Pixi Beauty, a UK-born beauty brand known for its botanically inspired formulas, had been testing the water in the China market for several years. Available through limited channels, and with product-driven exposure and sales for the Glow Tonic thanks to partnerships with major livestreamers, the brand needed to move from hero-product marketing to brand cut-through. 

In an era of rising competition – not least from China’s innovative domestic brands across both colour cosmetics and skincare, intense price competition, and a rapidly shifting marketplace and social commerce ecosystem, Pixi needed to re-evaluate its approach to the market, define its value to customers, and build a platform for long-term success.

When setting the strategy for re-engagement with one of the world’s most competitive beauty markets, the critical challenge was how to establish a differentiated and distinctive brand position in a category defined by saturation, speed, and constant innovation.

Rather than competing primarily on price, TONG worked with Pixi Beauty to rethink how the brand showed up in China. The focus was not on maximising short-term volume, but on protecting margins and building long-term brand value. By prioritising differentiation, storytelling, and perceived value, Pixi could step away from transactional competition and lay the foundations for sustainable growth.

Strategic Foundation: Turning Challenges into Opportunity

Rather than overlooking the practical realities of Pixi Beauty’s position in China, including a focused budget, premium pricing, and relatively low brand visibility, TONG treated these factors as strategic inputs rather than constraints.

A detailed analysis of the Chinese beauty landscape highlighted three converging consumer shifts: growing demand for light, clean makeup; increasing interest in hybrid makeup-skincare products; and a strong preference for efficient, time-saving routines. Together, these insights pointed to a clear core audience: women aged 22–35 who are educated, confident, and looking for products that streamline skincare and makeup without compromising performance.

From this, a clear strategic direction emerged. Pixi Beauty would not position itself as a mass, value-driven option, but as a brand defined by professional-grade formulas designed for effortless, lightweight makeup, delivering visible results with minimal complexity.

Product Breakthrough: Rebuilding Brand Perception Through a Hero Item

In defining Pixi’s next phase of growth in China, the objective was not simply to identify a new hero product, but to expand the brand’s points of entry beyond a single, well-established SKU. While Glow Tonic had historically driven product-led awareness, long-term brand building required a broader portfolio approach that could support consideration across multiple categories.

Instead, together we chose to foreground its blush range from the makeup line. This choice was informed by two considerations: the growth and creative potential of the category, and Pixi’s ability to differentiate within it.

Blush’s role in creating a natural, healthy-looking complexion means the category is closely associated with emotion, mood, and self-expression. As a result, it lends itself particularly well to visual storytelling and social content, making it an effective vehicle for building perceived value and elevating brand image – and creating an opportunity to turn product awareness into brand awareness.

Communication Execution: Systematic Seeding, Agile Optimisation

TONG positioned Xiaohongshu as the primary platform for brand building, using content to establish credibility, education, and consumer trust. In parallel, Douyin was activated as a performance-led channel to scale visibility and support conversion.

To complement official brand storytelling, TONG designed a structured KOL and KOC approach with a strong emphasis on localised product education. For example, we leveraged the platforms’ thriving creator ecosystems to address the recurring concern among Chinese consumers of whether using blush disrupts base makeup. Our partnerships with leading domestic makeup-artist KOLs delivered co-created content focused on application techniques that preserve foundation, embedding Pixi naturally into everyday Chinese makeup routines.

At the same time, KOC creators were encouraged to integrate Pixi products into emerging makeup trends on-platform. This ensured the brand was not just a recommended product – but rather part of the trend itself, delivering ongoing social buzz and brand momentum.

Operational Follow-through: Data-Driven, Real-Time Iteration

Throughout the campaign, TONG closely monitored performance metrics across content, commerce, and consumer feedback, using these insights to guide ongoing optimisation.

While initial activity highlighted the colour-changing blush, early e-commerce performance and user reviews indicated stronger momentum around the ‘Fleur’ shade. In response, focus and investment were adjusted to position Fleur as the primary hero, ensuring activity reflected real purchasing behaviour.

The flexibility of our approach allowed Pixi’s communication to remain aligned with real customer demand, maximising both brand value and commercial impact.

Pixi Beauty emerged with a stronger and more resilient position in the China market, moving from product-led recognition to broader brand-level consideration while delivering meaningful commercial growth in a highly competitive category.

• Brand impact: Impressive growth on Xiaohongshu, and expanded awareness beyond individual SKUs, strengthening brand credibility and value perception through multiple hero entry points rather than reliance on a single product.

• Commercial performance: Delivered strong year-on-year growth in e-commerce sales, reducing dependence on price-led promotions to drive short-term revenue.

• Cultural traction: Built sustained creator momentum across Xiaohongshu and Douyin, with organic adoption by leading beauty creators and celebrity livestreamers supporting ongoing demand.