How can the direct selling industry seize the historical opportunities presented by the latest evolution of the Internet, to integrate digitalization into existing business models and tap into new business value? Infinitus is launching a new global model that it has dubbed Direct Selling X Social E-commerce. Quietly, a sea change is taking place across the industry.
The marketing model is gradually evolving, driven by digital transformation
The COVID-19 pandemic that has swept the planet has had a major impact on national economies worldwide, with trade, tourism, restaurants and transportation taking the biggest hits. Direct selling was no exception.
However, every cloud has a silver lining. The pandemic has raised awareness about health, and, by the same token, an expectation for better health care and health products. The Health China 2030 Plan proposes that by 2030, the overall scale of China’s health service industry will climb to 16 trillion yuan (approx. US$2.5 trillion), while proactive disease prevention in tandem with health care and wellness will become an important trend. At the same time, the pandemic has accelerated a shift in consumption habits, with more consumers preferring to shop online. New intelligent technologies, products and business models such as telecommuting and social retailing as a result of the effect of the measures put in place to deal with the pandemic have become new growth points in various industries. The number of practitioners in China’s social e-commerce sector surpassed 70 million in 2020, with no slowing down in sight. As a result, for businesses, the integration of online and offline businesses has become an irreversible trend.
Infinitus, a leader in the sector, has, since the beginning of 2020, already made digital transformation a priority. The company’s Fifth Five-Year Development Plan set forth four goals: product leadership, culture leadership, digital transformation, and business model evolution, while redefining the company’s key mission: health and wellness.
2. Break down all barriers to creative thinking and adopt innovative approaches to recreate direct selling
Since 2020, Infinitus dealers have seen major changes in their marketing approach. In the past, they spent a lot of time communicating with customers face-to-face. In 2020, Infinitus adopted Enterprise WeChat as the first step in digitalizing its businesses.
The company has also launched several virtual assistants on its online platform: Infinitus WeStore, Marketing Assistant and Jiyouliao, which are applets based on WeChat ecology jointly created by Infinitus and Tencent Smart Retail.
Infinitus WeStore, an online mall stocking all Infinitus product categories, is where shoppers, once they have registered, can purchase products online, directly from the source. With the Marketing Assistant, dealers can build and manage their own online “exclusive mini-stores”, view user visits, and follow up on sales. The applets help dealers set up their customer database and regularly remind them of customers that need follow up. Through the platform, the dealers can continuously maintain communications online with and provide services to their customers. Jiyouliao is a portable content library tailored for dealers, with features that allow them to save and share a wide array of informative content such as one-click-access video clips and posters officially released by the company, facilitating the creation of rich content in WeChat Moments to attract customers.
The online platform has been designed to fully maximize operational efficiency in that a dealer needs only a cellphone to acquire a lead and convert into a buying customer. In addition, Infinitus empowers dealers at three levels: customer acquisition and conversion, choice of marketing method and content follow-up, helping them greatly improve the efficiency in customer acquisition, follow up selling and sales conversion, while providing support for their business ventures.
Such a shift did not happen overnight. In fact, in September 2019, Infinitus launched Cloud Shopping and global purchase store Infini-mart, formally setting in motion the roll out of Infinitus’ new business model and the unfolding of a new e-commerce era.
In January 2020, Infinitus expanded into the Korean market with an innovative cross-border social e-commerce model. Just six months later, in July, the company entered the Australian market.
3. Create new growth with a people-centric approach
At Infinitus, the move to digitalization, the innovation of the Easy Earn* system, and the launch of new products came together to meet the expectations of customers and business partners.
Infinitus’ experience proved that direct selling and social e-commerce are not contradictory, but mutually beneficial. The Direct Selling X Social Ecommerce model is not a direct selling reboot, nor is it a simple addition of direct selling and social commerce. The model adopts new Internet-based technologies and methods, as well as big data and digital tools to strengthen customer trust and connection. It’s not only a combination of online and offline channels, but rather a multiplication of the two.
In the past two years, Infinitus has exhibited substantial growth as a result of its foray into Direct Selling X Social E-commerce. More than one million dealers have chosen the Easy Earn method, a new model of social e-commerce, and have enhanced their profits. Most of them are grassroots marketers. This set of data fully proves that one million plus dealers can’t be wrong: the Direct Selling X Social E-commerce model is working.
The essence of direct selling is sharing, and so is the essence of social e commerce. In terms of business models, Direct Selling X Social Ecommerce is an Infinitus innovation. The company plans to invest 3.4 billion yuan (approx US$526 million) in the digital transformation and in brand building. By grasping the current social e-commerce dividend, finding the right marketing model, and inspiring the business potential, Infinitus is accelerating its pace towards achieving its mission and creating a whole new series of growth points.
*Easy Earn: For products that are easy to share and promote (such as the Oriherb series, products available on Infinitus’ global shopping website) Infinitus launched the “Easy Earn” reward system, in addition to the original bonus system. The system provides discounts to customers in the form of spending points and rewards sales representatives with bonuses.
Infinitus, founded in 1992, is a member company of LKK Health Products Group. It is a modern large-scale enterprise in health and wellness industry, specializing in R&D, production, sales and services of Chinese herbal health products. Infinitus strives to build competitive advantages in product, brand, core technology and platform construction. We have always been committed to providing consumers with high-quality Chinese herbal health products. Adhering our core value, “Si Li Ji Ren”, we persist to advocate the excellence of Chinese wellness traditions. Starting from China, we envision to serve the world globally by creating a healthier and happier world.
