Ramping up momentum: Olay targets millennials with new digital campaign in bid to drive SEA e-commerce growth

With the pandemic driving more consumers to shop online, the Proctor & Gamble-owned brand has focused its strategy towards e-commerce.

“Our strategy is to connect with millennials via both e-commerce and social commerce which reflects the shift of media consumption and consumer spending habits today,” ​Lucy Moran, Olay and personal care senior e-commerce director, Asia Middle East and Africa.

This October, the brand has teamed up again with South East Asian e-commerce platform Shopee for the Adult Fearlessly campaign.

The campaign will be held exclusively on Shopee and rolled out in phases across six markets including Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.

The aim of the campaign was to resonate with consumers within the millennial age bracket that are ‘adulting’ – a term used to describe activities and responsibilities associated with adult life

“As she goes through different life stages, so does her skin. Her skin reacts to her lifestyle whether it’s dullness from late-night work or dryness from not drinking enough water. Olay provides the superior products she needs as she goes through this adulting journey,”​ explained Moran.

As part of this campaign, Olay and Shopee produced a brand video to help consumers connect with the brand.

According to Shopee’s consumer insights, digital-savvy millennials and Gen Zs are heavily influenced by online brand videos and content when choosing brands and products.

Shopee’s consumer survey on over 16,000 consumers across Asia-Pacific revealed that 58% of millennial consumers are more influenced by online brand videos when choosing brands, including decisions about beauty and skin care needs.

“In a world of content overload, it can be difficult for a brand to stand out and capture consumer’s attention. Videos allow us to tell our story in a more creative manner and grab the attention of our consumer. It is also important because it satisfies the millennial’s need for entertainment and social engagement,” ​said Moran.

Two brands better than one?

This is the second collaboration between Olay and Shopee builds on the previous success of Olay's regional campaign which launched the Retinol 24 product line this April.

For the previous campaign, the companies also produced a brand video which was aimed at driving conversion online.

“A successful element of the previous Retinol 24 campaign that was implemented into this new campaign was the Olay X Shopee Co-branded video,”​ said Moran.

“Co-branded videos are a great way to introduce new products and drive up product views. We even dialled this up further in some markets by releasing three versions of the same copy with more specific communications and call to action depending on where the consumer is within the purchase funnel.”​

According to the companies, the previous campaign exceeded targets by almost twice and accredited this success to its hyper localised marketing strategy which enabled them to reach the right audiences.

Trends and opportunities

Moving forward, Moran said the company will continue to focus efforts on growing Olay’s e-commerce business.

“E-commerce remains a key strategic channel for growth in the upcoming years with Super Brand Days playing a pivotal role, serving as an incremental building block to accelerate the Olay e-commerce business.”​

At the same time, the brand is aiming to tap into a few trends and opportunities that have emerged due to the effects of the pandemic.

First, is the increased interest in self-care, which is driven by health and wellness trends.

At the same time, it is also seeing the consumer demand for savings and value without compromise on their needs with quality and efficacious products.

Moran said: “The opportunity here is for Olay consistently communicate superior benefits across touchpoints and partner credible influencers to deliver that message for us.”​