Former EXO member Tao offers five-times-average salary for new sanitary pad brand

Tao (real name Huang Zitao, 31), a Chinese singer and actor formerly of EXO, has sparked buzz in China with a job posting for his newly established women’s hygiene product brand, offering salaries up to five times the national average.

According to media reports as of April 30th, Tao’s sanitary pad brand 'DUOWEI' recently posted a recruitment notice. The listing emphasized three criteria: female-friendly, university degree or higher, and no specific major required. DUOWEI is currently hiring for multiple roles, including e-commerce channel manager, livestream host, product manager, content editor, designer, and head of distribution and sales.

Notably, the salary for the head of distribution and sales role was listed at 30,000 yuan (approximately 4,000 USD). Given that the average monthly wage in China in 2023 was 6,050 yuan (about 800 USD), this is nearly five times the national average.

Tao launched the brand after expressing outrage over a controversial CCTV report revealing the reuse of sanitary pads in China. He promised transparency by live-streaming the production process 24/7 and distributed 50,000 sample products for free during the launch.

However, some have criticized Tao for possibly turning a social issue into a marketing opportunity. DUOWEI was not newly created but had already existed as a brand selling sanitary pads online. Netizens pointed out that some past DUOWEI products, including pads and diapers, had been criticized for low quality, raising suspicions that Tao may have taken over a troubled factory and is now rebranding it through aggressive PR. Others noted that the transition—from acquisition to product development and testing—was completed in under a month, further fueling skepticism.

Tao debuted in 2012 as a member of EXO, but left the group in 2015 after filing a lawsuit against his agency to nullify his exclusive contract. Since then, he has been active in the Chinese entertainment industry.