1. Introduction

The importance of social media marketing has been widely recognized in the academic community. Researchers Puspaningrum and Vinerean point out that social media is crucial for brand building as it provides a direct communication channel between brands and consumers, enhancing consumer engagement and brand value [1, 2]. Social media marketing has become an indispensable promotional tool for brands and industries, especially in the rapidly changing fashion industry. The rapid iteration in the fashion industry and the influx of numerous niche emerging fast fashion brands into the market have led to continuous innovation in social media marketing strategies, with new advertising methods constantly emerging. In the face of the pace of societal development, maintaining a leading position is a long-term issue that every fashion brand needs to study. The way ZARA, as a leading brand in the fast fashion sector, conducts its social media marketing is a topic worthy of in-depth exploration.

In this context, this study aims to analyze in detail ZARA's marketing strategies implemented through social media in the Chinese market. The main objective of the research is to identify the key strategies ZARA employs to establish and maintain brand influence through social media. By conducting an observational analysis of popular social media attributes in China and a systematic analysis of ZARA's social media activities, this paper aims to provide a perspective that combines theory with practice, evaluating the effectiveness of its promotional strategies.

Additionally, this study will explore potential issues and challenges in ZARA's social media strategy and how to address these challenges through innovative marketing methods. Ultimately, this paper aims to provide strategic recommendations for fashion brands to effectively promote themselves through social media in the digital age. This helps academia better understand the role of social media in the modern business environment and provides reference and inspiration for the practical operation of the fashion industry. This research aims to identify more effective market positioning and brand building strategies for fashion brands in global competition.

2. Brand Introduction

ZARA, a globally recognized fashion brand, is headquartered in Arteixo, Galicia, Spain. Founded by Amancio Ortega in 1975, it is part of the Spanish INDITEX conglomerate and has grown to become Spain’s leading apparel retailer, also ranking among the top three worldwide by 2019. In 1998, before opening its first store in Spain, ZARA launched a marketing campaign that generated significant public curiosity, resulting in high visitor numbers [3]. This early success marked the beginning of ZARA's impactful approach to branding and customer engagement.

The traditional fashion industry operates on a yearly cycle from production to distribution. However, ZARA disrupted this model with its "fast fashion" concept, which resembles the agility of technology companies. This strategy allows ZARA to quickly adapt to evolving fashion trends, often refreshing its collections twice in one month. This rapid pace appeals to customers, who understand that delaying a purchase might mean missing out on the latest styles. This approach drives sales and creates a sense of urgency among consumers, reinforcing ZARA's reputation as a fast-fashion leader [3].

ZARA's expansion into China began in 2006 with a series of chain stores nationwide. By 2008, the brand had established a presence in over 50 cities across 21 provinces, with 123 stores [4]. On September 5, 2012, ZARA expanded its reach in China by launching online sales on Taobao, embracing a multichannel marketing approach to connect with a broader customer base. This strategic move into China's e-commerce space underscores ZARA's adaptability and commitment to meeting the demands of its growing market in the digital age. As recently as 2019 Inditex had 570 stores in China, its biggest physical footprint after Spain. The retailer now has 192, as of Jan. 31, 2024 [5].

3. Analysis of the Characteristics and Marketing Methods of Chinese Social Media Platforms

According to the 52nd "Statistical Report on Internet Development in China," as of June 2023, the number of internet users in China has reached 1.079 billion, with an internet penetration rate of 76.4%. These figures indicate that China has a vast base of internet users with widespread coverage [6].

3.1. Weibo

As one of the first social media platforms to become incredibly popular, Weibo boasts a substantial number of users. The core feature of Weibo is the posting of short content, similar to Twitter, which allows users to quickly share ideas, news, or advertisements. Many Chinese celebrities, stars, and public figures have accounts on Weibo, where they frequently interact with fans, post updates about their lives, or promote their works. This is one of the main reasons Weibo attracts such a large user base. Due to its extensive user community, many businesses and brands also use Weibo for marketing and advertising purposes, engaging potential customers through purchased ads on the start screen, trending searches on Weibo, and top fan headlines. By constructing community graphs to analyze the behavior of Weibo users, particularly focusing on their posts, shares, and comments, researchers have discovered that the popularity of users significantly influences user behavior on social network sites. Additionally, they found that female users are more inclined to share content, which helps enhance the efficiency of information transmission [7].

3.2. Little Red Book

Little Red Book, a social media platform predominantly targeting women, has experienced rapid growth in China in recent years and is a unique platform within the Chinese social media landscape. Little Red Book attracts users by combining images with captions to entice clicks on posts of interest and leverages big data algorithms to recommend content and highly targeted advertisements based on user interests and interaction history, significantly enhancing user experience and platform stickiness. Additionally, Little Red Book features a diverse array of content including beauty, travel, sports, and shopping, catering to the entertainment and daily life sharing of a predominantly young user base. Another notable aspect of Little Red Book is its use of influencers for marketing; "hidden ads" are a common tactic where influencers embed advertisements within their images or videos. These ads are designed to be indistinguishable from genuine recommendations unless users discern them, otherwise, they may appear as if the blogger is genuinely endorsing the product after personal use. Established brands tend to engage well-known influencers or celebrities for product marketing, while smaller enterprises often prefer nano-influencers and micro-influencers for their cost-effectiveness and credibility in not being perceived as advertising.

3.3. TikTok

TikTok is an extremely popular short video social media platform with a large user base in both China and overseas. Similar to Little Red Book, TikTok also utilizes big data algorithms to precisely recommend videos that users are interested in, greatly enhancing user engagement and the platform's activity through personalized content delivery mechanisms. One of TikTok's most prominent marketing strategies includes livestream e-commerce and video insert advertisements. Livestream e-commerce typically involves brands collaborating with hosts who provide detailed demonstrations and explanations of products during broadcasts. By using enticing language, offering prices lower than the official retail, providing abundant trial kits, and emphasizing limited product quantities, they significantly boost users' desire to purchase. Video insert advertisements are typically integrated midway into influencers' videos, where the content gradually transitions to the advertisement. Unlike Little Red Book's "hidden ads," TikTok's insert ads are noticeably advertisements to users. Additionally, TikTok offers specialized short video ads, brand challenge campaigns, and other marketing formats that enable merchants to effectively reach a large number of potential consumers.

4. The Impact of External Factors on Chinese Consumers

4.1. ZARA's Strategic Localization for Chinese Consumers

In 2019, under the impact of the pandemic, Chinese consumers exhibited more pragmatic and rational shopping behaviors. They valued the quality and cost-effectiveness of products and were willing to pay higher prices for goods that meet environmental standards. Instead of impulse buying, they preferred to compare prices across different sellers and thoroughly understand product information. In response to this demand, ZARA intensified its promotion of product quality and value for money, clearly displaying the material information, durability, and environmental attributes of its products. The company increased its marketing efforts for its sustainable development series, such as clothing made from renewable materials and pollution-free production processes, directly addressing consumer expectations for high cost-effectiveness and environmental standards. In shopping decisions, quality, functionality, safety, and cost-effectiveness are the key factors they consider. In making these decisions, consumers rely on official channels and extensively utilize social media, such as short video platforms, social networks, and review apps, to gather the necessary information. These channels include social media browsing, video watching, WeChat public accounts, and video accounts, which help them make more informed purchasing decisions. ZARA leverages data analytics technology to optimize the relevance and appeal of its social media content, ensuring that promotional activities reach the target consumer group. By analyzing consumer behavior and preferences, ZARA can timely adjust its marketing strategies to align with consumer demands, thereby enhancing marketing efficiency and product sales [8].

4.2. The Impact of Digital Media on Chinese Fashion Trends by ZARA

In the post-pandemic era, digital media has profoundly influenced Chinese fashion trends, propelling the development of China's fashion industry. This significant impact has notably shaped the promotional strategies of brands like ZARA. Digital media has shown fundamental changes in its dissemination scope, operational costs, consumption forms, and consumer behavior. With the rapid development of digitalization, consumer shopping behaviors and methods of obtaining information are also constantly evolving, with more and more consumers turning to online platforms for fashion information and purchases. For ZARA, this necessitates an increased investment in social media and e-commerce platforms, using digital tools to enhance brand visibility and consumer engagement. ZARA has effectively expanded its influence among young consumers by enhancing the appeal of its social media content. For instance, by using short video and live streaming technologies to display the latest fashion collections, the brand can instantly convey its image, attracting the attention and discussion of netizens [9].

5. Analysis of ZARA's Social Media Platforms

"Inditex for several years has adopted a more digital-first strategy in China given the structural trends in the market there and the huge importance of e-commerce", said RBC analyst Richard Chamberlain [5].

5.1. Analysis of ZARA's Activity and Promotion Strategy on Chinese Social Media Platforms

As of April 22, 2024, ZARA's Weibo account has reached 819,000 followers, with 751,000 interactions in the form of shares, comments, and likes. They post an average of one image update daily, with each update receiving between 5 to 20 likes, and zero to one shares and comments. The official account shows almost no interaction. The content primarily features images of clothing ensembles, with most models being foreigners. Video content includes backstage makeup sessions, trendy individuals showcasing outfits, and promotional clips for new products. However, the copy is somewhat disconnected from everyday life, and the official account has not responded to user inquiries about products. The main content includes daily product displays, backstage photos, collaborations with influencers and celebrities, and notifications of new products. Data analysis indicates that ZARA's activity on Weibo is moderate, the promotional content lacks specificity, and there is minimal interaction, resulting in low user engagement.

As of April 22, 2024, ZARA's account on Little Red Book has reached 141,000 followers, with a total of 127,000 likes and saves. They post an average of one image update per day, with promotional content identical to that on Weibo. Each update receives an average of 15 to 500 likes and 3 to 110 saves, with an average of more than one comment per post. The most popular posts receive over 2,600 likes and over 600 saves. The official account shows almost no interaction, with copy identical to that on Weibo. Similar to Weibo, users inquire about product-related questions in the comments, but the official account does not respond. Collaborative series generate high interest. The main content includes product displays, backstage photos, collaborations with influencers, and promotional event information. Data analysis indicates that ZARA's activity on Little Red Book is consistent with Weibo. Similar to Weibo, the promotional content lacks customization based on the characteristics of social media platforms. Many users inquire about product information, make reservations, and offer suggestions in the comments, but there is no official response, resulting in a lack of interaction. Compared to Weibo, there is a greater variety of promotional content on Little Red Book, and user engagement is higher, indicating significant potential for improvement.

As of April 22, 2024, ZARA's TikTok account has approximately 1.419 million followers and has accumulated about 1.83 million likes. The data shows that ZARA updates its video content 1 to 4 times per week, but no image videos are posted. Some of the video captions are identical to those published on Weibo, and these seem somewhat disconnected from the everyday lives of the general public. The average likes for regular videos range between 100 to 800, while popular videos receive between 800 to 50,000 likes, with one video from 2020 reaching a peak of 158,000 likes. Moreover, videos average over 10 comments each, yet there is zero interaction between the official account and the users.

Regarding the live streaming content, ZARA primarily conducts its live streams every Thursday evening from 19:00 to 00:00, lasting an average of 5 hours. Each session typically attracts between 500,000 and 2,000,000 viewers. The live stream content includes a countdown to the event, backstage preparations with models, catwalk presentations, and detailed introductions to the clothing. About 17 outfits are usually showcased during the stream, which takes place across multiple areas including the commentary zone, runway area, and photo shoot zone. These settings are designed to be simple yet sophisticated, which helps to fully display the garments effectively.

ZARA's live streaming technology is particularly advanced, using lighting techniques comparable to those found in fashion shows, creating an experience as if viewers were at the event itself. The video quality is high, with well-matched music, and the dual display of models enhances the dynamic viewing experience. The presenter's image aligns with ZARA’s brand identity, delivering clear communication that effectively demonstrates the features of the clothing. They provide professional introductions to the garments, including styling tips, fabric details, and suggestions for wear scenarios, and they are able to interact with the audience to meet their needs.

From a production standpoint, ZARA employs a variety of camera angles and advanced photography techniques that add a professional touch to the livestream. This includes backstage shots, full-body views, close-ups of garments, and long shots, making the video content clear and rich. Moreover, by incorporating elements of a fashion show, ZARA’s livestreams go beyond mere sales presentations. Through model catwalks, detailed explanations of the outfits, and live photoshoots, elements of the fashion show are integrated into the livestream, enhancing the visual appeal and detailed presentation of the products, thereby increasing consumer purchase intent.

In summary, ZARA's livestream strategy on TikTok, through high-standard visual presentation and professional content production, effectively enhances the brand image and attracts more viewer attention and interaction. By showcasing the diversity of its products and targeted market positioning and optimizing the timing and frequency of the streams during periods of high user activity, ZARA significantly increases viewer participation while maintaining content freshness and avoiding viewer fatigue.

5.2. SWOT Analysis

5.2.1. Strengths of ZARA

ZARA attracts a large number of young and middle-class customers with its affordably priced products, who seek both stylish and reasonably priced clothing. Few brands on the market achieve a perfect balance between quality, style, and price. One of ZARA's core strengths lies in its innovative design concept, which makes high-end fashion more accessible, offering a sense of style and higher product quality similar to premium brands, but at more budget-friendly prices. This attracts young fashion enthusiasts, expands its customer base, and enhances customer loyalty. In terms of production costs, ZARA's marketing expenses are relatively low. ZARA does not rely on large-scale advertising campaigns or celebrity endorsements, but focuses on location strategy, store layout, and merchandise display. Additionally, ZARA's design style largely emulates mainstream brands, a strategy that somewhat reduces its expenditures on design innovation. Although it pays significant fees for intellectual property lawsuits annually, these expenses are manageable for ZARA.

5.2.2. Disadvantages of ZARA

ZARA has long been a focal point of industry concern due to its product quality issues. Products from fast fashion brands typically cannot be used for an extended period, and ZARA's product quality has been particularly criticized. For instance, in April 2012, Greenpeace collected 141 clothing samples from 29 countries and regions around the world, including brands like Armani, Victoria's Secret, C&A, Calvin Klein, and ZARA. The survey results showed that ZARA's products had persistently high levels of harmful substances. Additionally, the Beijing Consumers Association sent a letter to ZARA's headquarters in Spain, urging them to pay attention to and improve the product quality issues at its Beijing subsidiary to protect consumer rights [10]. Moreover, ZARA frequently faces intellectual property lawsuits due to its imitation of designs, paying substantial infringement fees annually. Reports have suggested that ZARA considers these infringement fees as a type of "royalty fee". For example, in September 2013, allegations were made that ZARA's autumn-winter new product advertisements plagiarized designs from high-end brands such as Louis Vuitton, Saint Laurent, and Stella McCartney. While this behavior may yield high profits in the short term, it severely damages the brand's image and affects its sustainable development in the long run.

5.2.3. Opportunities for ZARA

The rapid development of artificial intelligence is continually impacting the fashion industry. The latest third-generation AI technologies, particularly deep learning algorithms, have been widely applied in various apparel-related areas, such as outfit coordination, color matching, sample design, and implementing virtual try-on technologies. ZARA can significantly enhance the quality of its customer service by investing in these technologies, especially in developing virtual fitting functions. Additionally, the rise in population income provides significant opportunities for ZARA. With the continuous economic growth and the increasing purchasing power of target demographics, such as the recent rise in income and consumer capability in the Chinese market, ZARA is presented with immense potential. The swift growth in developing countries also signifies substantial market potential, representing unmissable opportunities for ZARA.

5.2.4. Threats of ZARA

In the fashion industry, competition is becoming increasingly fierce. ZARA, with its wide range of product lines including menswear, womenswear, children's clothing, maternity wear, and accessories, faces numerous competitors and is in direct competition with virtually all clothing brands. Among them, the Swedish fashion brand H&M is one of ZARA's closest competitors and poses a significant challenge, as H&M's products are typically priced 20-30% lower than ZARA's [10]. This price difference places ZARA in a somewhat passive competitive position in the rapidly changing fast fashion market. ZARA's core target market is the 20 to 35-year-old young consumer group. These consumers are well-educated, have a strong passion for fashion, can quickly adapt to the latest fashion trends, and have a high level of identification with fashion brands, being extremely sensitive to fashion elements. However, if ZARA fails to create a unique brand characteristic and merely follows other brands in updating styles, it might lose the attention of the college student demographic. This decline in loyalty and the pursuit of new brands could threaten ZARA's future development and market position.

5.3. Analysis of Competitor Urban Revivo (UR)'s Strategy on Little Red Book

As of April 22, 2024, UR has 262,000 followers on the Little Red Book social media platform, with a total of 1.576 million likes and collections. They post an average of one text and image update per day, receiving an average of 15-3000 likes and 10-600 collections per post, with an average of over five comments per post. Their most popular posts receive over 4000 likes, over 1200 collections, and over 1300 comments. The main content includes product showcases, collaborations with celebrities, self-produced micro-variety shows, VLOG video formats, OOTD (Outfit of the Day) shares from fashion bloggers, designer series collaborations, offline flash events, promotional activity information, and brand stories. The official account is responsive to user inquiries about product information in the comment section.

On Little Red Book, UR's marketing strategy is clearly optimized for the platform's characteristics and user preferences. By sharing daily outfit posts (OOTD) from fashion bloggers along with product item numbers, UR provides direct purchasing links, making the buying process more convenient and straightforward, thus enhancing the shopping experience's ease and appeal. This strategy effectively shortens the conversion process from discovery to purchase, improving sales efficiency. Additionally, UR's content has become more diverse, including homemade variety shows in collaboration with celebrities and international supermodels, online prize-winning events for upcycling old items, and special outfit ideas for different festivals. By organizing prize competitions and sharing festival-themed outfits, these initiatives enrich the content format and provide valuable information and boost user engagement, interactivity, and the brand's topicality, further deepening the connection between users and the brand and increasing user loyalty and activity levels. The star effect is more prominent in UR's promotions, with data showing that content co-created with celebrities and bloggers has higher popularity and user activity levels. UR effectively enhances brand recognition and attractiveness among target consumers through collaborations with celebrities and bloggers, whose high visibility and influence also bring more exposure and attention to UR. In contrast, ZARA's titles tend to be monotonous, while UR, through unified and clear themes such as "UR Vlog," "UR Girls," "UR Boys," "UR Crush," etc., successfully crafts a young, fashionable, and diverse brand image. This helps the brand stand out in the fiercely competitive fashion market and attracts more young consumers.

6. Suggestions for ZARA's Social Media Marketing Strategy

Firstly, ZARA's daily promotional photos on social media platforms mainly feature foreign models. This article suggests using more Asian models, especially Chinese models. This can enhance the brand's cultural resonance and emotional connection with the target customers and demonstrate the brand's support for diversity and inclusivity. In this strategy, ZARA can showcase the unique charm and adaptability of its clothing in different cultural backgrounds by collaborating with Asian, especially Chinese, models. Such diversity can attract the Asian market and communicate ZARA's brand value of supporting cultural diversity to the global market. Moreover, fast-paced videos can be launched on platforms like TikTok, showcasing the dynamic effects of fashion combinations and the practicality of everyday wear. This strategy enhances users' brand awareness and stimulates their purchase intention through cultural resonance. At the same time, by continuously updating and optimizing social media content, ZARA can maintain brand vitality, attract more young users, and enhance the brand's competitiveness and visibility in the market.

Considering ZARA's primary target audience is women, and the Little Red Book platform predominantly comprises female users, this article suggests that ZARA should intensify its marketing efforts on Little Red Book to reach and attract its core consumer group more effectively. ZARA could utilize Little Red Book for in-depth brand storytelling and diverse product displays, aligning with current events to post themed outfits or launch challenges. For example, during the premiere of the movie "Dune," ZARA could introduce outfits themed around a dystopian style and simultaneously initiate a challenge encouraging users to create their own combinations and share them with a tag on the homepage. This strategy attracts the attention of movie fans and sparks broader social media discussion and participation. Additionally, ZARA could employ Little Red Book's live streaming feature to showcase the inspiration and design process behind these special collections, increasing consumer understanding and interest in the products. During live streams, fashion bloggers or designers could be invited to interact and answer viewers' questions, enhancing user engagement and brand affinity. Through the integration of these interactive and thematic activities, ZARA can effectively enhance the user experience, deepening its influence and recognition in the target market.

Furthermore, ZARA could collaborate with micro-bloggers and influencers, especially those with a significant fashion influence and a knack for sharing their own outfit styles. These partnerships could increase brand exposure and affinity. This collaborative model could take various forms, such as ZARA providing these bloggers with the latest seasonal clothing to showcase and review on their social media platforms. The bloggers' genuine usage experiences and creative presentations can capture the attention of their follower base, thereby effectively conveying the brand message to a wider audience. Additionally, ZARA could invite bloggers to participate in brand-specific events or join online interactive topics like #ZARANewLook and other social media campaigns, enhancing user participation and brand loyalty. Such cross-promotional efforts expand the brand's market impact and enhance consumer goodwill and trust towards the brand.

ZARA can also seek celebrity endorsements to enhance its brand image and gain broader recognition through the celebrity effect. By collaborating with celebrities who have high popularity and a wide fan base, the brand can effectively expand its audience, especially among young consumers. Celebrities' influence can significantly impact ZARA's market presence, particularly when they share their outfits and daily lives on social media platforms. Additionally, involving celebrities in the brand's marketing campaigns and public events can further increase brand exposure and interaction, attracting more attention and interest from consumers.

Furthermore, it is necessary to enhance ZARA's responsiveness to user needs on Little Red Book. To improve customer satisfaction and brand loyalty, ZARA can establish a dedicated customer service team to promptly respond to these comments. The team can provide detailed product information, real-time updates on promotions, and careful handling of quality feedback. Through this approach, ZARA can address specific customer inquiries and establish a proactive brand image in the minds of consumers.

At the same time, ZARA can increase engagement and visibility by launching outfit challenges, offline store exploration activities, and in-store random interviews on TikTok. For example, ZARA could regularly organize "Quick Outfit Challenges," where customers are invited to select and assemble outfits that fit a specific theme within a limited time. These activities attract young audiences on TikTok who are looking for fun and creative challenges and enhance the interaction between customers and the brand. In filming offline store exploration activities, the videos could include introductions to the latest in-store products, special promotional information, and displays of customer try-on experiences. In-store random interviews offer another strategy to boost user engagement. By interviewing customers with diverse backgrounds and sharing their shopping experiences and fashion insights, these authentic voices can provide purchase references for other customers while showcasing the versatility and applicability of ZARA's apparel. The interviews can be edited into short videos, combined with outfit displays and customer reviews, and then promoted on TikTok. Through these innovative and interactive content, ZARA can increase its activity on TikTok and further attract and maintain customer groups, enhancing the brand image and market share.

7. Conclusion

ZARA, as a pioneer in the fast-fashion industry, has established a certain market presence on Chinese social media platforms. However, its promotional strategies still show potential for improvement. On platforms like Weibo and Little Red Book, ZARA's content strategy lacks specificity and diversity, and its interactivity is relatively weak. In contrast, ZARA's live marketing on TikTok demonstrates outstanding visual effects and interactivity. The content is rich and detailed, and the duration and frequency of live streams meet audience demands effectively.

This article offers specific suggestions for ZARA's social media marketing strategy in China. Firstly, it is recommended that ZARA enhance its brand storytelling and product displays on Little Red Book, effectively use live streaming features, collaborate with influential Weibo personalities and internet celebrities, hire celebrity endorsers, and strengthen responses to user feedback. Secondly, it is advised to promote a diversity of models on TikTok, regularly post outfit challenges, conduct offline store exploration activities, and share shopping experiences and fashion perspectives through random interviews with different customers. These strategies will help ZARA improve brand recognition and consumer resonance on Chinese social media, thereby expanding its market share.

In summary, by implementing the above-mentioned strategies, ZARA is expected to achieve more effective brand building and market expansion in the field of social media in China. This will enhance interaction between the brand and consumers and deepen consumer recognition and preference for ZARA products. The analysis of ZARA's social media marketing strategies in China provided in this article is beneficial for companies in the fast fashion industry, especially those aiming to increase their influence in the Chinese market. These strategies help to enhance brand awareness and influence in the Chinese market and provide ideas and methods for effectively promoting brands on social media for companies in other industries. Through the marketing strategies proposed in this article, these companies can better understand the needs and preferences of Chinese consumers, thus formulating more effective marketing strategies to enhance their competitiveness in the Chinese market. Although this study proposes some suggestions for ZARA's social media marketing in China, there are still certain objective limitations. Future research could further explore Chinese consumers' perceptions and preferences of fast fashion brands, as well as differences in user behavior on different social media platforms, to better guide brand marketing practices.