Meitu

Meitu Inc.

Company type	Public
Industry	Technology, Mobile phones, Software
Founded	2008
Founder	Xinhong Wu
Fate	Withdrew from smartphone sector in 2019; strategic alliance with Xiaomi
Successor	Xiaomi (smartphone brand rights)
Headquarters	Xiamen , China
Area served	China, Asia, Brazil, United States
Key people	Xinhong Wu (Founder and CEO)
Products	Smartphones, Selfie-focused mobile applications (e.g., MeituPic, Meipai)

Meitu Inc. is a technology firm based in China, established in 2008 and headquartered in Xiamen, Fujian. The company specializes in manufacturing smartphones and developing selfie-focused applications. Its photo-editing and sharing platforms enjoy widespread popularity throughout China and other parts of Asia, boasting 456 million users who upload more than 6 billion images every month. By October 2016, Meitu’s applications had been activated on over 1.1 billion distinct devices worldwide. Between 2014 and 2016, App Annie consistently ranked Meitu among the top eight global developers of iOS non-gaming apps, alongside industry leaders such as Alibaba Group, Apple Inc., Baidu, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, and Tencent. The flagship app, MeituPic, records 52 million daily active users and 270 million monthly active users.

On December 15, 2016, Meitu made its debut on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. In 2019, the company withdrew from the smartphone sector and entered into a 30-year strategic alliance with Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi. Under this agreement, Xiaomi acquired exclusive rights to utilize the Meitu smartphone brand, imaging technologies, and selected smart hardware products.

Mobile apps

Meitu offers a suite of 13 applications installed on more than 1.1 billion unique devices globally, facilitating around 6 billion photo uploads each month. App Annie ranks Meitu as the fourth largest app developer in China. Notable applications include:

• MeituPic: Recognized as a leading app on iTunes, MeituPic provides professional-grade filters and editing capabilities. It is available free of charge on both Apple’s App Store and Google Play. In August 2022, the app introduced a collaborative editing feature that enables multiple users to modify the same photograph simultaneously.
• Meipai: Since its launch in 2014, Meipai has become China’s foremost video-oriented social media platform, amassing nearly 8 billion monthly views. It offers robust video editing tools but experienced a downturn post-2017 due to regulatory shifts and intensified competition. By 2019, Meitu refocused efforts on its core app by integrating new social functionalities.

Mobile devices

Beginning with the launch of its inaugural selfie-centric smartphone, the Meitu Kiss, in 2013, the company has released various models emphasizing selfie technology, including the T8 and M8 series introduced in 2017.

Marketing strategy

• Target market/Market segmentation:

Meitu primarily appeals to female consumers aged between 18 and 25 years old, who constitute approximately 70% of its smartphone purchasers. The devices prioritize sophisticated beautification features such as dual-pixel front-facing cameras, AI-driven enhancement algorithms, intelligent fill lighting, and optical image stabilization. To align with customer tastes, limited edition variants—like the cartoon-themed M8—are offered. Founder and CEO Xinhong Wu underscores the brand’s commitment to refining the selfie-taking experience.

• Price:

The company positions its smartphones within the premium price segment. For instance, in 2017, the Meitu V6 was retailed at RMB 5,099 (around USD 805). This pricing strategy is justified by emphasizing an enhanced user experience and acknowledging that customers demonstrate low sensitivity to price points.

• Distribution:

Sales channels are predominantly online via platforms such as Taobao and Suning. Although supported by offline experience centers, Meitu does not operate official brick-and-mortar retail stores.

• Digital marketing and Promotion:

Promotional activities are mostly confined to festivals and special occasions featuring discounts and exclusive limited-edition product launches; scarcity marketing tactics are employed to stimulate demand. Digital marketing strategies include SEO, SEM, mobile application promotion, and social media engagement. Strategic partnerships involve Baidu for Mainland China markets and Google DoubleClick targeting Hong Kong consumers. Additionally, Meitu leverages its own applications (MeituPic, BeautyPlus, Meipai) for advertising through banner placements and short video content while also hosting advertisements for third-party brands.

The company’s advertising heavily relies on social media platforms such as Baidu Paste Bar and Sina Weibo. Celebrity endorsements form a cornerstone of Meitu’s promotional approach; brand ambassador Angelababy along with numerous high-profile celebrities boasting millions of followers amplify product visibility and credibility. These endorsements significantly enhance social media engagement levels and generate extensive press coverage through positive celebrity associations.

Popularity of Meitu apps

Meitu's mobile photo-editing and sharing applications enjoy significant popularity throughout Asia, particularly in countries such as China, Thailand, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam, each boasting user numbers exceeding 10 million. Among these markets, India stands out as Meitu’s largest international market outside its home country. Additionally, the app has achieved over 10 million downloads in both Brazil and the United States, contributing to a worldwide user community surpassing 500 million. The company’s slogan, “To make the world a more beautiful place,” underscores its role in influencing modern beauty ideals in China, where the "wang hong lian" (“Internet-celebrity face”) look popularized through its apps has become widely embraced.

Offices

Meitu’s corporate headquarters are situated in Xiamen, China, with branch offices established internationally in locations including Brazil, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, and the United States.

Controversy

In January 2017, CNN revealed that Meitu’s applications gather user information for advertising purposes and transmit this data to servers located in China. Meitu responded by denying any breaches of privacy laws, explaining that data collection is intended to enhance app functionality and improve advertising effectiveness. The permissions requested involve geolocation tracking and app-monitoring capabilities necessary for advertising networks to detect fraudulent activities and deliver ads tailored by region. Apple has verified that Meitu’s app adheres to its guidelines.

Meitu’s core mission centers on promoting global beauty enhancement. Its applications have significantly shaped Chinese beauty norms to the point where digitally altered images frequently serve as templates for cosmetic procedures.

In June 2020, amid escalating Sino-Indian border disputes and concerns over data security, India prohibited Meitu along with 58 other Chinese applications.