In 2014, seven university alumni from Fujian came together with a straightforward idea: tap into the region’s paper manufacturing ecosystem to create a tissue brand that’s “safe and reliable.”
The result was Botare—a company that, over the past decade, has grown into a household goods maker with annual revenue topping RMB 5 billion (USD 700 million).
Despite its growth, the founding team never lost its startup mindset. Riding a wave of Chinese consumer brands expanding abroad, Botare launched its international push at the end of 2023, picking TikTok as its springboard into overseas markets.
In just over a year, the company’s cross-border business brought in around RMB 200 million (USD 28 million) in revenue.
But the road hasn’t been smooth. Lin Zehong, Botare’s vice president, admits the process has been fraught with challenges that kept him up at night—especially questions about what needs to change when moving into unfamiliar markets.
To get its footing, Botare zeroed in on Southeast Asia, with Europe as a secondary target. It began building localized operations and systems to sync domestic and overseas teams.
Innovating into new markets
Botare’s first stop was an industry expo in Thailand, where it showcased everything from laundry detergent and tissues to sanitary pads and nighttime underwear. Two small moments made a big impression. “One customer asked whether our detergent smelled good, which told us fragrance mattered a lot there. Another asked for the largest size of our nighttime underwear. Both of these were clues that localization was essential.”
From the outset, local adaptation became a top priority. “Our goal isn’t just to meet demand, but to create it,” Lin said. He noted that while Singapore and Malaysia have higher per capita tissue use, other parts of Southeast Asia trail behind—and preferences vary widely. Two-ply tissues and quick-dissolving toilet rolls are the norm, and expectations for packaging differ from Chinese consumers.
Botare’s bestselling product in Southeast Asia is its “Cheerful” hanging tissue pack, followed by laundry detergent. The company tests its China hits abroad through low-cost digital channels—TikTok videos, creator live streams, and cross-border platforms—then tweaks the winners based on local feedback.
The “Cheerful” pack had already gone viral in China by late 2022, carving out a niche through scenario-based innovation. Botare then brought that mindset overseas.
“At its core, our hanging tissue product reimagines how people use traditional tissue,” Lin said. “Turning it into a hanging design changes the usage scenario—when your hands are greasy while cooking, or you’re holding your phone in the bathroom, it’s easy to pull out a tissue. These small innovations within big categories help us stand out. In China, many consumers now associate hanging tissue packs with Botare.”
Much of this localization is supported by a solid supply chain. Since 2017, Botare has shifted from relying on external manufacturers to running its own factories. It now operates over ten manufacturing bases and dozens of warehouses in Jiujiang, Chongqing, Guangxi, and elsewhere—giving it tighter control over product specs like ply count and weight.
In 2024, Botare set a clear goal: deepen its understanding of regional consumer behavior and expand overseas offerings, starting with categories where it already has supply chain strength—laundry detergent, sanitary pads, and wet wipes. “We want to combine our bestselling domestic products with new ones developed specifically for overseas consumers, and gradually expand our global product portfolio,” Lin said.
Tapping into TikTok
In China, Botare evolved from a digital-native brand on Taobao and Pinduoduo into a well-known omnichannel player. But in Southeast Asia, it had to start from zero.
Its initial move in 2022 was focused on traditional shelf-based e-commerce. But six months in, sales had plateaued at RMB 50,000 (USD 7,000) per month. According to Lin, price sensitivity was a key barrier, and the platforms didn’t allow for strong product differentiation. “That kind of price gap doesn’t trigger purchase interest,” he said.
The solution: richer, more engaging product presentation.
“If we can show off the product in a more intuitive way—through use case demos or unboxing tests—then consumers can see for themselves why our tissues are better. They will notice the thickness, the size, the softness,” Lin said.
TikTok became the answer. “Compared to traditional television and outdoor ads, TikTok is not only more cost-effective but also more interactive and targeted,” Lin said.
Botare deployed an omnichannel content strategy: creator videos lead, in-house content fills gaps, live streams drive engagement, and top content is backed by paid media. It also leaned into TikTok’s “GMV Max” ad product, which Lin claimed cut labor costs by 80% and nearly doubled returns on investment.
In Vietnam, creator-led live streams generated 60% of Botare’s sales. “Consumers there really trust recommendations from key opinion leaders (KOLs) and key opinion consumers (KOCs),” said Su Xiaomin, who leads the company’s overseas e-commerce operations.
With one major promotion and two minor sales events per month in Southeast Asia, timing is everything. Botare prepares in advance—stocking inventory, producing video content, and coordinating with TikTok for Business to line up creators and optimize campaign performance.
The results were fast and tangible. “When we first started in Southeast Asia using shelf-based e-commerce, monthly sales were just over RMB 50,000. But after launching on TikTok, it only took one to two months for sales across our shops in four countries to hit RMB 2–3 million (USD 280,000–420,000). Within six months, we reached RMB 8–9 million (USD 1.1–1.3 million), and now we’re doing about RMB 23 million (USD 3.2 million) a month,” Su said. In some markets, Botare now ranks in the top three for its category—and occasionally takes the top spot.
TikTok has also helped seed long-term brand awareness. “Now we’re seeing 50–60% of our sales coming from repeat customers,” Su said. “Plus, the traffic spillover from TikTok is boosting our performance on other platforms, too. In just a few months, those platforms went from RMB 50,000 in monthly sales to between RMB 500,000 (USD 70,000) and RMB 1 million (USD 140,000).”
“TikTok’s biggest strength is turning passive viewers into motivated buyers,” Su added. “People are just casually scrolling, but thanks to the product-focused videos, they can quickly grasp the value. With millions of videos published daily, once something catches on, it scales fast.”
Botare plans to keep TikTok as its central channel for brand building across Southeast Asia. “Then we’ll push further into the region’s lower-tier markets, expand local e-commerce presence, and partner with regional distributors to build offline reach and boost brand visibility,” Lin said.
Bridging operations at home and abroad
“Going global is far more complicated than it looks,” Lin said. While cross-border e-commerce lowers the entry barrier, building a sustainable presence requires deep, long-term work. Each Southeast Asian country has distinct policies, cultures, and consumer behaviors—there’s no universal playbook.
To go deeper, Botare has registered local entities across multiple countries. Many of its team members have been with the company for years. In 2023, it issued an internal call for volunteers to help build the overseas business—some employees from China answered that call and joined the expansion effort.
Lin visited Thailand in September 2023 for field research and noticed something different:
“In the past, airport billboards overseas were all dominated by Western brands. But this time in Thailand, they were filled with Chinese names.”
That visibility gave Lin confidence. “It showed that Chinese brands still have a lot of headroom to grow in Southeast Asia.”
For Botare, syncing China operations with global expansion isn’t just about exporting success, but also building a two-way bridge. “We’re not just exporting good products and experiences from China,” Lin said. “We also need to learn from how overseas markets innovate.”
He pointed to Thailand’s creative advertising culture. “The Thai’s storytelling and character design resonate more with young people. Bringing that creative spark back to China can level up our own operations. There’s a lot of opportunity there.”
Botare chose to expand globally only after ten years of refining its domestic playbook. “What matters most in going global is strength and resolve,” Lin said. “Before you go, it might feel like a curious adventure. Once you’re out there, it feels like a gold mine. But when you really try to make it work, you realize success is never guaranteed. Only companies that are truly prepared—on product, operations, supply chain, and management—have a shot at turning that ‘gold mine’ into something real.”
KrASIA Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This article was written by Chang Weiqian for 36Kr.