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"TikTok is transforming the way we shop for beauty products, and your next beauty obsession is just a tap away."
ELLE, a leading global fashion media
Southeast Asia has been identified as a key "future market" for the global beauty industry, one of the hottest markets for cosmetics. According to Mintel, the market size is expected to reach over 300 billion RMB by 2025①. Many new domestic beauty and skincare brands also see Southeast Asia as a blue ocean. Whether they are international giants or local newcomers, they are all racing to explore how to seize opportunities in the Southeast Asian market and stand out from the competition. Their presence on TikTok is undeniable.
Indonesian beauty brand Natur-E has created a unique brand impression on the TikTok community through challenges, influencer collaborations, and user interaction activities, garnering 4.68 billion video views, 2.79 million UGC video creations, and 540 million interactions. These numbers are impressive for a country with a population of over 200 million.
Moreover, many emerging brands have experienced rapid brand exposure and business growth through TikTok marketing:
According to Global Web Index②:
62% of Southeast Asians are highly appearance-conscious
96% have made beauty and skincare purchases in the past 3-6 months
54% are willing to try new products
The main Southeast Asian markets, such as Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines, have immense consumption potential. According to data from Statista and Euromonitor③④:
Southeast Asian users are deeply interested in cosmetics and skincare-related content on TikTok. They enjoy:
Staying updated on brand news
Referencing influencer recommendations
Considering feedback from regular consumers
Learning beauty and skincare knowledge and skills
According to a report from Euromonitor Passport⑤, under the new normal, Southeast Asian users' beauty and skincare habits and consumption are quietly changing:
New priorities: Cleanliness is paramount, with a focus on convenience and health, actively pursuing personal hygiene and cleanliness; more frequent use of skincare products (including body care); eye makeup is more popular than lip makeup due to mask-wearing.
New mindset: Pursuit of natural, more focused on physical and mental health; natural ingredients and eco-friendly personal care products are more popular.
New channels: E-commerce consumption is growing, and consumers are more familiar with searching for products, reading reviews, promotions, and shopping online, which has accelerated the pace of e-commerce shopping and brought opportunities for AR beauty tech and social shopping.
More and more beauty and skincare brands are choosing TikTok as their primary marketing battleground, not only because of TikTok's coverage in over 150+ international markets, but also the vast target user base and vibrant beauty and skincare community. Through the popular #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt hashtag, brands can feel the power of authentic user word-of-mouth.
Additionally, beauty and skincare products are more easily discovered and discussed on TikTok. TikTok advocates for authenticity and diversity, appreciating every kind of "Be-you-tiful." Whether a skincare novice or a makeup expert, everyone can discover and share content they're interested in on TikTok. We can see that beauty and skincare-related content on TikTok is growing at a staggering pace of over 10 billion views.
Brand content has already become an important presence in the TikTok community. According to Nielsen's research, 43% of TikTok users believe that ad content has already blended into native content⑥. Brands should continuously output content to build a positive image, considering these angles:
Practical and Reliable: TikTok's personalized feed can provide users with professional skincare knowledge and makeup tutorials. Brands can leverage their expertise to help users solve problems.
Genuine and Unique: Young TikTok users reject stiff advertisements, preferring "down-to-earth" brands that dare to express themselves authentically. Authenticity can help brands better integrate into the community.
Trendy Inspiration: TikTok is a community full of fresh content and creativity. Brands should be able to lead the latest trends, create beauty and skincare trends, and spark different styles of exchange.
Novel and Fun: TikTok's platform is always full of fun. Humorous beauty content is also more likely to help brands gain followers.
The importance of localized marketing for brands going global is self-evident. Brands can leverage local influencers with high penetration and influence in the local market to achieve multi-dimensional storytelling of the brand, allowing the marketing to better align with the local culture. Collaboration with local influencers to create creative content is a standard practice for brands expanding overseas. Three simple steps can achieve explosive promotional effects:
1. Find Influencers: The TikTok Creator Marketplace official influencer collaboration platform exclusively provides information on fan demographics and best-performing videos, helping brands find the most suitable influencers.
2. Amplify Influencer Content: Utilize Spark Ads, the native information flow ads, to link influencer content with the brand account, allowing the brand to build stronger interaction and awareness.
3. Leverage Challenges: Invite influencers to create official challenge examples, igniting user participation and driving viral spread.
TikTok is committed to building a bridge connecting brands and users. On this platform, brands can achieve their goals of brand awareness, fan growth, user interaction, and performance conversion. Fully exploring the tremendous power of the TikTok platform, through localization and diverse content operations, your brand and products will deeply resonate with the audience.
Data Sources:
① Mintel
② Global Web Index, SEA TikTok Users, Q1 2020 - Q1 2021
③ Euromonitor, 2020
④ Statista, Thailand: cosmetics \u0026 skincare market revenue 2012-2024 (in million U.S. dollars); Statista, Vietnam: cosmetics \u0026 skincare market revenue 2012-2024 (in million U.S. dollars); Statista, Indonesia: cosmetics \u0026 skincare market revenue 2012-2025 (in million U.S. dollars); Statista, Malaysia: cosmetics \u0026 skincare market revenue 2012-2025 (in million U.S. dollars); Statista, Philippines: cosmetics \u0026 skincare market revenue 2012-2024 (in million U.S. dollars)
⑤ Euromonitor Passport, Beauty and Personal Care in SEA
⑥ Nielsen custom Authenticity Study commissioned by TikTok, Persons 18+, 5/1/2020 - 6/19/2020
