Power of Localization | SM China Cited for Excellence in Marketing by Mall China

The 22nd Annual Conference of Mall China International Forum & 2024 CASC Development Symposium was held in Shanghai, September 11. Mr. Steven T. Tan, President of SM Supermalls, was invited to share his business insights as panelist. During the event, SM Supermalls China was presented Golden Mall Award for Excellent Marketing.

In the CASC President Forum, experts with professional prestige and achievements in China, Russia, Sweden, USA, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, etc., talked about shopping center operation localization.

When entering into a new market, SM gives priority to localization and starts taking steps from the needs of consumers and community and city identity through SM Cares, the corporate responsibility arm of SM Malls. An example is the regular coastal cleanup activities conducted at SM Mall of Asia. This is done by mall employees and their families, tenants, the people around the whole city. While during typhoon seasons, SM opens up the malls for the distinct refuge and let people park their cars overnight for free, according to Tan.

“These are the small things that we need to do because we don't just earn money from our consumers, actually we care them from our deep heart.” Tan shared, during the pandemic lockdown in the Philippines, work-from-home staff’s compensation and benefits, direct rewards to the outsourced security guards and janitors, rental relief and assistance in operation resumption for tenant partners are the top issue to be solved. SM considers its tenants not as tenants but as partners, better up the malls through building the community of shared value and fully activate the power of localization in functions, scenarios and services.

SM Supermalls China received an honor of the night, claiming the Golden Mall List of Excellent Marketing 2024. The campaign ‘Rollers in a Riot of Color: 1864 Panda Tour @SM China’ has been through intense competition and judging, successfully become another credit to the pros of SM Supermalls’ localization management.

SM Supermalls China introduced paper sculptures of giant panda created by artist Han Meilin, toured the provincial and municipal debut show of ‘1864 Panda Tour’ in Yangzhou City, Suzhou City, Shandong Province and Tianjin City consecutively from late November, 2023 to May, 2024, collaborated with One Planet Foundation.

These paper rollers started their trip from Yangzhou with season’s greetings, celebrated the Chinese Spring Festival with Suzhou people, enjoyed the featured flavors in Zibo, Shandong and then danced in the blooming tulips in the warm gusts of spring in Tianjin. SM’s innovative integration of city identity and youth culture transformed these delicate black-and-white pandas into the brilliant colors with sustainable power.

SM Yangzhou, SM Suzhou, SM Zibo and SM Tianjin, engaged over 30 third parties including WWF, OPF, China Post, local media and charitable institutes to present the rollers’ landmark pop ups, Xmas lighting ceremony, lectures focusing on endangered animals’ protection, city-roll strategy campaign, panda’s flower world show, endangered-species drawing and photography contests, themed stamps launch, 1000-sqm panda camp, etc.

The 170-day exhibition tour attracted over 8.28 million mall footfall and reached over 4.26 million visitors, garnered 31.86 million plus views of media exposure from a wide range of NGO, art, culture, urban life, etc. Its debut in Yangzhou also recruited 15,225 new members for SM Yangzhou which owns mall membership hub offering exclusive value-added services.