Beauty Marketers: 3 Tips to Create Exceptional Digital Programs

As the CMO of a beauty and cosmetics company, it is not surprising that the customers are moving towards the digital and mobile commerce platform. Have worked for a Fortune 500 company with direct contact with customers, I shift my focus to brand strategy and digital marketing. During my time as a student in Integrated Marketing Communications program at Northwestern, I found two useful articles for you as your company want to consider to create distinctive digital programs for your brands. 

The article Mirror,mirror on your app…The cosmetics industry embraces digital written by Emilie Jones and Simon Frankel, it discussed the launch of L’Oreal new mobile app which act as a virtual make-up mirror and the trend of digitalization in cosmetics industry. It also examined the risks of moving towards digital platform: lack of employee customer service and expert advice, trying on virtual mirror is different from trying on actual skin.

Source: http://modiface.com/news/490/im.jpg

In another article Mobile apps: opportunity or risk for beauty brands? written by Lucy Whitehouse, it looked at the proliferation of mobile apps of beauty products and analyzes some opportunities and risks involved for brands. It talks about the more informed consumers who can search anything online about product reviews and information, mobile apps that developed for beauty product reviews, or private virtual communities for beauty expert and enthusiasts all pose challenges for companies that want to develop strategies to go into digital platform.

Based on these two articles and my graduate learning in Medill IMC program, here are three action items I recommend:

• Develop Multi-Channel Experiences- Digital sites allow consumers to see, interact and experience your products in a new and better way

• Monitor and Respond- carefully monitor people’s activity about your company in social media platform, especially on private virtual communities.

• Act as an expert, offer solutions- establish expertise in the mind of consumers when they are having skin problem or wonders will help your company to build long-term relationship with the consumers.

It is clear that as consumers shift their purchases from traditional retail to e-commerce, it is not surprising that beauty and cosmetics companies also want to follow the trend and capture the benefit of proliferation of digital platform. 

Lisa Hu is current a full-time student at IMC program in Medill at Northwestern graduating in December 2015, she specializes in brand strategy and digital interactive marketing and pursue a marketing career in beauty and cosmetics industry. Two years of experience working in retail industry, have worked in China and the U.S gives her a more global perspective when looking at consumers behavior and trends.

Contact Lisa via Linkedin or Twitter