Chinese brand you need to know: MAOGEPING 💋

It's a C-Beauty takeover and MGP is leading the charge

C-Beauty is having a moment. 

The #C-Beauty (国货彩妆) topic has currently garnered over 150 million views on Xiaohongshu and over 170 million views on Douyin.

In 2023 the market share of domestic beauty brands surpassed that of foreign brands for the first time.

Just last month, during the bit 618 shopping festival, sales of domestic beauty products increased by 53% year-on-year. Domestic brands topped Tmall's skincare category for the first time, with Proya's sales reaching 1.014 billion yuan (USD 142 million), a year-on-year increase of 30.7%, ranking first among beauty brands.

What’s so great about C-Beauty: 

• unique formulations

• incorporation of traditional Chinese ingredients

• innovative packaging

💋 Today, let’s cover C-Beauty brand, MGP

Founded in 2000 by renowned makeup artist Mr. Mao Geping, MAOGEPING BEAUTY (MGP) has become a leading force in the Chinese cosmetics industry.

Luxury Redefined: MGP takes the concept of "Chinese Aesthetics" to heart. Their products, from luxurious packaging to innovative formulas, exude a sense of refinement and heritage. The brand offers a comprehensive collection of makeup and skincare, catering to a wide range of beauty needs.

(WeChat article) Announcement of Chen Lijun, a young Chinese Yue Opera actress born in the 1990s, as the brand's ‘Light and Shadow Ambassador’. The campaign is a seamless combination of modern beauty, traditional culture, and Chinese aesthetics.

Price Point: Premium-quality products at an investment-worthy price. Makeup ranges from foundations (USD $25-83) to eyeshadow palettes (USD $28-112), while their skincare line offers toners (USD $54) and serums (USD $73).

For the Discerning Beauty Enthusiast: MGP targets a sophisticated audience – middle- and high-income women aged 25-45 who value professional-grade products with the packaging to match. They cater to both makeup artists and beauty enthusiasts, offering innovative formulas that address the specific needs of Chinese consumer skin tones and features.

What MGP Does Well

🪄 Influencer Partnerships 

MGP leverages influencer collaborations on platforms like Xiaohongshu (RED) to build trust and authenticity. Their strategy focuses on:

• Showcasing real-life product applications

• Highlighting dramatic makeup transformations

• Emphasizing the aesthetic appeal of packaging

Influencer collabs show practical, easy-to-follow makeup techniques to enhance features, or even dramatic transformative looks.

🪄 Live-streaming 

The brand utilizes live-streaming to create interactive shopping experiences:

• Real-time product demonstrations with before-and-after effects

• Q&A sessions for immediate customer engagement

• Detailed product explanations to drive informed purchases

The brand focuses primarily on everyday live-stream sales. Hosts demonstrate products by applying makeup to half of their face, highlighting before-and-after effects to enhance persuasiveness. Viewers can request the host to explain specific products  and interact with the host by sending messages and virtual gifts.

A series of influencer collaborations on Douyin, known as 'Mao Geping Head Swap Surgery,' have garnered exceptionally high interaction rates. The videos showcase before-and-after effects achieved using Mao Geping cosmetics and makeup techniques.

🪄 Cultural Integration 

MGP successfully incorporates Chinese aesthetics into their brand identity:

• Luxurious packaging with elements of traditional Chinese design

• Product lines that celebrate local holidays and cultural events

• Marketing campaigns that resonate with Chinese beauty standards

Showcasing the Chinese aesthetics and high-end feel of the product packaging are important element of MGP's popular influencer collaborations on Xiaohongshu.

🪄 Multi-Platform Presence

• WeChat:

  • Integrated online store

  • Exclusive content for followers

MGP’s WeChat followers can book offline in-store services, such as makeup trials and advanced skin care, by registering as brand membership on mini program.

• Xiaohongshu: 870k followers

  • User-generated content and reviews

  • In-app e-commerce integration

MGP’s Xiaohongshu account (with a built-in online store) has 870,000 followers, and its content types mainly include brand news, product testing and introductions, and UGC.

• Douyin: 2.9M followers (brand account), 592k (CEO's account)

  • Short-form video content

  • Live-streaming sales events

With nearly three million followers, MGP’s Douyin account has a strong marketing influence. Like other big brands that have opened official accounts on the Douyin platform, live-streaming plays a major role in sales.

• Weibo: 128k followers (brand), 1M (CEO's account)

  • Brand announcements and updates

  • Celebrity partnerships and trending topics

The brand's founder & CEO Mao Geping  has over 1 million fans on Weibo. Leveraging the celebrity power of famous makeup artist, it helps the brand be further expanded in terms of visibility and influence.

Key Takeaways: 

💄Localized Content Strategy 

MGP creates content that aligns with Chinese cultural nuances, addressing specific beauty concerns of Chinese consumers. This approach helps the brand resonate more deeply with its target audience.

💄Leveraging Founder's Expertise 

The brand capitalizes on Mao Geping's reputation as a makeup artist, using his expertise to build credibility and create compelling content across social platforms.

💄Strategic Collaborations 

MGP's partnership with the Chinese national team for the Paris Olympics demonstrates how brands can align themselves with national pride and current events to boost visibility and relevance.

💄Product Innovation 

The brand continually introduces products that cater to Chinese consumer preferences, such as air cushions with built-in sun protection and powder creams with skincare benefits.

💄Consistent Brand Image 

While MGP utilizes diverse marketing channels, they maintain a unified brand message focused on product efficacy, cultural relevance, and professional-grade quality.

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