Pela
After working with Pela on its market entry strategy, WPIC launched Pela in China with a 5-star e-commerce store on Tmall. See how store sales are continuously growing (below)!
About Pela
Pela was founded in 2010 to tackle the problem of plastic waste in ocean waters – 1 billion plastic phone cases are sold globally every single year.
The Canada-based firm is the creator of the world’s first 100% compostable, eco-friendly iPhone and Android phone cases. The company now makes compostable AirPod cases and smartwatch straps too.
With plans for international expansion, Pela decided to take its mission and product to China.
Product photography to power Pela’s Tmall store
The opportunity for Pela in China:
- The mobile phone accessories market in China is forecast to reach USD $48.2 billion by 2027
- Almost everyone in China has a phone — there were roughly 1.6 billion active mobile phone subscriptions in November 2020 (more than anywhere else in the world)
- Consumers in China upgrade their phones more frequently – there were 296 million handsets delivered to consumers in China in 2020 (a new phone means a new case)
- China is moving full-steam ahead with its rollout of 5G — which is expected to drive up smartphone purchases as people upgrade to 5G-capable devices
Enormous opportunity, but a competitive market. As well as being one of the world’s largest markets for mobile phone accessories, China is also one of the largest producers of such products.
Demonstrating why Pela is different from the millions of other mobile accessories companies would be critical to success.
DETAILS
How WPIC activated China for Pela
Data
WPIC provided insight into which handsets are popular among Chinese consumers. Some of the phones that Pela designs cases for aren’t available in China at all— like the Google Pixel. That type of insight enabled Pela to select which of its products to take to market in China.
We’re providing insight to Pela on an ongoing basis — to guide the development of new products.
Once the right products were selected, an effective pricing strategy could be formulated.
WPIC extracted data from Discripto(™) to analyze competitor pricing. This enabled Pela to establish a pricing range that would be competitive in the market.
E-commerce + Marketing
A product video to demonstrate Pela’s strong yet eco-friendly phone cases
WPIC designed and built Pela’s e-commerce storefront. Tmall was chosen because it’s responsible for 60% of China’s annual e-commerce market. Translated and localized content was also provided — both for the store and for marketing campaigns.
Chinese consumers are among the savviest on the planet. A strong brand narrative is hugely important in drawing consumers to new, unknown products.
Pela has a distinct brand story. The brand was born after founder Jeremy Lang went on vacation to Hawaii with his family, and they noticed how much plastic was everywhere. Jeremy went on to make a plastic substitute, which is what Pela’s products are made from.
WPIC worked with Pela to convey its narrative in a way that would resonate with Chinese consumers — providing detailed information about the product and material, and an in-depth view of Pela’s mission and values. The brand’s story is a core part of its Tmall store.
The results
Pela’s Tmall store has a 5-star rating and performs highly across all of Tmall’s customer service indicators (Chinese consumers rely heavily on customer reviews, and so a high store rating is critical to success).
Since the store launched, WPIC has been running various marketing campaigns to drive store traffic and generate sales — which continue to grow.
Can we unlock China for your organization?
WPIC is a 5-star Tmall partner. With over 16 years in the market and 500+ brands launched across China and Japan, you won’t find a better one-stop-shop to take your brand to Asia.
If you have your sights on the world’s largest market places, get in touch.