Would you associate“high-end women's shoes” with “plastic bottles”?

In most people's perception, these two things seem completely unrelated, and plastic bottles are even considered synonymous with cheapness and roughness.

Yet, there is a Chinese brand that has combined these two elements and, by doing so, has conquered middle-class women in Europe and America, becoming one of the fastest-growing women's shoe brands in the overseas market.

That brand isVIVAIA, relying on the eco-friendly concept of “making a pair of shoes from 6 plastic bottles”, it broke into the European and American markets, ranked in the top 10 of the US cross-border e-commerce platform category list, took first place in the US apparel and accessories traffic growth list in 2023, and even set a record of 3-hour consumer queues at Isetan Department Store in Japan.

 

Image source: Internet

The Rise of a Cross-border Brand

Reportedly,the parent company behind the VIVAIA brand is Starlinke Network Technology Co., Ltd., a benchmark Tuke enterprise from Shenzhen.

In the early days of entrepreneurship, founder Mr. Liu led the team to try the “everything can be sold” model, spanning categories from toys and electronics to diving equipment.

In a related interview, Mr. Liu revealed that the company once operated more than 3 million products. However, although this “wide net” strategy brought some revenue, it was difficult to form stable sales and brand recognition.

The turning point came in2020, when Starlinke completed a 300 million RMB Series A financing, with investors including Sequoia China, Tiantu Investment, and Vertex Ventures.

With capital support, he began to rethink his business strategy and decided to focus on a single category.

 

Image source: Starlinke official website

At this time, Mr. Liu met product partner Jeff Chan, who, after witnessing his wife's feet covered in band-aids from wearing high heels, deeply realized the dilemma women face between beauty and comfort.

Both realized the pain points of traditional women's shoes in terms of comfort and decided to “use China's supply chain to create shoes that are fashionable, comfortable, and eco-friendly”.Thus, in2020, the VIVAIA brand was born.

To date,the VIVAIA brand has won the favor of 5.2 million overseas users, with products sold in 61+ countries and regions. On Amazon, 200 ASINs have sold 230,000 orders, with estimated total sales exceeding $23.03 million.

 

Brand achievements Image source:VIVAIA

Market Demand:Product Philosophy under the Eco-friendly Concept

The success of the VIVAIA brand is no accident, but rather a precise grasp of several major trends in the overseas market.

With the rise of “sustainable fashion” globally, European and American consumers' demand for eco-friendly products is growing. Data shows that 42.3% of consumers are willing to prioritize purchasing recyclable or reusable goods.

And the brand'score philosophyhappens to echo this:Recycle 6 plastic bottles to make a pair of eco-friendly shoes.

 

Image source:VIVAIA

In fact,making shoes from plastic bottles was not invented byVIVAIAbrand; Nike, Adidas, and others launched eco-friendly sneakers years ago.

ButVIVAIAtargets the needs of professional women for comfortable footwear, especially those “who have suffered from high heels for too long”.

Jeff once said: “We require enough space in the shoe body and a soft, bouncy sole. We are precise about how many stitches, yarn ratios, weight, and denier for each shoe size.”

This attention to detail has earned them the reputation of “the performance of ZULIJIAN, the look of ballet flats”, and ranked first in ELLE's “most comfortable flats” list.

 

Image source:ELLE

Traffic Deployment: Opening Up Overseas Social Media

As a brand incubated by cross-border e-commerce Starlinke,VIVAIA has inherited its parent company's strengths in traffic strategies.

Starlinke founder Mr. Liu initially knew little about products but was skilled in traffic marketing. The company once sold 3 million products at the same time, selling whatever was popular.

This background givesVIVAIAbranda keen sense for traffic acquisition.

Currently, they have established accounts onTikTok, Instagram, and other social platforms, using high-intensity content output to convey their brand philosophy.

 

Image source:VIVAIA

1. TikTok

TikTok needs no introduction. Anyone familiar with the Douyin model in China knows that to go viral on this fast-paced short video platform, your content must grab attention within the first 3 seconds.

For a footwear and apparel brand likeVIVAIA, there are two key points: looking good (product features) and being comfortable enough (addressing pain points).

On the brand's official account@vivaia_official, we can see that almost all videos revolve around these two points: first demonstrating the shoe's styling effect, then showcasing comfort in various scenarios.

 

Image source:TikTok

For example, in a shoe showcase video released in March 2024, the VIVAIA brand's selling points are combined with the pain points of traditional high heels at the beginning, using “I never thought in my life that I can have stylish and comfortable heels.” as a hook to attract users to stay.

This can be clearly seen in the content breakdown below.

 

Image source:EchoTik

Ultimately, the video received nearly309,500 views, and in the comments section, there were many positive inquiries such as “where to buy”, showing its effectiveness.

Of course, if you want to make similar videos but don't know how to create hooks or scripts, finding a professional agency for analysis is also a good choice.

 

Image source:TikTok

Besides operating their own accounts,TikTok influencer promotion is also an essential part of brand communication.

From theVIVAIA brand's associated influencer list, we can see that their selection is not limited to niche influencers but is broadened based on target user characteristics, allowing the brand to reach different groups in multiple dimensions.

 

Image source:EchoTik

TakeTikTok influencer @angemariano (800,000 followers) as an example. Her account features innovative content, including history, storytelling, styling tutorials, etc., with a wide fan base.

Her collaboration video withVIVAIA brand is also creative, using a mini-class format to explain how shoes can be comfortable, highlighting the brand's comfort features through comparison.

The video eventually received217,600 views, with excellent communication results.

 

Image source:TikTok

2.Instagram

VIVAIA brandhas a large following onInstagram, with the official account @vivaia_official amassing 1.586 million followers. This is mainly due to the platform's visual nature, centered on images and short videos, which aligns perfectly with fashion brands' needs to showcase products and convey aesthetic concepts.

In terms of content,theyfocus on sharing posts that blend fashion, eco-friendliness, and lifestyle, continuously conveying their design aesthetics and environmental commitment through exquisite product images and short videos.

 

Image source:Instagram

In addition,the brand also strongly encourages users to share their real-life experiences. Under the official hashtag#VIVAIA, there are already more than121,000user-generated posts, greatly enhancing interaction and trust between the brand and fans, and becoming an important way for cross-circle communication.

 

Image source:Instagram

The Journey is the Stars and the Sea, the Core is Telling a Good Story

From New York to Tokyo, from professional women to celebrities,VIVAIAbrandis constantly expanding its reach.

From this brand, we can see that the future of Chinese manufacturing does not lie in low-price competition, but in whether it can tell a good brand story with a global perspective.

Eco-friendly concepts and business success are not contradictory. Precise market positioning and multi-channel deployment can fully support a high-end brand.

The overseas market is vast, waiting for Chinese brands willing to deeply understand different cultural needs and operate with localized thinking to explore.