• Login
    • Join
  • Subscribe Free
    • Magazine
    • eNewsletter
    Checkout
    • Magazine
    • News
    • Components
    • Markets
    • Materials
    • Solutions
    • Top 20 Companies
    • Buyers Guide
    • Events
    • More
  • Magazine
  • News
  • Components
  • Markets
  • Materials
  • Solutions
  • Top 20 Companies
  • Buyers Guide
  • Events
  • Current & Past Issues
    Features
    Editorial
    Departments
    Columns
    Digital Edition
    eNewsletter Archive
    Staff
    Editorial Guidelines
    Subscribe Now
    Advertise Now
    Top Features
    Back in Business: In-Person in LA

    Shine of the Times

    Ramping Up the Sustainable Packaging Conversation

    Rethinking Makeup Brushes & Beauty Applicators

    Making the ‘Eco-Transition’
    Breaking News
    Regulatory
    Events
    Association
    Packaging
    Adv/Marketing
    Financial
    Retail & Travel
    People
    Products
    Experts
    Press Releases
    Exclusives
    Live From Shows
    Video Bites
    Packaging Personalities
    Top News
    Garance Doré Launches Made in France Skincare Line

    The World’s Most Popular Perfumes & Celebrity Fragrances

    Ulta Beauty Launches Retail Media Network

    Top 10 Beauty Brands in the U.S. for Q1 2022

    Lush Cosmetics Launches ‘Gay is OK’ Soap
    3D
    Accessories
    Aerosols
    Airless
    Applicators
    Bags
    Bottles/Jars
    Brushes
    Cans
    Cartons/Boxes
    Closures
    Compacts
    Devices
    Dispensers
    Double Duty
    Droppers
    Environmental
    Labels
    Lipstick packages
    Mascara Containers
    Paper
    Pouches
    Printing
    Pumps
    Rollerballs
    Small Sizes
    Stock Pkg
    Tubes
    Wipes/Sheets

    3D Neopac Upgrades On-Site Manufacturing Technology

    Method's New Packaging Celebrates National Parks

    Consumer Experience Drives Plastic Packaging Design

    Baralan Offers Sustainable Components in Escalating PCR Percentages

    Hands-Free & Hygienic Cosmetic Packaging
    Bath/Body
    Cosmetics
    Ethnic
    Fragrances
    Hair
    Health and Beauty
    Home Fragrance
    Men
    Nails
    Personal Care
    Sample/Travel Sizes
    Sets/Kits
    Skin

    Garance Doré Launches Made in France Skincare Line

    The World’s Most Popular Perfumes & Celebrity Fragrances

    Ulta Beauty Launches Retail Media Network

    From Hair to There: Top Hair Concerns for Women

    Lush Cosmetics Launches ‘Gay is OK’ Soap
    Brush Fibers
    Eco-friendly
    Flexibles
    Glass
    Metal
    Paper/Board
    PCR
    PET
    Plastics
    Wood

    Pennelli Faro Debuts Its New Mono-Material Brush at Cosmopack

    Baralan Is Committed to Quality, Service and Sustainability

    REN Clean Skincare Elevates Mask Range with Sustainable Packaging

    3D Neopac Upgrades On-Site Manufacturing Technology

    Method's New Packaging Celebrates National Parks
    Anti-Counterfeit
    Contract Services
    Decorative Effects
    Design Capabilities
    Digital Printing
    Injection Molding
    Machinery
    Made in USA
    Package Development
    Printing/Decorating
    Sustainable Pkg/Practices
    Turnkey

    Shiseido Launches Eco-Conscious Skincare Brand Ulé

    Pact Has Collected Over 20k Pounds of Hard-to-Recycle Beauty Packaging

    Kate McLeod's Waterless Solid Moisturizer Debuts at Sephora

    The Body Shop Launches Refill Stations in U.S. Stores

    Grove Collaborative Named 'Most Innovative' for its Sustainability Initiatives
    Top 20 Companies
    Shiseido

    Kao

    Coty

    Mary Kay
    All Companies
    Categories
    Company Profiles
    Jobs
    Add New Company
    International Buyers Guide Companies
    Big Sky Packaging

    Yuan Harng Co. Ltd.

    GLASPRAY ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.

    TAESUNG

    Epopack Co. Ltd
    Industry Events
    Live From Shows
    Exhibitor Showcase
    Webinars

    Cosmoprof North America 2022 Introduces New Show Format

    Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna 2022 Aims to Relaunch the Cosmetics Industry

    Pharmintech 2022 Approaches

    MakeUp in Shanghai Announces New Dates

    TFWA Changes Format of Singapore Show
    • Magazines
      • Current / Back Issues
      • Features
      • Editorial
      • Departments
      • Columns
      • Digital Edition
      • eNewsletter Archive
      • Staff
      • Editorial Guidelines
      • Subscribe Now
      • Advertise Now
    • Breaking News
    • Buyers Guide
      • Companies
      • Categories
      • Corporate Capabilities
      • Add Your Company
    • Components
      • 3D
      • Accessories
      • Aerosols
      • Airless
      • Applicatiors
      • Bags
      • Bottles / Jars
      • Brushes
      • Cans
      • Cartoons / Boxes
      • Closures
      • Compacts
      • Devices
      • Dispensers
      • Double Duty
      • Droppers
      • Environmental
      • Labels
      • Lipstick Packages
      • Mascara Containers
      • Paper
      • Pouches
      • Printing
      • Pumps
      • Rollerballs
      • Small Sizes
      • Stock Pkg
      • Tubes
      • Wipes/Sheets
    • Markets
      • Bath/Body
      • Cosmetics
      • Ethnic
      • Fragrances
      • Hair
      • Health And Beauty
      • Home Fragrance
      • Men
      • Nails
      • Personal Care
      • Simple/Travel Sizes
      • Sets/Kits
      • Skin
    • Materials
      • Brush Fibers
      • Eco-friendly
      • Flexibles
      • Glass
      • Metal
      • Paper/Board
      • PCR
      • PET
      • Plastics
      • Wood
    • Solutions
      • Anti-Counterfeit
      • Cotract Services
      • Decorative Effects
      • Design Capabilities
      • Digital Printing
      • Injection Molding
      • Machinery
      • Made In USA
      • Package Development
      • Printing/Decorating
      • Sustainable Pkg/Practices
      • Turnkey
    • Top 20 Companies
    • Online Exclusives
    • Slideshows
    • Expert Opinions
    • Videos
    • Infographics
    • Whitepapers
    • Products Showcase
    • Events
      • Industry Events
      • Live From Show Events
      • Webinars
    • Jobs
    • About Us
      • About Us
      • Contact Us
      • Advertise With Us
      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms Of Use
    Online Exclusives

    Introducing an Asian Brand to the U.S. Market

    Taiwan-based Inna Organic expanded to the U.S. -- how are they working to get a foothold here, while holding on to their Asian identity?

    Introducing an Asian Brand to the U.S. Market
    Introducing an Asian Brand to the U.S. Market
    Inna Organic's co-founders Jimmy Wang and Cecily Pan; author, Bobbie van der List
    Bobbie van der List, Asia-Pacific Correspondent04.23.20

    Taiwan is not necessarily the first place you think of when it comes to the cosmetics industry, but that’s about to change with more Taiwan-based brands going overseas. For one, Taiwan is known as the largest facial mask producer in the world, and Inna Organic leads the way as the country’s No. 1 brand.

    While Europe and the United States perform well in terms of environmental sustainability in a lot of different beauty product segments, their market share in facial masks is modest. Inna Organic is happy to fill this void and aims to become the leader in global organic sheet masks.

    Inna Organic is the only brand in Taiwan certified by both EWG as well as COSMOS, which puts the Taipei-based company in an ideal position to understand the differences between the U.S. market and the Asian market. Inna Organic is very popular in Asia—it’s a household brand in Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and China, most of them Chinese-speaking markets, which made the step to introduce its brand a lot easier.

    Beauty Packaging met with Inna Organic’s cofounder Jimmy Wang to speak about the challenges—and successes.

    You are a leading company in Asia, can you tell us more about that?

    “In Taiwan, we are a leader and pioneer in boasting certified skincare and the clean beauty segment. We see ourselves as an educator of consumers in Asian countries, including Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau, in terms of EWG. We want to educate the market, but we also focus on those consumers who are familiar with clean beauty standards, those who trust EWG certified brands. Those are the target audiences we want to approach.”

    That brings us to the U.S.: You entered the market six months ago. What is your strategy?

    “Yes, we started in the U.S. about six months ago. We haven’t fully launched a strategy for the offline market yet. Amazon was our first step, in the sense that we’re testing the market. It’s the first English speaking market we’ve entered, it feels like starting a new company, every step is new to us. Our native language market is the Chinese-spoken market, so naturally language is a huge barrier. We work with a U.S. branding company to find English-spoken tonalities.”

    How does your approach in the U.S. differ from the one in Asia? 

    “In the U.S., through our tonality, we focus on consumers who care about the environment, people who also care about spiritual remedies, or meditation. This journey is all about cultural learning – how to approach the market. And, frankly speaking, such preparation takes a very long time. It’s not only about the practical side such as finding good translators for your branding, but learning what consumers are into.” 

    What are they into? Can you tell us a little bit more about the differences between Asian and Western consumers?

    “Both customers care about the ingredients we use. In that department, both are fairly similar. The difference is, for example, that our U.S. consumer may not care about the looks of a package as much as our Asian customers do. They care more about what’s inside being good. We receive this feedback from customers in the U.S.: ‘Can you please remove the external package to make it more environmentally friendly?’ It helps us to think about being more environmentally friendly.”

    In terms of packaging what are the biggest differences and challenges?

    “It’s quite interesting in terms of packaging: As most U.S. consumers are not familiar with this mask, we needed to enlarge descriptions for applying it on the face.” (Inna Organic's mask is shown in the photo above, right)

    Being environmentally friendly is a huge aspect of your business, right?

    “We educate our consumers locally: We want to reduce waste and other unnecessary damages to the Earth. And so far, the feedback is positive. At first, we only focused on those using PET, which is allowed by COSMOS, but now we’re talking to bottle suppliers and asking them if it’s possible to use 100% recyclable plastic. In 2020, we will gradually start using 100% recyclable bottles. So, we can make it more environmentally friendly.

    Another example is our hydrating serum: There’s a paper box inside with a plastic cover to protect the box. Sometimes Asian consumers return the box when they see scratches, but to U.S. consumers, that’s of lesser importance than the damage from such unnecessary wrapping causing harm to the planet.

    The cost will be higher if you want to be all organic, but we believe we gain consumer loyalty by our actions. For our new product launch, in December, we started to remove those plastic syphons.”

    How different is the U.S. market in terms of gaining market share?

    “The U.S. market is so big, so we have a different strategy compared to the other markets we are used to. For example, in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, 80% of revenue comes from online sales, people buy directly from our online shop. But in the U.S., this happens via other online shops, such as Amazon.

    From our research, we came to understand that U.S. consumers first go to Amazon to check the pricing and read customer reviews when they are interested in a product from a brand they’re not really familiar with. That’s why we listed our products on Amazon. This gives us a very good idea of where our most loyal customers are based, mainly on the East Coast and West Coast, especially California.

    The other strategy is having more popup stores, so when we have a trade show in March, we’ll try to find local distributors. We’ll be attending the Natural Product Expo West that takes place in March. But also in other markets, such as the European market, it’s crucial to attend these events so we can engage, whether that’s through B2B or talking to local influencers – getting first-hand feedback is what matters.”

    Offline, your focus is California, why is that?

    “Yes, we’re trying to use California as a pioneer offline market. The reason is simple: There’s a large group of Chinese-speaking consumers there. So even before our launch in the U.S., in the past few years, we have received many orders from Chinese-speaking people and Chinese language websites, especially in California. That strengthened our belief that there’s a market we can serve. We work together with independent stores carrying our goods, so we try to understand the local touch.”

    How do you plan to position yourself as a brand in the U.S.? 

    “Organic certified skin care is common here, but U.S. consumers are not so much focused on our kind of sheet masks, because these are generally more an Asian thing. So by entering the U.S. market, we hope to find our niche. We blend East and West with organic certified facial sheet masks.”
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR

    Bobbie van der List works as a freelance correspondent in Tokyo. He covers general news, but also follows the packaging industry from close-by. Among other publications, he has worked for Dutch packaging magazine Verpakken Magazine. Before Tokyo, Bobbie was stationed in Sweden, where he covered developments in the packaging industry for Dutch language media.
    Related Searches
    • target
    • beauty
    • cosmetics
    • pet

    Related Content

      Trending
      • Ranking The Top 50 Cosmetic Companies | Beauty Packaging
      • Ranking The Top 50 Cosmetics Companies 2021 | Beauty Packaging
      • Top 10 Beauty Brands In The U.S. For Q1 2022 | Beauty Packaging
      • Smashbox Expands Becca Highlighter Collection | Beauty Packaging
      • Bite Beauty Is Closing Later This Year | Beauty Packaging
      Breaking News
      • Garance Doré Launches Made in France Skincare Line
      • The World’s Most Popular Perfumes & Celebrity Fragrances
      • Ulta Beauty Launches Retail Media Network
      • Top 10 Beauty Brands in the U.S. for Q1 2022
      • Lush Cosmetics Launches ‘Gay is OK’ Soap
      View Breaking News >
      CURRENT ISSUE

      April/May 2022

      • Review: Luxe Pack Los Angeles & MakeUp in LosAngeles 2022
      • Metal & Metallic Packaging Looks Luxe & Can Also Be Sustainable
      • Beauty Industry Experts Discuss Sustainable Packaging
      • Makeup Brushes & Beauty Applicators Offer Better Functionality
      • What's New in Sustainable Cosmetic Packaging?

      Cookies help us to provide you with an excellent service. By using our website, you declare yourself in agreement with our use of cookies.
      You can obtain detailed information about the use of cookies on our website by clicking on "More information”.

      • About Us
      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms And Conditions
      • Contact Us

      follow us

      Subscribe
      Nutraceuticals World

      Latest Breaking News From Nutraceuticals World

      Kyowa Hakko Appoints Dr. Colin Hill to Immuse Scientific Advisory Board
      Expert Consensus Statement: Diet is Best Primary Intervention to Achieve Diabetes Remission
      Choline Alone May Improve Maternal DHA Status During Pregnancy
      Coatings World

      Latest Breaking News From Coatings World

      Teknos Receives EcoVadis Gold Medal for Sustainability Performance
      AkzoNobel and Partners Team Up to Hack Carbon Reduction Challenges
      Five PPG Facilities in Ohio Recognized for Sustainability, Health, Safety Practices
      Medical Product Outsourcing

      Latest Breaking News From Medical Product Outsourcing

      VenoStent's SelfWrap Bioabsorbable Perivascular Wrap Earns Breakthrough Status
      Guard Medical Closes $11 Million Series B Investment
      OMNIVISION, Silicon Line Partner on Optical Fiber Endoscope Cables
      Contract Pharma

      Latest Breaking News From Contract Pharma

      Catalent Invests $175M to Expand Mfg. Capabilities at Winchester, KY
      Sartorius Expands Manufacturing Site in Tunisia
      BioMoti Partners with Pharma Company to Develop Ovarian Cancer Treatment
      Beauty Packaging

      Latest Breaking News From Beauty Packaging

      Garance Doré Launches Made in France Skincare Line
      The World’s Most Popular Perfumes & Celebrity Fragrances
      Ulta Beauty Launches Retail Media Network
      Happi

      Latest Breaking News From Happi

      Loum Beauty, Rare Beauty Launch #BeautyCares Voices
      ACI Urges Congress To Ensure Funding for EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention
      Dr. Dana’s Nail Renewal System Relaunches Under Rare Beauty Brands
      Ink World

      Latest Breaking News From Ink World

      hubergroup Chemicals Exhibits at Paint India for First Time
      Award for Sustainability: Evonik Receives Platinum Rating Again
      Nazdar Ink Technologies to Showcase Latest Ink Innovations at FESPA Global Print Expo 2022
      Label & Narrow Web

      Latest Breaking News From Label & Narrow Web

      Dantex Group receives accreditation for Pico digital presses
      Heidelberg USA launches new Print Media Performance & Training Center
      Avery Dennison announces Global Supplier Award winners
      Nonwovens Industry

      Latest Breaking News From Nonwovens Industry

      'Right' Hygiene Conference to be Held in June
      Freudenberg to Present Battery Pack and Liquid Absorbers at Battery Show
      H&V Appoints Vice President and General Counsel
      Orthopedic Design & Technology

      Latest Breaking News From Orthopedic Design & Technology

      Paragon 28 Rolls Out TenoTac 2.0 Hammertoe and Soft Tissue Repair
      Cionic Expands Scientific Advisory Board
      First Surgeries Performed Using Globus Medical's Excelsius3D
      Printed Electronics Now

      Latest Breaking News From Printed Electronics Now

      Evonik Launches New Processing Aids for PV Wafer Cutting
      NREL Creates Highest Efficiency 1-Sun Solar Cell
      eMagin Wins People’s Choice Award at Display Week 2022

      Copyright © 2022 Rodman Media. All rights reserved. Use of this constitutes acceptance of our privacy policy The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Rodman Media.

      AD BLOCKER DETECTED

      Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors.
      Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker.


      FREE SUBSCRIPTION Already a subscriber? Login