“Chinese beauty and cosmetics have a stronger presence now.” “It is evident that Chinese domestic brands have gained more momentum this year.” At the just-concluded 28th China Beauty Expo (CBE), CHAILEEDO visited nearly 50 brand/company booths and found that Chinese beauty and cosmetics have rightfully become the main focus, particularly shining the spotlight on emerging Chinese brands.
CHAILEEDO noticed that Simpcare, a rising brand that achieved a GMV of over 2 billion yuan in just four years since its establishment, showcased its four flagship product series with a focus on professional care for sensitive skin in Asia. The booth attracted a continuous stream of onlookers and garnered tremendous popularity.
It is worth mentioning that Simpcare has been making frequent moves recently. On the brand level, they first collaborated with brand spokesperson Pu Shu to release a new micro-documentary film titled “Your Natural Remedy.” Their partnership with the new-generation musician Wang Yuan has also been upgraded, with Wang Yuan assuming a new role as the brand ambassador for Simpcare. On the research and development front, Simpcare recently made an appearance at the Asian Dermatological Conference and announced the establishment of the first Asian Joint Research Center for Functional Skincare for Sensitive Skin.
So, behind these continuous branding and research actions, what does Simpcare aim to achieve?
Continuing to evolve, Simpcare joins forces with dual spokespersons to convey the “natural remedy.”
CHAILEEDO noticed that upon entering the Simpcare exhibition hall, the prominent logo of “The Number One Brand in Professional Care for All Skin Types, Especially Sensitive Skin” caught the eye. Simpcare, positioned as a functional natural skincare brand, showcased their theme of “natural remedy, guarding sensitivity” at the CBE exhibition. The booth design incorporated elements such as green plants, essential oil aromatherapy, and the dual spokespersons Wang Yuan and Pu Shu, creating a multi-layered visual presentation that seamlessly merged scientific research capabilities with the healing power of nature, embodying its unique “natural aesthetics.”
As a stage for brand image and product display, Simpcare presented its four star product series at this event, including the Camellia series for dry and sensitive skin, the Tremella series for oily and sensitive skin, the Poria Cocos series for acne-prone skin, and the Aurora Black Spruce series specifically formulated for men. With the concept of “natural remedy,” the brand showcased its leading research achievements in catering to different skin types for sensitive skin individuals.
CHAILEEDO also noted that at the Simpcare booth, the voices of Pu Shu and Wang Yuan resonated, seemingly transformed into messengers of nature. Through exploring and personally experiencing the healing power of nature, they presented the complete journey of Simpcare’s “natural remedy.”
In fact, this month, Simpcare announced a further deepening of its collaboration with the new-generation musician Wang Yuan and released a new TV commercial. In the commercial, Wang Yuan, in his new role as brand ambassador, immerses himself in nature, tracing the core ingredients such as camellia and Poria Cocos, and personally experiencing the healing power of nature.
Furthermore, in April of this year, Simpcare partnered with brand ambassador Pu Shu to release a new micro-documentary film titled “Your Natural Remedy.” In the documentary, Pu Shu delves into the exploration of white noise and seeks to utilize the healing power behind these sounds to bring solace to people living in a fast-paced and fragmented world, transforming the transmission of brand concepts into “spiritual communication.”
If the micro-documentary “Your Natural Remedy” represents the in-depth communication of Simpcare’s brand concept, then Wang Yuan’s new TV commercial is more closely tied to the products themselves. Together, they present the complete story of the “natural remedy,” from the implementation of the brand concept to the advantages of the products.
It can be said that the appointment of dual spokespersons, Wang Yuan and Pu Shu, also signifies that Simpcare has found a dual path for advancing its brand and product value, further deepening the connection between the brand and consumers, and helping to strengthen the brand’s power.
It is worth mentioning that Simpcare seized the opportunity for brand advancement and set off a trend of “natural healing” around the image of the dual spokespersons. From April to May of this year, Simpcare collaborated with over 300 Sanfu stores nationwide in a joint promotional campaign with the theme of “Your Natural Remedy,” using materials featuring brand ambassador Pu Shu and leveraging brand resources to create a monthly brand promotion in stores.
During the campaign, Simpcare pioneered the sensitive skin testing and sample distribution mechanism, providing customers with sensitive skin healing experience samples based on their test results. Over 2,000 samples were distributed during the campaign, with an average of over 200 samples distributed daily.
“The brand activities of Simpcare have raised the standards of our stores. We hope that other brands can replicate such activity standards,” said the store manager of Sanfu in Chongqing. The dual pull of brand image and sales also tilted the store’s resources toward Simpcare. It is reported that during the campaign, the Simpcare shelf and display stand in all 300 Sanfu stores increased from one to four levels.
Recently, Simpcare, leveraging the “source” of brand ambassador Wang Yuan, collaborated with six themed stores of WOW COLOUR and 280 participating stores to launch a joint brand promotion campaign. This campaign included support on large screens in over 40 cities nationwide, as well as lucky draws giving away Wang Yuan’s concert tickets and autographed posters as benefits.
According to reports, the campaign employed the sample distribution mechanism, with a single WOW COLOUR store able to distribute up to 815 samples in a day. Within three days, the accumulated sample distribution for two stores reached 2065, demonstrating Simpcare’s high market popularity. Through integrated online and offline marketing, while empowering store traffic, the campaign also increased the brand’s offline exposure.
Natural Remedy: Rooted in Scientific Research, Winning with Word of Mouth
CHAILEEDO noticed that through a series of actions such as upgrading with dual spokespersons, appearing at CBE, and offline brand promotion month, Simpcare’s theme of “Your Natural Remedy” has become a high-frequency term in this year’s communication, bringing a breath of fresh air to the current skincare market.
In fact, the brand proposition of “Your Natural Remedy” stems from Simpcare’s emphasis on and respect for nature. Since its establishment, Simpcare has positioned “The Power of Nature, Beyond Your Imagination” as its brand concept, and has focused precisely on the Asian sensitive skin population. By sourcing high-quality natural ingredients worldwide and developing sophisticated formulas, Simpcare has established an effective pathway from scientific research to clinical efficacy, building its own “kingdom of specialized care for all skin types, especially sensitive skin” and becoming a leader in advanced research for sensitive skin.
Simpcare founder Liu Shichao Jeffrey once said, “I believe that there are two main directions for human development: high technology and nature. Simpcare’s goal is to go beyond your imagination with the power of nature.”
For example, the star products showcased at the CBE exhibition, such as the Camellia series, Tremella series, and Poria Cocos series, are effective “natural remedies” tailored for different sensitive skin types and are highly favored by consumers. Among them, the Camellia and Tremella facial sets have consistently ranked first and second on the annual repurchase list of the largest subcategory “facial sets” on Tmall. The Aurora Black Spruce essence, which is favored by oily and acne-prone skin, has also topped the rankings in the subcategories of both Douyin and Tmall.
Behind the success of the products is not only the reverence for nature but also Simpcare’s respect for and adherence to common sense. Liu Shichao Jeffrey has repeatedly emphasized the importance of respecting common sense, stating, “Creating new consumption does not mean overturning everything. Research and branding are the basic objective laws of our industry—they are common sense.”
This understanding of common sense has led Simpcare to make sober decisions and choices between “retention” and “flow” by focusing on long-term word-of-mouth and short-term sales growth. According to Simpcare, for a “natural remedy” that has a good reputation and enduring vitality, the importance of “retention” far outweighs the competition for “flow,” and it is also the best way to respect consumers.
This profound understanding of common sense has also allowed Simpcare to establish a development model that gains customers and consumers by developing hardcore product strength through research and using product strength to elevate brand power. This has been the secret to Simpcare’s rapid breakthrough in just four years.
In terms of research and development, Simpcare has consistently demonstrated an admirable focus and dedication among emerging brands. As a brand that was among the first to propose specialized care for all skin types, especially sensitive skin, Simpcare has conducted in-depth research on sensitive skin. From the establishment of an independent research and development laboratory and a joint efficacy laboratory to the recent establishment of the first Asian Functional Skincare Research Center for Sensitive Skin, Simpcare has been continuously building a leading scientific research moat in the industry, steadily advancing in the field of “Asian sensitive skin.”
To date, Simpcare has applied for 120 patents, including 41 invention patents, published 20 SCI and scientific papers with a total impact factor of 56.5, and participated in the formulation of 23 national industry standards.
In terms of brand building, Simpcare interprets its brand concept and tone through continuous exploration of nature, using contemporary expressions of Oriental aesthetics, which are fully reflected in product experience and packaging design. In addition, during the 618 and Double 11 shopping festivals last year, Simpcare collaborated with brand spokespersons Pu Shu and Wang Yuan to launch activities such as protecting the source of the Yangtze River and “planting a forest together.” These initiatives turned the protection of nature into tangible actions, deepened the brand image through public welfare activities, and enhanced the brand’s warmth.
Still waters run deep, Simpcare is a staunch advocate of long-termism.
The premise of traversing cycles lies in laying the foundation. Adhering to the concept of “slow and steady wins the race,” Simpcare solidly builds its brand and conducts thorough scientific research, sowing the seeds of long-termism in the ever-changing beauty market and ultimately reaping abundant rewards.
CHAILEEDO has noticed that the outstanding sales performance following the annual 618 promotion is the epitome of Simpcare’s commitment to long-termism and its focus on building brand and product strength.
Taking last year’s 618 promotion as an example, one week after the promotion, unlike some brands that experience a decline after a short-term surge in sales, Simpcare’s Tmall store continued to rank among the top three Chinese brands. Whether it’s the highly anticipated 618 and Double 11 promotions or the regular sales period, Simpcare consistently performs strongly in various rankings. Especially in the repurchase rankings, it surpasses others by a wide margin. Products such as the Camellia facial set and Poria Cocos facial set, known as the “ever-victorious generals” in terms of repurchases, provide solid evidence of this.
Another significant manifestation of Simpcare’s long-termism is its dedication to foundational research and development. For instance, in the realm of men’s skincare, Simpcare, which has always been committed to researching a set of skincare products specifically for male consumers, established its research and development department in 2019. It took three years of research and development before the Men’s Specialized Aurora Black Spruce series was officially launched in December 2022.
Reportedly, the Men’s Specialized series also became a pleasant surprise for Simpcare in 2023. After its release, it not only dominated the Tmall men’s skincare category for a long time but also achieved the first place in the Tmall “Men’s Skincare Set” repurchase rankings one year after its launch. It successfully surpassed international brands such as L’Oréal and also achieved the first place in the Tmall men’s grooming industry in China during the Double 11 promotion last year.
It is worth mentioning that with the arrival of the 2024 618 promotion, Taotian Group recently announced a series of rule adjustments at a merchant conference. The most noteworthy change is the cancellation of the pre-sale mechanism that has been in use for a decade, which also extends the duration of the promotion period.
However, the arrival of the “longest 618 promotion in history” poses a challenge to the previous model of relying on top influencers for short-term surges. For Simpcare, which excels in regular sales and drives growth through brand and product strength, this undoubtedly brings significant advantages.
A senior industry insider once proposed the concept of an ecological brand, referring to a brand that can envision the future and achieve sustainable and healthy growth, rather than one that experiences drastic ups and downs. In this regard, Simpcare is undoubtedly a representative of the current eco-friendly beauty brands.
Rather than competing for fleeting success, Simpcare focuses on continuous and steady progress. With its simple yet extreme long-termism, Simpcare continuously strengthens its brand and product strength, achieving remarkable results while laying a solid foundation for the future.
