As part of its strategy to target the affluent Chinese luxury consumer and further extend its growing brand reach, marie claire Australia has launched a mini-app on the multi-purpose messaging and social media platform WeChat.

Delivering local Australian luxury retail, travel, beauty and fashion information to Chinese consumers, the app has been built and launched in partnership with sister brand marie claire China which will help spearhead the strategy.

Since soft launch on January 21, the mini-app has attracted an impressive 300,000 views.

Content within the mini-app has also been created in partnership with marie claire China with the offering sitting within the Chinese publication’s existing presence on the WeChat platform equating to instant credibility, audience appeal and reach.

The marie claire China app has more than 700,000 followers, of which 65 per cent intend to visit Australia in the coming months with a further 25 per cent living in Australia.

marie claire China is promoting the mini-app in Shanghai and Beijing shopping malls, shared workspaces, cinemas, travel agents and via influencer amplification.

Luxury Italian brand Bulgari has partnered with marie claire for the initial rollout with the brand promoting its new Fiorever jewellery range in time for Chinese New Year through sponsorship of the mini-app with video content and editorial as well as directing consumers to Australian stores.

Brand opportunities for clients include mini-app takeovers, native and branded in-app content, editorial integration, in-store activations as well as bespoke partnerships on the platform involving video and key opinion leaders.

marie claire editor, Nicky Briger, said: “We know that Chinese shoppers accounted for 32 per cent of the global luxury spend in 2017 – and more than half were millennials.

“This initiative is an incredible opportunity for our partners to drive sales and meet their commercial objectives by accessing this highly sought-after audience”.

Pacific CEO, Gereurd Roberts, said: “This initiative highlights not only how Pacific’s brands continue to find innovative ways to help our commercial partners reach new audiences, but the company’s ambition and drive to grow.

“The marie claire WeChat mini-app is only one component of our wider strategy to reach Chinese luxury consumers, and there is more planned for the coming months”.