How a Wish‑Based Campaign Boosted User Engagement: A Product Management Case Study

Project Background

In an era of accelerating life pace and growing work‑life pressure, people increasingly crave a beautiful life. Traditional wish‑making rituals are costly and fading, prompting the question of whether an internet‑based wish model can be widely accepted.

Based on 58’s massive user base in lower‑tier markets, research showed many users lead hard, busy lives and use the "tribe" to express ideal living. The team aimed to preserve users' aspirations through a "wish" activity.

Project Goals

The platform and tribe sought to create an immersive wish series, re‑interpreting the wish model to offer diverse experiences and multiple sharing channels. By employing emotional design, they intended to build emotional links, reinforce 58’s brand traits, and enhance brand recognition and memorability.

Design Approach

Organizational Concept : The activity is divided into two parts—regular daily wishes and special‑day wishes. Regular wishes satisfy everyday emotional needs and enrich activity diversity, while special wishes serve as concentrated brand impact points, linking online to offline for real feedback and surprise.

Design Thinking : Users' wish needs are categorized into timeliness, conveyance, and entrustment. To convert these needs, the design emphasizes atmosphere, realism, and interactivity.

Execution :

Personalized design with scene‑based illustrations and vivid copy guides first‑time users, stimulating imagination and emotional connection.

Star‑filled background creates a realistic wish setting; elements like meteors, lighthouses, and bottles enhance the theme.

Interactive buttons and differentiated designs boost click‑through rates.

Multiple template options let users customize their wish cards, rendered with hand‑written‑style fonts for authenticity.

The "Warm" themed tribe wish‑day adopts a vintage style, using symbolic elements to convey hope and beauty, and integrates fortune‑switching visuals for added fun.

After users submit wishes, the tribe’s "fortune officer" hand‑writes blessings on postcards and mails them, delivering warmth.

Feedback shows users share received postcards with gratitude, reinforcing emotional bonds.

A "Heart‑Wish" wish museum was established at the company headquarters, offering a physical space for wishes.

Conclusion

Creating emotional links with users starts at the design conception stage, requiring deep understanding of user needs, creative solutions, and meticulous detail work. By blending common and unique design traits, the team crafted a style that resonates with users, delivering surprise and delight.