BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 88

Digital

Marketing strategies

Brave new world
An analysis of how are brands faring in their digital marketing strategies and where they could do better
by Naomi Marcoulet eauty brands’ approach to digital platforms has got better, but is still not good enough. Analysts warn that brands may be failing to use digital tools effectively by not following up or responding to consumers online. According to a study by digital think tank L2, there has been a 200% increase year over year in brands investing in Facebook advertising. But L2 also says that more than 20% of prestige brands do not engage in any two-way conversation, and slow response times has led to a 50% decline in consumer engagement since June 2011. The internet and digital era “shines a bright light on brands and highlights the cracks in their model,” says L2 research and advisory lead Sarah Pickard. “It’s important to recognize that digital is always on and you can’t have a stale store front.” Digital consultancy Smart Insights ceo and co-founder Dave Chaffey agrees: “Linking social media activities is notoriously difficult. A common mistake with content marketing is to focus too much on creating great content, but not enough on great content marketing.” He says that in the main, social media can be used to reach out and engage consumers, and campaigns should “seed the content” to encourage sharing. There are also many tools available that brands

are simply not exploiting. “Brands are scratching the surface with Facebook Connect. It has strong potential for social shopping with e-commerce and it can create personalized experiences on

“

weakest in beauty when it comes to digital. This is largely because licensed brands, including celebrity fragrances, do not invest in dedicated strategies in the same way as companies that own their brands. For example, a study by L2 revealed that 39% of licensed fragrance brands had no e-commerce site. Mulling through mobile Beauty brands now find themselves forced to adapt to changing consumer behavior. Carine Legros, account director at digital marketing firm Rouge Interactif comments: “Mobile has become a major issue; consumers are nomads and the number of mobile users will exceed that of internet users by 2015. The question is how to support this presence. A mobile site, an application, a site-responsive design? The means are varied and should be thought of as part of an overall strategy,” says Legros. Forrester Research principal analyst ebusiness and channel strategy professionals Martin Gill agrees.“Brands must evolve from thinking of digital as a ‘separate thing’ to considering the role of digital at every stage of a multi-touchpoint customer journey”. In an effort to react to the connected consumer, some brands and retailers have integrated digital content into the physical store. Sephora has fit 20 stores in the US with iPads, all outlets have an iOS device, and the offerings can be easily shared via Pinterest and Instagram integration. “Our Beauty Insiders now have account accessibility and capabilities on our new website, as well as on our iPads and iPhone apps. By having this program integrated into all our digital touch points, it allows our client to access all of her personal history and available rewards seamlessly,” says Julie Bornstein, senior vp Sephora Direct. Indeed, looking at the mobile habits of young consumers today, all these technologies seem to be just as relevant to the beauty routine as the product formulas themselves. n

Brands are just scratching the surface with Facebook Connect. Sharing products and content via Facebook API is also tragically over-looked by brands

L2 research and advisory lead Sarah Pickard

sites, permanently linking a person’s profile to the site experience [...]. Finally, sharing products and content via Facebook API is tragically overlooked by brands. It is a critical way to get people talking about your product, and appearing in a Facebook news feed,” says Pickard. L2 reveals that the fragrance category is the

”

Virtual reality
The make-up category has been one of the most forward thinking in taking advantage of visual platforms offered by videos and interactive color tools. Sephora has just rolled out a Color iQ app foundation-matching program based on Pantone technology and later this year is launching the Skin iQ digital consultation aid. Mary Kay recently expanded its Virtual Makeover tool app for creating looks on model or uploaded photos to mobiles. In skin care, interactive diagnostic tools have helped develop more intimacy with consumers. Last year Clinique launched the TAAZ simulator app that allows consumers to upload photos and simulate the results a given skincare product would have after 12 weeks of use. Providing access to an expert has also been an interesting direction for brands. Last year founder of skincare brand Dr. Dennis Gross hosted free skin consultations via Skype. Now on a mass level, L’Oréal’s La Roche-Posay has introduced the Skin by Your Side program via social network sites, hosted by dermatologists Kavita Mariwalla and Shirley Chi.
88

November-December 2012 - N°12 - BW Confidential

BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012