Michael Kors Banks On JC-T Endorsement For Foothold In Chinese Youth Market

American luxury brand Michael Kors has recently sealed a celebrity endorsement from Chinese idol Tan Jianci, who is more popularly known as JC-T. 

The deal sees JC-T as the latest Greater China brand ambassador, joining the likes of Bai Lu, Miss A’s Wang Feifei and Shu Qi, as the American brand aims to appeal to a more youthful demographic in the region.

“JC-T is a magnetic force when it comes to his work and his style,” said the brand’s founder and fashion designer Michael Kors in a release. “We’re thrilled to welcome him to the Michael Kors family.”

The 33-year-old multi-talented entertainer who has had a momentous 2023— receiving critical acclaim for iQIYI drama Under the Skin and releasing his debut album Dreams—is a massive presence on popular Chinese social media platform Weibo. 

With his first Michael Kors campaign generating over 200m views and fuelling over 5.7m engagements on Weibo within a mere four hours of the official announcement. It has also launched “JCTalk”, a branded content series to engage with Gen Zs and Alphas in China. 

This is a positive sign for the brand as it refreshes its image for Chinese youth, moving beyond its typecast of a staid, entry-level luxury brand handbag.  

Apart from celebrity endorsements, Michael Kors has also backed the last China Golden Rooster Awards, aiming to connect with its target audience through A-lister stardom, as it hopes to cement its status in China’s highly competitive budget-friendly luxury market. 

According to ASN data, Michael Kors is a mere challenger brand for its category with a 1% share and investing a figure slightly north of US$3.1m in China’s sponsorship market since Q224. As previously mentioned, it tends to focus on celebrity endorsements and A-lister red carpet events. As for Q124, the brand is tipped to increase its average quarterly spends by 21.6% to US$359k from US$290k, signalling its ambitions to engage younger Chinese consumers.