Sentence/Sentence
In May, the temperature gradually rises and the sun becomes more intense. At this time of year, the sunscreen market is in a fierce "battle", with many brands launching new sunscreen products in an attempt to stand out in this highly competitive market.
Biore, which has been deeply involved in the sunscreen market for many years, has adopted the "hydromagnetic film sunscreen technology" pioneered by the parent company Kao Group, and launched the Biore water film sunscreen series this year.
In fact, sunscreen products have become a rigid product for people, and sunscreen brands are emerging in the market, so why can Biore continue to innovate and lead in sunscreen? How to continuously upgrade according to the changing needs of Chinese consumers for sun protection? What are the expectations of the Kao Group? With these questions in mind, Qingyan interviewed Atsushi Sumigu, general manager of Kao (Shanghai) Product Service Co., Ltd., during the Biorou Water Film Sunscreen Chengdu theme event.
Layout in the Chinese market for 20 years, the first to promote "water sunscreen"
In 1995, Biore entered the Chinese market, and in 2009, the first UV sunscreen product was launched in China. So far, Biore has launched a variety of sunscreen products such as water-active sunscreen hydrogel, water-active sunscreen water gel, and lightweight double protection sunscreen lotion.
Biore Water Sunscreen Family
This year, Biore Water Sunscreen Family has added a new member to the "Biore Hydromagnetic Film Sunscreen Series", including Biore Water Film Lightweight Sunscreen (Little Blue Cover) and Biore Water Mask Moisturizing Sunscreen Spray (Little Blue Spray). It is understood that the Biore water film sunscreen series adopts the "water magnetic film sunscreen technology" pioneered by Kao, which is moisturizing and lightweight, and can meet multiple needs such as high sun protection, clear makeup, and easy reapplication.
Regarding the development and use of new technologies, Atsushi Sumitani told Qingyan that according to Kao's survey, it was found that about 70% of consumers of sunscreen products have experienced sunburn after applying sunscreen products. The mainstream oil-in-water formula sunscreen products on the market are prone to micron-sized gaps during the evaporation of the watery phase after application, and ultraviolet rays can penetrate these tiny gaps to sunburn the skin.
Based on this, the Kao Group has developed a breakthrough patented technology that locks sunscreen ingredients into micron-sized water capsules, the "Hydromagnetic Film Sunscreen Technology", and applied it to Biore's sunscreen products.
On the right is Atsushi Sumitani, general manager of Kao (Shanghai) Product Service Co., Ltd
In terms of effect, Biore Water Mask Lightweight Sunscreen using "Hydromagnetic Film Sunscreen Technology" has strong fluidity and can be quickly extended when applied. As a result, sunscreen ingredients can quickly cover the surface of the skin to form a dense "water film", achieving micron-level coverage and comprehensive protection against ultraviolet rays, thus achieving a high sunscreen effect.
In addition, because the texture of the product is as light as water, it will not be greasy or sticky, and it will be more comfortable to apply makeup while maintaining a good skin feel. This technology can strike a good balance between "high sun protection", "refreshing skin feel" and "good base makeup" – these are the concerns of Chinese consumers when choosing sunscreen products.
In addition, Qingyan also noticed that the new Biore Water Mask Moisturizing Sunscreen Water Spray is different from the packaging of mainstream aerosol cans on the market, and adopts the form of water spray. According to Sumitoya Dun, this water spray sunscreen can be brought on high-speed trains and airplanes, which better meets the needs of consumers anytime, anywhere, and convenient reapplication.
Biore Water Mask Moisturizing Sunscreen Water Mist
In fact, with the acceleration of the pace of modern life and the cultivation of consumers' minds, consumers have formed the habit of reapplying sunscreen. According to the data of Glaucoma Intelligence, 36.77% of consumers will reapply sunscreen cosmetics in 4-6 hours, and 31.29% of consumers will reapply sunscreen cosmetics once in 2-4 hours.
In addition, Atsushi Sumitani further said that most of the formulations of traditional sunscreen sprays contain powder, and consumers are also worried about the disadvantages of inhaling powder and making it difficult to carry. The small blue spray does not have these problems, it is a transparent liquid texture, the spray of water mist is very fine, there is no powder, and it can quickly adhere to the skin evenly and seamlessly form a film. It can also be sprayed backwards, making it easy to use even on areas that are difficult to spray, such as the back and ankles.
Product upgrades and technological breakthroughs are not a one-day effort, and Biore is inseparable from Kao Group's cutting-edge research in interface activity technology and ultraviolet protection agent application, which is inseparable from its own advanced technology and in-depth insight into consumer needs.
Hand in hand with spokespersons, new products will be out of the circle when they are launched
If product innovation is the core element of Birou to stand firm in the fierce market competition, then the official announcement of artist Fan Chengcheng as the brand spokesperson has undoubtedly added another fire to Birou.
Birou brand spokesperson Fan Chengcheng
It is undeniable that brand spokespersons play a non-negligible role in brand promotion and sales. On the morning of May 11, Qingyan visited the Watsons store in Chengdu Joy City, and within half an hour of entering the store, there was an endless stream of people entering the store to buy sunscreen products. According to the on-site sales, among all the sunscreen products of Biore, the sales of the new sunscreen are the best, and many fans will directly buy Biore's related products because of the spokesperson.
Consumers are trying out the little blue cover, and the blue eyes were taken at the Watsons store in Chengdu Joy City
In addition, the relevant staff of Birou also told Qingyan that the star effect has increased the sales of the brand very well, only in Chengdu Joy City Watsons store, combined with the brand roadshow activities, the sales of Birou sunscreen products in three days have been comparable to all the sales from January to April last year.
Judging from consumer feedback, paying for the spokesperson is one thing, and more importantly, it is based on the safety, high sun protection and people-friendly pricing of the Biore brand. As of press time, Little Blue Spray and Little Blue Cover are also widely loved by consumers in e-commerce channels, and Little Blue Spray has also been selected into the Tmall Sunscreen V list.
In addition, as a professional sunscreen brand, Biore has also been sparing no effort to seize the minds of consumers. Qingyan learned that in addition to working with spokesperson Fan Chengcheng to carry out flash mob activities, the Biore brand also issued a creative invitation to college students through the "China University Student Advertising Art Festival Academy Award", further narrowing the distance with Generation Z consumers with college students as the core.
According to Atsushi Sumitani, Birou also plans to join hands with the "Strawberry Music Festival" to get close to people's life scenes and further improve the awareness of the brand and products among a wide range of people. In various types of activities, through the setting of observation experiments, distribution trials and other diversified forms, more people can actually experience the use and performance characteristics of the product.
Adapt to the development of the Chinese market and create representative brands and products
Atsushi Sumitani learned that Atsushi Sumitani joined Kao Corporation in 1991 and has worked in the Chinese market for 25 years. When talking about the changes in the Chinese market, he also lamented: "The scale of China's consumer goods market is huge and developing rapidly. In recent years, consumer needs have become more diverse and personalized. ”
He believes that driven by the younger generation of consumers, the sunscreen market has shown a trend of category segmentation, emphasis on technical ingredients, and multi-effect integration. And, with the development of digitalization, consumers' purchasing behaviors and scenarios are also changing in real time.
Indeed, in recent years, China's sunscreen market has developed rapidly. According to iiMedia Consulting data, the market size of China's sunscreen cosmetics industry will be 14.8 billion yuan in 2023, a year-on-year increase of 12.3%, and it is expected that the market size of China's sunscreen cosmetics will reach 22.4 billion yuan in 2028.
Against this backdrop, more and more sunscreen brands have emerged in the Chinese market, and the competition in the sunscreen market has become more and more fierce, but Sumitani believes that this is a good phenomenon.
"This gives consumers more options for sunscreen products. At the same time, it also promotes Kao to pay close attention to the needs of Chinese consumers and continue to develop and provide diversified products. He stressed.
Not only that, but in the course of the interview, Sumitani repeatedly mentioned that Chinese consumers are becoming more and more aware of sun protection, and their requirements for sun protection products are also getting higher and higher. In fact, the Chinese market has always been one of the most important overseas markets for the Kao Group, and Biore is also one of the first brands launched by Kao China, which is the starting point for Kao to engage with Chinese consumers.
Qingyan understands that the Biore hydromagnetic film sunscreen series is produced in China. In fact, as early as 2004, Kao established the China R&D Center, which not only plays an important role in Kao's global R&D, but also provides technical support for Kao to develop products suitable for Chinese consumers.
In terms of localization, Atsushi Sumitani also told Qingyan that based on the basic R&D achievements and advanced technologies of Kao Group in the field of interface activity technology and ultraviolet protection, Kao's R&D centers and factories in China will promote localized R&D and production, which can also help Kao Group better adapt to the needs of the Chinese market.
At the same time, he also said that based on Kao China, he will strive to build a representative brand and unique products that are far ahead in specific fields.
Kao has been in China for 30 years, and Biore is about to enter its 30th year in the Chinese market. In the past 20 years, from R&D to products to marketing, Biore has taken every step of the way, and the steady progress of Biore is moving towards the next 30 years.