WeChat remains an essential platform for visibility on the Chinese web. It manages commerce, social networks, banking services, and travel reservations, all within a single app. By 2026, WeChat has grown far beyond its origins as a messaging tool — it is now a full operating system for daily life in China.
- WeChat Pay processes over 1.3 billion transactions per day as of 2025, with total payment volume exceeding $15 trillion annually.
- Tencent reported that WeChat Mini Programs generated over RMB 3 trillion in transaction volume in 2024, up from RMB 1.6 trillion in 2021.
Eight Western Brands That Launched Innovative WeChat Campaigns in China
WeChat takes a small commission on payments, and the scale of those payments reflects just how embedded the platform is in Chinese consumer life. In 2026, WeChat counts over 1.38 billion monthly active users, with daily active usage rates above 85% among urban consumers aged 18-45.
Because of this enormous user base and how deeply the app is embedded in people’s lives, Western brands use WeChat as a primary channel to enter the Chinese market. If consumers open an app multiple times a day, it makes sense to market through that platform. To illustrate how Western brands use WeChat, here are 8 campaigns — mostly from the luxury and beauty sector — that set a benchmark for creativity and engagement.
For a broader view of where WeChat fits in China’s digital landscape today, see our guide on 10 Key Trends of the Chinese Cosmetics Market.
Read as well: WeChat Guide for Foreign (Cosmetics) Companies in China
The Burberry Brand
To coincide with the Chinese New Year in February 2016, Burberry sent all its customers a picture of a letter linked to a pink bow. The user was prompted to “Shake, Strike and Slide” to try to open the gift. Once opened, the letter gave users the opportunity to send a personalized Burberry greeting to a friend to celebrate the Chinese New Year.
They could then buy the brand’s New Year collection directly in Burberry’s WeChat store.
The Coach Brand
The Coach brand focused WeChat on promotion and loyalty. WeChat was used to run its Chinese loyalty program, asking all new subscribers to enter their mobile number for the chance to win a handbag.
The marketing strategy that Coach deployed was well-structured. For Mother’s Day in 2015, the brand launched a campaign called #MyFirstCoach, recalling that mothers are the first “coaches” for their daughters. Working with Influencers & KOLs in China amplified the campaign’s reach across platforms.
- Weibo users who posted a photo with their mother had a chance to appear on Coach’s home page and win a Coach bracelet.
Supported by paid media, the campaign increased Coach’s WeChat follower count by 35,000 people. This kind of UGC-driven mechanic still works in 2026, though brands now combine it with Mini Program loyalty tiers and WeChat Channels video to extend reach.
Xiaohongshu (XHS) and UGC: The Discovery Engine for Cosmetics in China
No article about brand campaigns in China is complete in 2026 without addressing Xiaohongshu (XHS), also known as RED or Little Red Book. The platform now counts over 300 million monthly active users, with a core audience of urban women aged 18-35 — exactly the target demographic for cosmetics and skincare brands.
XHS operates on a search-first, c
