Brighty Indonesia's edge in strategic digital promotions

Brighty is a fast-growing Indonesian personal care brand that launched only five years ago. The company is best known for its underarm care products which quickly became top sellers on popular e-commerce platforms -- proof that their blend of bold branding and smart online approach is exactly what the market needs.

 

At in-cosmetics Asia this year, Brighty’s CEO Muhammad Hadiyatullah  and CMO Muhammad Raafi will be sharing their story in the Marketing Trends theatre on Wednesday, 5^th November from 16:00 – 16:45, in a session entitled: ‘How to run a successful digital brand promotion strategy.’

 

As a preview to their upcoming presentation, Hadi and Raafi spoke to Ringier Beauty and Personal Care about their success in brand storytelling and e-commerce agility.

 

 

(From left) Muhammad Hadiyatullah, CEO and Muhammad Raafi, CMO of Brighty Indonesia. Meet the digital disruptors behind Brighty’s ascent in Indonesia's personal care market, at in-cosmetics Asia. 

 

First of all, how did Brighty get started in the personal care business in 2020? How did the company sustain its momentum during these tough times, as the pandemic was disrupting operations?

Brighty launched in 2020 during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. While many saw it as a risky time to start a business, we saw a rare opportunity. People were staying home, paying more attention to self-care, and spending more time on social media, creating the perfect moment to introduce a bold, relevant, and focused personal care brand.

 

We identified an often-overlooked category, underarm care, and built Brighty around that single, clear purpose. With a strong background in digital marketing, we knew how to connect with consumers online at a time when offline retail wasn’t an option.

 

Instead of holding back, we invested early in TikTok and direct-to-consumer channels. While many brands were still focused on traditional e-commerce or Instagram, we quickly embraced short-form video and affiliate models. That let us grow efficiently and stay relevant as attention shifted online.

 

We also operated lean: focusing on one hero product, building real feedback loops, and making decisions grounded in data. That mindset helped us not just survive the pandemic but grow through it.

 

What key factors enabled Brighty to break the MURI record in such a short time and expand rapidly across Southeast Asia?

The first key factor was niche clarity. From day one, we were focused on underarm care, giving us a unique market position with zero direct competition at scale. Rather than entering crowded skincare categories, we created and owned our own space.

 

Second, we built for speed. Launching high-volume short-form content, over 200 TikTok videos a day at one point, allowing us to rapidly test hooks, formats, and creators. That speed fuelled virality, and virality drove volume.

 

Third, we tapped into the affiliate and KOC ecosystem early, activating thousands of nano and micro creators who genuinely used our products and turned them into our sales force. Instead of relying on top influencers, we empowered everyday people to share, sell, and earn.

 

For MURI, we broke the record for most testimonials and reviews for an underarm product in Indonesia, which was driven by strong community engagement and real user results.

 

Tell us about the digital brand promotion strategy that contributed to this success. What KPIs do you focus on?

Our digital strategy was built on three pillars: platform mastery, speed of execution, and creator-powered content.

 

We focused early on TikTok when many brands were still hesitant seeing it as the new discovery engine for beauty. We went all-in with short-form videos, livestreams, and TikTok Shop, driving both awareness and conversion.

 

Rather than rely on big-budget campaigns, we built internal systems to produce hundreds of videos daily, run A/B tests, and track performance. Our mindset: test fast, kill fast, double down fast. This let us stay relevant in real-time and catch trends early.

 

We scaled efficiently by empowering thousands of micro affiliates and KOCs through commission-based links, building reach, trust, and cost efficiency.

 

Which social media platforms have been most impactful to Brighty?

TikTok has been the most impactful platform for Brighty. It gave us the visibility, speed, and reach we needed as a new brand. The algorithm allowed us to go viral without a big budget, especially by addressing clear pain points like dark underarms, sweat, and body confidence, topics that deeply resonated with the Indonesian market.

 

TikTok Shop also became a key part of our growth by combining content, reviews, and instant checkout. That helped us turn attention into action, and we saw extremely high conversion rates from viral videos and affiliate creators.

 

Instagram plays an important supporting role, strengthening brand image, showcasing user-generated content, and maintaining trust. It’s also where customers often go to check product credibility.

 

Shopee is essential for retention. It supports search-based traffic, repeat purchases, and bundle offers. While TikTok brings the spark, Shopee maintains the flame.

 

How do you create the messaging and media for each platform, like TikTok and Instagram for markets outside Indonesia?

We recently launched a pilot project in Malaysia, and within the first month, sold over 3,000 pieces. Interestingly, we initially used the same TikTok videos that worked well in Indonesia, without localisation and the content still converted. That validated that the product and core messaging are relevant to the Malaysian market.

 

This was a fast and low-cost way to test product-market fit. From that performance, we have the confidence to invest further and localise content by working with Malaysian creators, adapting language and cultural tone, and building native storytelling on both TikTok and Instagram.

 

Is there a Brighty campaign or content that outperformed expectations?

Yes, one of our most viral campaigns featured a well-known local celebrity -a famous Pop-Dangdut artist slash regular TV personality, who is beloved for her relatability.

 

It began with an unscripted moment. She shared how she used to be judged online for applying foundation to her underarms to make them appear brighter on camera. That moment of being “julid-ed” (talked about badly) became the emotional entry point.

 

We didn’t position her as a perfect beauty figure. We let her be herself. She opened up about insecurities and Brighty’s underarm care routine helped her find a real solution. That authenticity hit hard and people saw themselves in her story. The campaign reached over 100 million impressions, but more importantly, it changed how people talked about underarm care- shifting it from what was once a taboo to something empowering.

 

What made it outperform expectations was the raw, personal storytelling. It didn’t feel like a commercial, and that made people connect rather than feel sold to. It was a reminder that the most powerful marketing isn’t always perfect, sometimes it’s the most personal.

 

What are your expectations in joining in-cosmetics Asia this year?

Our main expectation at in-cosmetics Asia is to connect with partners who share our belief in category innovation. Brighty is not just a skincare brand. We are building a new standard for underarm care in Southeast Asia, and we are seeking collaborators to help scale that mission globally.

 

We’re looking to meet raw material suppliers, manufacturers, packaging experts, and regional distributors who understand the pace of fast beauty, fast content, and fast retail, because that’s how Brighty grows.

 

We’ll also be introducing our new innovation line focused on body-specific actives. We believe body care deserves the same formulation precision as facial care, and in-cosmetics Asia is the perfect platform to spark those conversations. We’re here to move fast, collaborate boldly, and grow globally.

 

What is the selling point of Brighty’s products, especially the underarm care products?

Brighty’s biggest selling point is focus. We’re one of the first brands in Southeast Asia to offer a complete underarm care routine, not just a deodorant or whitening cream but step-by-step skincare powered by real actives.

 

Our formulas use ingredients typically found in facial care, like AHA, BHA, and niacinamide, adapted for the sensitive underarm area. We don’t just mask problems; we treat them by exfoliating, brightening, hydrating, and protecting, with results users can see and feel. We talk about underarms openly, addressing odour, rough texture, dark spots, and sweat stains with honesty and real user results.

 

Looking forward to 2026, do you see consumer behaviour on social media changing? How will Brighty prepare for this?

We see three major shifts in consumer behaviour on social media by 2026: more raw content, trust-based communities, and decentralised influence.

 

Consumers are becoming more sceptical of polished content and hard selling. They’ll prefer unfiltered reviews, everyday creators, and brands that feel human. Authority will shift from traditional influencers to KOCs and real users sharing genuine experiences. Trust will come from the community, not celebrity.

 

We also believe consumers will value depth above reach. Instead of chasing virality, they’ll look for brands that consistently deliver value through education, transparency, and storytelling.

 

What steps can new beauty brands take to enjoy a similar success as Brighty’s in today’s competitive landscape

Start with clarity, new beauty brands often try to do too much. Focus on one problem to solve, one category to own, and one audience to serve.

 

Second, move fast and stay scrappy. You don’t need a big budget to win- just speed, constant testing, and the ability to learn in real-time.

 

Third, make community your engine. Build with your users, not just for them.

 

Fourth, go all in on platforms your audience actually uses. For Southeast Asia, that means TikTok, Shopee, and Instagram.

 

And finally, be real. Today’s consumers are emotionally sharp; they know when something is authentic. The brands that win are honest, human, and willing to grow with their audience.

 

Muhammad Hadiyatullah (Hadi) and Muhammad Raafi (Raafi), CEO and CMO of Brighty Official, will be speaking in the Marketing Trends theatre at in-cosmetics Asia on Wednesday, 5^th November from 16:00 – 16:45, in a session entitled: ‘How to run a successful digital brand promotion strategy.’

 

in-cosmetics Asia returns to BITEC, Bangkok, from 4-6 November 2025. Register to attend here.