‘Body positivity’ may be buzzing in the West, but can it take hold in Asia?

Beauty and fashion brands in the West may increasingly be highlighting customers – usually women – as they really are, rather than as some once-idealised version. But for some, the dilemma they face is how those same brands can market in Asia where idealised images are still, for the most part, in demand. 

Different strategies are required, and yet a brand must also stay true to its core identity – in both markets, reports the Business of Fashion.

The details

• In the US, the body and skin positivity movement – the acceptance of who we are, flaws and all – is growing fast and having a profound influence on how beauty is marketed. But many Asian markets are not yet ready – may never be ready – for this embrace-all, flaws-and-all approach.
• There is already conversation challenging conventions surrounding what beauty is in China, Japan and South Korea, even if this is not yet mainstream. Inner beauty and individual style are becoming more of a discussion point, particularly in China. 
• According to Mintel, more than 70% of Chinese consumers agree that beauty is about “having a unique style” and 35% say beauty means “accepting your flaws”. Some brands have picked up the marketing message already, with Neiwai, a popular Chinese underwear brand, launching its “No body is Nobody” campaign, for example, which showed diverse body types, rather than simply aspirational ones.
• There may be more potential for fashion to lead change in Asian markets, China especially, says Laurie Du, a senior beauty analyst at Mintel, because it’s easier for apparel brands to extend the sizes they offer than it is for beauty labels to re-mould deeply ingrained cultural mores surrounding beauty ideals.

Key quote

“You can’t be one brand in one country and a completely different brand in another country.” Erin Schmidt, beauty industry analyst with global consultancy Coresight Research

Sourced from the Business of Fashion