How a shift in consumer behaviour has helped beauty and personal care brands embrace digital sooner
Personal wellbeing and health are no longer attributed just to fitness or diet but also to beauty and healthcare products, and skincare and personal care solutions. According to a recent report, 51%^ said they spend 10 to 30 minutes a day on skincare and 59% said they would invest more in skincare products.
Digital is driving the beauty industry
2020 has been a year unlike any other. Consumer behaviour saw almost an overnight change, with brands and marketers having to adapt to the changes at the speed of light. As far as the beauty and personal care category is concerned, outlined below are three key trends that came to the fore during an extraordinary year:
- E-commerce acceleration: That the pandemic has accelerated digital transformation among consumers and brands is evident in the meteoric evolution of e-commerce. An IBEF report reveals how the Indian e-commerce sector is poised to reach US$99 billion by 2024 from US$30 billion in 2019, expanding at a 27%^^ CAGR. This exponential growth proves how beauty brands need to put a pedal to the metal and embrace digital transformation to stay on top of the game.
- Influencer speak: Another report also shows that 81%^^^ of respondents preferred tutorials from an influencer rather than a brand. This presents an opportunity for both, influencers and beauty brands, to rethink their video advertising strategy.
- Digital experiences: Several brands, especially after the COVID-19 lockdown, are replicating in-store experiences digitally. For example, bare Minerals and Clarins launched virtual consultations to compensate for the lack of in-store services.^^^^
OTT advertising: The mainstay of digital marketing
Naturally, creating and establishing a brand operating in a dynamic industry such as beauty and personal care is critical for success. For this, there can be few vehicles more effective than marketing on OTT platforms like Disney+ Hotstar. In fact, brands in the category will find partnering with Disney+ Hotstar’s Brand Lab particularly useful.
For starters, the online streaming platform’s paying subscriber base is highly engaged, evolved. Meanwhile, the OTT platform offers 25 targeting options on live cricket for niche audiences, and very specific geotargeting across regions. And importantly for beauty brands, combining these targeting options with other marketing strategies, such as influencer-based campaigns, for instance, helps create true impact.
These solutions need to pair with messaging to drive purchase decisions – offers, ease of use, return policy, pricing, differentiating features (organic, natural), etc.– and ensure the biggest bang for the buck for beauty and personal care brands.
The findings and the trends underscore why OTT makes for the right platform for building brands as well as for launch or sale announcements. The high viewer engagement makes it an offering brands can’t ignore.
