Providing SMEs a boost

Anas Cosmetics' products are made to match the skin tone of Asian women.

THE rise of technology has transformed industries in many ways. One of the areas that has been impacted in a positive way is the world of retail. In the past decade, the evolution of tech, the growing reach of social media and changing consumer behaviour has driven the e-commerce market to new heights.

According to Statista, the global e-commerce market is expected to exceed US$5.7 trillion (RM27 trillion) by 2027. It is also anticipated that online shopping will account for up to 20% of retail globally within the next four years. The growing demand has seen various social media platforms leverage off their popularity, offering both consumers and businesses greater choices and reach in the market.

TikTok, a leading platform for short-form mobile videos, has undoubtedly done its part to boost the e-commerce ecosystem in markets such as Malaysia. The launch of TikTok Shop — its popular e-commerce solution — in April 2022 has created a new avenue for online sellers, buyers and creators to come together under one roof.

Supporting businesses

The arrival of TikTok Shop has given SMEs a way to expand their digital presence. It has also proven beneficial to some businesses that have yet to set up a brick-and-mortar store to sell their products due to the high initial investment costs. It also affords businesses to flex their creativity, which is something Mohamad Anas Zahrin Atan, better known as “Abang Anas”, has fully taken advantage of.

Born in Kota Tinggi, Johor, Anas became active on the TikTok Shop platform in 2022 to promote his eponymous brand of cosmetics.

His journey on TikTok started with ‘Kongsi Rezeki’, which helped him to gain his following. To date, his most well-known and meaningful content features his efforts in sponsoring individuals to perform the Umrah, as well as “sharing rezeki” with those in need.

In 2023, he was named the TikTok Shop Creator of the Year. His breakthrough on TikTok Shop occurred during the Ramadan Raya Campaign, where his sales surged tremendously. His popular campaign ‘Wanita Sahaja Masuk’ (Only Women Present) and the ‘Surprise Box’ concept have created a buzz amongst beauty creators and buyers.

According to Anas, he opines that TikTok Shop is a good platform for businesses who want to introduce their products to the masses more quickly. “I believe, the combination of entertainment and shopping (shoppertainment) makes the platform very beneficial, as it has its own unique selling points as compared to others,” he adds.

Venturing into cosmetics

Anas established Anas Cosmetics in August 2017 after discovering that Asian women struggled with finding the right shades that matched their skin tones — the brand’s motto “Show Your True Colours” aligns with this.

“We used this as inspiration for the founding of our brand,” he states.

As the creative director behind the brand, Anas has always been one to seek solutions to provide ease to every woman to enhance their beauty with makeup.

He explains that he and his team put a lot of thought, research and hard work into the products with the hope of fulfilling women’s desire to wear makeup that truly suits their skin flawlessly. Although he faced challenges such as finding the shades of colours that were suitable for Asian women’s skin tones, he also had to handle production issues.

“This includes everything from the R&D processes to the manufacturing of the cosmetics, which has to be done with utmost care, to choosing the packaging for the products,” he explains.

However, he admits that over time it became easier to achieve the results that he wanted.

But he also had to find ways to sell and market the product. “We wanted to release a local product with global standards and we first began selling at SaSa Malaysia,” he tells us.

When Anas was exploring expanding Anas Cosmetics’ digital footprint, he looked at TikTok Shop as a platform. “In the beginning, I had reservations about whether this (TikTok Shop) was right for me.”

However, after familiarising himself with the platform as well as its features, he found it to be effective, efficient and easy to use. “All that matters is your hard work and dedication in creating engaging content that speaks and resonates with your audience.”

Getting creative

TikTok Shop not only helped Anas promote Anas Cosmetics but it also allowed him the opportunity to show his creative side. And he quickly began coming up with innovative campaigns to drive engagement.

“I came up with ‘Wanita Sahaja Hadir’ due to my time spent on social media,” he elaborates.

“What I noticed was that 90% of buying power was with women, and based on my sales data I also confirmed that it was indeed women who hold the greatest power when it came to sales. This is how I came up with the concept, and as a result, I managed to attract even more women who loved to shop — which worked out in the long run.”

The sharing of good fortune or rezeki also inspired Anas to come up with ‘Kongsi Rezeki’.

“I wanted to use my account as an inspirational platform so that anyone who watches my ‘Kongsi Rezeki’ content will be inspired in return to follow in the actions I have taken or good deeds that I have shared.”

His creativity has not gone unnoticed. To date, Anas has garnered a number of accolades from TikTok, including being one of its top performing creators.

“As an entrepreneur and creator who uses the platform, I would advise to give it a try,” he states.

“It’s seamless for users, whether you are selling or buying, it can all be done with just one click as compared to other platforms. But the best part about it is that you can use your own content to generate excellent sales.”

Anas elaborates that through various schemes such as the Affiliate Creator programme, businesses can also generate income by monetising their content.

“When I created Anas Cosmetics, its major purpose was to fulfil the demands of the market by producing high-quality products with affordable pricing, so we can stand tall amongst international brands,” he says.

“TikTok Shop has allowed me to do that because it has not just helped me get my brand established but it has also provided a great boost for my business.

“It has been highly beneficial, and I personally feel it will help others too. Just keep making content and take that first step and I am sure they (businesses) will have no regrets.”

This article first appeared in Star Biz7 weekly edition.