Mary Kay gets A- for marketing homework done in China

"Mary Kay has had to adapt its products to Chinese culture, which values smooth white skin as the essence of beauty, said Paul Mak, president of Mary Kay China. So no sunless tanners or bronzers. Instead, Mary Kay sells skin whiteners and is developing a line of botanical lotions that incorporate traditional Chinese herbs, Mak said."

“It used to be that the U.S. was the 800-pound gorilla that really determined the success and failure of Mary Kay. That is not true anymore,” CEO David Holl said. “Other than the U.S., China is by far now our largest market.”

The $2.2 billion cosmetics giant, based in Dallas, sold $1.2 billion in cosmetics in the United States in 2005 and has a sales force of 715,000 here, said company spokesman Randall Oxford.

The company, which operates in 36 countries, arrived in China in 1995 and has since recruited 400,000 Chinese beauty consultants. It brought in $300 million in Chinese sales in 2005, Oxford said.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20060804/news_lz1n4nowread.html

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Comments: Why only A-? While the marketing research and implementation strategies satisfied Chinese consumers, it leaves me with a heavy sigh. And a few resurfacing questions.

Why shouldn't we accept whatever skin color we have?* What are the reasons that propagate desires for certain skin tones in the East and West? Is this still the appropriate dichotomization?
Let's expand. If given the choice, the Asian choice would be a better "skin mentality" for America than its current" "bronze or die" habits in some places like LA. Indeed, the curiously Asian hesitation to "shai4hei1" (晒黑) encourages proactive skin cancer habits. Do Asian women age slower perhaps more for this nurture than nature? I would guess so, after comparing Asians who grow up in SoCal sun all their lives (40s) and those who stay relatively more sheltered on the East Coast.*

You are what you slather.

* The muser makes no apologies for the corniness in this statement.
**Disclaimer: Thoughts do not necessarily represent the viewpoint of Mary Kay skin care professionals.