Preparing for China
Kao-owned Kanebo Cosmetics plans to increase its international brand presence as part of Kao’s integrated expansion strategy, which outlines the firm’s mid-term focus for growth.
As the company gets ready to launch its newest line of skin care products to China in 2020, it will first reveal its Japanese-born range in both Europe and Russia.
Kanebo, which is Japanese consumer goods company Kao’s major brand, aims to reach 30 bn yen (€237 mn) in annual sales by 2020. Currently, the company promotes midrange products under its Kate, freeplus labels and other brand names in China.
Integrated report
Kao highlights Kanebo and Sofina as two if its core brands in its integrated report and mid-term K20 strategy.
The Kanebo product range will first be rolled out in large cities such as Shanghai and will be priced higher than existing brands in the Chinese marketplace to position Kanebo as a prestige name and help to move it into the luxury industry.
With Kanebo celebrating its 80th anniversary in 2016, Kao is now focusing its R&D efforts “on beauty creation and innovation based on research regarding holistic beauty science and total sensory design”, the company announced in its Kao Integrated Report 2017.
Sensory experience
Kanebo positions its product portfolio as a range that reflects beauty as a total sensory experience as it aims to help consumers to enjoy their beauty, enhance beauty and provide personalised counselling on cosmetics choices, including ‘chrono counselling’ that considers the rhythm of female lifestyles.
By fully understanding individual beauty and offering customisation options, Kao hopes to create and strengthen brands that “add sparkle to every woman's personality”.
Moving forward, Kao plans to evolve the Kanebo name to make it synonymous with skin science and Kansei science, which means sensitivity in Japan.
The newly-launched Kanebo brand aims to position itself as an all-round sensory experience that encourages females to enjoy the beauty experience and application.