295With global car ownership surpassing 1 billion vehicles today, car cleaning and maintenance is no longer simply about “washing and wiping.” This market, with an annual output value of over $67.7 billion, is nurturing countless business opportunities.
In the United States, some have already turned the small matter of “car washing” into a business worth hundreds of millions annually. Chemical Guys, from California, is the most prominent player in this circle.
Founded in 1968, this brand now sells its products in more than 50 countries worldwide. Multiple products have sold over ten thousand units on Amazon, its independent website receives over 820,000 monthly visits, and its official TikTok account boasts 876,000 followers, with each video averaging over 170,000 views.
What has enabled this company, which initially only produced small batches of car wax, to grow into a “phenomenal brand” in the car care industry?
Image source: Chemical Guys
56 Years of “Slow Business”: From Chemistry Lab to Multi-Brand Empire
According to data, in 1968, a group of chemical engineers with automotive dreams founded the Chemical Guys brand in Los Angeles, USA. It was the golden age of American car culture, with the road movie “Easy Rider” sweeping the nation. People’s love for cars created huge maintenance demand. Chemical Guys seized the market opportunity, starting with proprietary small-batch wax and gradually expanding to a full range of products including cleaners and polishes.
Image source: “Easy Rider”
However, what truly propelled the brand was the multi-brand matrix built by parent company SMART INC. From entry-level brand SMARTWAX to commercial brand BRAND X, they achieved coverage of different market tiers. This layered strategy enabled the brand to precisely reach different consumer levels, creating a synergistic effect.
By 2025, Chemical Guys has developed into a leading car care products company in the United States, with its products consistently ranking at the top of sales charts on platforms like Amazon and multiple items selling over ten thousand units.
Image source: Amazon
Riding the Industry Wave
Looking at the development of the Chemical Guys brand, it’s clear that the explosive growth of the automotive industry has provided significant support.
According to data, global car ownership is expected to reach 1.5 billion vehicles by 2030, and this growth directly drives maintenance demand. In addition, mature markets such as North America and Europe continue to lead with high purchasing power, while the Asia-Pacific region, driven by emerging economies like China and India, has become the fastest-growing area, with a projected annual compound growth rate of over 6% from 2024 to 2032.
This regional difference also provides strategic depth for brands: “Deepen high-end positioning in developed markets, promote popularization in emerging markets.”
Image source: Service
Moreover, the diversification of industry competition has also created opportunities for Chemical Guys.
While traditional giants expand through mergers and acquisitions and emerging brands break through with differentiated services, Chemical Guys has chosen to build its moat through technological innovation and brand culture. While continuously developing new products, it shapes the brand image of “car care artists” via social media, elevating its products from functional tools to carriers of car culture.
Image source: TikTok
Multi-Platform Synergy: Closing the Loop from Traffic to Sales
The success of Chemical Guys is inseparable from its careful layout of a full-channel ecosystem.
1. Social Media Operations
On short video platform TikTok, Chemical Guys seems to have found the perfect ground to engage with young car enthusiasts. Its official account @chemicalguys has accumulated over 876,000 followers.
Image source: TikTok
In content creation, Chemical Guys deeply understands TikTok users’ preference for authentic, entertaining, and informative content.
Therefore, videos on the @chemicalguys account often feature employees or real users demonstrating product usage and results. For example, a cleaning agent comparison video released in February 2022 used a real demonstration and garnered 11.3 million views, fully proving the strong appeal of authentic scenario content.
Image source: TikTok
Of course, besides building its official account, Chemical Guys also actively collaborates with influencers in the automotive niche. These influencers recommend products to their followers by creating product reviews and usage tutorials.
One such influencer is @geeky_detail_reviews, who specializes in car care product reviews. A cleaning agent review video he posted once brought 278,300 views to the product, effectively driving fans’ purchase interest.
Image source: TikTok
However, a single content format cannot succeed on all social platforms. On YouTube, Chemical Guys focuses on publishing detailed long-form content, user stories, and in-depth brand narratives.
This includes sharing the inspiration and challenges behind product development, sharing insights, publishing DIY guides, and collecting user feedback.
Naturally, the effect of this type of content is also obvious. As of now, Chemical Guys’ official account has accumulated 985,000 subscribers, successfully building an exclusive content community on YouTube.
Image source: YouTube
2. Converting Traffic to Sales
To improve user stickiness and conversion rates, Chemical Guys’ independent website is positioned as a “one-stop solution for car care.” While it appears to answer car care questions, it actually integrates products subtly to strengthen users’ purchase intent.
Image source: Chemical Guys
According to data, in May 2025, the site received over 820,000 visits, with organic traffic accounting for 39.52% and direct visits reaching 30.26%. Together, they contributed more than 69.7% of total visits, indicating a very healthy traffic structure.
Additionally, the brand has successfully converted natural traffic into stable orders through SEO optimization and content marketing, as evidenced by the 14.2% share of paid and external link traffic.
Image source: TikTok
Now Is the Time to Go Global, But You Must “Get Involved Personally”
The success of Chemical Guys is essentially the result of multi-channel operations and precise understanding of user needs. For domestic companies, overseas markets now present both opportunities and challenges. Rather than betting on a single platform, it’s better to build a diversified channel matrix like Chemical Guys.
In the process of going global, combining the characteristics of target markets and platform advantages, continuously delivering high-quality content, and winning users with professionalism and sincerity is the way to gain a firm foothold in the global market and carve out your own territory.
