(Screenshot: Douyin.com)
Rolex has become active on Douyin since last week, the Chinese version of TikTok, created by the same company, ByteDance. The app, only available for download in China, is dominated by younger users, with roughly 65 to 70 percent under the age of 35, according to GMA, a marketing agency based in Shanghai. (Rolex also has an account on TikTok but has yet to publish there.)
Rolex posted its first short clip on Douyin on Sept. 15 from Shanghai and has published 19 since, signaling it is ready to engage the next generation of luxury buyers in one of its most important markets. Douyin is now the third social media platform Rolex uses in China.
Until now, Rolex’s digital presence in China has relied mostly on Weibo and WeChat. Weibo, similar to Twitter, is used for broad announcements, while WeChat, China’s all-in-one app, combines messaging, payments and services, making it valuable for direct customer contact. Rolex’s move to Douyin is the latest sign it is ready to embrace short, fast-moving videos to communicate directly with China’s next generation of consumers.