How can domestic "trendy products" move towards the mid- to high-end
Only by continuously strengthening intellectual property protection and reducing the cost of corporate rights protection can more companies be willing to invest more in high-end development.
Strengthen technological innovation, increase brand building efforts, and pay more attention to quality and safety
Domestic cosmetics attract consumers, domestic cosmetics are favored, and time-honored brands such as Tong Ren Tang and Pien Tze Huang have launched new skin care products... Not long ago, the 28th China Beauty Expo ended in Shanghai, and domestic cosmetics were very popular. Visitors lamented: "Domestic cosmetics have a stronger presence."
Domestic brands have become a beautiful landscape in the beauty industry. Data shows that in 2023, the sales of domestic brand cosmetics increased by 21.2% year-on-year, and the market share reached 50.4%, surpassing foreign brands for the first time. In recent years, consumers have become more rational in their consumption of beauty products, no longer blindly pursuing "foreign brands", but focusing on the products themselves. Many companies have captured the demand for consumption upgrades and launched special products based on local consumption characteristics. New shopping methods such as e-commerce and live streaming have also brought many domestic products into people's vision. Against this background, many domestic beauty products have seized market opportunities and stood out.
Not only beauty products, but also domestic "trendy products" such as cars, drones, clothing, and food have also "gone viral". The "2024 Domestic Consumption Observation" shows that compared with the same period in 2020, the number of brands producing domestic trendy products this year has increased by more than 3 times year-on-year, and the variety of goods has increased by more than 5 times. More and more high-quality and high-value domestic brands and products have attracted attention. It should also be noted that my country is a big brand country, not a strong brand country. At present, a large part of the market share of many domestic products is still occupied by foreign brands, especially mid-to-high-end brands. To cultivate more domestic high-end brands, we need to gather strength and work hard for a long time.
Quality is the foundation of a brand, and high-end brands must have high-end quality. High-quality industrial products often rely on high technology. Only by relying on technological innovation, working hard on research and development, and firmly following the path of quality upgrades can enterprises continue to move towards the mid-to-high-end. For example, the research and development and production of beauty products involve many professions such as chemistry and chemical engineering, life sciences, dermatology, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical engineering. Only by focusing on consumer needs, increasing research and development investment, and continuously optimizing product ingredients and improving quality can we win consumer recognition. The root of research and development lies in talent. In practice, some companies focus on introducing high-level talents and establishing research and development innovation centers, which have effectively promoted technology iteration and product upgrades.
"Even good wine needs a bush", and only by paying more attention to brand building can brand influence be further enhanced. Some well-known brands in developed countries have a long history, strong marketing capabilities, and a high degree of internationalization, which is worth learning from for domestic companies. Novel and fashionable designs and scientific and precise promotion can increase brand awareness. For example, companies such as Yunnan Baiyao have leveraged the advantages of Chinese time-honored brands to launch a number of products with national trend packaging designs, which have been well received by the market.
Brand building is not easy. Only by continuously strengthening intellectual property protection and reducing the cost of corporate rights protection can more companies be willing to invest more in high-end products. Strengthening supervision, increasing penalties for businesses that produce and sell counterfeit and shoddy products, and making practitioners feel awe can form a virtuous circle between regulating market competition order and protecting consumer rights.
The Outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan and the Long-Term Goals for 2035 proposes: "Carry out the Chinese brand creation action, protect and develop Chinese time-honored brands, enhance the influence and competitiveness of independent brands, and take the lead in cultivating a group of high-end brands in the fields of cosmetics, clothing, home textiles, electronic products and other consumer goods." Looking to the future, as my country's middle-income group continues to expand and consumers' cultural confidence continues to increase, the market space for domestic "trendy products" will become larger and larger. By strengthening scientific and technological innovation, increasing brand building efforts, and paying more attention to quality and safety, more domestic "trendy products" will surely play the high-end card and have a broader market blue ocean.
