COTTON USA Reaches Taiwan Consumers through Music

“Cotton Days” Celebrate U.S. Cotton Throughout Asia

Cotton Council International (CCI) and Cotton Incorporated’s annual “Cotton Day” celebrations throughout Asia were the most successful to date, with approximately 1,000 industry representatives in attendance and more than $10 million in earned advertising value. The events in Thailand, Taiwan, Korea and Japan highlighted U.S. cotton and featured industry leaders, press interviews and celebrities.

Cotton Day Thailand kicked off CCI’s Teddy Bear Ambassador campaign, enlisting COTTON USA licensees and 27 brands. Participating brands will display 5,000 bears, made with 100 percent U.S. cotton materials donated by local mills, at retail stores throughout Bangkok. The U.S. Ambassador to Thailand spoke at the event and wore a 100 percent U.S. cotton dress.

Cotton Day Taiwan featured a TV commercial launch by singer-songwriter Fan Fan and a sold-out concert for the performer SHOW. More than 30 television outlets reported the event.

Cotton Day Korea enlisted a top designer and celebrity to display “Cotton Contemporary,” a vision of cotton as high fashion on the runway. Cotton Day Korea also featured a fashion show featuring three brands. Media coverage of the event is expected to reach several million in U.S. dollar equivalent value. In addition, the U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea hosted a dinner for top Korean executives and the CCI/Cotton Incorporated delegation.

Cotton Day Japan featured three celebrities who received awards for their contributions to cotton promotion. In addition, Miwa, CCI Japan’s spokesperson, sang her newest single “Cotton Season” for more than 250 industry members in attendance.

 

Japanese Fiber Education Tour Leads to Increased U.S. Cotton Usage

As a result of participating in the tour, a COTTON USA licensee expanded its range of COTTON USA licensed products, pulling more U.S. cotton through the supply chain. The company was already a licensee for T-shirts and labels more than 1 million pieces annually, and they now expect to label 10 million units of men's underwear annually, the equivalent of 7,500 bales of cotton.

The group toured the research and promotion headquarters of Cotton Incorporated in NC; the National Cotton Council headquarters and the USDA cotton classing office in TN; and the cotton production and ginning facilities of California's San Joaquin Valley. The group also met with Supima to conclude the Tour.

This was CCI and Cotton Incorporated's third time to bring Japanese retailers and trading companies to the United States under the Fiber Education Tour initiative to: 1) heighten their awareness of U.S. cotton's types/qualities and the industry's technological advantages; 2) to observe U.S. cotton sustainability practices; and 3) enhance their relationships with U.S. exporters. With cotton prices setting records and supplies tight, this was also an excellent time to reassure large users of cotton that the United States will remain a reliable and long-term supplier of their fiber needs.

Television Program Featuring U.S. Cotton Broadcast to 35 Million Households in Japan

The 75-minute special titled, "Attractive Texas: Fashion, Food and Cowboys' Spirit," was broadcast throughout Japan by the TV Osaka network. The objective of this program was to give consumers in Japan - the third largest consumer market in the world - a better understanding of the advantages of U.S. cotton. The documentary was filmed on-site in Texas during harvest season and followed two famous Japanese actresses as they visited the cotton fields and denim mill in Lubbock. Before broadcasting the program, TV Osaka ran 24 ads introducing the show, an earned media value of approximately $154,000. The TV Osaka network has six stations located in all major urban areas in Japan, and its broadcasting area covers approximately 70 percent of total Japanese households. The program had 1.3 million viewers. The advertising equivalent value for the 75-minute program broadcast is $7.1 million.

 

CCI Taiwan holds “Pure Love of Cotton” Concert to Promote U.S. Cotton

Taiwanese celebrities the Drifters and Claire Kuo joined CCI on stage in Taipei to excite consumers about U.S. cotton. Darren and Yannick, the young talents that make up the Drifters, sang the COTTON USA theme song, which translates to "Pure Love of Pure Cotton." A music video prominently featuring the COTTON USA Mark has been launched along with comprehensive advertisement on television, buses, subways, radio, newspaper and the Internet. The television ad will show the 20-second commercial over 2,500 times. One hundred fourteen brands in over 5,000 stores in Taiwan will participate in the promotion with their U.S. cotton-rich apparel. The free public relations media alone is estimated at $2.7 million.

CCI and Cotton Incorporated Celebrate Cotton Day Across Northeast Asia

CCI sponsored Cotton Day celebrations across Northeast Asia. The consumer and trade events highlighted the intrinsic benefits of the world's favorite fiber through COTTON USA Mark branded consumer events and executive interviews. Consumer and trade media were on hand at all stops and initial results indicate this year's events were again very successful. During the week, major television, print and wire media services reported on U.S. cotton following a series of U.S. cotton promotion events and interviews with representatives from CCI and Cotton Incorporated.

CCI's President and Executive Director joined representatives from CCI and Cotton Incorporated in Tokyo to attend the 15th annual Japan Cotton Day on May 10. This year's event was made possible through a continued partnership with the Japan Spinners' Association, the Japan Cotton Promotion Institute and the Japanese textile industry. The ceremony awarded three famous Japanese celebrities selected for their commitment to the style and comfort of cotton products. Over 250 guests from the Japanese textile-apparel industry were in attendance.

Cotton Day Korea's message was cotton and the special relationship between mother and child. The "Cotton Love Together" fashion contest featured ten mothers with their children in cotton from their own designs. CCI Korea partnered with Save the Children and its COTTON USA partner Lotte Mart to take the message of Cotton Day Korea to children in need. Also, through cooperation with the Spinners and Weavers Association of Korea, CCI was able provide the opportunity for young Korean designers to showcase their creativity through a T-shirt design contest.

Cotton Day Taiwan focused on cotton as a medium for expression. CCI Taiwan partnered with Shih-Chien University to highlight a fashion show for young future designers. In addition, Cotton Day Taiwan was the launch of the partnership with celebrity musicians Mr. Darren Chiu and Mr. Yannick Yang. COTTON USA licensees New Balance and manufacturers Tah Tong and Formosa Taffeta provided pure cotton apparel for the fashion show.

COTTON USA Sourcing Program Delegation Visits Korea

The goal of the visit was to enhance relationships between U.S. mills and Korean garment manufacturers with operations in Central America. The program included a seminar on economics and sustainability for Korean garment manufacturers, as well as a visit by U.S. mills to the Korean garment manufacturers' headquarters. Seventy garment exporters' yarn and fabric buying directors and managers attended the COTTON USA seminar to learn 2011/12 perspectives on cotton sourcing and how to implement sustainability in their global manufacturing operations. More than 30 individual meetings took place during the COTTON USA delegation's visit to Korea. Participating U.S. mills included: Antex Knitting Mills, Buhler Quality Yarns, Frontier Spinning Mills, Parkdale and Tuscarora Yarns.


  

CCI Taiwan Sponsors New Year’s Eve Party With Taipei City Government

COTTON USA Taiwan spokespeople Xiao Yu and Claire Kuo performed three COTTON USA songs in front of an audience of 760,000. The highlight of the event was a fireworks display on the Taipei 101 Tower for the final countdown to 2010. The concert was live broadcast for seven hours via Hit Fm Radio and Chunghwa Telecom Internet, “Hinet.” The concert was re-broadcast five times via two TVBS TV channels. The event generated third party contributions of $780,000, and the earned advertising value for COTTON USA was $892,000.