Case Study: The Omnichannel Marketing of RELX, the Vape Brand Valued at $800 Million

In 2018, RELX (悦刻) received an investment of $38 million from Source Code Capital and IDG. In 2019, RELX (悦刻) secured further investment from Shanjing Capital (CEO Yang Haoyong of Chehaoduo Group), though the specifics are unclear. Currently, RELX (悦刻) is valued at $800 million. In less than two years, RELX (悦刻) has achieved remarkable success, thanks not only to strong capital, team support, and high product quality but also to a comprehensive omnichannel marketing model.

1. Launching on JD Crowdfunding to Validate Market Acceptance

Initially, RELX launched on JD Crowdfunding to validate product market acceptance, successfully raising over a million. The company's product went live on JD Crowdfunding on January 25, 2018, and within 24 hours, it raised 53,000 yuan without any other promotions. Within 72 hours, it exceeded 150,000 yuan, relying on natural traffic to reach the top of JD Crowdfunding's comprehensive recommendation list; by the end of crowdfunding on March 12, 2018, it successfully raised over 1.08 million yuan, garnering support from 4,962 users.

2. Collaborating with Well-Known Brands and Movies to Enhance Brand Power

RELX collaborated with well-known brands and movies, enhancing brand power through co-branded packages and celebrity endorsements. The company partnered with Jackie Chan's film "Detective Dee" and the renowned young director Bi Gan's "Last Night on Earth" to elevate the RELX brand through movie IP; it also launched co-branded packages with Okamoto to further expand brand influence.

Additionally, well-known artists like Pu Shu, runner-up of China's New Rap Na Wu Ke Re, and film star Huang Jue are all users of RELX. Pu Shu appeared with RELX on the variety show "Adventure of Life," while both Na Wu Ke Re and Huang Jue featured RELX products on their Weibo, with Huang Jue also investing in the company.

3. Opening Pop-Up Stores to Enhance Offline Consumer Interaction and Brand Influence

RELX opened pop-up stores in Shanghai to enhance offline consumer interaction and boost brand influence both online and offline. The company set up RELX pop-up stores in Shanghai JOYCITY and Jing'an District's Joy City shopping center, using interactive methods to educate consumers about e-cigarette usage.

The pop-up stores showcased e-cigarette devices and various flavored pod series products, featuring artistic installations, LED screen backgrounds, pod vending machines, laser beam evaluation lamps, and handheld KT boards to attract consumers for photo opportunities, increasing brand social media engagement.

4. Hosting Product Tasting Events for User Education and Feedback Collection

RELX actively hosted product tasting events in first- and second-tier cities for user education and feedback collection.

On January 1, 2019, RELX held a product tasting event in Xi'an, providing knowledge about e-cigarettes and introducing the RELX product series. On March 26, 2019, RELX hosted a product tasting event in Lanzhou, blending fashion, trend, art, and music styles, attracting many young people's attention.

5. Online and Offline Market Synergy to Build User Communities and Multi-Channel Consumer Reach

RELX actively expanded its online and offline markets, building user communities and reaching consumers through multiple channels. RELX's online presence covers platforms like WeChat Mall, Tmall, JD, and Pinduoduo; as of January 2019, it had offline coverage in over 120 cities nationwide, with 300 authorized outlets. By November 2, 2018, RELX had over 80 community groups, including VIP user groups, opinion collection groups, and pod tasting groups.

6. High-Spec New Product Launch Events to Attract Industry and Media Attention, Increasing Product and Brand Exposure

RELX leveraged high-spec new product launch events to attract industry and media attention, increasing product and brand exposure. On March 31, 2019, it held the "Taste My Moment" 2019 RELX new product launch event and the first fan festival in Shenzhen, officially launching the 2019 new replaceable atomizer RELX α and introducing the "Guardian Plan," actively participating in more areas of minor protection while advocating for industry self-discipline.

Note: In addition to the five main aspects mentioned above, there are other initiatives such as KOL evaluations and crowd testing, which are not listed here.