recorded a year-on-year increase of 250 percent.

The prime time of viewing happens from 5pm to 9pm, so brands should take advantage of these hours in order to ensure maximum reach and coverage.

Popular categories during the run-up to the festival include family, friends, funny and food.

What are Malaysians searching on Google during CNY?

According to the search-engine giant, online interest of CNY starts to accelerate five weeks before the festival, peaking during the week of CNY itself.

Brands should leverage this intent to intelligently connect with CNY-related searches.

Google has recommended the following campaign suggestions for brands looking to increase sales during the run-up to CNY:

Countdown to CNY with personalized, mobile-friendly eCards: In the run-up to the Chinese celebration, consumers are more likely to search for CNY greetings and cards on their mobile devices.

Partner with online grocery sites and offer discounts for CNY purchases: According to Google Malaysia, during last year’s CNY period, consumer searches for supermarket discounts grew twofold.

Popular searches included:

• Discount and promotions
• Product catalogs
• Online shopping and delivery options
• Locations of supermarkets

Your brand should consider offering the above options in order to meet the growing demands of consumers during CNY. For instance, e-commerce website Lazada is offering its shoppers up to 80 percent off products in its CNY sale.

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