New Year fortune for overseas Alipay users
Overseas Alipay users will be able to use the local version of the digital wallet to collect virtual fortune stickers for the first time during the financial service provider’s fourth annual campaign.
As Chinese New Year approaches, Internet companies are using Lunar New Year related activities to promote their services and offer digital channels to send greetings.
As the fortune collection on Alipay officially kicks off this Friday, users lucky enough to win five types of fortune stickers will enter an online draw for a share of 500 million yuan (US$73.6 million) in cash prizes on New Year’s Eve.
Exchanging lucky money among family members and colleagues is a tradition during the New Year holiday and Internet companies are offering distinctive features to grab attention during the week-long holiday.
Tencent’s WeChat views Chinese New Year as a prime time to promote its virtual red packet function. Later this month, administrators of the enterprise WeChat will be able to offer tailor-made digital red packets for employees.
Search giant Baidu has become the exclusive sponsor of CCTV’s New Year Gala and its campaign will last eight days ahead of New Year’s Eve. Short-video social app Douyin from Bytedance is an exclusive social media partner of the gala this year.
Hong Kong film director and producer Ann Hui On-wah was commissioned to direct a 10-minute mini film “The Place I Call Home” which depicts how “Fortune” weaves into Chinese people’s daily lives and how Chinese New Year holds a special position in the hearts of Chinese at home and abroad. The mini film was released on Alibaba’s video streaming site Youku on Monday night.
An online question and answer gaming program will be introduced during the fortune collecting process on Alipay to educate users on how to protect their privacy and avoid sharing user information with strangers.
Alipay product manager Guan Hua told a media briefing that fortune collection has become a new tradition in the digital age. Popular shopping areas in more than 40 overseas countries and regions are putting up fortune posters to celebrate the Lunar New Year.
Over the past three years, overseas Chinese in more than 2,000 cities have taken part in the fortune seeking activity.
