How to make your CNY campaigns fun (with FREE editable Canva templates)
Chinese New Year happens every single year. For marketers and business owners, that means the annual scramble for red-and-gold creative, zodiac puns, and festive promos can start to feel a little... predictable.
When you’re stuck in the loop of "Year of the [Zodiac Animal]," how do you keep your brand’s voice fresh without reinventing the wheel? How do you stay top-of-mind during the "festive lull" without being just another brand shouting "Huat Ah!" into the void?
The secret isn't in working harder but in making your marketing useful and interactive. We’ve put together four "Plug-and-Play" strategies that move beyond generic greetings to help you capture leads!
🎁 Bonus: We’ve done the heavy lifting for you. Every example below comes with a Downloadable Canva Template you can brand and use immediately.
Greeting cards: Ditch the "one-size-fits-all" approach
Greetings are a CNY staple, but the biggest mistake brands make is sending the exact same message to a high-value CEO, a Gen Z, and a long-time family friend. Personalisation is the key to standing out in a flooded inbox.
A "one-size-fits-all" message feels like spam. Instead, tailor your tone and language to the recipient. Interestingly, your greetings don't even have to be in Chinese—especially if your clients are multi-ethnic or international. Using clever English horse-themed puns can make your brand feel more inclusive, modern, and universally understood.
For the year of the Horse, here are some examples you can use:
Designs should be personalised too
The visual should match the relationship. A sleek, minimalist design works wonders for corporate partners, while a fun, character-driven zodiac illustration is perfect for social media or younger demographics. For traditional clients, sticking to classic calligraphy and gold accents shows respect for heritage.
Haven’t designed your CNY greeting cards yet? Don’t worry, we got you covered! We've designed editable greeting card Canva templates you can brand and use with any of the greetings above!
📥 Download the editable CNY greeting cards!
The interactive "Lou Hei Guide"
Even though we Lou Hei every year, 90% of us can’t remember the steps and still end up searching for the steps online while standing around the table. Instead of letting your clients give that engagement to a random website, be the resource they use.
To keep it fresh, re-imagine the meaning of each ingredient to reflect your business. This puts a fresh spin on tradition while keeping your business top of mind with your customers. At SleekFlow, this is how we do it:
Step 1: Raw Fish
Chinese: 年年有余 (Nián nián yǒu yú) "May we have an abundance of inbound leads and overflow in our sales pipeline this year."
Step 2: The Pomelo or Lime
Chinese: 大吉大利 (Dà jí dà lì) "Wishing a fresh and lucky start for every new client onboarded."
Step 3: Pepper & Cinnamon Powder
Chinese: 招财进宝 (Zhāo cái jìn bǎo) "May your marketing efforts attract high-value prospects."
Step 4: Oil
Chinese: 财源广进 (Cái yuán guǎng jìn) ”May your conversations flow naturally, and your customer experience stay fluid."
Step 5: Peanut Crumbs
Chinese: 金银满屋 (Jīn yín mǎn wū) "May the granular data insights rake in high ROI for every channel."
Step 6: Sesame Seeds
Chinese: 生意兴隆 (Shēng yì xīng lóng) ”May your business be running 24/7, even while we sleep."
Step 7: Plum Sauce
Chinese: 甜甜蜜蜜 (Tián tián mì mì) ”May your CSAT (Customer Satisfaction) scores always be sweet."
Step 8: Crackers
Chinese: 遍地黄金 (Biàn dì huáng jīn) "Let’s break records! May our revenue cover the floor, and our market share expand across all channels!"
Want to be the resource your customers use? Download our editable Lou Hei template and swap our tech jokes for your industry's inside stories!
📥 Download the editable Lou Hei Guide
3. The CNY Survival Bingo
Boost your social media engagement by turning the festive chaos into a game. Everyone needs a checklist; turning it into a Bingo sheet encourages followers to share their progress in their own Instagram Stories (tagging you in the process!).
The trick is to sneak in a few business-related tasks that feel relevant to the season:
[ ] Spring cleaning the office
[ ] Packing red packets for employees
[ ] Setting up office closure automated replies
[ ] Deploying AI agents to qualify leads during the break
[ ] Company Lou Hei
Want to launch your own Instagram Story challenge? Download our editable CNY Bingo template and add your own CNY tasks!
📥 Download the editable Bingo template
4. WhatsApp gamification: The "Lucky Number" flow
Want to encourage spending this CNY? Use a simple automated flow to drive sales while distributing “ang baos” (vouchers). This incentivises customers to spend with you this festive season.
The "Lucky Leap" Flow:
The Trigger: Send a festive greeting with a "Fill in the Blanks" challenge (e.g. fill in the blanks, __ ma jing shen).
The Reward: If they reply correctly, ask them to pick a number from 1–88.
The Prize: * Grand Prize: The person who hits the "Lucky Number" gets a 50% voucher. However, everyone else receives a consolation prize: a 10% "Huat" voucher to drive immediate conversions.
Want to implement this flow for your CNY campaigns? Speak to us today to find out more!
Don’t let CNY catch you off guard
Don't let the seasonal rush catch you off guard. If you haven’t started your marketing efforts, you can download all of the Canva templates above for a comprehensive CNY social campaign, free of charge! It’s our way of giving back to you this Chinese New Year. Here’s wishing you 马到成功 (mǎ dào chéng gōng), and may your profits gallop to new heights!
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