398With the continuous advancement of technology, more and more people are beginning to enjoy the right to be "lazy." Take the sweeping robots that have exploded in popularity in recent years, for example—they have successfully liberated many people from tedious cleaning work.
When it comes to sweeping robots, many people may first think of big brands like Xiaomi and Dyson, but when it comes to truly holding a place in the market, Ecovacs definitely counts as the leader. Founded in 1998, Ecovacs may not be as high-profile as those internet brands, but its status in the field of sweeping robots is self-evident.
How did Ecovacs achieve this? How did it rise rapidly from an unknown brand to become the leader in the sweeping robot industry?
Image source: ecovacs
Seizing the Market Opportunity: Being the "First to Eat the Crab" Brand
As people's living standards continue to improve, sweeping robots have transformed from "high-end luxury goods" into essential products for many households. As early as when smart homes were gradually becoming a trend, Ecovacs had already sensed the market opportunity and quickly made its layout.
Ecovacs' success is largely due to its meticulous work on product stability and user reputation. Since 2015, sweeping robots have become Ecovacs' largest source of revenue, and in the following years, the company's revenue has steadily increased. In 2018, Ecovacs successfully went public, becoming the first listed household intelligent robot company.
Although its name is not as well-known as Xiaomi or Huawei, Ecovacs has gradually occupied a leading position in the market with its excellent product quality and solid brand building. Especially in the domestic market, Ecovacs has quickly accumulated a large number of loyal users thanks to its stable performance and good after-sales service.
Image source: ecovacs
Steady Progress, Moving Towards Overseas Markets
Interestingly, many domestic consumers may not know that Ecovacs is actually a Chinese brand. Due to its brand name being similar to foreign companies and Ecovacs' long-term overseas expansion, many people mistakenly believe it is from abroad. Some minor misunderstandings brought by the brand name have even helped it establish a more international image in overseas markets to a certain extent.
Regardless of how the outside world sees it, Ecovacs is indeed a company rooted in China and has achieved considerable success in the domestic market. However, Ecovacs' ambitions go far beyond this. As soon as it established a solid domestic market, Ecovacs began to focus on expanding overseas markets, especially in developed countries such as the United States and Germany, where Ecovacs' performance has been quite impressive. In order to further consolidate its position in the global market, Ecovacs has made a large number of localized improvements in product design, technological innovation, after-sales service, and other aspects.
For example, Ecovacs has launched some sweeping robots specifically designed for large households and complex environments to meet the needs of the European and American markets. These products not only have powerful cleaning capabilities but also improve the robot's flexibility and efficiency through intelligent navigation systems. This series of innovations has also helped Ecovacs quickly build its brand in overseas markets, especially in places like the United States and Germany, gradually becoming the first choice for consumers.
Image source: nextpit
Online Layout, Unconventional Content Strategies
In terms of sales models, Ecovacs mainly adopts a combination of online and offline strategies in China, with offline channels as the main focus. In overseas markets, especially in Europe, America, and Southeast Asia, Ecovacs is more inclined to boost sales through online platforms.
Amazon
On Amazon, Ecovacs quickly entered the low-end market with cost-effective products and gradually accumulated brand awareness. However, fierce price competition on the platform also poses certain challenges. Ecovacs' Amazon page showcases product features and user reviews, with overall good feedback, but there is still room for improvement in the high-end market.
Image source: Amazon
Independent Website
On its independent website, Ecovacs provides detailed product information and has increased brand promotion efforts. Although the independent website gives Ecovacs more brand control, it still faces certain difficulties in attracting traffic and increasing conversion rates, especially in the Southeast Asian market, where competitors are also increasing their investment.
Image source: ecovacs independent website
To break through this bottleneck, Ecovacs gradually realized that relying solely on traditional e-commerce platforms and independent websites might not be enough to comprehensively increase brand exposure and influence.
Therefore, Ecovacs turned its attention to social media platforms to further expand its brand influence.
TikTok
In terms of social media layout, Ecovacs' main popularity comes from TikTok. To cover different markets, they have set up 10 TikTok accounts in multiple countries and regions, with a total of nearly 1.3919 million followers, among which @ecovacs_global has the largest number of followers at 365,000. Ecovacs' content creation keeps up with current trends, showcasing actual usage scenarios of products through new product unboxing, home cleaning, and lifestyle skits, aiming to resonate with viewers as much as possible.
Ecovacs account matrix Image source: TikTok
In March 2022, Ecovacs held a "Spring Clean Season" promotion on the TikTok Shop platform in the UK, inviting six bloggers from the technology, lifestyle, and creative fields to participate. At the same time, they launched the #handsfree topic challenge, encouraging users to post short videos related to cleaning chores and calling on everyone to "free their hands." The event not only increased brand exposure but also stimulated participation enthusiasm through rewards and additional exposure.
Popular works under the #handsfree topic Image source: TikTok
On Instagram, Ecovacs also operates nearly 30 accounts for different regions, with @ecovacs_global having 66,000 followers. Unlike TikTok, which focuses on video content, Ecovacs' strategy on Instagram is mainly based on images and text, including UGC content reposts and creative poster releases. Through these methods, Ecovacs' coverage on social media has gradually expanded, enhancing interaction with global users.
Image source: Instagram
Ecovacs' traffic on Facebook is also quite stable, with its official account @ECOVACS ROBOTICS currently having about 810,000 followers. Unlike TikTok and Instagram, Ecovacs' content on Facebook focuses more on interactivity and community building. The brand attracts user participation by sharing product information, user reviews, cleaning tips, and also posts some behind-the-scenes footage and event information to increase the sense of connection with fans.
Image source: Facebook
In addition, Ecovacs regularly promotes through Facebook ads, delivering customized content to specific markets. In this way, Ecovacs not only increases brand exposure but also further enhances interaction frequency with consumers. Overall, Ecovacs' operation strategy on Facebook is relatively mature, effectively maintaining the brand's social media influence through both content and advertising.
Most recent post by ecovacs Image source: Facebook
Whether it is e-commerce layout or social media marketing, Ecovacs has demonstrated considerable precision and proficiency, with a very keen market sense.
Technology and Products Are the Foundation of the Brand
The core value of smart home appliances lies in bringing convenience and more intelligent services to consumers, which also means that technological innovation is crucial.
As one of the world's leading cleaning appliance brands, Ecovacs' success is inseparable from its continuous technological R&D and product innovation. According to financial report data, Ecovacs' R&D investment has increased year by year, reaching 338 million yuan in 2020, a year-on-year increase of 21.88%. This is not only a numerical increase but also an important reflection of Ecovacs' efforts to promote product technological innovation and improve consumer experience.
Wu Qi, Director of International Marketing at Ecovacs, once said: "Innovation is the gene of Ecovacs. We are committed to providing solutions for consumers through technology and becoming a capable assistant in their lives." This statement also well summarizes Ecovacs' core mission of continuous innovation and product improvement.
Image source: inspiredelearning
From "Old Domestic Brand" to Global Bestseller, Successfully Breaking Borders
Seemingly low-key, Ecovacs has actually already seized the initiative in overseas markets. As an outstanding representative among "domestic products," its success lies not only in the competitiveness of the product itself but also in its insight into the needs of global consumers and precise international market layout. Today, Ecovacs' sweeping robots have entered millions of households worldwide. Whether in the United States or Germany, Ecovacs occupies a significant market share.
This is a typical case of a domestic brand going global—through continuous innovation and a solid market foundation, Ecovacs has successfully broken national boundaries, making "Made in China" no longer a shortcoming but a bonus for winning the global market. For brands considering going abroad, Ecovacs' path is undoubtedly very worthy of reference.
