“Repetitive and cyclical, March each year marks the beginning of a fierce competition among major sunscreen brands. Many brands are eagerly preparing and actively strategizing.
Recently, the Thai beauty brand MISTINE took the lead and initiated the first move. From March 17th to March 23rd, during the Douyin Mall Super Brand Day, they launched a marketing campaign that traveled all the way to the Flaming Mountains in Xinjiang. They fully showcased their products’ resistance to ultraviolet radiation and successfully established a deep connection with consumers.
During this Douyin (Chinese version of TikTok) Mall Super Brand Day event, MISTINE achieved explosive sales and became the top brand in the sunscreen category on Douyin’s e-commerce platform. It received over 1 billion exposures across the entire internet, providing a new marketing paradigm for the beauty industry.”
Realizing breakthrough dissemination, MISTINE tops the chart as the number one sunscreen brand in Douyin’s e-commerce platform.
It is understood that MISTINE was established in 1988 and has consistently held the top position in beauty sales in the Thai market for 30 years, earning the reputation of being the “number one beauty brand in Thailand” and the national beauty brand of Thailand. In 2016, MISTINE officially entered the Chinese market and, with its inherent sunscreen advantages, rapidly gained popularity among Chinese consumers.
From a data perspective, since 2021, MISTINE has consistently ranked as the top brand in the sunscreen category on Tmall International in three consecutive years. It has also made it to the repurchase list and the top-rated list for imported sunscreens on Tmall, showcasing its strong brand power and becoming a leader in the sunscreen field.
Sunscreen, as a highly competitive market, has attracted numerous new and established players, leading to intense competition. MISTINE’s ability to stand out in this field is closely related to its brand positioning, product development, and marketing efforts. The collaboration between MISTINE and Douyin Mall Super Brand Day is a true reflection of their deepened platform cooperation and exploration of new marketing strategies.
As the leading IP in Douyin’s e-commerce, Douyin Mall Super Brand Day has become an exclusive platform for creating unique brand content and converting traffic. It provides brand partners with resources across various traffic channels, helps them penetrate different fields, and improves operational efficiency. It has become a common choice for many top brands during significant time periods.
Reviewing MISTINE’s participation in the Douyin Mall Super Brand Day, it becomes apparent that their marketing efforts were not limited to a single creative idea or a one-time viral campaign. Instead, they had a well-planned and highly systematic marketing strategy.
Prior to the start of the event, on March 6th, MISTINE officially announced their sunscreen spokesperson, Zhao Lusi, and released a TV commercial (TVC). The TVC, presented in the form of a creative musical, portrayed the product’s usage experience in different sunscreen scenarios, engaging in an emotional exchange with the audience while embedding the sunscreen products in their minds.
During the event from March 17th to 23rd, MISTINE joined forces with Douyin influencers and KOLs to showcase their products’ ability to withstand the “roasting” from ultraviolet rays in Xinjiang’s Flaming Mountains. Additionally, the sunscreen spokesperson, Zhao Lusi, made a special appearance in MISTINE’s official Douyin livestream, recommending sunscreen products to fans, creating a wave of excitement around the sales campaign.
Notably, on March 18th, MISTINE hosted the “2nd International Summit on Skin Photobiology” in Shanghai. During the summit, MISTINE showcased their sunscreen strength from a scientific research perspective. The brand not only introduced their upgraded self-developed ingredient technology, Taremi Plus®, but also launched a global research and development innovation strategy. They also unveiled their new sunscreen products for this year.
It can be said that it was this series of initiatives that allowed MISTINE to break through its usual circle of communication and achieve widespread dissemination. Data shows that as of March 26th, MISTINE’s total marketing exposure has exceeded 1 billion, Zhao Lusi’s TVC has been viewed over 10.07 million times across various platforms, and it has generated over 3.19 million interactions.
The brand’s impact is also directly reflected in its sales data. During the period from March 17th to 23rd, MISTINE experienced a significant increase in sales, with its sunscreen category GMV (Gross Merchandise Volume) and cushion category GMV ranking first in Douyin’s e-commerce, far surpassing the industry average.
Global linkage, achieving the integration of product and effectiveness.
Currently, beauty marketing is entering an era of global, comprehensive, and full-cycle development. Single-point thinking is no longer able to adapt to market trends. MISTINE, with its deep understanding of this, has attracted the attention and recognition of the new generation of consumers through a combination of creative marketing reminiscent of the past, sunscreen spokesperson Zhao Lusi’s publicity, and brand self-broadcasting.
Analyzing MISTINE’s Douyin Mall Super Brand Day event from March 17th to 23rd, it can be seen that they were meticulous and progressive in their approach.
Firstly, during the event, internet celebrities flocked to the Flaming Mountains, cosplaying characters from “Journey to the West” such as Tang Sanzang and Princess Iron Fan in a funny and entertaining manner. This not only evoked a sense of nostalgia but also sparked wave after wave of interactive enthusiasm.
Simultaneously, MISTINE’s livestream hosts operated in a self-broadcasting room with the Flaming Mountains as the theme. The extended “standby” mode continuously attracted fans’ attention. From a data perspective, MISTINE’s Flaming Mountains self-broadcast room saw a 1,150% increase in peak online viewers compared to normal days, and the user interaction rate on the first day of the Flaming Mountains livestream nearly doubled compared to the same time period on regular days.
The Flaming Mountains are located on the western border of China, in the Gaochang District of Turpan City, Xinjiang. It is also known as the hottest place in China. MISTINE’s marketing campaign used the Flaming Mountains as an entry point, conducting real-life tests of their products in high-temperature and high-altitude environments. This not only showcased the brand’s powerful product capabilities but also demonstrated their ability to provide all-scenario sun protection, even in extreme conditions.
Secondly, sunscreen spokesperson Zhao Lusi made a surprise appearance in the self-broadcasting room to further promote the brand. On March 17th, Zhao Lusi, the brand’s sunscreen spokesperson, appeared in the “Flaming Mountains-themed self-broadcasting room” to immerse herself in promoting MISTINE’s Sunlight Treasure Box, further boosting sales. By engaging in interactive discussions with artists, the event gained even more momentum, reaching its climax.
Thirdly, while online influencers continued to spread creative content and the brand’s self-broadcasting room gained traction, offline, MISTINE partnered with Douyin Mall Super Brand Day to launch a flash mob event at the Baiyulan Square in Shanghai under the theme of “Born with Heat, Enjoy the Sun.” They set up giant standees of the sunscreen spokesperson and invited fans to take photos. Fans who participated in the dance challenge had the opportunity to win exclusive offline merchandise.
As a short and effective marketing method, flash mob events have wide coverage and can focus on potential consumer groups in various scenarios. This time, MISTINE recreated the Flaming Mountains scene in Shanghai in a concrete way. They integrated product advantages, in-store experiences, brand concepts, and more, providing Shanghai consumers with a new sun protection experience.
From the widespread promotion of internet celebrities’ creative ideas to the explosive impact of sunscreen spokesperson Zhao Lusi’s appearance in the Flaming Mountains, and the conversion of brand exposure into GMV sales through the self-broadcasting room, as well as the offline themed flash mob store capturing the target consumer group, MISTINE cleverly connected the dissemination chain of Douyin’s e-commerce, creating an exemplary case of innovative marketing.
For a long time, MISTINE has adhered to the principles of “scientifically solving sun protection problems” and “prioritizing consumer needs.” This time, while showcasing its outstanding product capabilities, MISTINE also established a deeper emotional connection with consumers through the power of emotions.
36 years of technological accumulation, product strength as the foundation.
Behind the success of MISTINE’s Douyin Mall Super Brand Day, on the one hand, is its highly creative marketing approach that resonates with consumers’ emotions. On the other hand, it is closely related to its excellent product strength, which is the result of years of dedicated research and development.
In recent years, sun protection has become a popular skincare category, but brands face greater challenges. On one hand, consumers’ demands for sunscreen products, such as efficacy and suitability for different scenarios, have become more advanced. On the other hand, new brands entering the market have intensified competition in the industry.
However, MISTINE has firmly maintained its leading position in the market. In the “2023 China Beauty Brand Footprint: Fastest-Rising Brands” list published by Kantar Consumer Index, MISTINE ranked first in the skincare category and gained the most new consumers.
Since its establishment 36 years ago, MISTINE has always adhered to a long-term approach to innovation and development. As the Chairman of Bawtevi Group, the parent company of MISTINE, Zhuang Baoxia, stated, “Continuously creating good products and adhering to a long-term approach to building the brand. Quality, technology, and innovation have always been the key elements of our group’s development.”
In recent years, MISTINE has accelerated the establishment of core technological barriers. For example, by focusing on Chinese consumers’ skin types and sun protection needs, MISTINE has pioneered the field of photobiology sun protection systems. In terms of research and development teams, MISTINE has assembled a top-tier team of scientists to carry out product development, including the global R&D team from China, Thailand, and Germany, as well as the support of Nobel laureate Professor Arieh Warshel.
At the “Second International Summit on Skin Photobiology,” MISTINE announced a major upgrade to its flagship ingredient, Taremi Plus®, which not only enhances the quality and effectiveness of the product but also reflects its deep insights into technological innovation and market demands. It is reported that Taremi Plus® uses AI-calculated biology as a research method and has undergone tens of thousands of target gene screenings to identify the ingredient’s targets and mechanisms for anti-oxidation, melanin inhibition, and anti-aging effects in the ultra-long wavelength range.
Furthermore, MISTINE is collaborating with German academician Krutmann and the Leibniz Institute for Environmental Medicine, one of Germany’s top research institutes, to study the differences in the skin’s response to light between Chinese and Caucasian populations.
In addition, MISTINE is optimizing its global resources for research and development, achieving innovative leadership in R&D, and establishing three major R&D centers in China, Thailand, and Germany. It collaborates with research institutions such as SGS, BASF, The Vassar Center for Computational Biology at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen), and the Zhejiang Tsinghua Yangtze River Delta Anti-Aging Research Institute to jointly develop cutting-edge technologies and raw materials.
In January of this year, MISTINE formed a deep collaboration with BASF, a global leading raw material company, covering areas such as innovative bio-protective ingredients, visualization of sun protection efficacy, and global business expansion support. This undoubtedly demonstrates MISTINE’s commitment to in-depth technological research.
At the same time, as a leader in the sun protection market, MISTINE has been driving the industry’s standardization and high-quality development.
For example, MISTINE, in collaboration with global inspection, identification, testing, and certification organization SGS, established the “Sunscreen Testing Joint Laboratory” to objectively and authentically test the efficacy of its products. Additionally, in cooperation with the Tsinghua Yangtze River Delta Research Institute, MISTINE released the “Blue Light Protection and Anti-Light Aging Blue Book.” They also jointly released the “Initiative for the Standardized Development of Sunscreen Cosmetics Industry” with the Cosmetic Subcommittee of the Shanghai Pharmaceutical Industry Association, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, and Beijing Industry Association.
With 36 years of brand accumulation, MISTINE’s original intention remains unchanged. This year marks the 36th anniversary of MISTINE’s establishment and its eighth year of deepening its presence in the Chinese market. In the future, MISTINE will continue to adhere to a long-term approach, build its core competitiveness, and bring better beauty products to consumers.
