Women are exposed to over 5,000 brand messages every day, according to the agency. Beauty brands may well have decades of experience advertising to women consumers. But those that keep pace with trends in technology, video content and personalized marketing will better reach their target consumers in 2015.
Digital connections
Digital platforms and technologies have been used to good effect to broadcast brand messaging to consumers in years past. Now is the time to use those tools to make real connections with women. “Whether it’s through social media or an app, digital connections are creating value in company/consumer relationships,” says Kim Haley, EVP of account strategy at Women’s Marketing.
Women want to be involved and are all too often disrespected in the online world. “So brands that encourage women to participate, that make them feel heard, have a distinct digital advantage, particularly in the intimate beauty and personal care markets,” Haley continued.
Meet her at every touchpoint
Successful personal care brands will market to their target women consumers with campaigns that are screen agnostic and make good use of conventional platforms as well.
“We see she is open to making online purchases, but still feels most comfortable testing her beauty products in-store before settling on the perfect products. 65% of those online have never made a digital beauty purchase,” explains Women’s Marketing.
That consumer “relies on magazines to keep her up-to-date, and spends significant time listening to the radio and surfing the web,” notes the agency.
The personal is the beautiful
To connect effectively with consumers, company messaging ought to be interactive, interruptive or sensory, Women’s Marketing explained. These sorts of campaigns feel more authentic.
“Wearable tech, a growing trend, is also going to help brands refine their marketing strategies based on consumer behavior and media consumption,” Elissa Brown, Women’s Marketing associate media director told Cosmetics Design.
Furthermore, “using media tactics to create personal experiences will extend marketers’ abilities to deliver the most relevant messaging possible at the right time, in the right place.”
Video is the new content
Video content is a must have for beauty brands. “They’re promoting their product by providing how-to videos and engaging the users in content that is relevant to them, while also keeping their brand top of mind,” says Women’s Marketing associate media director, Lauren Roth.
Visual media has long helped cosmetics brands showcase the advantages of using their products. Video, like television, furthers that opportunity. “We have seen online video expand its offerings year over year with advanced targeting, tracking and, increasingly, automated buying of video ad units and programmatic TV opportunities,” says Kathleen Jahnke, Women’s Marketing associate media director.
Adds Roth, “Creating content that users want to engage with is key for successful brands with video. Igniting meaningful conversations will create brand evangelists.”