Background

Petit Bateau is a French fashion house of quality clothing and underwear for children that dates back to 1893. The brand is known for its timeless French designs, comfortable materials and fine craftsmanship, making it the most beloved kidswear brand by generations of French families.

With a presence in more than 50 countries worldwide, this iconic French brand, therefore, faces various challenges – in particular in getting its brand messaging across in a dynamic global context full of cultural diversities.

As Petit Bateau steps up its expansion in China, we are commissioned to advise Petit Bateau on a brand localization strategy in the China market, with the localization of its current brand platform and brand messaging, as well as a communication plan on various touchpoints.

Our Solutions

We believe in the power of telling a unique story that builds genuine human connection. Based on a deep understanding of the Chinese market, we set out to identify Petit Bateau’s distinctive selling points that resonate with Chinese consumers and amplify them via a localized brand story and key messaging that can be applied to all social media and e-commerce platforms, aided by a series of marketing campaigns.

With the goal of increasing Petit Bateau’s local presence and establishing the brand as a top-class kidswear label in the Chinese market, we also dive into consumer insights and best practices, while conducting interviews with key stakeholders and an extensive competitor audit to back our action with solid data analysis.

Results

Through these brand localization efforts, we developed an effective communication channel with high local relevance for Petit Bateau to bond with Chinese consumers emotionally. In 2023, the Petit Bateau brand localization project won the Gold Award for Best Localization of an International Brand at the Transform Awards Asia.