Cosmetics Brands: How do you get ready for Chinese Beauty Fairs?

July 3, 2020|Beauty & Cosmetics Industry, Business in China

According to Statista, China is the world’s second-largest cosmetics market after the U.S. in terms of revenue and consumption value. It is also one of the fastest-growing and most promising fields of business in China for the near future. As a result of urbanization, growing disposable income, and social media influence, the beauty, and personal care market is facing a burgeoning demand for higher quality, premium, high-end brand products. Cosmetic exhibitions in China are the best way to have conversations with potential distributors or to discover new beauty trends and products in the Chinese market. However, due to the COVID-19, the situation has changed and many fairs and exhibitions have been postponed, therefore it is important to understand how to create partnerships and contacts in a digital way.

2020 List of Cosmetics and Beauty exhibitions in China

According to the Fairtradedate website, the next Cosmetics exhibitions appointments in China from July to November are:

PCHI Personal Care & Home Ingredients (08-10 July 2020)

The Personal Care & Home Ingredients (PCHI) is a trade fair for cosmetics and household chemicals. Buyers and suppliers in the industry are meeting here to learn about trends in the market, and to inform about technological innovations, new scientific developments, and new international rules. Visitors have the opportunity to establish business contacts and opportunities for cooperation.

CIHIE – China International Health (24-26 July 2020)

The CIHIE – China International Health Industry Expo is an event mainly dealing with the topics of wellness, beauty, sport, health care, and dietary supplements. The event will be held alternately in Shanghai and Beijing. It is an optimum presentation platform for more than 900 exhibitors from over 36 countries and regions to show their latest products and services and to do networking activities. Visitors attending the show, such as distributors, agents, and suppliers involved in the relevant industries, also have the possibility to participate in various internal competitions. Other highlights of the event are a world health industry conference as well as a series of forums and seminars.

PCE Personal Care Expo (07-09 August 2020)

The Shanghai International Personal Care Expo is where

is where numerous professional forums are held to showcase the latest technologies and development trends in the personal care industry, it is a complete, efficient, high-quality, and accurate professional platform for personal care brands and global quality buyers.

The exhibition covers all sub-categories of daily chemical products, personal care products, and the entire supply chain upstream and downstream.

CIBE China International Beauty Expo (04-06 September 2020)

The CIBE – China International Beauty Expo in Guangzhou is an international trade fair for health and beauty. It is one of the most important fairs of its kind in China and presents its visitors with many different products for a beautiful and slim body. They also have the opportunity to inform themselves on the show about cosmetic procedures like breast augmentation. Exhibitors are well-known national and international companies from the industry.

VeggieWorld (24-25 October 2020)

VeggieWo r ld is the largest international trade fair for the vegan lifestyle, which is now taking place not only in Europe but also in Asia. It is above all a public fair but is also visited by trade visitors. The fair shows that a plant-based lifestyle is not only sustainable, conscious, and healthy but also fun. A colorful mix of milk and meat alternatives, superfoods, sweets, drinks as well as clothing, accessories, cosmetics, services, and projects will be presented.

Cosmoprof (11-13 November 2020)

The Cosmoprof is an international cosmetics fair and an important part of the cosmetics and beauty industry in Asia. Exhibitors and visitors alike have the possibility of new business links. The beauty salon displays the latest products in the cosmetics industry.

Beauty Brands Need Lead Generation to Get Chinese Distributors

What is Lead Generation?

The Lead Generation to create and organize a database of potential customers interested in the products and/or services offered is today, more than ever, central to the marketing strategies of any company, to increase commercial opportunities.

The use of digital marketing for Lead Generation activities amplifies and simplifies the possibilities, reducing costs and implementation times, for all companies that want to hire new potential customers to present offers and promotions.

On one hand, the offline world still uses word of mouth, cold calls, the purchase of advertising space on TV and radio, participation in trade fairs, and sector events. Online communication, on the other hand, has taken on impressive dominance and is today one of the most powerful means of lead generation and conversion.

In recent years tools such as websites and social networks have changed the way of lead generation.

How do cosmetic brands get a deal with distributors in China?

To obtain the desired results from lead generation campaigns, it is necessary to use the most useful tools. In the digital world, we are talking about SEO, SEM, Content Marketing, Social Media Marketing, and recommendations.

In China, Lead generation can offer a huge competitive advantage to companies from the cosmetic industry that understand how to include it within their marketing strategy.

Baidu SEO & SEM: Your best Lead generation tool in China

Cosmetics are one of the products that demand a lot of budget to control your reputation. Most of the time, sales depend on it.

Therefore, specific SEO and SEM activities become fundamental. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and SEM (Search Engine Marketing) techniques are an integral part of any digital marketing strategy. In fact, they allow companies to improve their brand awareness and brand identity on the net.

In China, the website serves first of all as a guarantee of the authenticity of a brand. However, to be visible on Baidu (the Chinese search engine) you should follow some steps:

Your website should be translated into Chinese because Baidu gives greater visibility to sites that are written in Mandarin Chinese. This helps your website receive more traffic.
To ensure fast loading it must be hosted in China
The website must also be adaptable to mobile phones
Through SEM techniques it is possible to sponsor sites with targeted campaigns. In this way, your brand’s site will get a better online reputation, an increase in visitors, and of course a higher market return.

Localized Content Marketing for China

Content marketing is also important when trying to attract Chinese partners, as by getting closer to Chinese culture and their tastes you can show the brand value and increase the interest of potential partners.

For example, you should know that the Chinese market is dominated by skincare and makeup products. However, medical cosmetics, children’s skincare, and men’s skincare are also rapidly growing.

Fragrance segment also has experienced steady growth in recent years. Other products include deodorants and depilatory products, accounting for an estimated 5.3% of industry revenue in 2019.

Use Chinese Social media marketing tools

Social Media Marketing is crucial to attracting and engaging the chosen target, building relationships with followers, generating leads, retaining customers, and maximizing conversions. This applies indiscriminately to B2B and B2C companies.

WeChat and Weibo will always be great picks when it comes to brand recognition because they are the first social media platforms that Chinese users will use to learn more about your cosmetic products and brand. However, besides Wechat and Weibo, there are some interesting platforms for cosmetic brands such as Douyin and Xiaohongshu. Funny and creative makeup tutorials can now be found everywhere on live streaming platforms like Douyin and Little Red Book (Xiaohongshu).

Douyin 抖音 is a short video app well-known in China. On Douyin videos of cosmetics products are very popular. To promote brands the Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) explain all the tricks to always look your best. As a matter of fact, KOLs play an important role in this platform.
Xiaohongshu encourages users to share their personal experiences with products, give tips, and provide discounted information. This app is turning into the social commerce hub for beauty beginners and professionals alike.

More Recommendations to sell Your Beauty brands in China

In China recommendations mostly come from locals. Chinese people trust only Chinese people. That’s why it is important the presence of Chinese forums and to do PR.

Reviews on (Beauty) forums

There are many designated forums in China and all of them are Chinese forums in the Mandarin language. The most useful forums also for the cosmetic industry are Zhihu and Baidu Zhidao.

The word of mouth has an incredible effect in China and it is an excellent tool to increase your conversion rate and to generate brand awareness.

PR: Connect with beauty media outlet

PR is one of the most cost-effective solutions in the Chinese market. It is a basic of marketing where the right people talk about you. PR is a good way to build your credibility and attract potential Chinese partners. KOLs play an important role in the cosmetic industry as they increase the brand’s value and awareness.

Business to distributors (B2D) for Cosmetic Brands

In China to find the right distributors for your cosmetic brand is not so easy because there are many and for your brand unknown distributors. How to trust them? This is a key question in the Chinese market.

How can a Beauty brand find a reliable distributor in China?

Searching Online for beauty brand distributor

You can search for distributors online, but this can be a challenge because there are currently more than 85,000 distributors in China and you cannot easily understand whether they are reliable or not.

Tmall B2D: the Alibaba cave of Chinese online distributor

Tmall B2D is a platform where you can connect with 85,000 Chinese distributors. Tmall B2D gives brands great visibility in the current market.

Any entrepreneur can choose his distributor on the Tmall app. However, it is not easy to choose the right distributor for you when one has no expertise of distributors in China.

GMA could be your best choice!

Finding the right distributor for the size of your company, your products, and your target clientele is not an easy task.

Fortunately, Gentlemen marketing agency is very familiar with the Chinese e-commerce market and its players. Local distributors have no secrets for us. Our expertise allows us to support you in your search for the best distributor, we can take care of the entire process for your company.

Don’t Waste Resources at a Beauty fair if you don’t get ready for it… Digitally

Before the trade show, your goal should be to promote the cosmetic exhibition event to your current audience, including your customers, to encourage attendance and of course a visit to your booth.

How to use Baidu SEO & SEM?

Baidu is definitely the search engine on which to aim to make yourself visible in the Chinese market.

Establish the domain of the site

Localized hosting is one of the main SEO optimization techniques on Baidu.

This allows it not to be penalized at the SERP level (Search Engine Results Page). In addition, the site will have a much faster loading than one with an unlocated domain. This will affect user traffic and on-site stay.

Adapt graphics and content to Chinese standards

Having a Chinese domain, however, is not enough to do a good SEO on Baidu. You also need to have a site that is aligned with the content and graphic standards that Chinese consumers are used to.

Choose the right keywords

Keywords are among the pillars of effective SEO optimization on Baidu and any other search engine. They should, therefore, be carefully chosen to bring as many visits to the website as possible.

For example, if Westerners prefer to use very short keywords, the Chinese perform longer queries. In addition, it should not be forgotten that in China some “sensitive” keywords are prohibited.

Entrust the translation to a professional

You then need a careful and meticulous translation to convey the care you have for your product or service.

Exploit the potential of SEM campaigns

Through Search Engine Marketing techniques it is possible to sponsor sites with targeted campaigns. In this way, your brand’s site will get a better online reputation, an increase in visitors, and of course a higher market return.

Build a landing page that announces your attendance at the event

A so-called “Landing Page”, an extra page on your homepage that provides detailed information about this exhibition and your embassies, presents the exhibition team, and simplifies the appointment agreement.

Social media marketing

Using social media is important for cosmetic brands to generate interest. You can show your cosmetic exhibition details to your followers via Weibo, send updates to groups of friends on Wechat, and utilize other social networking platforms like Xiaohongshu to build brand awareness.

Use the live streaming to announce your attendance at the show and promote it to your audiences with personal invites.

H5 Wechat Brochure

It is an electronic brochure that is easy to share on Wechat. It contains the listing of all your products (in Chinese). It is one of our latest solutions for distribution.

It shows you are already engaged in China and are aware of the tools available.

QR CODE

Make good use of the QR code of your website as they are everywhere in China and people use it to scan and read information about the company. Making business cards with the QR code is very common in China.

In order to promote your brand and if you have any questions related to how to enter the Chinese cosmetic market, contact GMA now!