The Interview: Then I Met You Founder Charlotte Cho on making K-beauty mainstream and her thoughtful approach to expansion

Korean beauty continues to capture the interest of beauty enthusiasts worldwide, championing skincare products that boast innovative formulations, unique packaging, and a focus on radiant, glowing skin. 

One brand performing particularly well in this category is Then I Met You, which has cultivated a loyal following for its innovative Korean ingredients and potent actives that promise to deliver a sensorial skincare experience.

The US-based brand represents a fusion of Founder Charlotte Cho's extensive experience within the Korean beauty space as the co-founder of K-beauty retailer Soko Glam and her background as an American aesthetician.

It first launched in 2018 with two products: a Living Cleansing Balm - still the brand's hero product - and a Soothing Tea Cleansing Gel, together creating the perfect cleansing duo.

Following these initial launches, the business has only introduced one or two products a year. "Although we're six years old, we only have 10 products. This speaks to the intentionality behind the brand," says Cho. "We are here to make holy grails and earn the trust of the community, so my aim is to only create standout products that deliver results."

This strategy not only extends to the products themselves but also the ingredients used within them, leveraging Cho's previous experience to create results-driven formulations.

"It has been an incredible opportunity to learn through Soko Glam," she tells TheIndustry.beauty. "I have tested hundreds and thousands of products over the years, gaining access to constant innovations as well as speaking with manufacturers and chemists that are willing to share and innovate with me."

And once the products have launched, the innovation and elevation doesn't stop there. Take the brand's Bong Bounce Cream, for example, which was developed following customer feedback on a previous launch. "I took this feedback to heart and decided to discontinue a product and try another type of gel cream. Now, out of the 10 products we have, the Bong Bounce Cream is our number two seller," Cho reveals.

"So, I'm pleased that I took that leap of faith and decided to really listen to my community, because even I don't get everything right, and there's some things I want to improve."

Similarly, Cho has also made various packaging changes as a result of customer feedback. Its popular Birch Milk Refining Toner was updated with translucent packaging to show off the "natural milkiness" of the product (a decision of Cho's) but also to allow customers to see how much product they have left.

In addition to playing an important role in product development, establishing a strong community has been paramount to the brand's overall success. "If you don't have a community, then you don't have a brand," explains Cho.

"A brand cannot grow in this very saturated beauty market without word of mouth, and that is still the most powerful form of marketing or brand awareness. I also think you cannot grow a beauty business simply by spending on advertising. Beauty is an emotional and aspirational experience; consumers have to believe in the brand and what it stands for to achieve success.

"It takes years and years to build trust, but you can lose it overnight too. So, nurturing customer relationships is so important. You also need to stand on really solid formulations, otherwise consumers will not come back to you.

"No matter how many influencers you pay to talk about your products, if your brand cannot stand on its own two feet with the formulations, it's not going to be sustainable. That's not to say we're not doing fun things on platforms like TikTok, but it still always falls back on the efficacy of the products and everything else is secondary."

Having grown intentionally and thoughtfully, avoiding gimmicks and focusing on long-term sustainability, the business aims to continue this organic growth, including across the UK, where it continues to expand its presence.

Earlier this year, Then I Met You launched online and in 33 stores at Space NK, marking the brand's brick-and-mortar debut in the UK and strengthening its international distribution.

In just a few short months, the brand outperformed its forecast and has continued to expand its store presence, having recently launched at the newest Space NK store in Manchester's Trafford Centre, where it has a gondola running until December.

"Having already launched online in the UK through Cult Beauty and our own website, with Space NK we wanted to develop our brick-and-mortar presence," says Cho.

"It has so many knowledgeable beauty advisors who are able to speak about the brand and give customers that are interested a really solid understanding of what makes Then I Met You so special. It is the perfect environment."

And to ensure continued success and raise further awareness, the brand's overarching approach to the UK market involves leaning into the demand for Korean skincare and educating customers on the benefits of K-beauty principles, focusing on storytelling and community engagement.

"The UK market has always been interested in Korean beauty, but not to the level of the US. The US embraced it with open arms, whereas the UK was more of a cautious observer. However, with TikTok reinvigorating Korean beauty, there is now a lot more interest amongst the youth in this market, who want to dive in deeper with K-beauty."

With this in mind, Cho hopes this localised strategy will continue to strengthen Then I Met You's sales and brand awareness in the UK. However, as for her wider ambitions, Cho admits: "I haven't quantified it yet, to be honest. I just want to make sure we really, truly focus on expansion."