Dear IWC fans,
A national trade publication reports that in 2011 Chinese consumers conducted more online searches for high-end watches than those in the U.S. The report showed that among searches for information on high-end watches, a total of 17 percent, or one in every six, are now conducted from a mobile device.
IWC, Patek Philippe and Zenith were the most searched-for brands, capturing 50 percent of the search engine market share worldwide. IWC was tops overall with 23 percent, followed by Patek Philippe at 16 percent and Zenith at 11 percent. IWC also received acclaim in the report for its social media strategy, with it ranking as the most advanced among the high-end brands. On Facebook, IWC has a community of 230,000 people, more than twice the size of its nearest rival, Jaeger-LeCoultre with 85,000. The brand is also active on Twitter and Chinese micro-blogging website Sina Weibo.
For those who wondered about the glitzy event held last week by IWC in Geneva the above statistics are food for thought. The brand is now widely recognized and sought out around the globe. A nice way to start the year 2012.
Regards,
Jack Freedman
