Former EXO idol Huang Zitao, also mononymously known as Tao, announced his brand of sanitary pads, Domyway, in mid-April with a 0.01 RMB trial (0.0014 USD). A little over a month later, the first batch of products finally went on sale on 18 May.
The hygiene products were sold in packages containing pads of varying sizes for day and night use, as well as period pants, with a set of 62 pieces priced at 49.8 RMB (6.91 USD) and 124 pieces at 99.8 RMB (13.84 USD). Huang launched Domyway’s first sales event and all 500,000 sets were sold out in 30 minutes, earning 40 million RMB (5.55 million USD). Domyway shot to the top of the personal care ranking while setting a record on Douyin, TikTok’s Chinese sister app. Even scalpers moved in to resell them for up to 150 RMB (20.81 USD) per pack.
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Some call it chivalry and some praise it for normalising men talking about periods, while others question the “male saviour” narrative surrounding Huang and his two male partners, who are seen to be stepping in to “save women” from substandard hygiene products. However, with online transparency about the manufacturing combined with reasonable pricing, if the quality is as good as they advertise, it can’t be bad for the consumer.
That is why some pundits are conscious about whether this might be an experiment for MCN (multi-channel network) agencies launching a brand. Despite the unique nature of feminine hygiene products, Huang’s venture can provide valuable insights on how to run a brand as a celebrity or influencer.