As the Water Tiger pounced into 2022 a year of courage, determination, resilience and competitiveness was predicted. And these traits were seen in abundance. While the Year of the Rat (2020) was about survival and the Year of the Ox (2021) was about anchoring into a new reality, the Year of the Tiger was all about making big changes and being a little more daring. 2023 is the year of the Water Rabbit, so what can we expect?
Year of the Water Tiger – A Recap
Just like tigers, Asian companies retained precision focus, adapting to suit the post-pandemic environment. While over half of companies in Asia expected their staff to work in the office full-time before covid, the number has now fallen to 13% with remote working positions more frequently advertised to find and retain the best talent. From a marketing perspective, determination in social commerce has also paid off with the industry now expected to grow steadily over the forecast period, recording a CAGR of 34.4% during 2022-2028. Asian start-ups also raised big funding rounds to support their growth and embraced social tools such as live streaming to draw in an audience.
The Year of the Tiger certainly encouraged persistence and growth. But what’s in store for the Year of the Water Rabbit? Let’s take a closer look.
The Year of the Water Rabbit – An Overview
The Chinese New Year and Year of the Water Rabbit will start on 22 January 2023 and run through to 9 February 2024 (Chinese New Year’s Eve). The Rabbit is a symbol of longevity, peace and prosperity in Chinese culture. But how might the Zodiac influence your Asian marketing strategy? As an agency dedicated to following global customs and traditions, we’re hopping into the details with curiosity and optimism.
Fun Fact: You’re a Water Rabbit if you were born in 2011, 1999, 1987, 1975, 1963, 1951, 1939, 1927. Notable Water Rabbits include Johnny Depp, Michael Jordan and Brad Pitt.
The Year of the Water Rabbit – A Year of Vigilance
Rabbits survive by being vigilant creatures – especially when out in the wild. Those born in a Rabbit year are expected to possess this quality while the year ahead is thought to bring peace and success, with Rabbits remaining calm and making intelligent decisions.
From a marketing perspective, this is relevant. With so many developments occurring daily, it’s crucial to adapt your strategies accordingly. This might mean using new features such as the ‘music in feed’ update from Instagram which allows users to add up to 90-seconds of music to their in-feed photo posts in a bid to improve post expression. Or watching new social media platforms such as BeReal which embraces Gen-Z’s love of authenticity and encourages people to take pictures as they are without the need for hours of editing.
Fun Fact: The Rabbit is the fourth sign of the zodiac. The five elements attributed to the Rabbit all mean different things and follow a 60-year cycle.
- Wood Rabbit [1915, 1975] Clever, smart, egoistic, vibrant, but delicate at heart.
- Fire Rabbit [1927, 1987] Broad-minded, smart, and flexible, with unique views.
- Earth Rabbit [1939, 1999] Simple, ambitious, hard-working, but slightly reserved.
- Gold Rabbit [1951, 2011] Kind-hearted, conservative, lively, and enthusiastic.
- Water Rabbit [1963, 2023] Soft, friendly, readily adjustable, but with low mentality and principles.
The Year of the Water Rabbit – A Year of Calm, Decisive Actions
In Chinese culture, the Rabbit symbolises patience and luck. People should take calm, decisive actions in a relaxed, non-frenzied way in order to fulfil their goals. Thinking twice before acting is encouraged and while most Zodiac signs are expected to be lucky in the Year of the Water Rabbit, careful thought and wise decisions are still necessary. Of course, this doesn’t mean you can put your feet up and relax. Rabbits are always alert.
With this in mind, embrace and approach long-term strategies with attention and focus in order to deliver great things down the line. Set your content goals out for 2023 and make sure you’re well aware of new trends so that you can methodically and intelligently bed them into your ongoing strategy. Real-time engagement through social channels including social audio is set to be huge and 2023 is likely to be the year of creators with many brands actively seeking talent online. TikTok alone has a Creator Marketplace offering access to over 100K creators, so it’s worth exploring your options and moving with the times.
Fun Fact: Water Rabbit is the happiest sign of the Chinese Zodiac. Rabbits are talented, pleasant, careful, refined, well-established and ambitious.
The Year of the Water Rabbit – A Year of Harmonious Working
Water Rabbits are elegant and graceful but they’re also worrisome creatures. They hate tension and get on best with Dragon, Monkey and Ox signs. They cannot stand the Rooster’s arrogance or the Tiger’s hysterical fits. Rabbits like to plan, plan, plan and often have a list of jobs that need to be done. When a change is introduced, Rabbits like to remain in control by working through their tasks methodically. This can drive other signs crazy, so it’s important if you’re a Rabbit not to overly micromanage. Water Rabbits can also be highly sensitive. So if you’re like this, try to be self-aware over the coming year to avoid getting upset by small workplace conflicts.
The New Year is here so contact our team for a fresh and relevant 2023 content marketing strategy. Enjoyed reading about the Year of the Water Rabbit? Hit the share button or send it to a Rabbit you know.
We wish a very Happy New Year to all of our clients and colleagues. 新年快乐! Xīnnián kuàilè!