In 2023, KANS proved that short dramas could sell skincare at scale. In 2025, over 40,000 new short drama series launched in China, ReelShort generated US$130 million in a single quarter overseas, and AI-powered productions cut costs to one-fifth of traditional methods. The short drama marketing model KANS pioneered has evolved far beyond what its creator imagined. This is the story of how it started, why it nearly collapsed, and where it is heading.

The Paris-Shanghai Perfume Show marked the first major collective appearance of Chinese fragrance brands in France. With LVMH and Estee Lauder backing brands like To Summer and Melt Season, the ambition is real. So is the challenge.

Walking the halls of Cosmoprof Bologna 2026, the shift was unmistakable: Chinese beauty brands are no longer just exhibiting, they are competing. But K-beauty still leads the conversation. Meanwhile, European niche brands looking at China face a market that has fundamentally changed.

In China, a serum wins by listing its niacinamide concentration and clinical trial data. In Europe, the same product wins by being COSMOS-certified and paraben-free. This fundamental divide in how consumers evaluate skincare is creating real strategic challenges for brands operating across both markets.

When Into You launched its first lip mud in 2020, it was solving a texture problem no one else had addressed: how to deliver a velvet-matte finish without the dryness. Five years and 80 million fans later, the Shanghai brand is available in over 40 countries and rewriting how the world thinks about lip color. But can a category creator sustain its edge as competitors crowd in?

L’Oréal’s minority investment in LAN marks a strategic shift from acquisition to partnership in China’s beauty market. Beyond the brand itself, the deal reveals how global beauty giants are rethinking risk, localisation, and long-term growth in an increasingly fragmented and culturally specific consumer landscape.

VIVAIA is a China-born DTC footwear brand that quickly scaled globally through product innovation, flexible manufacturing, and a focused global strategy. Learn how it outpaced Allbirds and became a leading sustainable fashion brand.

The absence of subscription models in China is not due to technological limitations or lack of platform capability. Instead, it is rooted in deep structural differences: ● China skipped credit cards ● Consumers distrust auto-pay ● Brand loyalty is low ● Promotions dominate shopping behavior ● Consumers prefer high control and flexibility

Here are some fun facts you should know about PMPM - an emerging C-beauty skincare brand with 300 million RMB 1st-year revenue 1️⃣ The...

Excited to share our 2nd report of series "Secrets to Success for Emerging Chinese Brands" - F&B industry, co-creat ed with Daxue...