The 2020 pandemic had a huge impact on the global business environment, with many industries suffering losses, but various online live-stream industries took a step up during the pandemic.

For many brands, offline launches and strategy conferences were hindered. Launches are tied to annual plans, and postponing or canceling them has significant effects. Moving launches online not only meets corporate needs but also avoids crowds. As a result, brands quickly adopted online launches, making it a trend.

Usually, the venue and class of a launch are carefully considered, but now everyone is doing online launches, making creativity the absolute focus, and possibly a chance for a comeback.

Here are some distinctive online launch cases to see how major brands play new tricks.

Virtual World Conference Marks a Milestone

What would it be like to hold a large real-world conference entirely in a virtual world?

On March 19, HTC held its first VIVE Virtual Ecosystem Conference (V²EC 2020), attracting over a thousand VR participants from 55 countries, with over 500,000 live-stream views, as global netizens witnessed this milestone.

Users entered the virtual world in various ways: some via PC VR, some via standalone VR headsets, and some just with a computer. First, they generated a 3D avatar from a 2D photo. In the virtual venue, they could enjoy sea views, chat, play basketball, ring bells, play chess, or try VR games on VIVEPORT.

In this virtual conference, air hugs, speeches, and roundtable discussions were all possible. Of course, there were also flashy moves like instantly donning protective suits or a train derailing into the scene. Is this the future of online conferences?

Charity Concert Enhances Artistic Image

On April 12, Buick GL8 Avenir Avia was launched via cloud. Although it didn't generate explosive traffic or topics, this cloud launch had another key focus: the first domestic cloud performance of "Twelve Bells of Wuhan" by renowned composer and conductor Tan Dun.

Since February, "Twelve Bells of Wuhan" had been performed in cities like Berlin, London, and Moscow, paying tribute to the Chinese people's efforts in fighting the pandemic.

The concert reduced the commercial nature of the cloud launch, making it more like a charity performance celebrating Wuhan's reopening. In this sense, the cloud launch earned more goodwill for the brand.

Using a charity concert to attract a large audience and leveraging artistic attributes to enhance the brand image and gain recognition from target consumers, Buick's cloud launch was a dual win with both passersby and fans.

Innovative TED Talk for Heartfelt Communication

On the evening of April 10, 2020, Audi, in collaboration with Shenzhen TV, presented the super launch of the new Audi A4L, themed "Be a Stronger Self." At the product's full upgrade, a TED-talk-style launch refreshed the public's traditional perception of the "lamp factory."

This atypical car launch didn't show off lights or technology but focused on the inner emotions of "online viewers" to resonate with users.

TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, and Design, with diverse speech content and a novel format.

Additionally, by refining the product, four key points were highlighted: stronger genes, stronger appearance, stronger brain, and stronger performance. Luo Zhenyu, Wei Kunlin, Zhang Weili, and Li Yifeng were selected as speakers.

The speakers' content combined their personal experiences and aligned closely with the brand and product. Unlike simple endorsements, each speaker communicated sincerely with the audience, making it not just a big "fan service" but also full of substance, resonating with more passersby.

Quirky Debate Show with Deep Content Integration

Have you ever seen a launch turned into a variety show?

A quirky debate tagged "Argument Enthusiasts Here" revolved around the topic "Facing Trends: Follow or Stand Out?" Since it was a launch, product-related content was closely tied to the debaters' speeches. This "fake Qipa Shuo" scene attracted many fans of the show.

Besides the novel format, this launch was a deep integration of brand and quality content, making even the advertisement less off-putting.

No Grandeur, Win with Duration

On April 26, XPeng Motors held a 24-hour ultra-long online launch for the XPeng P7 on Bilibili.

The epic "super long super long super long super long super long super long super long 24-hour live stream" was a great gimmick, combined with the Bilibili platform to showcase the product in a younger way. This ultra-long stream also highlighted the XPeng P7's ultra-long range. The seven "long" characters represented the P7's over 700-kilometer range, cleverly linking product features with the launch event.

Using the launch duration as a highlight, paired with top Bilibili influencers, and engaging users deeply through various segments and product stories, XPeng's online launch was not only rich in content but also enhanced watchability.

Among these varied brand online launches, which one do you pick?

When offline becomes online and the stage becomes a screen, high-quality, interesting, and watchable content and products remain the core competitiveness. How to best combine hot topics, get close to consumer groups, and maximize the delivery of brand and product information to everyone is a key consideration in planning online launches.

Moreover, besides carefully planning content formats, the selection of public figures and online celebrities is also crucial. Today's marketing often prioritizes popularity, but for brands, mere traffic cannot fully convey the spiritual essence they wish to express. Invited guests must match the brand and product traits to maximize effectiveness.