What can we learn from Bodorme’s success on Douyin and Tik-Tok: A case study

In the highly competitive market of maternal and child care, few brands stand out like Bodorme. The brand has carved a niche with its innovative blue chamomile children’s shampoo, not only redefining baby care but also solidifying its position as a leader on Douyin, China’s most popular short-video platform. Let’s dive into how Bodorme achieved this phenomenal success.

Disrupting the Baby Care market:
In 2019, Bodorme launched its flagship blue chamomile children’s shampoo, breaking away from the traditional “2-in-1” baby bath and shampoo products. This innovation addressed a specific gap in the market, catering to parents seeking tailored solutions for their children’s hair care needs.
Bodorme has taken the big leap in 2021, entering into e-commerce via Douyin. This new hub for consumer brands was already in a rapidly ascending trajectory, with sales growing day by day, and Bodorme, through its excellent sales performance, continuously ranked number one in the maternal and child care category on Douyin.
Although the growth of the maternal and child care industry slowed down towards 2024, Bodorme did well. Its gross merchandise value (GMV) for the first 10 months of the year surpassed the total for 2023, and this represents an estimated median GMV of 912 million yuan. Largely, success in this business was not through promotional events since Bodorme also enjoys stable sales during regular periods. This approach is mature and effective in acquiring the right customers for a business.


Critical Strategies in Bodorme’s Success Story
1. Go All-In on Douyin
Bodorme had a strategy: go all-in on Douyin. Getting in early would attract the young parents seeking innovation in baby care. Its brand concept, being age-specific hair care, fit the bill as a missing baby care offering for Douyin.
The major strategies were:
- Adapting to Trends: The brand quickly adopted new trends, such as live streaming and influencer marketing, to maximize its reach.
- Platform Collaboration: The brand was able to increase its visibility through collaborations with Douyin e-commerce events, such as exclusive gift boxes.
- Early Adoption: By 2021, Bodorme’s Douyin sales had reached over 300 million yuan, and by 2022, they had exceeded 400 million yuan, making the brand a leader.
Bodorme also set up live streaming accounts that are demographically targeted. Its main flagship account has more than 4.2 million followers and streams live daily to push star products such as the blue chamomile shampoo and children’s face creams.
2. Expanding Products and Audiences
While the blue chamomile shampoo remains on the shelves, the Bodorme brand has diversified its products into items such as youth hair care, sunscreen, and face cream. This has been the reason for them being able to reach a wider market, from babies and teenagers, as well as parents.
By making use of sophisticated data analysis, Bodorme recognizes common customer segments, thus elongating the life cycle of its customers. For example, a parent who begins with baby shampoo may eventually purchase youth hair care products, ensuring continued interest in the brand.
3. Content First
The other reason Bodorme rose to the top is through content creation. The brand has focused on influencer marketing as part of its strategy, having roped in over 38,000 influencers for promotion in 2024. Not only has this increased sales but also given the brand a more solid standing with parents.
For instance, influencers tend to emphasize the delicate, non-hazardous content in Bodorme’s items, which can be appealing to parents who prefer good-quality and reliable baby care products. Additionally, the self-created content on the brand platform, such as educational videos or product demonstrations, also helps win the trust of consumers.
Challenges and Future Prospects
However, despite its performance, Bodorme is witnessing increased competition coming from new emerging brands that cater to specific niches. Thus, the brand needs to remain innovative and upgrade according to evolving consumer demands. Nevertheless, because of its product quality, the strength of the operations, and the marketing techniques, Bodorme is considered a valuable case study for entering brands in the market for maternal and child care.
The journey of Bodorme from an innovative shampoo to market leader on Douyin has been a powerful testament to understanding consumer needs, embracing digital platforms, and focusing on content. For aspiring brands, the lessons from Bodorme’s success are clear: innovation, consistency, and connection are the keys to winning in today’s competitive market.