From February 1 to 25, international brands Nars, Guerlain, and Dior Beauty topped WeArisma’s Beauty Leaderboards tracker*, earning $971,000 (6.9 million RMB), $802,200 (5.7 million RMB), and $768,500 (5.5 million RMB) in media value (MV), respectively. Charlotte Tilbury and Kiehls claimed fourth and fifth positions.
Nars (MV: $971,000)#
Chinese actor and singer Xiao Zhan, widely known as one of China’s most influential celebrities and as a global brand ambassador for Nars along with his 31 other global brands he endorses, recently shared a video featuring Nars on Weibo with his 32.3 million followers.
The video generated significant attention, boasting an impressive engagement rate of 28.9 percent and a media value of $399,900 (2.8 million RMB). This performance highlights the substantial influence that local brand ambassadors like Xiao exert, particularly in raising awareness of Western beauty brands in the Chinese market.
The video received 18.35 million views, while the video posted by Nars received 6.4 million views, reflecting how important it is to have ambassadors to directly post via their own official profile rather than just featuring them.
Nars is particularly active in China. It secured the top position in 2023’s beauty cosmetics pre-sales rankings on Tmall for the 618 shopping festival, achieving impressive sales of $1.9 million (14 million RMB).
Dior Beauty (MV: $802,200)#
For the second month in a row, Dior claimed second spot on WeArisma’s beauty leaderboard, and again it is thanks to Chinese actress and singer Dilraba Dilmurat, who boasts over 80 million followers on Weibo.
The global face for Dior recently featured the Dior Beauty "Rouge lipstick" in a post during a visit to Chengdu. She praised the lipstick’s timeless elegance and the color’s perfect fit for the Chinese New Year. The post generated an impressive media value of $648,878 (4.67 million RMB) on Weibo, highlighting Dilraba's substantial influence as a top ambassador for Dior in the Chinese market.
Guerlain (MV: $768,500)#
Guerlain boosted its impact by hosting an influencer event during Chinese New Year festivities, unveiling a special edition fragrance bottle inspired by the dragon zodiac sign, symbolizing new beginnings.
Chinese actresses Zhang Li and Zhang Yuxin, with a combined Weibo following of 29 million, generated media value of $112,029 (806,373 RMB) and $104,026 (748,768 RMB), respectively, through their posts from the event. Zhang Yuxin, in particular, dressed up in Chinese Hanfu attire featuring dragon motifs. Guerlain’s success underscores the significant influence of local celebrities in China.
Last month saw the grand opening of Guerlain’s new “Ultimate Boutique” at one of China’s hottest travel retail destinations, CDF Sanya International Duty Free Shopping Complex Block C in Haitang Bay. The space aims to offer travelers a holistic and immersive experience of the Guerlain brand.
C-Beauty#
From February 1 to 25, local beauty brands, Proya, Florasis, and Chando, secured the top three spots, respectively, generating $797,800 (5.7 million RMB), $717,000 (4.9 million RMB), and $683,200 (4.9 million RMB) in media value. Winona and Caslan followed closely behind.
Proya (MV: $797,800)#
Proya was mentioned in 102 pieces of content this month. Chinese beauty influencer Conan (@柯南君), who has 2.2 million followers on Weibo, showcased Proya in five posts generating a media value of $96,000 (690,998 RMB). She praised the Proya Yuanli Cream and Shield Sun Protection, urging her loyal and engaged audience to try them out.
Proya also strategically gifted her the Proya Energy Series, demonstrating the brand’s shrewd gifting approach to enhance brand awareness, ultimately boosting its credibility and propelling Proya to become the most-talked-about local beauty brand this month.
Proya is also a compelling competitor for global brands. Last Singles’ Day, Proya topped Tmall’s gross merchandise volume ranking in the first four hours of beauty pre-sales surpassing L’Oréal.
Florasis (MV: $690K)#
Chinese lifestyle KOL Yanzheninky (@言真inky), with 5.8 million followers on Douyin, mentioned Florasis in one of her videos, emphasizing the affordability and quality of Florasis’ products. This mention generated a media value of $159,388 (1.14 million RMB) for the brand.
On platforms like Douyin, short and fun videos can greatly increase brand visibility. With its large user base and creative format, Douyin presents an opportunity for brands to raise awareness and potentiality go viral in the Chinese market.
Florasis’ ambitions go beyond China. Its 2024 growth strategy includes global e-commerce expansion, debuting a flagship store in Japan, introducing a TikTok shop in the US, and enhancing its retail footprint across Europe and the Middle East.
Chando (MV: $683,200)#
Chinese actress and singer Yu Shuxin shared a video of her appearance in a Chando advertisement with her 23.5 million followers on Weibo, generating a media value of $184,200 (1.32 million RMB) for the brand. The video was viewed 6.5 million times on Weibo.
This level of engagement underscores the impactful role that local celebrities play in promoting brands on social media platforms like Weibo, and highlights the immense reach and influence of these platforms in driving brand recognition in the Chinese market.
Generally speaking, young celebrities’ vast fan bases comprise mostly teenagers, or young girls in their early 20s with limited purchasing power. While it is hard for them to afford luxury items, beauty is a category within their reach. As such, celebrity promotional activities are particularly effective for beauty brands.
* Jing Daily’s monthly Beauty Leaderboards tracker analyzes the media value and social media buzz of beauty brands across Chinese social media platforms. Data provided by analytics company WeArisma can help brands measure and optimize their earned media and influencer marketing ROI.