"You can't know me, but you can't not know Mao Geping!" During a live broadcast sale, Li Jiaqi shouted at the fans in the live broadcast room at the mobile phone screen.
Who is Mao Geping? Why can lipstick brother Li Jiaqi so highly recommend?
Su Qi, a post-95 girl, told Capital Planet: "There are almost no girls who don't know Mao Geping, he wears too much makeup. Cosmetics are also good, but they must be matched with his makeup skills. ”
"Sending your head to Mao Geping" is a compliment of netizens for Mao Geping's makeup technology. In the minds of many girls, Mao Geping is the existence of the ceiling level of Chinese makeup artists.
As early as 20 years ago, he became popular by giving makeup to stars in film and television dramas. Then, he founded his own name "Mao Geping Cosmetics Co., Ltd." (hereinafter referred to as "Mao Geping Company"), and gradually established his own beauty business empire.
Mao Geping Source: Mao Geping Guanwei
In 2016, Mao Geping submitted a prospectus for the first time to seek an A-share IPO. However, at the end of 2017, the market came with the news that Mao Geping Company had suspended its IPO.
Five years have passed, and things have been updated. On October 21 this year, the official website of the China Securities Regulatory Commission showed that Mao Geping Company's initial offering was approved and will soon be listed on the main board of the Shanghai Stock Exchange. This means that Mao Geping will become the "first share of makeup artists to create their own makeup".
From a makeup artist who makes up for celebrities to the boss who is now about to become the boss of a listed company, Mao Geping has spent more than 20 years. And this well-known figure in the makeup industry is now nearly sixty years old. His entrepreneurial story has also become a wonderful legend.
1. Liu Xiaoqing's "Royal Makeup Artist"
Mao Geping was born in 1964 to a military family in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province. At the age of 13, he entered the Zhejiang Provincial Art School to study Yue opera. Six years later, Mao Geping graduated from school and was assigned to zhejiang Yue Theater to become a professional Yue opera actor.
Unfortunately, the young Mao Geping's dream of a Yue opera actor was just about to begin, and he encountered difficulties - his voice changed, which caused him to sing for two or three minutes on stage and then come down, and the Dream of Yue opera actor almost closed the door to him.
But fate still opened another door for Mao Geping. Once, when the Yue opera troupe wanted to go out on a tour, the troupe's makeup teachers and students fell ill, so Mao Geping was pulled in to save the scene and act as the makeup artist of the troupe.
The troupe acted outside for 3 months, and Mao Geping did makeup for 3 months. Inexperienced, he took on all the work of the makeup department and completed the task well.
After the performance, Mao Geping also made an important choice in his life. He believes that being a makeup artist is also good, the older the more experienced, the older the more popular.
Therefore, 20-year-old Mao Geping made up his mind and officially joined the stage team of yue theater and became a makeup artist.
Young Mao Geping Image source: Mao Geping official website
Although he had accumulated several months of experience in the early stage, Mao Geping knew that there was still a long way to go to become a qualified makeup artist.
Mao Geping moved the bed from the dormitory into the dressing room of the regiment, learned all kinds of makeup knowledge, and lived a "monotonous" life with the head cover and makeup products day and night. He bought all kinds of makeup books and piled them on the bedside, practiced makeup during the day, and read carefully at night.
In order to study the characteristics of different hairstyles, Mao Geping ran to the streets and alleys of Hangzhou many times to observe how the teacher Fu got a haircut; he would also buy stickers for Hong Kong and Taiwan film and television stars on the stalls in front of the primary school, take them back and paste them on the bedside, and copy them repeatedly.
In 1988, Mao Geping went to the Stage Art Department of the Shanghai Theater Academy for further study, and just one month after enrolling, he won the first prize in the first "Hundred Loves God" makeup contest in Shanghai with the Lenin style of the gods, and became famous in the school.
Mao Geping's Lenin model Source: Screenshot of Jiangxi Satellite TV
In the more than two years of playing, Mao Geping's knowledge reserves and professional skills have improved by leaps and bounds. During this period, he also met his own nobleman, Yang Xiaoqing, the director of Yue opera.
In the Yue opera circle, Yang Xiaoqing is a well-known big sister, not only has strong business ability, but also is enthusiastic, and has promoted many juniors.
Under the recommendation of Yang Xiaoqing, Mao Geping served as a makeup artist for many Yue opera repertoire, and also met many actors from Yue opera, including Wang Liqun, who later became his wife. A lot of work accumulation has made Mao Geping's experience more and more abundant.
Later, Yang Xiaoqing recommended him to make up for the actors in the TV drama group, which made Mao Geping jump from the Yue opera circle to the film and television circle, and since then he has opened a "part-time" life for multiple crews.
At that time, there was a very important drama called "Kyoto Chronicle", which was produced by the Beijing Television Production Center.
This production center has previously filmed popular dramas such as "Longing" and "Beijingers in New York", and for Mao Geping, joining this crew is undoubtedly an opportunity to enhance his popularity. Moreover, the director has promised him that he can solve the problem of compilation.
At the same time, another crew " Wu Zetian " also began filming. Starring Liu Xiaoqing, playing a person from the age of 15 to more than 80 years old Wu Zetian, this is a huge challenge for Liu Xiaoqing. Because Liu Xiaoqing at that time was already 40 years old.
But the bigger test is the makeup artist. To this end, the crew interviewed more than 20 makeup artists, but none of them passed, so the crew began to ask around where there were good makeup artists. At this time, someone recommended Mao Geping.
Mao Geping initially refused, after all, the popularity of the Kyoto Chronicle and the conditions offered to makeup artists were good. However, Liu Xiaoqing's words made his heart move.
Liu Xiaoqing told Mao Geping: "There is no film and TELEVISION series in China that allows an actor to act from the age of 15 to the age of 80, if this opportunity is given to you, you will grasp it well, and you will definitely be famous all over the world." ”
Mao Geping changed his mind, he took a leave of absence from the "Kyoto Chronicle" crew and came to the scene of the "Wu Zetian" crew.
In order to make wu Zetian good, Mao Geping did everything in his power.
For Mao Geping, Wu Zetian in his teenage years was undoubtedly the most difficult. In order to highlight the delicate state of the girl, Mao Geping covered Liu Xiaoqing with bangs, the middle features were prominent, and the facial muscles were bulging, appearing watery.
With makeup, you have to pass the test of the lens.
On the first day of the boot, the director only shot one shot: the young girl Wu Zetian was first called to be pampered, came to the main hall, knelt down, and then slowly raised her head.
At the end of the shooting, Liu Xiaoqing was nervous and did not dare to watch the replay. Until the director watched the film, he was stunned for a while, nodded to the producer next to him, and said, "This is cheng." Liu Xiaoqing was relieved.
Maiden Wu Zetian Source: Screenshot of the TV series "Wu Zetian"
At that moment, the camera freezes the most famous face of that era. Mao Geping remembers that in 1994, the cover of a magazine issue of "Popular Movies" featured Liu Xiaoqing as a young girl Wu Zetian.
After the broadcast of "Wu Zetian", there was a fire in the country, Liu Xiaoqing ushered in the second spring of his career, and Mao Geping also became popular. At that time, some media comments pointed out:
"The play has become a classic with exquisite production art, which has made Liu Xiaoqing, who has been silent for many years, re-ascend to the peak of his acting career, and make the fledgling makeup artist Mao Geping famous overnight."
With the popularity of Mao Geping, the outside world began to call him a "magic makeup artist". However, just when Mao Geping's reputation was in the ascendant and the drama was continuing, he made a major decision to temporarily withdraw from the film and television circle.
2. The beauty business king of "Mao Geping"
Mao Geping chose to start a business.
In 1998, Mao Geping founded Mao Geping Makeup Art Co., Ltd. in Hangzhou. He published his makeup experience in a book and traveled to more than 60 cities across the country to give lectures.
After lecturing a lot outside, Mao Geping often met others who asked him if he could accept disciples? As more and more people asked, Mao Geping gradually came up with the idea of opening a school.
In 2000, Mao Geping founded the "Mao Geping Image Design Art School" in Hangzhou. Since then, he has opened branches in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Zhengzhou and other cities.
According to media reports, Mao Geping's education class is expensive: the cheapest nail art class is 2500 yuan, and the most expensive film and television special effects makeup class needs 52800 yuan.
Even so, Mao Geping's school was still full of students. According to statistics, the teacher class alone trained more than 500 excellent lecturers at that time.
In 2002, Mao Geping Beijing Branch was established Image source: Mao Geping official website
Mao Geping's "ambition" does not stop there.
In the same year that the school was opened, he established the "Mao Geping Cosmetics Company" and launched a beauty brand positioned in the middle and high-end, called Mao Geping (MGPIN).
Selling cosmetics is not as easy as teaching students makeup. Although Mao Geping has accumulated a reputation in the makeup industry, the cruel laws of business have given him many blows.
He wanted to enter a high-end shopping mall, with such an international first-line big name as Chanel and Dior, but he would not let him get close. People in the mall told him: "Teacher Mao, celebrity is not equal to a famous brand, we want to see the performance, Chinese brands have no sales at all." ”
Undeterred, Mao Geping decided to settle in shopping malls such as L'Oréal, Opale and OLAYA.
Even so, it is not easy. He went to the mall to visit, the head of the mall often in the name of a meeting, let him wait at the door, he waited from 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., but heard the person in charge and the people next to him complaining: "Here it is again, let him blow the wind at the door, sober and sober." ”
Later, The Grand Gateway Mall in Shanghai finally accepted him and gave him a 9-square-meter display case. However, the conditions for opening are also harsh, and sales of at least 90,000 yuan per month must be guaranteed.
Mao Geping accepted. In order to complete the task, his team riveted hard, "tailing" customers in the mall, dragging them in to experience. The salesmen called the customer and promised that they could wear makeup for free 5 times a week after purchasing the product.
At the end of the first month, MGPIN counters exceeded the sales quota to 190,000; the second month doubled to 500,000.
MGPIN Counter Source: Network
Mao Geping also went to the scene to make up for customers, while explaining, there was a circle of young women standing around, and Mao Geping gradually became the biggest IP of his brand.
Mao Geping did not ask for a brand spokesperson, but personally went into battle. In the mall, in the cosmetics counter where a number of overseas brands gathered, his bust is hung under the brand logo of "MGPIN", which is particularly eye-catching.
The payment finally paid off, and the later MGPIN was no longer rejected, and it could be in high-end shopping malls like those international first-line brands. These shopping malls are all local CBD centers and landmark buildings.
According to the "World Online Business" report, MGPIN currently has more than 250 counters across the country, covering from third-, fourth- and fifth-tier cities to the north, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hangzhou.
Teaching customers to make up is a major feature of MGPIN Counter.
In mgPIN counters, as long as the purchase reaches a certain amount of makeup services, the counter requires the cabinet sisters to make up the guest's makeup is "teaching", will teach the customer until the end.
In the words of the cabinet sisters, "When the product is sold, our service has just begun." Such service requirements have been adhered to since Mao Geping opened the first MGPIN counter.
In 2008, Mao Geping launched a popular brand "Beloved Life", but the brand developed in the market, but there was not much of a splash.
However, this did not affect the overall revenue of Mao Geping Company. According to the prospectus, Mao Geping's revenue mainly comes from three parts: MGPIN, Beloved Life, and Makeup Training.
From 2014 to the first half of 2017, Mao Geping's revenue was 280 million yuan, 321 million yuan, 343 million yuan and 201 million yuan, respectively. In the same period, the revenue of its brand MGPIN accounted for about 70%, and the total of love life and makeup training accounted for less than 30%.
3, 5 years listing road
Mao Geping wants to go public.
In 2016, Mao Geping Company submitted its prospectus for the first time. At the end of 2017, Mao Geping Company sent news of the suspension of the IPO.
On the official website of the CSRC, Mao Geping's suspension of review status is remarked as "Situation 4", that is, "the issuer voluntarily requests the suspension of the review or other circumstances that make the review work impossible to carry out normally." This meant that Mao Geping was more willing to give up the IPO at that time.
As for the reasons for the abandonment, we may be able to glimpse the feedback given by the CSRC in 2017.
In the Opinions, the CSRC separately inquired about the normative issues in the prospectus, information disclosure issues and financial and accounting information related issues. Among them, the most concerned by the outside world is the high gross profit margin of Mao Geping Company.
In its opinion, the CSRC explicitly required Mao Geping to supplement the disclosure of the comprehensive gross profit margin of listed companies in the same industry in 2016, and further explain the reasons for the difference in gross profit margin between the issuer and the listed company in the same industry from the cost and selling price.
According to the prospectus, from 2014 to the first half of 2017, the comprehensive gross profit margin of Mao Geping Company was 81.50%, 79.70%, 78.22% and 78.88% respectively.
You know, in 2015, for example, the gross profit margins of international beauty giants L'Oréal and Shiseido were only 71.19% and 74.31%, respectively.
In this regard, the explanation given by Mao Geping Company is: the company is mainly positioned as a high-end product, the product price range is high, the product structure is different; all products are commissioned processing, and there are differences in the cost structure.
All the OEM products are another hidden worry of Mao Geping Company.
Mao Geping Company admitted in the prospectus that the company did not build its own production facilities, and the production of products was mainly carried out through the mode of outsourcing processing, which made the company's product quality control and supply face risks, and once the outsourced processors or product suppliers had problems in the production process, they would adversely affect the company's brand image and current performance.
In addition, the weak research and development capabilities have also made the company quite criticized by the market.
According to the prospectus, as of June 30, 2017, Mao Geping Company had a total of 1321 people, including 15 R&D personnel, the smallest number of employees of all kinds, accounting for 1.14% of the total number of employees.
This also includes Mao Geping and his sister Mao Huiping, two college students and three secondary school students, and the overall moisture of the R & D team is large.
In terms of R&D expenditure, Mao Geping Company is also quite "stingy". From 2014 to the first half of 2017, Mao Geping's R&D expenses accounted for only 1% of revenue, and even less than the industry average - 3%.
Mao Geping is also clearly aware of his own problems, and he is trying to improve the above problems through IPOs.
According to the prospectus, the IPO intends to raise nearly 512 million yuan. In addition to supplementing working capital, the main purposes of this fundraising also include channel construction, research and development center construction, and image design training institution construction.
A series of problems have made the road to the listing of Mao Geping Company full of bumps. However, Mao Geping has been working tirelessly.
While waiting for the listing, Mao Geping opened up a new world. He began to embrace internet traffic.
In January 2016, a netizen uploaded a video of Mao Geping giving makeup to a female model to Station B, which lasted for 54 minutes. Because the effect before and after the makeup was obvious, the video quickly became popular on station B, and reached the first place in the ranking of station B when the number of plays was the highest.
Mao Geping makeup teaching video Source: B station
This video is very "ancient", it is a makeup teaching disc cooperated by Mao Geping and Zhejiang Audio-visual Publishing House 20 years ago, but this does not affect the display of makeup effects in the slightest.
In the video barrage area, netizens praised Mao Geping's technology, "Send your head to Mao Geping!" It became a hot stem out of the circle. This makeup teaching video was also named "the treasure of the B station beauty district" by netizens.
Mao Geping, who had been silent for many years, re-entered the eyes of young people in this way.
Watching his popularity continue to rise, Mao Geping saw the potential of online traffic. Since then, he has begun to work with various bloggers, hoping to use the power of bloggers to spread his voice.
In August 2019, Mao Geping made up for the well-known KOL "Late Night Teacher Xu", he turned his round face into a melon face and hid tear troughs and wrinkles, the blogger was like a change of head, and the video rushed to the hot search on Weibo, reaching 710 million views.
"Late night Teacher Xu" makeup before and after comparison Source: Weibo
In May 2020, Mao Geping entered Station B as a "well-known makeup artist and founder of MGPIN brand" and released his first video. In the video for more than a minute, he briefly reviews the pictures and videos representing his past shining history and introduces himself.
Station B netizens quite welcome this makeup artist, the video playback exceeded 1 million. Subsequently, Mao Geping began to update the video of how to make up on the B station. In addition to Mao Geping himself, many B station UP owners also often publish Mao Geping's makeup collections.
Su Qi, a post-95 girl, likes to watch Mao Geping's various makeup videos at Station B, and she said to capital planet, "Mao Geping's makeup techniques are like head-changing surgery, which is really amazing, and I can watch it for an hour or two consecutively." ”
Some netizens also commented, "But all the faces that have been swept by Mao Geping's divine hand have one-time thermoji, open the corners of the eyes, slimming face needles, hyaluronic acid... The upper face effect easily saves hundreds of thousands of dollars, which can be called 'plastic surgery-level head replacement'. ”
A year later, Mao Geping gained 826,000 fans at Station B.
Mao Geping adapted to the rhythm of the Internet, he began to know how to obtain and convert traffic, and began to pay attention to the layout of online sales channels.
According to the "2019-2024 China Cosmetics E-commerce Industry Development Model Research and Investment Strategy Analysis Report" released by Ai Media Consulting, the contribution of online channels in China's cosmetics market has increased year by year, and the penetration rate of online shopping for cosmetics has increased from 53.4% in 2014 to 74.2% in four years.
In the case of online shopping has formed a boom, Mao Geping's sales channels mainly rely on offline.
According to the "CBNData Consumer Station", as of March 2020, Mao Geping Company has 244 counters across the country, offline channels contribute 70%-80%, and the revenue of online Tmall stores is about 20%.
Change is happening. In April last year, Mao Geping said in an interview with the media that the brand has begun to get involved in live broadcasting on platforms such as Xiaohongshu, Tmall, and Douyin, while improving the online distribution system.
According to a research report by Guoyuan Securities, in June this year, "MGPIN" became the second largest domestic brand in the Douyin e-commerce makeup category, with its GMV reaching 31.16 million, an increase of nearly 7 times from the previous month, second only to Huaxizi.
Compared with the past sluggishness, Mao Geping, who is now 56 years old, has obviously mastered the traffic password.
On October 21, the official website of the China Securities Regulatory Commission disclosed that Mao Geping Company was successfully reviewed and will soon be officially registered in the A-share market. Once Liu Xiaoqing's "royal makeup artist", he finally proved himself once again in the business world.
(Author |.) Ye Han, editor | Bell)