515Scrolling through short videos, watching live streams, following trends to buy hot products... Young people all over the world are "shopping crazily" on TikTok, but what gives Chinese brands the edge to break through in this fiercely competitive market? Some sell out their warehouses with a single video, others earn millions of dollars from one live stream.
Today, TuKe will take everyone to explore how Chinese brands are conquering foreign audiences on TikTok.
Image source: TikTok
The Content Magic That Makes Foreigners Come to You
On TikTok, content is not advertising, but a hook. Chinese brands know this well; they turn products into "stories" through short videos, making users "take the bait" themselves.
For example, the domestic hair styling tool brand Wavytalk created a buzz on TikTok with a series of short videos showcasing their "5-in-1 curling iron." In the videos, models easily switch between big waves, straight hair, and perm curls with the same tool, paired with "before and after" visual impact, directly hitting overseas consumers' pain point of "multi-functionality in one device."
Image source: TikTok
These videos not only pushed the #wavytalk topic views past 100 million, but also attracted proactive reviews from Western fashion media like Allure and Stylecaster, which in turn drove sales to soar, with monthly sales exceeding 17 million RMB.
Image source: Allure
Using "Scenario-Based Live Streaming" to Make Foreigners "Watch and Buy"
Live streaming for sales is not exclusive to the Chinese market; on TikTok, Chinese brands play this game in a more "localized" way. Instead of dryly introducing product specs, they turn the live stream room into a real-life scenario, making foreigners feel as if they're right there.
Take the fitness equipment brand Merach Fitness as an example. They set up a home gym in their live stream room, with the host demonstrating the rowing machine while shouting, "Follow along, lose belly fat in 30 days." To extend the reach, the team also edits live stream clips into short videos and reposts them on their account. As a result, in one month, live streaming contributed 90% of sales, with GMV exceeding 16 million RMB.
Image source: TikTok
Using "Localized Bestsellers" to Precisely Target Needs
On TikTok, don't blindly follow trends; instead, focus on the local market's "itch points" and hit the mark with products offering extreme value for money.
Cleaning brand Seaways is a typical example. They discovered that Southeast Asian consumers have a strong demand for bathroom cleaners, but local products are ineffective. So, the team launched a cleaner that "dissolves limescale with one spray," and collaborated with TikTok influencers to shoot "before and after" videos—showing dirty bathroom tiles instantly becoming shiny after spraying foam. This visual impact quickly made the product number one in Malaysia's home cleaning category and entered Southeast Asia's cross-border TOP310 within three months.
Image source: TikTok
An even "simpler and more direct" case is the smart pet water dispenser brand Petgravity. Through data analysis, they found that pet owners in Europe and America have strong demand for "silent" and "automatic filtration" features, so they specifically shot cute videos of pets actively drinking water, emphasizing "3-layer filtration system, cleaner than your home faucet." Within three days of launching, daily sales exceeded a thousand units, and at peak, sales reached $60,000 in one day.
Image source: TikTok
TikTok Is Not a "Shortcut," But an Amplifier
On TikTok, brands can't just be sellers; they must also be "the neighbor who knows how to make things happen." From Wavytalk to Merach Fitness, the success of Chinese brands proves a formula: high-quality content + extreme efficiency + data insights = global explosive orders.
Whether it's slippers, beauty products, or home appliances, the success stories all boil down to understanding "people"—users don't want ads, they want participation and instant gratification. If you also want to go global, ask yourself: What specific pain point does my product solve? Why would users stop for my video?
