How K-beauty brand ‘Sister Ann’ is reaching beyond the Asian market

Chun Jung-wook, CEO of Sisters & Co., who sold 1.5 million single items under the concept of ‘easy makeup’, created the bestseller. He now wants to increase K-beauty status in North America beyond the Asian market. Let me tell you his brand that finds out the market flow and leads the trends.

Transcripts

#. Intro

Luxury cosmetic brands that take up the first floors of department stores are known for their fancy makeup ads featuring the world’s highest-paid models. But the makeup worn in those ads is usually not for daily wear. We saw an opportunity in the gap between luxury brands’ makeup looks and practical everyday makeup.

I am Jungwook Chun, CEO of beauty brand Sister Ann.

#1. Company Overview

Sister Ann was created with a focus on easy makeup. Usually, makeup products mention the words ‘artist’ or ‘professional’ in their names. But even a brief survey shows that most people find makeup to be difficult. So we made our products easy to use, which seems to have appealed to our customers.

Our flagship product is the ‘Sister Ann Waterproof Eye Pencil,’ which sold 1.5 million units. It is a long-lasting pencil liner with a soft texture so that it is easy to use.

#2. Company Point 1: Growth Story

We started as a parallel importer of cosmetics in 2012. We did that for a while until, in 2016, we felt that the market was shifting from imported cosmetics to K-beauty. That is why we founded Sister Ann.

Our sales reached 10 billion won in the first half of this year alone. For 2020, we are expecting to reach around 30 billion won. In Japan, we’ve been ranked #1 in Rakuten’s K-makeup category for 40 consecutive weeks.

The product development process at Sister Ann lasts three to six months, which is much longer than that of average cosmetics companies. Our target market is women in their 30s, who usually hold high standards. Thus, we try to ensure our products are made with finesse.

Ultimately, repeat purchases are a result of good quality. About half of our customers come back, so we believe that the long development process and attention to product quality are paying off.

#3. Company Point 2: Online Store

Operating an online store gives you insights into customer behaviors. You can see how many people visited which page of your store, left, or stayed to make a purchase. Based on those numbers, you can continuously make improvements.

[INSERT CUT] If you visit our online store, you can see the review section at the top. It wasn’t always this way. But we realized that when we place credible reviews first and foremost, the conversion rate goes up.

This is something you cannot do if you sell on open market platforms or the smart store.

#. Outro

Although K-beauty has been a booming trend in Asia, no K-beauty company has yet stood out in the North American market. We want to be that company.

Sister Ann aims to be a brand representing K-beauty.