Chapter 17-- Advertising and Public Relations

Basically, I never seen Tencent has any advertisement shows on TV, newspaper or magazine. Tencent promotes its brand or products through the following ways:

First, Tencent enhances brand image with large world-wide activities. In 2010, Shanghai World Expo was a chance. Before 2009, Tencent has a well strategy for World Expo. First of all, Teencent opened up the World Expo channel. At the same time, they used QQ to launch online activities to spread the Expo concept of environmental protection. Tencent aims to let users cultivate a better understanding of and concerned about the Expo. After a few months, Tencent has large amount of users joined the Expo activities. Basic on this, Tencent used three major demands to attract advertisers—Expo, users’ amount and users demands. In general, Tencent were in a win-win situation. Not only users were attracted by Tencent’s Expo package activities, but also Tencent earned the profit by ads.

Second, related to users. In the thanksgiving holiday in 2012, Tencent released a brand commercial online. The video showed us the theme of Love; it recorded the most common scenes in our daily life, including a wife waiting for her husband from late night off-work; a father recorded for his son’s growing up moments, the love of friend, sister, teacher and public. These videos were very touching. It related to this holiday and the love we can find in our daily life. Of course, in those video also implanted Tencent’s products, in order to show users and non-users’ audiences that Tencent’s products are related to people’s life. With using Tencent’s chatting tool or Qzone, we can communicate with the one we loved easily and more convenient.

Third, star effect. For example, sometime when I watch a star interview, different from the normal microphone, a star holding a mic that attaches with a medium large brand logo—Tencent QQ with a signature Penguin. Furthermore, Tencent would sponsor some award ceremony, such as Chinese Music Award. Normally winner will award a trophy, but at the same time, winner also receives a Tencent QQ stuffed animal. Using the powerful effect of TV and stars, Tenccent quickly increased products awareness and attract more investors and users.