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Go-to-Market · Market Expansion

Bringing Rituals to Southeast Asia

Part of the core pioneer team that took Rituals from zero to 4 stores across Southeast Asia in under 6 months.

Rituals storefront on opening day, framed with cherry blossom, with the launch team at the entrance
Role Intern → Marketing Executive
Company Rituals Cosmetics (Under Valiram Group)
Duration 3-Month Internship → 6-Month Full-Time
Skills
🚀 Go-to-Market Strategy 📊 Market Research 🛒 Omnichannel Retail Strategy 📣 Marketing & PR

From Europe to Southeast Asia

My time at Rituals Cosmetics was one of the most formative experiences in my career as I saw the brand come to life from the ground up, first scoping the market opportunity as an intern and then returning full-time to manage the launch.

My Role

Part of the core pioneer team that built the brand in Southeast Asia from scratch

Lead marketing representative supporting the Regional General Manager

Owned brand and launch execution end to end, aligning marketing, PR, retail, and merchandising teams.

Go-to-Market Strategy

Internship

Rituals was already an established and iconic European bath and beauty brand, with a recognized identity and a large consumer base familiar with its products. Entering Southeast Asia meant protecting that identity while accounting for local regulations, product requirements, and a market that shops differently from Europe.

01
Built the go-to-market strategy Sized the market, mapped the competitive landscape, and defined the segmentation and channel strategy behind Rituals' Southeast Asia entry.
02
Mapped Southeast Asian consumer behavior Benchmarked how the region shops for beauty, online and in store, against Rituals' 1,000+ store European base.
03
Presented findings to the global strategy team Shaped the regional launch approach around local regulations, product certifications, labeling, and campaign messaging adapted within global brand guidelines.
Rituals brand philosophy standee at the launch event

Brand Expansion

Marketing Executive

4 store openings in under 6 months

01
Launched 4 retail locations Across Malaysia and Singapore.
02
Elevated the in-store customer experience Worked with the merchandising team on how each store looked and felt to customers.
03
Secured sites and in-mall visibility Partnered with mall leasing teams on site selection and negotiated in-mall advertising space for launches.
04
Planned and executed 2 PR launch events In East Malaysia and Singapore.
05
Drove influencer, press, and publication campaigns Generated buzz around new store openings and sustained brand visibility across channels, highlighting different beauty collections monthly.
Rituals storefront ahead of opening day, Malaysia
2x event attendance vs. target at launches
Ritual of Ayurveda rose and product vial in store
110% of sales target during the launch period

Digital & E-Commerce

Marketing Executive

Building Rituals' presence online

Beyond opening physical stores, we launched localized websites for Malaysia and Singapore and laid the foundation for an omnichannel path-to-purchase strategy across both markets.

01
Launched localized e-commerce sites Worked with engineering, e-commerce, and merchandising to ship sites for Malaysia and Singapore.
02
Localized content, pricing, and currency Managed the per-market setup with the Regional General Manager.
03
Ran A/B testing on ads and newsletters Optimized for both ongoing brand marketing and store launch campaigns.
Guests and the team at the Rituals launch event backdrop

Approach

Two distinct audiences. Tailored messaging for brand-aware European travelers and new-to-Rituals shoppers.

Awareness and conversion. Targeted campaigns to build awareness with new customers and convert existing ones.

Online into in-store. Bridged digital and physical touchpoints so online discovery drove store visits and purchases.

Rituals store interior with the full product range merchandised
The full Rituals Malaysia store team at a launch

Impact & Reflection

From 0 to 10+ stores across three countries

Today, Rituals has more than 10 store locations across Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand — built on the go-to-market strategy and launch playbook developed during the initial expansion. This experience taught me what it means to own a product from zero: deeply understanding your market, aligning cross-functional stakeholders around a shared vision, and moving fluidly between research, strategy, and execution to deliver results under real constraints.

Next Project

Collatch →

An app that matches international students with their ideal U.S. college.

updates in progress ✨