Leveraging the “福” culture, how can we further engage customers for ZULAIKANG elderly shoes?

In 2024, in the fiercely competitive environment, ZULAIKANG is gradually moving away from the traditional large-scale marketing path and transitioning to a soft landing through cultural and emotional connections.

At the successful conclusion of the ZULAIKANG super explosive product launch event at the end of October, feedback from social media indicates significant interest in various aspects of brand development, trend interpretation, and marketing insights. This event brought together thousands of distributors, making it a grand and unprecedented gathering. Of particular note is the official announcement of the collaboration between the “Ping An Fu” IP and ZULAIKANG, sparking new waves in the industry.

“Ping An Fu” is the cultural symbol chosen by ZULAIKANG elderly shoes brand among numerous IPs.

“Ping An Fu” was created by the renowned traditional cultural scholar and Fu culture expert, Guan Tong. It features the “Supreme Treasure of Peace” seal on the top, symbolizing great fortune. Additionally, the characters for “Fu” (福) are creatively written as “Ping” (平) and “An” (安), giving rise to the unique “Ping An Fu” IP.

It is reported that the “Ping An Fu” created by Guan Tong has been engraved at historic royal temples like Tanzhe Temple in Beijing and iconic cultural landmarks like Mount Tai, attracting numerous visitors to touch the blessing stones and seek good fortune.

The choice of “Ping An Fu” as a co-branded IP is closely related to the significant position of the character “福” (fu) in Chinese culture.

The earliest appearance of the character “福” can be traced back to oracle bones in the Shang Dynasty at the Anyang Yinxu site. In terms of its structure, the character can be divided into two parts. The left side features the radical for “示” (shì), symbolizing “sacrifice”, while the right side contains the character “酉” (yǒu), representing a “wine vessel” at that time, with a hand-like shape underneath indicating support. This character conveys people’s emotions of conveying good wishes to heaven and earth through “prayer”.

With the evolution of writing, the structure of the character “福” gradually developed. By the Qin Dynasty, the structure of the character “福” became clearer with the character “畐” (fú). At this point, the character “福” not only retained its meaning of prayer and blessings but also added the connotation of being “filled with blessings”. It is evident that the character “福” is not just a Chinese character but also a manifestation of emotions and values in cultural transmission.

The historical evolution of the character “福” has seen it become a common sight in various festive decorations and auspicious items in daily life, such as spring couplets, paper cuttings, lanterns, and jade ornaments. It symbolizes good fortune, happiness, and prosperity, reflecting the significance of “福” in the hearts of the Chinese people.

Therefore, the profoundly meaningful and creative “Ping An Fu” IP is highly suitable as a marketing highlight for elderly shoe products. By incorporating this symbol carrying deep cultural significance into product design, ZULAIKANG not only enhances the cultural value of the products but also better meets the emotional needs of the target consumer group.

Under this co-branded partnership, ZULAIKANG promptly launched a super category – the “Leap Month Shoes”.

According to Chinese traditional customs, during a leap year or a leap month in the lunar calendar, the younger generation prepares a new pair of shoes for the elders to pray for longevity. The saying “Leap month shoes, wear in the leap month, elders live a thousand years in the leap month” reflects this custom. As 2025 will have a leap month in June, ZULAIKANG seized the opportunity to launch this explosive product, further driving the implementation of the dual category strategy of “elderly shoes” + “respect for elders’ gifts”.

As the generations of the 60s and 70s gradually transition into retirement life, new consumer demands are emerging continuously. In this context, ZULAIKANG leverages the leap month shoes as a platform to cleverly connect products with conveying blessings. This strategy allows consumers to naturally associate “blessings” with the brand, thereby enhancing the brand’s appeal. For ZULAIKANG, this is undoubtedly one of the effective strategies for building long-term customer relationships.

From the perspective of the recent super explosive product launch event, ZULAIKANG not only strives for innovation in meeting consumer needs but also combines the traditional cultural element of “Ping An Fu” with modern design concepts, introducing a series of fashionable and creative elderly shoe products. Additionally, ZULAIKANG plans to expand its product line further, introducing peripheral products featuring the “Ping An Fu” IP. Through multi-channel marketing, they aim to enrich the cultural significance and value of this tradition, allowing consumers to experience the charm of culture in their daily lives.

In the midst of the industry’s fierce competition, ZULAIKANG, continuously forging ahead, is poised to showcase more remarkable highlights in 2025. The collaboration with the “Ping An Fu” IP undoubtedly sets a promising tone for the brand as it welcomes the new year.