London's Most Iconic Market. Reimagined for Chinese Audiences.
Covent Garden is a Shaftesbury Capital destination — one of London's most visited landmarks, home to world-class dining, theatre, retail and heritage.
Covent Garden did not need introducing to the world. It needed introducing to Chinese audiences — on their platforms, in their language, on their terms. When Hylink took over the account, the presence existed but the ambition did not match the destination. Covent Garden is a world-class address. The Chinese social channels needed to feel that way.
The harder challenge was doing this alongside Chinatown London. Two destinations, one partner, one mandate: make each feel distinct, while making both stronger together. Covent Garden could not simply borrow Chinatown's audience or mirror its tone. It needed its own identity — premium, experience-led, aspirational — without ever feeling cold or distant.
Our instinct was clear from the start: don't sell the shops. Sell the experience of being there.
We rebuilt the content strategy around the district itself — its architecture, its energy, its mix of theatre, dining, heritage and discovery. We created a flexible visual system that maintains a consistent premium feel across seasons and campaigns. We shifted the focus from individual stores to the experience of the district as a whole — the kind of content that makes Chinese audiences feel Covent Garden is a place worth seeking out, not just passing through.
The influencer approach reflects that positioning. We deploy top-tier creators at key campaign moments to establish authority and drive discovery, while KOC voices provide the peer authenticity that converts interest into actual visits. High-quality KOL content is repurposed across official channels to extend its lifecycle and maximise impact.
Covent Garden also benefits from its relationship with Chinatown London. Cross-district campaigns unite both destinations under shared themes — allowing Covent Garden to tap into Chinatown's established audience base while building its own. The two accounts amplify each other without cannibalising each other.
A premium content identity for Covent Garden in the Chinese digital landscape — distinct from Chinatown London, built around experience-led storytelling and a flexible visual system. A layered influencer programme spanning beauty, fashion, food and lifestyle. A cross-district campaign framework that lets both destinations tell a bigger story together. Four major campaign windows per year — Chinese New Year, summer, freshers season and Christmas — each unified in theme, each tailored to the distinct personality of each destination.
5K → 13.9K Follower growth since launch — a 2.8x increase
34K+ Pieces of user-generated content tagged to Covent Garden across platforms
3.7M Impressions in 2025
+5.7K New followers in 2025
120+ KOL and KOC collaborations across four campaigns in 2025, generating 1M+ influencer reach and 8K new followers across both destinations
What It Means
Covent Garden came in as a world-class destination with a limited Chinese digital presence. It now has a defined voice, a growing audience, and an organic UGC footprint that reflects genuine interest from Chinese visitors and residents alike.
The cross-district model has proven that two destinations managed together can achieve more than either would alone — in reach, in credibility, and in the kind of sustained brand presence that turns first-time visitors into repeat advocates.
This is what it looks like when ambition matches the destination.
