Chic in China: Unveiling 4 regional subcultures for growth-minded beauty brands
It’s often said that there is not one China, but many Chinas. A beauty brand looking to enter and grow within the market would do well to keep this front of mind, as it is far too simplistic and reductive an approach to think of China in monolithic terms.The country is made up of 31 province-level administrations in Mainland China, each with its own particularities in terms of climate, economic power, demographic dynamics and cultural make up. Taking something like climate as an example (see below average temperature by region) you start to get an understanding of just how varied this place called China is. Whilst temperature is clearly not the governing factor in terms of impact on local populations, it does go some way to help us imagine the sheer variety in everyday lived experience, to which anyone who has traveled to different places in China can also attest.?
This variety in lived experience is important for beauty brands looking to delve into the market to understand. In part 1 of this two part blog series, we will introduce 4 local subcultures in China, and share some ideas for beauty-based “routes” into the market as a whole.?
The first subculture relates to the enthusiasm for Chinese-origin tea strains in Hangzhou, a source of passionate local pride. Hangzhou, the capital of the Eastern province of Zhejiang, is a city renowned for its provenance and culture of tea, particularly the prestigious Longjing cha 龍井茶 (Dragon Well) tea, which has a history spanning thousands of years. This culture manifests through tea ceremonies, tea-themed tourism, and the integration of tea into daily life in Hangzhou.?
An example of a beauty brand leveraging this culture is Innisfree, a South Korean brand that introduced its Green Tea Seed Serum to Hangzhou as well as other regions. The product utilizes green tea extracts to appeal to tea enthusiasts. To further leverage this subculture, beauty brands could develop skincare lines infused with Longjing tea extracts, promoting the antioxidant and soothing benefits of tea. Foreign brands hosting tea-infused beauty workshops and collaborating with local tea houses in Hangzhou at launch can deepen engagement as well as the perception of cultural appreciation and celebration. With a tilt towards Chinese beauty consumers favouring domestic brands, it’s advised that beauty businesses take the time to position around these subculture trends to cut through.?
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2. Craft Beer Culture in Qingdao?
Sticking with the beverage trend, beauty brands can also look to the city of Qingdao in China’s Yellow Sea Coastal region. Qingdao is perhaps best known internationally for the famous Tsingtao brewery, established in the 1900s by German and British merchants in the area. A rapidly expanding subculture of craft beer enthusiasm has since swept the city, which in turn has presented lots of opportunities for brands looking to leverage this trend in more modern times. The Hilton Qingdao Golden Beach hotel has capitalized on the city's varied beer culture by hosting events and offering packages that coincide with the Qingdao International Beer Festival. This includes themed decorations, beer tastings, and special events during the festival season, attracting both local and international tourists. Whilst foreign and domestic beauty brands are yet to really lean into this subculture, there is a big opportunity to do so: beauty brands could quite easily create product lines featuring local beer ingredients like hops or beer yeast, promoted for their skin and hair-boosting benefits. Engaging with the community through events at local breweries, creating pop-up shops during the Qingdao Beer Festival, or collaborating with local craft brands for limited-edition packaging could effectively resonate with the local beer culture that has emerged in recent years.?
3. Surf Culture in Hainan?
Sanya’s Houhai Bay, nestled along the picturesque coast of China’s southernmost Hainan province, has recently emerged as a hub for young and trendy surf enthusiasts drawn to its pristine beaches and massive waves. On the video site Bilibili, a vlog by Yayaya (@一颗牙牙吖) about taking a gap year and going surfing Houhai Bay has gained hundreds of thousands of viewsThe city's vibrant surf culture, characterized by local surf schools and international competitions like the Wanning International Surfing Festival. To capitalize on Sanya's growing surf scene, luxury beauty brands like Dior, Prada and Maison Margiela have popped up with fragrance collections in local shopping centers and beach-front hotel chains. Routes in for brands could be to more explicitly leverage surf culture: partnering with local surf schools for educational workshops on skincare and sun protection, or sponsoring surf events such as the Hainan Surfing Festival, could enhance brand visibility and resonate deeply with surf enthusiasts seeking skincare solutions that cater to their active lifestyle. By authentically integrating into Sanya's surf culture and addressing the specific needs of surfers, beauty brands can forge meaningful connections and establish themselves as leaders in this dynamic and expanding subculture, highly specific to young people’s aspirations in the country.??
4. Literary culture in Aranya, Qinghaodao??
Aranya is a literary and artsy hotspot within Qinghaodao, a city in China’s northeastern region. Increasingly seen as a cool, go-to spot for hipsterish domestic tourists, the community has become known for a highbrow subculture in recent years. Interestingly, Western brands have not let this opportunity slip by. Sportswear and fragrance brand Lacoste celebrated its 90th anniversary in the city, by transforming the Aranya area into “Lacoste City”. During this event, Lacoste engaged deeply with Aranya’s cultural scene by organizing tennis tournaments on local courts and orchestrating a takeover of the prestigious sports multi-brand store, Doe. A standout feature of this activation was the transformation of Aranya’s famed ‘Lonely Library’, where Lacoste adorned tables in its iconic 'foreverglades' green hue and curated a selection of Lacoste-branded publications for visitors to enjoy. This integration with an area of China known (fairly locally/not internationally) for its literary ambiance not only showcased Lacoste’s commitment to subcultural immersion but also spotlighted Aranya as a dynamic hub for arts and creativity in northeastern China.?
For more information on the subcultures discussed in this blog, as well as more information on our ideas for access points for growth, get in touch with the YASO team today!