Since assuming his post as CEO in 1997, Suh has made it his mission to increase Amorepacific brand’s global reach. Today his portfolio includes Laneige, Sulwhasoo Mamonde & Innisfree products.
His grandmother’s philosophy lives on through natural ingredients used in his company’s products and the reinvestment of 3% of revenue to research and development with scientists from around the globe providing their ideas.
Embracing Diversity
Suh has made it his priority to ensure Amorepacific offers meet the needs of various consumers and to incorporate sustainability into its business model. He has implemented this by investing in environmental conservation initiatives designed to conserve natural resources and biodiversity as well as partnering with organizations advocating women’s rights – his commitment to diversity and inclusion has helped propel Amorepacific to success.
Suh has also recognized the potential of K-Beauty to expand beyond Korea and establish itself in foreign markets such as China and the US through smart marketing strategies and innovative product design. Through his leadership, Amorepacific has established its presence outside Korea by taking steps such as setting up overseas offices of Amorepacific. By offering products with superior marketing strategy and development innovations that appeal directly to foreign consumers, this company has successfully gained footholds abroad.
Amorepacific is one of the world’s leading cosmetics companies and has earned a global reputation for innovation. Dating back to 1941 when Suh’s grandmother started crushing camellia seeds to make beauty creams, Amorepacific continues investing in research and development today.
Amorepacific boasts an extensive research and development center with more than 500 scientists and chemists on staff, investing 3% of its revenue back into R&D. Amorepacific has taken full advantage of the rising interest in Korean pop culture known as Hallyu to capture market share through popular TV shows such as My Love From the Star by including their skincare and cosmetic products into popular television programs such as this.
AmorePacific’s global expansion strategy necessitates an understanding of the unique beauty needs of Western consumers. Since these markets tend to be more susceptible to fleeting fashion fads and trends than their Asian counterparts, AmorePacific must remain abreast of developing markets and be at the forefront of new ones – for instance when women began preferring not touching cosmetic products with their hands, AmorePacific introduced the vibrating make-up sponge as a solution.
Creating a Holistic Beauty Experience
At Amorepacific, beauty goes beyond cosmetics. Their definition of beauty encompasses not only “spreading culture” – it includes elevating people’s aesthetic qualities.
Amorepacific strives to foster beauty for its consumers and society alike, continuously investing in new products, technologies, experiences and expertise. Furthermore, Amorepacific boasts one of the world’s most advanced research & development centers for cosmetics companies as well as regularly reviewing its business model to meet consumer demands.
Amorepacific takes pride in creating products of exceptional quality. Their skincare offerings contain top-tier natural ingredients sourced locally from Korea such as camellia oil and ginseng for maximum benefit and safety. Furthermore, Amorepacific brands are widely sought after due to their natural beauty and health benefits as well.
Amorepacific takes pride in cultivating its corporate image through CSR activities and the promotion of Korean cultural heritage around the globe. A scholarship program supports education for children while its Osan Amorepacific Beauty Park archives building protects and displays company records for public display.
Amorepacific takes great pride in cultivating relationships with its customers, sharing its philosophy of beauty. To do this, the company has pioneered many unique store concepts such as FACEFIT by ARITAUM in Seoul’s Times Square Mall where customers receive individualized facial analysis services from professional face-fit consultants. Furthermore, BASE PICKER allows customers to select foundation and cushion products based on skin tone using 3D scanning technology.
Amorepacific has also collaborated closely with various media outlets, such as Zepeto (an influential South Korean metaverse platform). Furthermore, Amorepacific launched an influencer project online to strengthen their social media presence and market their brands worldwide.
Investing in Research & Development
At a time when competition for beauty market share is at its highest ever levels, major companies like L’Oreal and Procter & Gamble dominate sales by selling one quarter of all global products. AmorePacific stands out as an authentic heritage brand committed to connecting customers with nature’s simple elegance.
AmorePacific invests heavily in innovation; indeed, they were the first Asian company ever to appear four times on Forbes’ Most Innovative Companies list! AmorePacific’s success rests in its ability to recognize trends and respond with tailored solutions; for example when women began preferring different tools when applying makeup in 2012, AmorePacific responded with cushion foundation that offered multiple high-tech applicators.
Amorepacific takes great care in its ingredient procurement and has invested in several environmental initiatives to support sustainable agriculture and conservation, such as its Beautiful Fair Trade initiative which allows consumers to connect directly with towns, villages, agriculture associations that source ingredients such as ginseng, bamboos and lotus seeds without pesticides or chemical fertilizers.
AmorePacific’s success in China stems from an in-depth understanding of consumer needs in that market. While Western brands typically rely on Japanese lightening creams to dominate, AmorePacific stands out by developing tailored solutions based on skin conditions, preferences, and beauty routines – products like Authentic Color Master and Cosmechip are examples of such tailored technologies that address specific beauty problems by analysing skin condition, colour preferences and type.
Leveraging Technology
Since Amorepacific began operations, its focus has been innovation through research and development. Reinvesting 3% of revenue, the company employs 500 researchers and chemists globally who contribute their expertise. Amorepacific was first to introduce non-flowing liquid cushion foundation, making a breakthrough breakthrough for cushion foundation. Furthermore, Amorepacific used light yet absorbable formula for sunscreens.
Amorepacific has also taken steps to localize products for various markets. When they introduced Laneige and Sulwhasoo into China, for instance, they highlighted shared cultural understanding and affinity by emphasizing common points such as how traditional Chinese medicine originated as an offshoot from Korean medicine.
Sulwhasoo invested heavily in technology to enhance user experiences. For instance, Sulwhasoo’s gypsum powder features microneedle technology for deeper penetration of skin without clogging pores.
Amorepacific takes advantage of technology by incorporating it into its beauty devices. A prime example is Lipcure Beam, an innovative lip treatment which integrates diagnosis, care and makeup capabilities in one device and won the CES 2024 Innovation Award.
As global markets become more sophisticated and demanding, Amorepacific has taken steps to position itself for success by combining its core strengths with a diversified strategy. Furthermore, their recent purchase of premium clean beauty brand Tata Harper stands as proof of their ongoing desire to expand globally.
Expanding Amorepacific’s Reach
As one of the 14th largest beauty companies worldwide, AmorePacific understands its success relies heavily on international expansion. Marketing alone will only take them so far; therefore, AmorePacific invests 3% of revenue back into research and development so its products remain at the cutting-edge of innovation in their respective industry.
Suh Kyung-Bae is determined to expand Amorepacific’s reach into even more global consumers. To address millennials’ interest in natural products, Amorepacific launched Innisfree brand stateside this year while also teaming up with beauty blogger Sydney Sweeney as an ambassador in order to raise visibility and consumer awareness.
Amorepacific has long recognized and appreciated Mother Nature for her beauty and balance, conducting extensive research on Asian-derived plant ingredients like ginseng and green tea to develop science-based solutions that harness their strength.
By capitalizing on the concept of inner beauty, Korean consumers’ discerning tastes, and Korea’s strengthening nation brand, Amorepacific has built an incredible foundation from which it can expand worldwide. Through their dedication to innovative beauty creation, their artisanal roots in their brands, and passion for the future, Amorepacific is well on its way towards becoming one of the leading beauty creators worldwide.
China may be Amorepacific’s smallest market, yet they are taking full advantage of their unique strengths to access a rapidly expanding sector in beauty and personal care industry. Even though China remains highly traditional society-wise, they have made great strides toward modernity over recent decades, embracing cutting-edge concepts like Augmented Reality (AR) technology as well as digital facial recognition technology with great enthusiasm.
