FROM SETBACK IN VIETNAM TO VIRAL SUCCESS IN THE PHILIPPINES:

CHAGEE’S CROSS-BORDER KOL MARKETING TURNAROUND

Amid the wave of global brands racing into Southeast Asia, “how to quickly win over local consumers” has become a shared challenge for companies everywhere. The Chinese tea beverage brand CHAGEE offers a success story worth learning from through its marketing push into the Philippines in 2025. In particular, its use of influencer marketing demonstrated a high level of strategic thinking and strong sensitivity to local market dynamics.

Brand Debut: From Pop-Up Events To Social Media Virality
In August 2025, CHAGEE simultaneously opened three stores in Manila, all strategically located in high-traffic shopping malls, including SM North EDSA, Robinsons Galleria, and Venice Grand Canal Mall.

To generate buzz before the grand opening, the brand held a week-long pop-up event in July called the “7-Day Power Up Challenge”, combining interactive games, free tastings, and check-in tasks, which successfully attracted a large crowd. Participants who uploaded event photos to social media with the hashtag #CHAGEEPOWERUP had the chance to win gacha coins and exclusive CHAGEE merchandise, causing the social media conversation to quickly gain momentum.

But the real key that drove the brand’s visibility to explode across the board was the meticulously planned influencer marketing strategy behind it.

How Does Influencer Marketing Maximize Its Impact?
CHAGEE partnered with an overseas promotion team and invested a substantial marketing budget, focusing on social media amplification and KOL collaborations. The key execution highlights were as follows:

(1) Local KOL collaborations: Targeted Philippine-based micro-influencers (10K–100K followers) in lifestyle, food, and beauty niches. The strategy emphasized authentic experiences and word-of-mouth sharing to enhance credibility and trust.

(2) Primary focus on TikTok and Instagram: Leveraged short-form videos and high-quality visual content to attract younger audiences and create strong visual recall.

(3) Interactive content design: Invited influencers to participate in pop-up events, producing “First Sip Reaction” videos and beverage merchandise unboxings, while tagging official accounts such as #CHAGEEPH and @chagee.ph to boost social exposure.

(4) UGC-driven word-of-mouth amplification: Encouraged consumers to check in and share their own experiences, generating secondary social media diffusion and further expanding brand reach.

According to social media data tracking, during the campaign period, related videos on TikTok achieved an average engagement rate of 8–12%, while Instagram posts recorded engagement rates of 3–6%—significantly higher than the average performance of typical brand marketing campaigns. This indicates that consumers not only noticed the brand, but also actively engaged with, shared, and discussed its content.
The brand clearly targeted younger audiences (Gen Z and Millennials), positioning itself around ‘healthy tea beverages’ and ‘Eastern aesthetics,’ successfully attracting young consumers who are interested in novelty, quality, and cultural appeal.

What Did CHAGEE Learn From Its Setback In Vietnam, And How Did It Adjust Its Strategy In The Philippines?
In reality, CHAGEE’s overseas expansion has not been entirely smooth. When the brand first entered the Vietnamese market in early 2025, it faced strong backlash from local consumers due to the use of a controversial “nine-dash line” map in its app interface. Compounded by ineffective social media crisis management, the controversy continued to escalate. This incident exposed shortcomings in the brand’s cultural sensitivity, crisis response capabilities, and localization strategy. As a result, CHAGEE made clear strategic adjustments when entering the Philippine market:

(1) Avoiding cultural controversy: All marketing materials and app content deliberately steered clear of geopolitically sensitive issues, instead focusing on themes such as “health,” “energy,” and “tea culture.”

(2) Integrating local elements: Campaign designs incorporated interactive elements popular with Filipino consumers, with on-site communication conducted in English and Tagalog to demonstrate respect and approachability.

(3) Deepening the KOL strategy: The brand prioritized experiential sharing through micro-influencers, resulting in more natural content and more authentic engagement.

(4) Adjusting social media tone: Official accounts adopted a friendlier and more positive response style, clearly reflecting the brand’s growth and maturity in communication.

These adjustments not only successfully mitigated cultural risks but also helped the brand generate positive buzz and achieve high levels of consumer favorability in the Philippine market.

Overview And Opportunity Analysis Of The Philippine Tea Beverage Market
The Philippines is one of the youngest consumer markets in Southeast Asia, with a population exceeding 110 million, more than half of whom are under the age of 30. These young consumers are quick to embrace emerging food and beverage trends and tend to favor sweet, indulgent drinks with rich toppings—creating significant growth potential for hand-shaken beverage brands.
In the current Philippine hand-shaken beverage market, Royal Tea, a Macau-based brand with strong popularity in the Philippines, stands out among younger consumers through its visually appealing cup designs and social media check-in strategies. Although CHAGEE is a relatively new entrant, it has rapidly generated buzz through pop-up events and influencer collaborations, demonstrating strong market potential and momentum.

Intense Market Competition, Yet Opportunities Remain
Although the hand-shaken beverage market is highly competitive, several entry opportunities still exist:

(1) Localized flavors: Filipinos prefer sweet drinks with rich toppings. Brands that incorporate local dessert culture (e.g., halo-halo, taho) can resonate more strongly with consumers.

(2) Visual appeal and experience: Young consumers value photo-worthy moments. Creative packaging and aesthetically designed stores are key differentiators.

(3) Cultural and linguistic localization: From copywriting to marketing materials, content should align closely with local cultural context.

(4) Optimized delivery channels: Platforms like Grab and Foodpanda dominate consumer habits. Enhancing delivery experience can significantly increase market penetration.

According to Persistence Market Research, the global hand-shaken tea market is projected to reach $3.13 billion by 2025, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.7% through 2032. This indicates that not only the Philippines but the entire Southeast Asian region is a highly competitive and strategic market for tea beverage brands.

Key Takeaway For Brands: Overseas Markets Can’t Rely On Advertising Alone
CHAGEE’s success demonstrates that entering the Southeast Asian market cannot rely solely on traditional advertising or isolated promotional events. What truly opens the hearts of local consumers is a localized influencer marketing strategy. By collaborating with local KOLs, brands can not only establish trust quickly but also naturally integrate their brand image into the everyday lives of social media communities. However, executing this strategy requires a professional team that carefully manages every detail—from selecting the right influencers, scripting content, and designing interactive campaigns, to tracking performance metrics and navigating language and cultural differences.

Conclusion: Choosing the Right Partner is Key for Cross-Border Marketing
Entering overseas markets is a long-term endeavor. Brands that partner with local experts can save time and budget while avoiding costly missteps. In the field of Southeast Asian influencer marketing, AsiaKOL leverages extensive local resources and hands-on experience to craft the most effective cross-border marketing solutions. Want your brand to make a splash in Southeast Asia? Start with influencer marketing, and take off with AsiaKOL.

Source:
https://www.sohu.com/a/908983600_206880
https://www.flw.ph/thread-1355526-1-1.html
https://www.instagram.com/chagee.ph/