Powerhouse, Jing Wei, works with acclaimed businesses from Tao Group Hospitality to Mayfair jewel Burlington Arcade, spearheading Chinese campaigns on London soil. Jing reveals to Eleanor how she cuts through the noise…
‘The key to success for UK luxury businesses to engage with an Asian audience is to source the links between the two parties. These serve as the basis to integrate cultural, emotional and visual creativity; to disrupt’
Jing Wei, Managing Director of London based Chinese communications agency, UK Sunshine Digital.
How do you find Asian culture is received within UK society, and has this changed over recent years?
I believe that culture and visuals are connected between East and West more than people assume. As the Asian umbrella has gradually become one of the key markets for high end British brands, luxury spending in China is set to further augment – by 2030, the country is projected to account for as much as 40% of global luxury sales. With the continuous growth of the Chinese middle class and the vast population base, the market presents boundless potential for the luxury industry. How I see it, the integration of Asian culture into UK society can be observed in two main ways… The first being festive campaigns targeting high net worth Asian individuals — during major Asian holidays, premium brands often launch bespoke campaigns channelled to fostering emotional and cultural connections with Asian clients. This strategy not only strengthens bonds between brands and their Asian clientele, but also serves as an optimal market approach to drive holiday spending. In the Chinese market, for instance, the New Year, Mid-Autumn Festival and Golden Week present stellar opportunities for distinguished and upcoming labels alike to host cultural celebratory events to reach long-established Chinese clientele whilst expanding to new consumers within this market.
For 2024’s Chinese New Year in London, UK Sunshine Digital hosted a traditional Chinese Yingge dance performance at historic UK landmark, Burlington Arcade, in Mayfair. Yingge boasts over 300 years of history, blending Chinese drama, dance and martial arts to showcase cultural heritage. This moment marked Europe’s first ever performance of Yingge, set against the 205-year-old Arcade backdrop. Sixteen renowned Yingge dancers from China performed at this cultural fusion, which drew colossal digital attention during the Chinese New Year period and attracted Chinese tourists from across Europe and the UK. This amalgamation of an ancient Asian tradition with a 205-year-old British landmark is a prime example of the successful union of Chinese and British cultures.
The second pillar is luxury brands Incorporating Asian culture and art — a heightened number of high end European enterprises are introducing products with cultural Chinese motifs during significant Asian holidays, sold both within Asian markets and UK retailers. For instance, British century old heritage brand, Rapport London, launched a Chinese New Year-themed watch winder and traditional red envelopes during Chinese New Year 2024, garnering tremendous recognition on China’s e-commerce platforms TMall and JD. Similarly, perfume maison ROJA’s Nüwa collection and Lalique’s crystal panda figurines have become pioneer models for the integration of UK and French brands with Asian culture, history and art.
Can you share a recent hospitality campaign where Asian and British influences fused or complemented each other?
In September 2024, UK Sunshine Digital spearheaded the production of the VOGUE China Fashion Fund London Fashion Show presentation of Chinese designer Zhong Zixin’s new collection. The showcase and celebration was hosted at two renowned Mayfair restaurants — Bacchanalia and Hakkasan. When I first witnessed the collection, I extracted elegance, ethereality and Chinese influence, instantly gravitating to these London venues for the show and subsequent dining moment.
VOGUE China Fashion Fund London Fashion Show hosted in Bacchanalia’s Apollo’s Muse
The collection’s championing of golden, ivory, and brown hues led me to choose Bacchanalia, with its opulent museum-esc decor, milky sculptures and brown-veined marble floors – an ideal pairing for the collection’s noble and refined aesthetic. What makes the fashion fusion of Asian and Western culture so fascinating is finding the common ground between the two, rather than favouring one over the other. In such projects, we must analyse both the aesthetic and commercial aspects to create a balance.
Since the show coincided with the Mid-Autumn Festival, the second most important Chinese holiday, we chose to host the after party at Hakkasan Mayfair, a dining hotspot renowned for its distinctively Eastern ambience. Located at the birthplace of Queen Elizabeth II, rich with British history, Hakkasan’s mysterious and enchanting interior design contrastingly incorporates traditional Chinese elements such as embroidery, red lanterns and carved wooden windows, providing a rare and remarkable setting for Chinese guests to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival in London. Classic mooncakes also made an appearance, of course.
Parked against the contemporary, minimalist bar channelling light Western music into frequenters’ ears, Hakkasan Mayfair is a natural favourite amongst local and international guests, exemplifying the ultimate blend of Eastern and Western aesthetics and business sensibilities.
How have the priorities of the UK’s Chinese luxury consumers changed in recent times? What do they now expect from a brand?
The Chinese luxury market has undergone significant changes in recent years. We’ve observed that Chinese middle-class and high-net-worth consumers are increasingly gravitating towards niche British luxury brands. It’s no longer about prominent logos and glossy labels; instead consumers are favouring understated, high-quality products with rich brand histories and stories. Quiet luxury to a new degree. Luxury has a new meaning, and this is centred around purpose, authenticity, heritage and experience.
“THE UK’S LUXURY HOSPITALITY AND RETAIL BUSINESSES ARE LINKING UP WITH THE CHINESE MARKET QUITE CONSIDERABLY”
How do you approach cultural moments such as Christmas?
Christmas in the UK is as grand as Chinese New Year in the lunar calendar. Copious Chinese figures travel to London during the festive rush to purchase goods for loved ones in time for Chinese New Year. December, January, and February are key months where premium British brands extend the festive thrill to encompass and capitalise on celebratory Asian moments. Hosting unique experiences in the capital such as private shopping after hours and exclusive light festivities are strategic mechanisms that businesses adopt, and we at UK Sunshine Digital welcome Chinese influencers, press and high-net-worth clientele to champion these moments. It’s worth noting that London is not only a popular destination for Christmas delights but also hosts one of the largest Chinese New Year celebrations outside of Asia, highlighting the city’s inclusivity and cultural diversity.
What’s next on the horizon for UK Sunshine Digital?
We are currently helping British restaurants and hotels connect with Asian travel groups online and offline, whilst facilitating a variety of Chinese social media projects for illustrious UK properties to engage with the Asian community, breaking down any pre-existing cultural or language barriers.
In April this year, we took renowned British luxury brands to the China International Consumer Products Expo in Hainan. With Hainan set to become a duty-free island by 2025, it is often referred to as China’s Hawaii due to its beauty and status as a leading tropical vacation destination. We look forward to helping British restaurants, hotels and retailers connect with Hainan, allowing more Asian investors to discover and collaborate with prominent UK hospitality and retailer brands, while also facilitating their entry into popular Asian tourist hotspots such as Sanya, creating strong market connections between the UK and China.
Jing Wei studied jewellery design at Central Saint Martins and business at the University of Cambridge. She boasts over sixteen years in the communications industry between China and the UK, and founded UK Sunshine Digital in 2016.
Text: Eleanor Taylor-Roberts
