Teacup

The beauty industry has always maintained an intimate relationship with the consumer. Even in the tough times of the recession, consumers can’t resist the urge to look and feel their best. In fact, research commissioned by L’Oréal showed that 9 out of 10 women has not made any change in their make up usage despite the economic crisis. However, this does not mean we can sit back and relax. Now more than ever, we need to listen to what our customers are wanting, and yes, their needs are changing.

Why do women buy beauty products?

Reporter Alisa Marie Beyer for the Global Cosmetic Industry writes “contrary to popular thinking, most women seem to feel good about how they look and who they are”. If women already feel good about themselves, why then are they purchasing all these products to change their face and body? According to Alisa it’s to relax and relieve stress. Shopping for beauty products is like an escape from daily life for women where they can solely focus on their needs and making themselves feel better.

How can we market beauty products effectively?

When it comes to our advertisements that try to entice women to connect with our product, 92% of women believe that companies just do not understand them. Women want to see realistic depictions of women like themselves. “Attractive women, women of diversity, a mom, a CEO, a diva, an artist,” says Alisa. “Women also view advertisements as an opportunity to aspire, whether it is a new look, a new way to wear lipstick or a new beauty secret. Women love to look and feel beautiful.”

For those of us who are in need of guidance, Global Cosmetic Industry gives these tips on creating great marketing campaigns for beauty products:

Great advertising does not have to be flashy

A good ad does not need to feature flashy celebs or supermodels. However, it does need to portray your product and brand in a way that is clear and easy to digest. An example of this is adverts by Clinique – although not extravagant, the ads shows off the product and provides information on what the producy actually does.

A great advertisement knows itself

A great ad needs to convey what it is that the brand stands for – this helps consumers relate to the brand and build a connection. Make up product MAC is a good example of this because of their creative advertisements. Although it is not a mainstream product, it shows that the brand is hip, young and innovative.

A great advertisement is easy to understand

Women really want to understand an ad. They buy from brands they understand. No matter how great a product you may have, if your message is not communicated clearly, your customer will not understand nor relate to it. Although Neutrogena (below) was shown to be ‘easy to understand’ by a market study, in 2008, the brand did run into some trouble with the industry watchdog NAD (National Advertising Division of the Council of Better Business Bureaus) for making individual products look like they were the ‘#1 recommended product by dermatologists’, when really it was the brand as a whole.

A great advertisement connects to emotions

It’s a wide known fact (whether we like it or not) that women live in an emotional world and our decisions are primarily driven by what we feel. For a brand, establishing a connection on an emotional level is what can transcend it to becoming part of the consumer’s daily life.

One of my personal favourite brands for doing this is Dove with, first, their infamous Campaign for Real Beauty in 2004 and then their Pro Age Campaign in 2007 which got banned from TV in the US by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for showing too much skin and implying nudity. Despite them being banned, Dove is still one of my top brands as all of their marketing really tries to connect with people. Now, they are even making short films to challenge what the norms really are of beauty – very interesting to watch.

Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty (2004)

Dove Pro Age Campaign (2007) – banned in the USA for showing too much skin

Dove short film on what women’s first impressions are of other women (2009)

Although some would say otherwise, the beauty industry is great industry to be in – you get to make people feel good about themselves, more confident, more relaxed with their appearance and give them the ability to become who they want to be in the eyes of the world. We are very privileged as marketers to be able to connect on such a deep level with people, and it’s a role we should not take for granted or take the easy route out of. By understanding what it is your customer really wants, you can offer them something that is unique and valuable and gain a devoted customer for life.

If you want to know more about beauty marketing, here are some interesting reads:

Living Brands: Where the Future of Beauty Begins
By Raymond Nadeau for Professional Beauty (2008)

In Dove ads, normal is the new beautiful
By Jack Neff for Advertising Age (2004)

Savvy Beauty Marketers Can Thrive in Challenging Times
By Alisa Marie Beyer for Global Cosmetic Industry (2009)

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 5th, 2009 at 7:38 PM and is filed under Beauty, Culture. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.