412According to Business Research data, the global flashlight market size will reach USD 1.02 billion in 2024, and is expected to reach USD 1.68 billion by 2033.
Among them, China contributes more than 60% of the global output, but the vast majority of companies are still at the OEM stage.
Image source: Business Research
Nitecore is an exception. This niche Chinese brand has not only won a grand slam of global industrial design awards such as the German iF and Red Dot, but its products have also frequently appeared in Hollywood blockbusters such as "Resident Evil" and "The Meg". Data shows that its independent site has an annual revenue of up to USD 20 million, with products sold in over 100 countries worldwide.
So, how can a Chinese flashlight brand become popular in Hollywood? The secret of its success is worth learning for all Chinese brands looking to go global.
Image source: Nitecore
Innovation Engraved in DNA
It is understood that Nitecore belongs to Guangzhou SYSMAX Innovation Technology Co., Ltd., and its founding team consists of a group of senior outdoor sports enthusiasts and flashlight technology geeks. When the brand was founded in 2007, their first product, the MK2, adopted the industry's first microcomputer control technology, which was a major breakthrough in the flashlight industry at that time.
The success of the MK2 gave the team great confidence, and they began to take innovation as the core competitiveness of the brand. In the following years, Nitecore launched a breakthrough new product almost every year: the stepless dimming AA flashlight NDI in 2008, the world's first piston design smart flashlight D10 in 2009, and the world's smallest 2000-lumen flashlight TM11 developed in 2011. These innovative products not only helped Nitecore quickly open up the market, but also established its technological leadership in the professional lighting field.
Nitecore TM11 Image source: Messerforum
But Nitecore's innovation is not for the sake of being different. They have always focused on actual user needs in their R&D, especially making continuous breakthroughs in key indicators such as portability, brightness, and protection performance. With the rise of outdoor sports, Nitecore also promptly adjusted its product direction and launched a series of lighting equipment specifically designed for outdoor scenarios.
For example, the UT27 headlamp designed for trail running weighs only 74 grams, but features both white and warm light modes for different weather conditions. This product thinking has enabled Nitecore to gradually establish five major product lines including lighting equipment, backpack gear, outdoor energy storage, etc., with price ranges covering USD 9.9 to USD 399, meeting the needs of users at different levels.
Today, Nitecore owns more than 100 patents, and has become the first flashlight brand to win a grand slam of top global design awards such as the German iF and Red Dot. From a small studio of a geek team to an international brand whose products appear on the big screen in Hollywood, Nitecore has proven in 18 years that Chinese manufacturing can also achieve world leadership in professional fields.
Nitecore UT27 Image source: Nitecore
Multi-channel Parallel, All-round Effort
When exploring overseas markets, Nitecore adopted a parallel strategy of independent site and e-commerce platforms for sales.
According to Similarweb data, in December 2024, its official independent site had a monthly visit volume of 342,000, of which 73.52% were male users. To accurately match the target customer group, the website uses a black and yellow color scheme and tech elements in its design, with product categories streamlined into five sections: lighting equipment, outdoor gear, backpack gear, industrial and enterprise sales, and distributors, ensuring users can quickly find the products they need.
Image source: Nitecore
Nitecore's independent site operation is also quite ingenious. The main site focuses on brand building, displaying brand philosophy, award-winning products, and innovation history through the "About" page; specific sales are handled by regional sub-sites. This clearly defined structure has proven effective. Data shows that in December 2024, the independent site's organic search traffic accounted for 58.13%, with brand-related searches accounting for 80% and direct traffic accounting for 31.34%, reflecting that Nitecore has established strong brand awareness overseas.
Image source: Nitecore
At the same time, Nitecore also performs well on the Amazon platform. By optimizing product pages, improving after-sales service, and participating in major platform promotions, many of its products have made it to the Best Seller list, with some single products achieving monthly sales of over USD 100,000 and an average rating of over 4.5.
In addition, Nitecore has also cooperated with professional buyer websites such as knivesandtools to further expand its sales channels.
This "independent site + e-commerce platform + professional channels" three-dimensional layout has enabled Nitecore to successfully sell its products to more than 100 countries and regions worldwide. The multi-channel collaborative strategy not only enhances brand exposure, but also provides strong support for the brand's continued development in overseas markets.
Image source: Amazon
“Precision Social Media Blitz” in Niche Circles
In addition to diversified sales channels, Nitecore also focuses on operating overseas social media platforms such as TikTok and YouTube, targeting EDC enthusiasts and outdoor sports groups for precise marketing.
-TikTok
On TikTok, Nitecore has established a stable content output channel through its official account @nitecoreworldwide. The account currently has 31,800 followers and has received a total of 74,500 likes. The content mainly revolves around product function demonstrations, including flashlight lighting effect displays, product detail close-ups, and outdoor environment tests, allowing users to quickly understand product advantages through intuitive visual presentation.
The most outstanding video in particular gives a detailed demonstration of the Nitecore EDC29 flashlight's product details and actual usage in dark environments, garnering nearly 480,000 views. Notably, there were a large number of user inquiries about pricing in the comments section, and the official account responded in a timely manner, effectively facilitating potential conversions.
Image source: TikTok
In terms of content dissemination strategy, Nitecore has fully leveraged the traffic dividends of popular platform hashtags. By continuously using the popular hashtags #outdoors and #edc, which have a cumulative view count of 110.9 billion, the brand's content has gained more exposure opportunities. This hashtag strategy not only increases the recommendation weight of videos, but also inspires users to spontaneously share their product experiences, forming a virtuous cycle of dissemination.
Image source: TikTok
In addition, Nitecore has also cooperated with KOLs in vertical fields. For example, a review video released in cooperation with military influencer @mental_crisis26, who has 924,100 followers, fully demonstrated the use of the Nitecore TM12K flashlight in outdoor nighttime scenarios. This unboxing review video eventually received 433,700 views and 21,000 likes, successfully reaching more military enthusiasts.
Image source: TikTok
-YouTube
On YouTube, Nitecore has adopted a dual approach in its operations. Its official account @NitecoreStore has accumulated 30,800 subscribers, regularly releasing product unboxing, function demonstrations, and outdoor field test content to continuously strengthen the brand image. However, the exposure brought by these regular contents is obviously limited, and the brand needs a more influential way of communication.
Image source: YouTube
To this end, Nitecore chose to cooperate with the well-known British EDC gear reviewer Jon Gadget. This creator, who has 205,000 followers, is known for his objectivity and rigor, and has strong credibility among EDC enthusiasts. The TM20K flashlight review video produced in cooperation between the two parties is 18 minutes long, fully presenting the performance features of this upgraded flashlight from product parameter explanation to nighttime field testing.
This in-depth cooperation achieved remarkable results, with the video ultimately receiving 1.11 million views, 10,000 likes, and 558 comments. More importantly, the purchase link in the video description brought direct sales conversions for Nitecore. This professional and detailed review approach precisely hits the consumer psychology of EDC enthusiasts who pursue practicality, not only enhancing the brand's reputation among core user groups, but also achieving considerable commercial returns.
Image source: YouTube
Niche is Mass, an Alternative Approach for Chinese Brands Going Global
The case of Nitecore reveals a reality: in seemingly saturated overseas markets, there are still a large number of unmet segmented needs. Instead of fighting in the red ocean tracks of consumer electronics and home goods, it is better to deeply cultivate specific vertical fields.
For Chinese companies looking to go global, perhaps it is time to rethink the definition of "advantage"—it is not necessarily the supply chain or low price, but whether you can achieve excellence in a specific field. As the global market enters the era of fragmentation, brands that are willing to focus on serving a small group of people may actually go further.
