In the heart of a rapidly evolving beauty landscape, where the conversation around empowerment and authenticity grows louder each day, SK-II stands out as a beacon of innovation and inspiration. We had the privilege of sitting down with Sue-Kyung Lee, the visionary CEO of Global SK-II, to explore the profound impact of the brand’s recent campaigns in China. The #ChooseDestiny film and the viral docuseries “More Youthful With Age #MoreYouthfulWithAgeZHUANG” have not only captured the imagination of millions but also sparked a significant cultural shift towards redefining beauty standards. This exclusive interview sheds light on the research, cultural insights, and strategic thinking that have propelled SK-II to the forefront of empowering women across China.
SK-II’s recent campaigns have clearly resonated with Chinese consumers, notably the #ChooseDestiny film and the “More Youthful With Age #越大越不ZHUANG” docuseries. Could you elaborate on the research and cultural insights that led to these specific themes and narratives? How did SK-II ensure these campaigns authentically connected with the pressures and expectations facing Chinese women today?
Consumers are at the heart of all that we do at SK-II. In order to serve our consumers better than anyone else, we need to have the deepest understanding of her—her lifestyle and values. We talked to our consumers in-store, held focus groups and did a deep dive into social conversations to find out the pressures and expectations that Chinese women were facing. And what we uncovered was a growing cultural shift towards independence and self-aspiration; to ‘unmask’ yourself and redefine society’s expectations of what it means to be a woman.
At SK-II, this is very much aligned with our brand values of authenticity and being true to yourself over many decades. In 2024, we refreshed our brand identity with an increased emphasis on natural visuals and authentic narratives of PITERA™, and launched our campaign – ‘More Youthful With Age #越大越不ZHUANG’ in celebration of International Women’s Day which was based on a Little Red Book social trend of ‘Liberate Your Beauty’ where women were setting a new beauty standard of being bare-faced. ‘More Youthful With Age #越大越不ZHUANG’ has a dual meaning of embracing both your bare skin and your true self as you age. The response to this campaign has been incredible – over 14 million views on Little Red Book, over 400 million views on Douyin, over 400,000 engagements and overwhelming news coverage including top national news such as CCTV, Xinhua and People’s Daily – and we’re humbled by the long term SK-II users and PITERA™ lovers who’ve come forward to share their own stories of showing their true selves and bare skin against social expectations.
The success of SK-II’s campaigns in China is impressive, with millions of views and significant engagement on platforms like Little Red Book and Douyin. What are the key elements of SK-II’s digital marketing strategy that have enabled such viral success and high levels of consumer engagement in a competitive beauty market?
If you look at the world today and the type of content that our consumers watch and scroll through daily, it’s all about stories. From Douyin to Little Red Book – what captures hearts and minds are powerful, authentic stories.
At SK-II, we have a powerful and authentic story with our brand and PITERA™. We’re constantly looking for meaningful ways to connect with our consumers through genuine stories of how and why SK-II with PITERA™ continues to transform the skin of millions of women around the world. This leads into understanding that our consumers also want to tell their own stories. They seek experiences that they can share on the same platforms that they consume stories on
This is why ‘More Youthful With Age #越大越不ZHUANG’ campaign launched this International Women’s Day behind the Liberate Your Beauty trend on Little Red Book had the level of success and engagement it did. We featured the personal stories of five long term SK-II users and PITERA lovers and how they unmasked and redefined what being a woman meant to them, this sparked a movement among Chinese consumers to tell their stories on Douyin and Little Red Book and join the conversation.
With SK-II’s emphasis on empowerment and challenging societal expectations, such as aging perceptions among Chinese women, how does SK-II measure the impact of these campaigns beyond digital engagement metrics? Are there specific changes in consumer perception or behavior SK-II aims to achieve through its purpose-driven marketing?
With our #ChooseDestiny campaigns, we seek to shed light on societal matters that affect women and inspire them to choose their own destiny whether in skin or in life. While it’s impossible to achieve or to measure societal change with a single campaign, it’s encouraging when our campaigns spark social conversations supporting women’s pursuit in embracing their true selves. Ultimately, we want to establish the perception of SK-II not only as a prestige skincare brand, but as a platform for women to have their stories shared and voices heard.
The beauty industry in China is highly competitive, with numerous domestic and international brands vying for consumer attention. How does SK-II differentiate itself from other prestige brands, particularly in its approach to understanding and addressing the unique needs and aspirations of the Chinese consumer?
It goes back to 2 key things for us – Consumers and PITERA™.
- Consumers: Keeping Consumers at the Heart of Everything That We Do
We’re seeking to understand her better and serve her better than anyone else, and we need to do so seamlessly across all the omnichannel touchpoints that she is on, being present and raising the bar in serving her wherever she chooses to look or shop, across all omnichannel touchpoints. We want to deliver the best and most relevant content and holistic value to her,and provide seamless omnichannel interaction, being readily available and serving her both online and offline, all infused with our signature “Omotenashi” touch.
- PITERA™: Fueling irresistibility on PITERA™ superiority and craftsmanship with our campaigns and innovations
At SK-II, we have a powerful and authentic story with our brand and our iconic and exclusive PITERA™. We are constantly looking to find meaningful ways to connect with our consumers through genuine stories of how and why SK-II with PITERA™ continues to transform the skin of millions of women around the world. Our latest ‘More Youthful as You Age #越大越不ZHUANG’ campaign that shines a spotlight on real life stories of long-term SK-II users and PITERA™ lovers who have redefined society’s expectations is a key example of this.
Considering the evolving beauty standards and consumer behaviors in China, how does SK-II plan to innovate its product offerings and marketing messages to stay relevant and appealing to the 2024 Chinese consumer and beyond?
This goes back to keeping consumers at the heart of all that we do at SK-II, having the deepest understanding of her and serving her better than anyone else. Whether she is working, being with her friends and family, traveling or shopping, we are constantly listening to her and engaging with her on the social channels that she is on, so that we can raise the bar with irresistibly superior product innovations and brand experiences that serve her needs and wants.
The second is PITERA™. We are always looking to fuel PITERA™ superiority and craftsmanship with innovations and find new and meaningful ways to tell powerful and authentic stories inspired by our users and PITERA™ lovers with our campaigns.
Facing headwinds in the China market, SK-II is refreshing its brand strategy to maintain its position and appeal among Chinese consumers. Could you share some insights into the challenges SK-II anticipates in the Chinese beauty market soon, and how the brand plans to navigate these challenges while continuing to support and empower Chinese women?
China is a dynamic, fast-moving market with Chinese consumers being one of the savviest in the world about brands, ingredients, science. It goes back to always putting our consumer at the heart of all that we do and ensuring that we continuously innovate to serve her better than anyone else with our skincare expertise, product craftsmanship and PITERA™ science to meet her higher expectations on all omnichannel touchpoints she is on.
Also Read: Sofia Ghuisolfi Ferrer Talks dLocal’s Strategy in Revolutionizing Southeast Asia’s Payment Landscape
As our conversation with Sue-Kyung Lee came to a close, the depth of SK-II’s commitment to challenging societal norms and empowering women was abundantly clear. The brand’s innovative approach, rooted in genuine cultural insights and a steadfast dedication to authenticity, continues to resonate with consumers and set new benchmarks in the beauty industry. With a clear vision for the future and a strong emphasis on storytelling, SK-II is not just transforming skin with its pioneering PITERA™ essence but is also reshaping the narrative around beauty and aging in China and beyond. As SK-II marches forward, it remains a symbol of hope and empowerment for women everywhere, inspiring them to embrace their true selves and rewrite their destinies.
