Before Your Skincare Launch: The Marketing Materials to Prepare

Before launching a new skincare product, a brand needs at least seven types of marketing material: a brand story, product copy, product and lifestyle photography, trials and unboxings, social media content, retail product pages and a launch campaign. Most of these depend on a production milestone: copy has to wait for the final formula, product photos need the final packaging, and trial products can only come from finished goods that have passed release testing. So marketing can't wait until the stock arrives. It should run in parallel with production, planned backwards from launch day, and it usually needs to start during the sampling stage.

Key takeaways

• Pre-launch marketing materials fall into seven groups: brand story, product copy, photography, trials and unboxings, social content, retail pages and launch campaigns.
• Product copy can't be finished until the formula is approved, and it must not include medical or exaggerated claims.
• Product photos need the final packaging, and trials and unboxings can only use released finished goods, so leave a buffer before launch day.
• Run marketing preparation in parallel with production, planned back from launch day. Brand story and visuals can start during sampling.

Seven types of material, and what each one waits for

For how long each production stage takes and what holds it up, start with How long does skincare take from sample to production?

Brand story: build it from your positioning, and keep it true

Your brand story answers the question "why does this brand exist?" It should match your positioning: who you make products for, which everyday problem you solve for them, and why you are the one to do it. For how to write your positioning, see How to position your own skincare brand.

When you write the story, stick to one rule: only write what's true. Don't invent founder backgrounds, years of research, awards or user numbers. Consumers and retailers may ask for details, and a made-up story that falls apart does more damage than having no story at all.

Product copy: stay within the regulatory line first

The biggest risk in skincare copy is making medical or exaggerated claims. Cosmetics are for cleansing, caring and beautifying, not for treatment. Here are some examples of the difference:

Two more points:

• Claims such as sun protection and whitening need supporting evidence. In Taiwan, ingredients must comply with the Taiwan FDA's (TFDA, 食品藥物管理署) table of restricted cosmetic ingredients, and the Product Information File (PIF) must contain the corresponding efficacy evaluation data. If your main claim falls into this category, confirm it before development starts, not after the copy is written.
• Packaging labels and marketing copy must be consistent. The full ingredient list, warnings and responsible company details on the carton follow a regulatory format, and Misatsu checks label copy against regulations during the design stage. But ads, social posts and partner creators' content must stay within the same line, and that responsibility lies with the brand.

For more examples, see Cosmetic advertising regulations: avoiding exaggerated and medical claims and our regulatory zone.

Photography: shoot in two batches, not all at once

Photography most often gets held up by packaging. Product photos must use the final packaging, so if packaging arrives late, the shoot is late too. The answer is to shoot in batches:

• Batch one (late in sampling): use near-final samples to shoot texture, application, ingredients and the lab process. This footage doesn't need final packaging and can go straight into teasers and social content.
• Batch two (after packaging arrives): shoot white-background product photos, lifestyle photos and step-by-step usage. Most of the images retail pages need come from this batch.

Before shooting, list the image specifications and number of images each channel needs and get them all in one go. That's much easier than reshooting when you're trying to list the product. If you need visuals before the carton is printed, you can create mock-ups from the artwork, but use real photos on your final product pages.

Trials and unboxings: leave time at the end

Products for trials and unboxings can only come from finished goods that have passed release testing. At Misatsu, finished goods are released for shipment only after passing microbiological testing, so trial products can't go out before this step is complete.

If you want trial reviews to be available on launch day:

1. Count from the release date, adding time for shipping, for testers to actually use the product, and for them to write their reviews.
2. Set launch day after that period. It can't be in the same week as release.
3. Make the copy boundaries clear to testers and partner creators. What they post must also follow the rules on claims.
4. Present reviews honestly. Don't rewrite them into what you want to hear, and never write reviews yourself.

Social content: use the development process as your teaser

You can start building your social media before the product is finished. The development process itself makes good content:

• Why you wanted to make this product, and who it's for
• Choosing bottles, reviewing samples, adjusting the texture
• Your thinking on ingredient choices (write about your principles, not efficacy claims)
• Packaging design sketches and the final design

There's only one thing to watch out for: don't announce launch day until the delivery date is confirmed. Production delays of a week or two aren't unusual, and announcing a date and then postponing it uses up your followers' trust.

Retail product pages: ask early what each channel needs

Different sales channels have different requirements for product information. On your own website, you decide. E-commerce platforms and select shops often have fixed formats and review times. Check with each channel early:

• What product information they need: product name, size, full ingredient list, directions for use, precautions, responsible company details
• Image specifications and number of images
• Whether they need test documents or product registration information
• How long their review takes, and how far ahead of listing you need to submit

In Taiwan, product labels must state the responsible company's details, and product registration (產品登錄) is filed by a business operator. In practice, that means you need a registered company or business (公司或商號登記), and it's best to complete this early. Product registration must also be completed before launch. If these two things aren't done, you won't be able to complete the channel information. For how responsibilities are divided, see PIF responsibility: brand vs. manufacturer. For the registration and PIF process, see A complete guide to cosmetic product registration and building a PIF in Taiwan.

Launch timing: a sales event is a sales peak, not a launch day

If you want to drive sales during big sales events (in Taiwan, these include Double 11 on 11 November and Mother's Day), your product should ideally be on the market before the event so it can build up some reviews and exposure. For major events like these, Misatsu recommends discussing your requirements with your manufacturer 3 to 4 months ahead so production lines and raw materials can be arranged in advance.

If the schedule for your first product is tight, rather than forcing it into a major sales event, pick a launch date the timeline can actually meet. Get the product and its reputation established first, then push for the next event.

Pre-launch marketing schedule

The table below runs in parallel with the production timeline, counting backwards from launch day as week 0. The production weeks are illustrative and will change with actual development progress. From the first discussion to the first shipment, developing a completely new product typically takes about 4 to 6 months, depending on the formula, stability results, packaging and the number of sample revisions. For how to plan backwards, see the sample-to-production timeline.

The key point of this table: marketing is busiest in the weeks between the packaging arriving and launch day. So anything you can do earlier, such as the brand story, visuals, first-draft copy, talks with sales channels and building your social media, should be done while production is still running.

Frequently asked questions

Q: I don't have a marketing team. How can one person get all of this done?

Cut the scope, not the sequence. For your first product, you can run just one social media platform, list on just one or two channels and do just one second-batch shoot. But a few things can't be skipped: copy that stays within regulations, trials that use finished goods, and announcing the date only once delivery is confirmed. For design, if you don't have your own designer, Misatsu works with a design team that can help with the logo, bottle and carton design.

Q: Can my manufacturer write the product copy for me?

For the regulatory text on labels and cartons, the manufacturer's regulatory check can help you get it right. But marketing copy is about your brand and your customers, so it's best for the brand to lead it, then check it against the regulatory line. For what to bring when you start talking with a manufacturer, see What to prepare before contacting a skincare manufacturer.

Next step

Tell us your product direction and planned launch date, and we'll help you build a development timeline that keeps production and marketing in step.