Author｜Zheng Xinran
Cross-border e-commerce has the "three treasures": phone cases, tempered glass screen protectors, and data cables. These simple products have helped entrepreneurs, especially the veteran players of Huaqiangbei（China's NO.1 electronics street）, to build empires during the first wave of cross-border e-commerce. These entrepreneurs turned small booths into multimillion-dollar fortunes. However, as the competition for the "three treasures" has intensified, many sellers are complaining that it is hard to make money. Yet, some sellers have still managed to turn a 9.9 CNY phone case into a hot commodity that foreign buyers are willing to pay dozens of dollars to purchase it. Are foreign buyers just easy targets? How have these sellers managed to build brand miracles?
CASETiFY: The Hermès of phone cases
When it comes to branded phone cases, one name that stands out is CASETiFY, a brand that has swept both domestic and international fashion scenes. Originally called Casetagram, the name had a close connection to Instagram, the social media platform that helped fuel its growth.
In 2010, when the iPone 4 made its debut and shocked the tech world, Instagram also launched, quickly amassing 100,000 downloads in less than a week. No one expected it to become the next top-tier social media app.
Wesley Ng, the founder of CASETiFY, had just acquired an iPhone 4 and noticed that the glass back was extremely fragile. He also found the standard, plain cases boring. With his background in design, he saw an opportunity and co-developed an app called Casetagram with his friend, allowing users to turn Instagram photos into personalized phone cases — a simple concept of "Custom design with your own image".
With the low entry barrier, many competitors quickly emerged. In 2014, Wesley Ng decided to rebrand and upgrade the business to CASETiFY, and over the next decade, the company had grown rapidly, evolved from a small workshop into a global business. By 2022, CASETiFY had sold over 3 million phone cases and generated more than $300 million in revenue. Initially thriving online, the company then expanded offline to increase its retail presence, offering live customization for customers to experience the tech-driven. CASETiFY plans to open 100 stores by 2025, currently operating 28 stores.
How did a small phone accessory company transform into the "Hermès" of Phone Cases?
1、Maximizing the use of social media.
The rise of Instagram as a photo-sharing social platform created the perfect opportunity for CASETiFY to thrive. Selfies in front of the mirror became an important way for celebrities and influencers to showcase themselves, turning phone cases into free advertising spaces and bringing CASETiFY its first wave of traffic. Capitalizing on this trend, the brand leveraged celebrity endorsements to boost its visibility and launched celebrity-inspired styles. The wide variety of designs perfectly reflected the brand's core value of "personalization", accurately tapping into the mindset of young people who love to express their individuality.
Picture Source: Instagram
With the rise of short videos, CASETiFY embraced TikTok, leveraging trending topics and collaborating with key opinion leaders (KOLs) to drive "viral marketing" and user-generated content, expanding its brand influence. Research has shown that "micro-influencers" with fewer than 100,000 followers are highly effective in driving engagement and conversions. Micro-influencers have an engagement rate of up to 8% per post, while influencers with millions of followers typically see less than 2%. This is because micro-influencers tend to have a more focused and loyal fan base, which generates higher trust and authenticity. CASETiFY collaborated with 100 micro-influencers on the Artist Collective phone case series, resulting in 8.1 million exposures, achieving outstanding results.
2、IP cross-collaboration
Nowadays, IP collaborations have become a common marketing strategy, but CASETiFY was already leveraging this approach as early as 2013. From its initial partnership with the iconic American rapper Snoop Dogg, to collaborations with major global IPs such as Disney, Pokémon, Coca-Cola, and DHL, and even in the art world with Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, and the Louvre, CASETiFY has always used creativity as its main criterion for selecting collaborations.
Picture Source: CASETiFY
Picture Source: CASETiFY
In addition, collaborating with idols allows CASETiFY to "tap into" the fan economy. Partnerships with globally popular K-pop groups like BTS and BLACKPINK have significantly boosted its visibility within their fan communities.
3、"The lipstick effect"
Since its launch, CASETiFY has always been tied to a high-pricing strategy. During times of economic downturn, young consumers still crave "affordable luxury"—products that offer emotional value while allowing them to showcase their identity and personality. CASETiFY is not just a pretty "decoration"; it also provides excellent protective technology. For instance, it has launched tough, drop-resistant cases like the Impact Case, Ultra Impact Case, and Bounce Case, all of which have passed rigorous drop tests and incorporate multiple patented technologies to ensure phone safety in various scenarios.
With its functionality justifying the high price and a unique brand presence in the market, CASETiFY has attracted a large number of consumers willing to pay for these products.
TORRAS: The Ostand Case Dominates the Desktops of White-Collar Workers
According to the author's "personal statistics", many visible Apple users around me have switched to ring stand phone cases. Tracing this trend back to its origins, TORRAS, the pioneer of this design, has reaped significant profits and achieved success both domestically and internationally.
The brand was founded in 2012 and is part of the Shenzhen Lanhe Group. In 2014, TORRAS launched its flagship store on Tmall, and soon after expanded internationally. By 2017, TORRAS achieved the top sales in its category on Amazon Japan, Germany, and the UK. Recently, in the "China Cross-Border E-Commerce Brand Influence Ranking 2024 H1", jointly released by Daily Economic News and Shenzhen Yishi Technology, TORRAS ranked 74th. Though it has only gained attention in recent years, the brand has already made a significant impact overseas.
TORRAS's product portfolio mainly revolves around the Apple ecosystem, and its real breakout success came with its flagship product — the "Ostand Case".
Picture Source:TORRAS official website
Before the "Ostand Case" was introduced, phone stands and phone cases were typically separate items, with fixed stand angles, large sizes, and being difficult to carry. In 2020, TORRAS launched its first-generation stand product, the L1, which embedded a straight-line stand into the back of the phone case, but it had limited adjustable angles. In 2022, the Ostand Case Q1 was released, featuring an innovative "seamless stand" that was embedded into the phone case. Through self-developed technology, the key components, including the bearings, were significantly improved, allowing for smooth opening and closing, effectively solving user pain points, and leading to strong sales. According to data from Seller Genie, the monthly sales of the iPhone 15 Pro model on Amazon alone exceeded $300,000. In 2023, TORRAS introduced the O Series, which enabled the stand's axis to rotate 360 degrees freely, providing support for both portrait and landscape modes.
Picture source: Seller Genie
As of now, TORRAS has over 1,300 patents, more than 100 million global users, and has won numerous international awards, including the German Red Dot Award, iF Product Design Award, and Japan's G-Mark Design Award.
How did a simple phone case transform into a favorite in the tech world? What did TORRAS do right?
1、Addressing the Pain Points of New-Age Users
According to the Ipsos X TORRAS X WGSN 2023 Phone Case Consumption Trend Insight Report, the online work scenarios that developed during the pandemic continue to evolve, with the use of smartphones in office settings (such as meetings, video calls with colleagues, and file transfers) expected to increase by 22%. With the rise of short videos, both portrait and landscape modes are now commonly used in everyday life. TORRAS has succeeded by identifying the pain points of new-age users and continuously updating and iterating on its products to refine and perfect them.
2、Continuous Investment in Technology
According to TORRAS, the team began investing in the development of the "Ostand Case" as early as 2019. During the pandemic, the R&D team was even isolated with the factory and spent three full years perfecting the product. In addition, TORRAS has an internal innovation lab, TORRAS LAB, dedicated to solving industry challenges and overcoming technical barriers. For example, while typical tempered glass screen protectors prioritize light transmission and touch sensitivity, often compromising on protection and surface finish, TORRAS's tempered glass screen protector adds an oil-repellent layer, providing a smooth touch experience while significantly increasing light transmission, ensuring the original screen’s clarity.
The success of the "Ostand Case" has triggered competitors to follow suit. Now, when searching for "Ostand Case" on e-commerce platforms, products from TORRAS are no longer the only ones appearing, even not in the top product listings. When imitation products often have lower price , and consumers who may not fully understand the difference are naturally more inclined to choose the cheaper option. While TORRAS may excel in product details and quality, the flood of "affordable alternatives" in search results raises questions about the depth and breadth of its product moat.
From "Made in China" to Chinese Brands: Phone Cases Are Just the Tip of the Iceberg
According to the insights report from Towards Packaging, the global phone case market is expected to grow from $22.48 billion in 2022 to $37.98 billion by 2032, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.39%.
The report highlights the following trends in the development of phone cases:
While protection is crucial, consumers are increasingly seeking thin, light, stylish, and aesthetically pleasing phone cases.
As electronic devices become more expensive, the demand for protective cases continues to grow.
Consumers often change phone cases to match their outfits, mood, or seasonal trends, with phone cases now evolving into fashion items.
Consumers are looking for more eco-friendly solutions, with sustainability playing an increasingly important role.
Even in highly competitive industries like phone cases, user demand continues to evolve alongside the development of electronic products and changes in usage habits. Where there is change, there is opportunity. What is the future of red ocean products? EqualOcean believes that branding is the best path forward.
In the future, red ocean products will inevitably become polarized, with only the lower-end and high-end markets surviving—there will be no middle ground. The lower-end market will continue to engage in price wars, pushing costs to the extreme. Even if companies don't actively join the race for market share, they will gradually be drawn into the competitive vortex.
On the other hand, the ultimate goal for the high-end market is to build a strong brand. Continued investment in product refinement is just the foundation of branding. Building a brand is not just about surface-level marketing, but about internal accumulation—supporting a compelling story with great products and services. As 3C products are the first success stories of China's consumer electronics industry going global, companies should look ahead, and starting from their flagship products, continuously expand their boundaries. We need more Chinese brands to challenge the world’s stereotypes of Chinese products. We need more high-value products, and we need more companies like Anker Innovations and Ugreen to stand on the global stage. Hopefully, in the future, more entrepreneurs will join this journey of global expansion.