The headquarters for Mary Kay China occupies four floors of a swank building in Shanghai, and the country now drives 25 percent of the company’s global revenue. In Slate magazine, Daniel Gross describes how an all-American cosmetic firm founded in Texas successfully exported its brand to China.
Go premium, but not too premium; adjust offerings and business models to local tastes and regulations; boost anti-aging skin creams; tune up the inspirational messages; and offer pink Chevrolets for sellers who bring in 100,000 renminbi monthly (about $170,000 annually).
Photograph from Mary Kay China headquarters at the Plaza 66 complex in Shanghai; interior design by Gensler, a global architectural firm.
