A Perfect Weekend

What distinguish trailblazers from followers are insight, imagination and a healthy risk appetite. This is particularly true in the context of marketing to the super-rich in China. Companies wishing to make their mark here first need to know what make this highly demanding audience tick, and then raise the bar higher still to the realm of the sublime.

Superlative novelties, tastefully executed, are handsomely rewarded. And this is why Perfect Weekend was such a success.

I tend to be sceptical over anything that slaps a blatantly positive label upon itself. But then how else do you call a weekend escapade which starts aboard a private jet, continues onto a luxurious catamaran sailing over azure waters, and ends with a romantic staycation in a world-class seaside villa?

The fairytale concept is the latest brainchild of Blu Inc Media, a leading publisher whose range of titles like JET Asia-Pacific, China Boating and LP – Luxury Properties appeal to ultra high net worth individuals (UHNWIs) in China. Through Perfect Weekend, they seek to redefine luxury lifestyle options for these super-rich readers, while at the same time enabling premier sponsors to reach out to this highly elusive demographic.

In this first edition of Perfect Weekend, held January 25 to 27 in Sanya, Hainan, Blu Inc worked with Dassault Falcon, Speedo Marine and Narada Villa. All three are existing advertisers with the magazine, who are suitably excited over this novel initiative.

And for a good reason too. The valuable guest list featured prominent Chinese entrepreneurs and leaders of publicly-listed companies. “We carefully select Chinese elites who aspire for best that life has to offer and whose careers and personal contributions positively impact the world around them,” said David Turchetti, Managing Director of Blu Inc Media.

As the affluent class in China matures, studies have shown how their taste for luxury has changed to become more subtle and experiential. The intimate size of the select group provided the ultimate peer-to-peer networking opportunity far from the limelight of large luxury functions.

“We wanted to provide an exclusive experience for the guests on board a Dassault Falcon 7X private jet. Many of the passengers knew each other from their own business circles. We were pleased to see them reconnect and share new experiences in a private setting,” Jean-Michel Jacob, Dassault Falcon Senior Vice-President of International Sales.

Guests arriving from Beijing on the private jet landed at Sanya Airport’s VIP Terminal, where limousines await to whisk participants away to the exquisite Narada Village— a seaside villa escape that hosted a weekend of fine dining and world-class spa treatments surrounded by lush mountains and seaside golf courses.

“Sanya has quickly become a key getaway for China’s rich and famous. We were thrilled that Blu Inc Media was able to organize such a high-caliber group to visit our villas,” said Zhao Ping, General Manager of Narada Villa.

The super-rich group of audience also enjoyed the stunning vista at private sea trails on a luxury catamaran and a sailing yacht. Amy Zheng, Marketing Director of Speedo Marine, said: “The two yachts uniquely matched Narada Villa’s concept of living in nature. We look forward to working more with Blu Inc Media to bring guests to experience yachting lifestyle in Sanya.”

And what is a perfect moment if it does not end with a perfect memento? Guests wishing to reminisce their perfect weekend getaway can flip the magazines for post-event coverage, which will be published in the next issue of the JET Asia Pacific, China Boating and LP-Luxury Properties.

Encouraged by the overwhelming support in its inception, Blu Inc Media are already planning to bring Perfect Weekend to other premier destinations in Asia this year. This is a unique opportunity for luxury marketers who seek to break into the Chinese market, and wish to distinguish their brand experience through a highly customized, experiential appeal to the desirable Chinese UHNWIs.

To find out how Perfect Weekend can boost the visibility of your brand, contact Daniel He, Public Relations Manager,danielh@bluincmedia.cn, or call (+86) 5404-6362, ext. 811. 

About Gloria Arlini :

Gloria has a curious little mind, an eye for patterns and a soft spot for stories, which altogether makes her a happy qualitative researcher. She mostly writes about luxury media and affluent readers in the region, where she is increasingly fascinated by how luxury, philanthropy and charity have come together in recent years. Outside work, she runs a non-profit social enterprise which often brings her village-hopping in remote areas in Indonesia. Between work and 'work', she has just enough time to indulge in a good ol' cuppa while marveling over the cacophony of life. Talk to her at garlini@sph.com.sg.