Application Of Word-Of-Mouth Marketing In The Travel Luggage Industry

Application of Word-of-Mouth Marketing in the Travel Luggage Industry

 

In the increasingly fierce competition within the travel luggage industry, word-of-mouth (WOM) marketing has been upgraded from a supplementary promotional method to a core brand competency. The scale of China's e-commerce travel luggage bag market is projected to exceed 300 billion yuan in 2025. Product homogenization has rendered price wars ineffective, and as consumers' reliance on genuine user feedback reaches 78% during the decision-making process, WOM marketing has become the critical path for brands to break through. By building a foundation on product strength, multi-channel dissemination, and service closure, leading brands have achieved a dual growth in both reputation and sales, reshaping the industry's marketing landscape.

 

I. Product Strength: The Core Cornerstone of Word-of-Mouth Marketing

 

High-quality products are the source of WOM dissemination. Travel suitcase brands establish a foundation for WOM marketing by focusing on core function upgrades and quality control, enabling users to spontaneously become brand "ambassadors."

 

(I) Functional Innovation Directly Addresses User Pain Points

 

Brands continuously innovate around core demands such as durability, convenience, and scenario adaptability, creating highlights for WOM dissemination. Level 8's self-developed "Small Yellow Wheels" are SGS certified, producing a noise level of only 52dB under a 20kg load at 5km/h, lower than the industry average of 65dB. With a wear rate of less than 0.3mm after continuous travel for 45 kilometers, this core advantage has become a high-frequency topic for user sharing. TraveRE (China popular suitcase brands TraveRE) travel suitcase models equipped with a Bluetooth smart tracking module offer a mobile App positioning accuracy of 2 meters, solving the pain point of lost baggage, with related features receiving a 63% share of positive reviews. Air-Suisse's expandable travel luggage bag can add 12L of capacity when unfolded, an expansion ratio of 14%, with 78% of users highlighting the practicality of this feature in their reviews. For those needing maximum space, consider a large sized suitcase model for maximum utility.

 

(II) Quality Control Secures the Foundation of Trust

 

Strict quality standards ensure that products withstand market scrutiny, establishing a "durable" label in their reputation. Level 8 utilizes German Covestro PC raw material, offering 28% higher drop resistance than ABS+PC blend materials. Its YKK explosion-proof zipper passes 5,000 reciprocal opening and closing tests, resulting in a 98% favorable rating on the JD platform. TraveRE (China famous luggage brands TraveRE) aluminium frame suitcase boasts a pressure resistance of 180kg, and its 9H-grade scratch-resistant surface finish remains unblemished after 500 rubs with steel wool, leading to a 38% repurchase rate. Diplomat travel trolley bags pass a 500-cycle oscillation test without deformation, with a shake amplitude of only 8mm, better than the industry average, achieving a 95% after-sales satisfaction rate.

 

(III) Authoritative Certification Enhances WOM Credibility

 

Brands provide authoritative endorsement for WOM dissemination through international awards and professional testing certifications. Level 8 has continuously won the German Red Dot Award and the iF Design Award, with the jury praising its "seamless integration of technological aesthetics and mobile scenarios." Numerous brand products pass inspections by institutions like CNLIA and Intertek, with anti-impact and anti-pressure indicators exceeding national standards. These certification results are widely cited by users in their reviews and shares, enhancing the persuasiveness of the reputation.

 

II. Multi-Channel Dissemination: The Efficient Path for WOM Diffusion

 

Brands integrate KOL/KOC collaborations, User-Generated Content (UGC) incentives, and so

cial media interaction channels to achieve large-scale and precise dissemination of high-quality reputation, reaching a wider range of potential users.

 

(I) KOL/KOC Precise Seeding

 

Brands select appropriate opinion leaders based on their positioning to achieve brand breakthrough through WOM. High-end brands tend to collaborate with fashion bloggers to convey design texture through outfit displays; mass-market brands leverage travel and review KOCs to publish genuine use experiences. Level 8 launched a co-branded edition with Jay Chou's PHANTACì, selling out 23,000 units on Dewu in 3 minutes. Chinese women's basketball player Yang Shuyu's travel vlog featuring her 29 inch luggage generated 110 million views for the associated Weibo topic, driving a 67% increase in sales that month. Deep-dive reviews by vertical bloggers on platforms like Bilibili and Zhihu, which meticulously analyze shell material and wheel performance of the travel suitcase, have become crucial references for consumer decision-making.

 

(II) UGC Content Incentives and Retention

 

Brands guide users to generate content through activities, making WOM dissemination more authentic and infectious. Some brands conduct "Review for Rewards" campaigns on e-commerce platforms, encouraging consumers to share usage scenarios, styling tips, and actual test experiences. Effective review volumes for brands like Jingdong Jingzao and Hanke have surpassed 100,000. Level 8 created the "Just Go, Create the Extraordinary" video series on Bilibili, co-creating travel stories with users to enhance emotional resonance. On Zhihu, brands actively adopt user suggestions to iterate products, forming a positive reputation of "user participation in R&D." The search term "large sized suitcase" on Xiaohongshu platform saw a 142% month-over-month increase in September 2025, with 58% of the sharing content originating from ordinary users' authentic experiences.

 

(III) Social Media Interaction Amplifies WOM Effect

 

Brands build communication bridges through social platforms to sustain the WOM effect. On Weibo, brands initiate hashtag challenges, encouraging users to share travel luggage bag pairings and travel experiences to boost brand exposure. Official WeChat accounts regularly push knowledge about travel trolley bags maintenance and scenario-based usage guides, strengthening brand memory while providing practical value. On Douyin (TikTok), brands visually present core advantages through short videos demonstrating product durability and waterproof performance, with single viral videos reaching tens of millions of views, driving a 50%+ increase in search volume for related products.

 

III. Service Closure: The Key Guarantee for WOM Retention

 

High-quality pre-sales consultation and after-sales service can defuse negative sentiment and reinforce positive experiences, forming a virtuous cycle of "Purchase - Satisfaction - Sharing" that ensures continuous WOM retention.

 

(I) Comprehensive After-Sales Guarantee System

 

Brands eliminate consumer concerns by extending warranty periods and simplifying return/exchange procedures for their travel luggage. Diplomat, leveraging over 300 offline counters nationwide, provides lifetime warranty service, with an average response time of only 18 hours. NetEase Yanxuan implements a 365-day replacement-only, no-repair policy, with 11,000 items replaced cumulatively from January to September 2025, and a user satisfaction rate of 94%. Xiaomi's ecosystem has over 2,000 after-sales service points, offering a 2-year full-machine warranty on their travel suitcase, reducing after-sales response time to 24 hours. These service policies are a crucial component of positive user reviews, increasing the brand's willingness to be recommended.

 

(II) Efficient Handling of Negative Word-of-Mouth

 

Brands establish a rapid response mechanism, turning negative reviews into opportunities for reputation repair. For issues reported by users, such as stuck pull handles or noisy wheels on their travel luggage bag, brands resolve them promptly through free repairs or component replacements, achieving an 89% satisfaction rate with the resolution. Some brands assign dedicated personnel on e-commerce platforms to liaise with negative reviewers, responding and following up on the process within 24 hours to prevent the spread of negative WOM. Data shows that in cases where negative reviews are handled properly, 37% of users update their reviews to positive, effectively mitigating negative impact.

 

(III) Personalized Service Enhances User Experience

 

Brands strengthen user loyalty and promote WOM dissemination through customized services. High-end brands offer personalized services such as letter customization and color selection for their travel suitcase, meeting consumers' exclusive needs. Some brands provide value-added services for business users, such as airport charging and baggage storage, forming differentiated WOM. Level 8 iterated its products based on suggestions from Zhihu users, making consumers feel valued and spontaneously spreading positive brand sentiment.

 

IV. Challenges and Trends: The Advancement of Word-of-Mouth Marketing

 

Despite the significant success of WOM marketing, the industry still faces three major challenges: intensified market competition leading to homogenization of reputation, rapid spread of negative WOM through social media, and difficulty in precisely quantifying marketing effectiveness. In the future, WOM marketing in the travel luggage industry will upgrade in three directions:

 

(I) Technology-Driven Precision Marketing

 

Leveraging big data and AI technology to analyze user needs and generate personalized content recommendations for travel luggage. Monitoring social platform WOM keywords to quickly capture user pain points and guide product iteration; using algorithms to match target users with KOCs to enhance seeding conversion rates.

 

(II) Integration of Environmental and Social Responsibility into WOM

 

As environmental awareness rises, brands will strengthen the communication of green concepts. Highlighting the use of eco-friendly materials and sustainable production processes to attract socially responsible consumers, forming a differentiated competitive advantage through "Eco-Reputation." This applies particularly to travel trolley bags where material choice is visible.

 

(III) Omnichannel WOM Integration

 

Breaking down online and offline barriers to achieve seamless WOM dissemination for all travel luggage types. Offline stores establish experience zones to encourage users to share actual test feelings; online platforms simultaneously display offline user feedback, building a full-link WOM closed loop of "Experience - Share - Purchase - Reshare."

 

The essence of WOM marketing is the sincere communication between the brand and the user. Travel luggage brands, through the synergistic efforts of product strength, communication power, and service power, enable reputation to become a core driver for sustainable growth. In the future, only by continuously focusing on user needs, innovating communication methods, and perfecting the service experience can brands seize the initiative in the WOM competition and achieve a dual increase in brand value and market share.