Beyond the Flight: Redefining Cathay Membership for the Greater China Market
Cathay is a leading premium travel lifestyle brand based in Hong Kong, with an established membership program that has long served its home market. The client sought to expand this program into Greater China, where consumer behaviours, digital ecosystems, and cultural expectations differ significantly from Hong Kong.
Cathay invited our team as strategic design consultants to investigate how the membership value and experience could be reshaped to attract Chinese consumers and fit into China's unique digital landscape.
Graduate Projects ｜2026
But first, what does 'membership' even mean here?”
We started with secondary research across Greater China.
The findings surprised us：
People collect memberships. They don't feel them. The real gap wasn't rewards or points. It was emotional connection.
Who would genuinely resonate with a lifestyle membership?
Instead of guessing, we turned to consumer data：
When membership can no longer serve everyone,
Our answer is People who enjoy cultural and recreational activities
They see travel as part of a larger lifestyle, not a one-off event. They are the most likely to build an emotional connection with a brand like Cathay.
This became our target segment — then we went into the field to test, refine, and understand them deeply.
Final Solution
Culture Echo System is a cultural experience-driven membership ecosystem that embeds cultural touchpoints into everyday urban life — turning casual encounters into lasting engagement.
