How did this brand make 3D printers' fly 'overseas, starting from 300000 yuan to an annual revenue of 1 billion yuan?

Still think 3D printers are just a “geek’s toy”? In fact, they have already become everyday tools you can use. Now you can print a unique vase, a custom lampshade, or even some car parts with them.

And the key driving force behind this is a Chinese brand that started in Shenzhen—Creality.

From a small office to over 5.5 million units shipped worldwide, the Creality brand has taken less than 10 years to transform consumer-grade 3D printers from “geek toys” into “practical tools.”

Image source: Internet

From a 4-person team to an industry’s hidden champion

The story of the Creality brand began in Shenzhen in 2014. At that time, four young people came together because of a 3D printing exhibition. They discovered that the consumer-grade 3D printer market was almost blank, so they decided to start a business with 300,000 yuan.

The initial startup conditions were quite basic—a 20-square-meter office and a credit card for cash flow. However, in just one year, they launched their first complete machine, the CR-i3. This product not only lowered the operational threshold but also achieved a “good start” in the Hong Kong market thanks to its high cost performance. The subsequent CR-10 and Ender series gradually established their position in the global consumer-grade 3D printer market.

Creality brand product CR-10 SE Image source: Internet

How does the high cost-performance strategy break the circle?

Consumer-grade 3D printers are considered “niche products” mainly because of technical barriers and price. The breakthrough point for the Creality brand was seizing two aspects:Price and experience.

Before the launch of the CR-10, most 3D printers on the market cost over a thousand dollars, while the CR-10 was only $600. With this “affordable and powerful” strategy, the Creality brand quickly entered the European and American markets.

In addition, they continuously optimized the user experience. For example, they launched the global creator platform Creality Cloud, allowing users to easily share designs. These initiatives helped them break out of the “geek circle” and attract more attention from ordinary consumers.

Creator platform Creality Cloud

All-channel expansion: Social media, e-commerce, and independent sites “three-pronged approach”

To gain a foothold overseas, besides winning on price, the most crucial factor ischannels and promotion. The Creality brand has integrated three major overseas channels—social media, e-commerce platforms, and independent sites—using a systematic approach to successfully reach different user groups.

On social media, especially TikTok, Creality has gained considerable attention. The brand’s official account@Crealityofficial on TikTok has accumulated 2.0318 million followers, with a total of 43.8136 million views.

Creality brand TikTok account data Image source: Tabcut

Although the audience on this platform is relatively young, by sharing creative projects made by users and real-life usage scenarios, they have successfully attracted many potential users. The brand’shashtag #creality on TikTok has accumulated 103,100 works, and these works have brought good publicity effects for the brand.

TikTok hashtag #creality Image source: TikTok

Besides social media, e-commerce platforms are also a major battleground for the Creality brand, especially on Amazon North America.

The brand’s self-operated store has a monthly sales revenue of $5 million (about 36 million RMB), and has achieved significant sales performance during major promotional events such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

In December 2023, the Ender 3 V3 SE printer sold 2,567 units in a month, with sales revenue reaching $560,000 (about 4 million RMB), firmly occupying the leading position in the market. The estimated sales volume for this product in December this year is also stable at 2,018 units.

Creality Ender 3 V3 SE Amazon sales data Image source: amzchart

As for independent sites, the Creality brand has adopted a more refined localized operation approach.

They showcase their brand image through the global official website, and set up local sites for markets such as the US and Europe, focusing on direct sales. In just 5 months, Creality’s independent site surpassed 1 million visits, with total transaction volume exceeding 20 million RMB. Currently, the average monthly traffic on the independent site is stable at over 2 million. According to third-party statistics, direct visits account for 41.38% of the official website’s traffic, organic search accounts for 36.84%, while referral traffic and social media traffic account for 8.31% and 3.72% respectively, highlighting the synergistic effect of social media and collaborative promotion.

Image source: Internet

From social media to e-commerce, and then to independent sites, the Creality brand has paved its way for overseas expansion with a comprehensive channel layout.

Final words: Connecting the world with technology

The story of the Creality brand is a microcosm of Chinese brands going global. From the small dreams of four young people to becoming a global enterprise with annual revenue exceeding 1 billion yuan, they have connected the world with 3D printers. High cost-performance products, solid channel layout, and continuous innovation in ecosystem strategy have enabled them to stand out in the fiercely competitive global market.

Looking back, going global is not just about “selling abroad.” Which channels to choose? How to capture users? These are unavoidable questions for brands going overseas. The experience of the Creality brand also tells us that as long as you choose the right direction, who says the next Chinese brand to break out can’t be you?