The products weren't the problem. The language was.
We tied every ingredient and term to the concerns a Western audience was already searching for, so TCM became legible to them without being watered down for the people who already knew it.
ROLE:
Art Direction · Copywriting · Brand Strategy · Creative Direction · Social and Influencer Content Direction · Shoot Direction · Line Production · Edit and Music Oversight
CLIENT:
Yina
ENGAGEMENT:
Consulting Head of Brand Marketing, in-house
SCOPE:
Brand strategy · Tagline · Brand guide · Web & Social films · Influencer · Iconography
THE CHALLENGE:
YINA is a holistic beauty brand rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine, founded by two experts in it. The products were extraordinary. Most US consumers did not understand TCM terminology or its benefits, and that gap was the single biggest barrier to growth.
WHAT I DID:
Built the brand language, embedded with the founders. One of them based in Singapore. Founder interviews, category research and a competitive landscape review produced ownable positioning, brand attributes, and messaging for every product, which shaped the brand guide, the briefs and a growth opportunity plan. Out of that came the tagline: Skin care, that's Self care.
Then made the work myself. The content operation was me and one in-house creative. For the routine videos I concepted, scripted and storyboarded, sourced a crew including a cinematographer, directed the shoot, ran line production, oversaw the edit, and sourced a composer for original music.
IMPACT:
Best Skincare Brand 2023, USA and Canada, plus eight Beauty Shortlist Awards
Positioning and messaging. Founder interviews, category research, and a competitive landscape review established ownable positioning, brand attributes, and messaging for every product. That work informed the updated brand guide, our project briefs, and a growth opportunity plan.
A new tagline. From the new brand language we developed, we created a simple tagline that captured the holistic benefits of Yina's TCM approach in five words: Skin care, that's Self care.
Skincare routine how-to videos. To help bring Yina's distinct product lines to the top of Google searches and help new buyers understand how and why to use them, we demystified the products' unique abilities to address commonly searched skin and wellness concerns.
Divine Sheet Mask influencer campaign. We tapped a collection of existing influencer superfans to show why they love the mask, and combined that with press accolades and our own footage to create impactful and educational ads that drive purchase.
Gua Sha campaign. We leveraged media coverage of Yina's Gua Sha tool to excite people around its popularity and educate them on the many benefits of the powerful tool, from breast health to reduced anxiety.
Iconography. A series of icons highlighting the most important product facts, built to establish trust at a glance with someone considering the brand.
