Online discussion and ecommerce important for cosmetics brands

Speaking ahead of the in-cosmetics Asia event next week, Dayal tells us that cosmetics brands are in a unique position looking ahead.

“Traditionally, huge advertisers on TV and in print media, cosmetics companies switched to digital equivalents early in their digital maturity,”​ he explains.

“Today with YouTube's popularity, there is a brand new avenue for video content and advertising to go, and as ecommerce picks up in the developing world, online discussion and comparison become an important influencer medium for cosmetics brands. It's an amazing, energizing, confusing time in marketing – and the cosmetics Industry is right in the middle of all the action!”​

Going mobile​

The number of mobile phone devices and subscriptions has grown drastically, and enormous markets in Asia have hoards of customers making mobiles their primary devices; which means opportunity for information consumption, explains the marketing guru.

“While mCommerce on mobile has been understandably slow, people do spend most of their day staring at their phones. So marketing initiatives from websites and brochures, to apps and emails, all have to worry about being mobile friendly,”​ explains Dayal.

Looking at Social, the major platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube, are now experiencing a slowdown in growth, which Dayal claims is down to platforms changing too quickly to form a long-term strategy.

Beauty biz​

In cosmetics, the biggest online players are predictably the biggest ones offline. P&G, Unilever, L'Oréal, Avon, Estée Lauder, Johnson & Johnson and Shiseido, tend to experiment with mobile and social platforms first.

However, Dayal also points to a category of innovators who wouldn't traditionally qualify as a cosmetics brand, who create cult followings.

“Japanese cosmetics brands live and die by their reviews on @cosme. YouTube marketing pioneer BH Cosmetics was recently named in Inc's 500 Fastest Growing companies,”​ he explains.

“Bloggers in each country are becoming influencers by doubling as reviewers of beauty products. Using the broader changes in the digital landscape, smaller companies and content creators are becoming movers and shakers.”​

Savvy marketing​

Some may view the cosmetics industry as being slower on the uptake of Social and Mobile; however, this may not be the case and may be down to decades of brand building using traditional media, that has successfully driven the industry in the past.

Today, the sophisticated marketers that have built up branding and identity for cosmetics companies are now shifting behaviours towards digital.

“Like most industries facing the digital conundrum, management needs to give marketers a free reign to innovate,”​ advises Dayal.

“Cosmetics rely on strong branding. The more consumers know about a certain brand, and its unique properties, the higher its chances of securing a loyal customer. Nowadays, these customers spend most of their time on digital platforms.”​

By this ethos, companies that don't pay attention to that behaviour, slowly lose out on brand awareness, consideration and purchase; and as more commerce shifts to the web and mobile, only companies that have built up an experience in digital marketing will succeed.

Hear more from Rachit Dayal on “Digital Marketing Strategies for Global Cosmetics Brands in 2014” at 16:00 on 29^th​ October as part of the Marketing Trends Presentations, at in-cosmetics Asia.

For all the latest info, visit http://www.in-cosmeticsasia.com​