These years, many markets in China turn into a new stage of development. As Chinese people are seeking more and more for a better lifestyle, they are also looking for quality products.
For example, chocolate and ice cream markets are promoting more high-quality products. Also, high-end coffee shops and stores opened massively in China within a few years. Within the development of the country, most of Chinese customers have tried a lot of things, local brands products, and foreign products. Nowadays they choose to spend money on which is worth it.
Besides the increase in the average income in China, the fast evolution lets also Chinese consumers to be more active and stay up-to-date with new things.
How Jomalone became popular in China?
There are a lot of brands that became hot suddenly in China, such as Jo Malone perfume. JM was originally a niche product, and it was later popularized after its purchase by Estee Lauder.
Although the single bottle price is not expensive for a niche brand, considering the need for layering, its price isn’t worth it for a lot of specialists.
In addition, the power of word of mouth is important in China. Influencers and celebrities on social media such as WeChat, Xiaohongshu, Weibo, play an important role in the promotion of this type of product.
Jo Malone’s packaging was also a feature that contributed to its welcome in China. Chinese consumers care a lot about appearance. Jo Malone brand has somewhere meet this need as it appears like a very high product.
What recommendations for aromatherapy on Chinese forums?
Chinese consumers use a lot of internet, to be connected, and to do their research before a purchase. There is a lot of online forums where other users shared their experiences about some categories of products.
Especially for skin and healthcare products, Chinese people use to follow advice from their friends or their followed bloggers. These persons are considered to be more reliable than sellers and brands themselves. We can consider 2 kinds of recommendations: educational content and reviews.
Usefulness and knowledge about aromatherapy
Chinese people like products that have an added value for healthcare. That is why on the internet, bloggers used to talk about the utility of each kind of aroma.
For example, according to what it is told on the internet, the lavender essential oil is told to be good for insomnia treatment, peppermint essential oil can treat colds and be beneficial for the respiratory system and orange essential oil enables to decompress and to enhance vitality.
Aromatherapy products are recommended to be used at home, at the office, in the tea houses, and in many other places.
As it also reflects an image of a good taste of life, people start to join this consumption. There are also consumers who said that the use of aromatherapy brings more pleasure than using high brand perfume. There is a growing interest in aromatherapy in China.
Aromatherapy: Testing and feedback from Chinese Consumers
Chinese consumers like to know how the product works and what they should be careful about. To transmit right and useful information on products and also brands is very important to catch their attention.
In China, there is a hot word among women consumers which is Zhong Cao (种草). Literally speaking it means « planting », to represent the fact of adding some product on her wish list. When celebrities or influencers talk about an effective product, it often impacts and leads the audience to Zhong Cao for future purchases.
Aromatherapy brands keep growing in China
Aromatherapy oil is one of the most popular products among Chinese women. Chinese women care a lot about their skin and their living conditions.
It can produce a very fresh and elegant aroma, effective for removing the smell of the room and improve the indoor environment, it also brings a spiritual enjoyment. On Zhihu (the most popular online Q&A community), consumers are told to not buy cheap aromatherapy oil, because it is more detrimental than beneficial.
In recent years, with the expansion of the aromatherapy essential oil market, the number of brands has continued to increase. Nowadays the market isn’t saturated at all.
Popular Aromatherapy brands in the Chinese market
Chinese consumers like to purchase foreign brands because they are perceived as premium and reliable. There is a short list here of some brands with a good reputation in China, and they are all foreign brands:
- L’occitane: a brand that emphasized the unique French “art de Vivre”. The foundation of the company is linked to quality products from the south of France, Africa, and the Mediterranean coast. In fact, its good smell attracts a lot of women consumers. Also, this kind of “authentic local product” within the knowledge and specialties from overseas countries is very welcome in China.
- Innisfree: a Korean cosmetic and skincare brand very appreciated in China. As Korea is well-known as a country that produces a lot of useful fashion and beauty stuff, Chinese people follow a lot of its brands and new releases.
- The body shop: This brand welcomed its Chinese official online website in October 2016, considering now China as one of its key markets. This British beauty brand has always had its own place in China’s haitao circle (cross-border e-commerce). They are popular for their rich variety of products, direct shipping, and professional after-sales service.
- Miniso: a successful Japanese-based brand. The brand promises its customers creative products, quality, and competitive prices (between $1 to $30). Each week new products are added on the shelf but Aromatherapy oils are one of their best-sellers and so constantly present.
Reputation and awareness are the keys to enter the Chinese aromatherapy market
As has been mentioned before, Chinese consumers are very wary of those unknown brands, and they tend to buy those with a good reputation. Brand’s reputation is important everywhere, but especially in China because Chinese people have suffered a lot from those scandals in the market.
Just like the market itself, the Chinese marketing channels are also very different from what Westerners get used to. If you want to create your brand a good reputation, then do as the Chinese do.
Channels to work on the reputation
In the Chinese market, there are diverse marketing channels to work on your brand reputation :
- Chinese social media (marketing and community management)
- KOL marketing
- Press release on forums, Q&As, popular websites, etc.)
- Baidu SEO
Xiaohongshu: a trendy and powerful tool
Like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and many others are blocked in China by the Chinese Great Firewall, it is impossible to utilize them for your branding in China. There, WeChat, Weibo, and Xiaohongshu should be your main channels to promote your brand reputation.
Those three are the top 3 Chinese social media, in which Xiaohongshu in the aromatherapy case is a good idea for you because it is a famous platform for fashion, beauty, cosmetics, fragrance products.
Either big or small KOLs have an account on this platform to recommend their followers’ products or services. It was created in the form of a UGC (User-generated content) while now it has also developed into a social e-commerce platform, with more than 300 million registered users, as of July 2019.
Press release: a long-last and cost-efficient strategy
It is well-known that the press release is a very good way to create the brand’s e-reputation. Having some famous and official experts who talk about your brand can help a lot your reputation as well as brand awareness.
After the publication, those articles are always on the Internet, so even the campaign ends, those articles can still continue to give effects and generate leads. It is thus a long-last and cost-efficient way to give a momentum to your brand e-reputation.
Baidu SEO: best search engine in China for your brand awareness
If you have already used SEO strategies, you must know how important and efficient it is in marketing activities. However, in China, it is impossible to employ search engines like Google for the reasons explained earlier.
Baidu, as the leading role in the Chinese search engine market, occupies around 70% of the total market share. It is, therefore, a must in your SEO strategies in China. Chinese people rely on Baidu to find out answers and get informed.
The Chinese aromatherapy market: a promising market not yet mature
As the market isn’t, for now, mature, the recommendations online for aromatherapy products and brands are very diversified. By the way, this market shows very rosy prospects according to Chinese consumers’ new orientation of living.
At this stage of development, China has a lot of booming industries. This is a promising and huge market with its own culture and way to function.
Ready to start a business in China? Do not hesitate to contact us if you need some more help.
Gentlemen Marketing Agency is specialized in digital marketing in the Chinese market. We provide e-commerce solutions, promotion and advertising, SEO strategies, and all marketing agencies worthy of the name should be able to do. Let your project come true!
