“Naturally Connecting the World” PR Campaign in China Generates Excitement About U.S. Cotton
CCI China’s “Naturally Connecting the World” campaign connected COTTON USA to stakeholders along the textile supply chain. The program included promotional activities that featured the entire cotton supply chain. The first phase, “Naturally Connecting You” successfully garnered consumers’ engagement, which received 8,946 snapshots with 82,044 participants and reached 485,513 total page views. The second phase, “Naturally Connecting the Supply Chain” drove attention from upstream and downstream licensees. The third phase influenced people to engage into the “Naturally Connecting the World” Campaign. CCI’s Ambassador, Da S, shot CCI’s new promotional video and created CCI’s theme song with the renowned Chinese singer and songwriter Yang Kun.
The whole campaign generated around 400 media clippings and received PR value estimated at $8.8 million. As of June 30, CCI micro-blog has generated about 12 million impressions. CCI China’s “Naturally” campaign is a three-year progressive promotion program, which started in 2008. The campaign has received attention among consumers in different cities in China and further enhanced awareness of COTTON USA. The PR value generated from the campaign in year 2008/2009 and 2009/2010 are amounting to $3.6 million and $7.9 million respectively, with total third party contributions of approximately $ 2.4 million.
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COTTON USA Holds Gathering for Cotton Textile Supply Chain in Hong Kong
CCI's event in Hong Kong gave those in the cotton textile supply chain an opportunity to share experiences and information during these challenging times for our industry when cotton prices show no sign of cooling off. CCI China & Hong Kong have spent an increasing amount of time developing the Chinese market for mill and brand licensees. A number of COTTON USA licensees in Hong Kong have either moved their operations to China or have closed down spinning mills. Hong Kong, nevertheless, remains an important hub for textile companies, retailers, sourcing offices and brands. Nearly 50 people attended, representing all segments of the cotton industry. Guests commented that this type of networking platform provided by CCI is invaluable, and led to new contacts resulting in sales of bales of U.S. cotton.
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COTTON USA Buyers Tour to China Fast-Tracks the Sourcing Process
The COTTON USA Supply Chain Marketing (SCM) Program hosted its fifth Buyers Tour to China in June, the largest apparel buyers' tour recorded in the history of the SCM Program. The event enabled buyers representing 25 brands and retailers, including Benetton, Debenhams, Max Mara, M&S, Polo Ralph Lauren and Quiksilver, to conveniently explore the advantages of sourcing U.S. cotton-rich garments from a wide range of selected suppliers. This year's tour differed from previous years, as suppliers from other parts of Asia with strong textile economies such as Japan, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam were also invited, a move that was well received among the attendees. The week opened with an extensive briefing session that included introductions to CCI and new Cotton Incorporated product developments. The briefing session continued with a one-and-a-half day trade show and two days of factory visits in Hangzhou and Guangzhou where the buyers were able to inspect a number of selected companies' manufacturing facilities, and view U.S. cotton-rich woven fabrics and garments.
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COTTON USA “Naturally in Love” Campaign Successfully Concludes in Beijing
CCI China held a fashion wedding party for the winning couple of a COTTON USA online video competition, culminating a series of COTTON USA "Naturally in Love" themed promotional events over the past eight months. CCI's "Naturally in Love" PR campaign promoted fashionable, natural U.S. cotton to Chinese consumers. The wedding, presented by fashion icon and COTTON USA ambassador Miss Xu Xiyuan (Da S), featured an exquisite all-cotton wedding dress designed by CCI, Da S and Alex Wang. The event also served to display the latest COTTON USA licensee ranges, including special COTTON USA honeymoon pieces designed with a modern art perspective. In addition, eight COTTON USA licensees organized a fashion show to honor the newlyweds. Models wore outfits by COTTON USA licensees Lotto, Ivy House, JNBY, Dazzle, Casablanca-Home, Croquis, Vigoss USA Jeans, Nautica and Dinosaur. The entire show illustrated the comfort, multi-functionality and fashion of cotton. Approximately 136 media representatives and 70 guests, including representatives from China's cotton industry and Beijing's ATO, attended this event. The COTTON USA "Naturally in Love" campaign began in 2009 as a follow-up to the 2008 COTTON USA promotion "For Nature, Therefore the Future."
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Third COTTON USA Cotton School Held in China
More than 150 guests from the U.S. and China attended the third COTTON USA Cotton School in Haikou, China, on April 22-23. The School gathered leading mills and manufacturers in China's textile and apparel industry to explore the U.S. cotton market perspectives in China. Representatives of the U.S. Embassy's Agricultural Affairs Offices in Beijing and Guangzhou also participated. Similar to the previous two China Cotton Schools in 2006 and 2008, this year's School invited experts from the U.S. and the region to deliver presentations on a wide variety of topics on U.S. cotton. Topics included the U.S. cotton classification system, cotton flow and processing, futures and option markets, the U.S. retail market and the global cotton supply chain. Featured speakers represented ACSA, AMCOT, USDA, Supima, Cotton Incorporated, the National Cotton Council and CCI.
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COTTON USA “Naturally in Love” Fashion Show in Beijing Highlights U.S. Cotton
More than 300 guests attended the COTTON USA fashion show, which connected people from the cotton industries of the U.S. and China with famous fashion, home textile, sports and children’s wear brands. Nine COTTON USA licensee brands participated in the event: Lotto, Casablanca-Home, K-Swiss, Ivy House, Dazzle, Croquis, JNBY, Nautica and Dinosaur. A highlight of the event was the announcement of the winner for the “Naturally in Love” online video competition, six-year-old Zhang Ruxin. She will star in an upcoming television commercial alongside COTTON USA brand ambassador Da S. This event signified the completion of the first phase of CCI’s year-long “Naturally in Love” campaign, designed to raise awareness of COTTON USA and its registered licensees, while bringing consumers together through a shared love of U.S. cotton and a natural lifestyle. The focus of the first phase was an online video competition, and phase two will include a second consumer-interactive online video contest.
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