Mooncakes are a typical seasonal product in Vietnam that only “lives” brilliantly for about 4-8 weeks each year. But behind that bustling moment lies a difficult problem: how to make customers remember the brand after the peak season, so as not to have to start from zero every year? With increasing advertising costs and increasingly fierce competition, businesses need a long-term strategy to retain customers even when… the moon season has not yet arrived.
Seasonal – but not synonymous with disconnection
One of the biggest mistakes of mooncake brands is to completely “hibernate” after the 15th of August. Fanpages stop working, websites are not updated, collaborators are abandoned, customer lists are not saved. When the new season comes, they have to start everything from scratch: re-run ads, build new sales systems, find old customers.
Meanwhile, if you maintain a gentle frequency of about 1-2 times per month, businesses can remind customers with emotional content: images of the past Mid-Autumn Festival, behind-the-scenes cake production, customer stories, tips for preserving cake fillings, or even a New Year greeting card with the brand logo attached.
The strategy here is not to sell all year round, but to be present all year round in the minds of consumers.
12-month activity schedule: heat preservation – seeding – launching
No season is successful if it starts only 2 months before the G-hour. For seasonal products, the campaign needs to be seeded at least 3–4 months before the launch date. Here is a suggested schedule for mooncake businesses if the 15th of August falls in October:
| Timing | Main activities |
| Jun | Internal launch, market research, concept refresh, packaging preparation |
| July | Start early communication (teaser), finalize sample, finalize price, open pre-order for old customers |
| August | Promote communication, deliver samples, recruit collaborators, and offer “early bird” incentives |
| Sep – Oct | Sales peak – closing orders, delivering goods, livestreaming, pushing ads |
| Nov – Dec | Season wrap-up, guest thanks, behind-the-scenes, emotional reminders |
| Jan – Feb – LNY | Send cards, give away additional products (tea, cards, small gifts) with brand logo |
| Mar- Apr | Survey new positions, invite side product testing, raise capital or open early partnerships |
| May | Rebuild customer system, upgrade CTV/VIP, suggest new concept |
| Jun | Repeat the cycle: launch a new season – but with a ready-made customer base |
With this schedule, businesses no longer depend on a short “sprint” of a few weeks, but have a methodical cycle to nurture the market – retain customers – save communication costs.
Old customers, the biggest asset next season
According to the survey, 60–70% of customers are willing to come back if they are satisfied with the previous season. To take advantage of that, businesses need to:
- Build a customer list from the beginning of the season: basic information, favorite products, sources of brand awareness
- Take care at the right time: send thank you notes after the season, invite pre-orders when the new season starts
- Personalize the experience: send special offers, invite to try new flavors, give postcards with personal names
- Take advantage of free tools: CRM like Hubspot, manage orders with Google Sheets + Zalo OA
The cost of finding new customers is always it’s 5–7 times more expensive to retain an existing customer, so data is gold, and nurturing is art.
Don’t just sell cakes, give emotions and culture
Mid-Autumn Festival is an occasion for connection, nostalgia and sharing, and customers also want to “touch” those emotions. Businesses can turn fanpages into a place to:
- Tell cultural stories
- Share emotions
- Creative suggestions
Goal: customers don’t come in to buy, but come in to engage. And from there, the brand doesn’t just “sell cakes”, but becomes a part of memories.
Innovate every year to keep customers looking forward
Customers don’t just want “delicious cakes”, they want something new and memorable. Therefore, brands should:
- Each year a theme concept
- Collectible packaging – creating a chain of anticipation for each Mid-Autumn Festival through
- In-depth storytelling
This creates a value of anticipation that makes customers eager to come back every season.
Mid-Autumn Festival is only a few weeks, but the brand is forever
A seasonal product does not mean that the business is “off the air” for the remaining 9 months. With a smart content and operation strategy, moon cake businesses can be present all year round in the minds of customers, in the community that loves traditional culture, and in the ecosystem of sophisticated gifts.
Don’t let Mid-Autumn Festival be a race that “starts over every year”. Make it a cyclical brand journey with identity and long-term connection.
