WE Digital to launch Towngas' new water product in China

Although Towngas Group supplies natural gas to customers in mainland China, the group is aiming to extend its brand image from utility to lifestyle through Towngas Lifestyle, a bricks-and-mortar store selling kitchen appliances and providing gas-related household services for built-in hobs, tabletop cookers, water heaters and gas dryers.

WE Digital will develop a content-marketing strategy for the sub-brand under the theme of 'Living Quality' to deliver interesting information, such as tips for cooking with LPG gas, and at the same time build the brand’s influence and reputation for the upcoming 12 months.

Separately, as a response to higher expectations for living standards in China, the group also launched AquaJoy, a purified water brand under the group's water unit, Hua Yan Water (华衍水务).

AquaJoy launched in the Jiangsu area last week as a B2B product for local schools, hospitals and offices, with marketing to follow suit. Personalised experiences will be created so that consumers will be engaged with the new brand from an earlier touchpoint starting from manufacturing, according to Hugo Chan, managing director of WE Digital.

WE Digital's strategy for AquaJoy includes the use of owned social-media platforms, word-of-mouth communications and through-the-line campaigns to get AquaJoy ready to appear on the B2C market in due time.

"It's really difficult to have engagement with gas," remarked Viveca Chan, chairman and CEO of WE Group. "People don't care about gas, but they care about the food and water that go into their bodies. So Towngas is trying to bond emotionally with its customers this way."

“In today’s dynamic environment, where internet access is a basic necessity, online spending has become the new norm of customer shopping behaviour," said Daniel Fung, head of business strategy at Towngas Group. "To effectively market our brands, social media is the key."