Manufacturing for millennials: Start-up uses OEM database to help launch new brands in four months

Cosmepolitan was founded in Singapore a year ago by CEO Yoon Mijoung, a former cosmetics journalist with experience in branding and marketing.

Yoon’s aim was to connect interested parties with a global network of cosmetic manufacturers so they could produce their own cosmetic brand and bring their products to market within months.

“If you already know what you want and have your plans, it's fast. Planning and making the sample take two months. Producing the products takes about two months too. So, you can have your own brand in four months,” ​Yoon told CosmeticsDesign-Asia.​

“It’s very easy. The process starts online with a quick questionnaire, that’s how you start developing your brand,” ​she added.

Yoon explained that the company has taken out the laborious process connecting with manufacturers.

“People who want to make cosmetics usually have to contact up to 10 companies to get their products made. Sometimes, a factory will give you empty promises and say they have experience in developing a product when they don’t.​

“We can connect you with a source that has the experience in making a product that’s similar to what you want.”​

Yoon noted that her company could also work with people that have a product they want to replicate or start completely from scratch.

Global network

The company currently has an extensive network of cosmetic OEM companies in South Korea, Japan and China.

“I started by searching for the companies online and visiting each one, bearing gifts to establish a relationship with them. It was a lot of legwork and it's grown to become this network today,” ​said Yoon.

Today, Yoon said the company was connected to all the manufacturers in South Korea and has a network of 30 Japanese companies. Its network in China is small but growing, she said.

The company has developed brands with influencers, fashion brands and health supplement companies.

“We work well with those who are already good at selling, who already have built-in customers. These companies can sell once they have products in hand, that’s why for them the whole process needs to be fast,” ​said Yoon.

With its online questionnaire and a growing database spanning three countries, Yoon’s vision of the future of cosmetics production is a global one.

Its clients are primarily from South Korea and Japan, but it has also worked on projects for brands based in the US.

“Our plan is to further expand into more countries. We want to strengthen the network in Japan and after settling that we focus on the network in China. We are planning to work with local Chinese brands, but we are still a young company so the priority is Japan first.”​

Yoon has observed more requests for make-up products in Japan as well as men’s beauty products, which she sees as an opportunity to tap on.

“I predict that men’s skin care and make-up products, like BB creams and cushion foundations, will become more popular. Already it’s happening and I believe we will see many more brands and products in the market soon.”​