Trend watching at the in-cosmetics Marketing Trends presentations

There’s no escaping the trend that featured strongly at this year’s in-cosmetics Barcelona show: the Asianification of beauty. I’ve selected this, along with two other major trends, as my key highlights from the Marketing Trends presentations.

The Asianification effect: multifunctional vs hypersegmentation​

Beauty rituals are changing and reflect a world in which consumers are looking to balance work, leisure and sleep. It’s definitely not a case of 'one size fits all' as Mintel data revealed differing beauty habits by region.

“Convergence is the use of multifunctional products that knock out 3-4 steps in skincare and haircare routines, saving time, money or for greater efficiency,”​ explained Vivienne Rudd, Director of Innovation & Insight, Beauty & Personal Care, Mintel.

“Divergence is the trend towards hypersegmentation, where consumers add in additional steps to their routine. Most consumers blend both approaches to create a curated regime.”​

The most hypersegmented beauty market is South Korea ('the incubator for beauty inspiration'). Here, consumers often incorporate between 8 and 12 skin care steps, including new concepts, such as double cleansers, boosters, essence and emulsion - often ending up with a BB or CC cream.

Japanese women follow a similar pattern, but a small consumer group has reverted to just two steps: cleanse, followed by moisturising with olive oil.

The Chinese are still at the expansion stage, according to Rudd: “They like richer textures, as the climate is different, and use rich and watery toners, serum, day cream, eye cream and BB cushion/cream. Many use a sheet mask daily, sometimes even twice daily for extra hydration and whitening.”​

Whereas Asian consumers love to experiment and try new products, Europeans believe in using the same products for long periods of time.

Middle Eastern consumers and beauty​

The Middle East is a complex and diverse market for beauty products, dominated by a young population eager to try new brands. Marketing consultancy, Butterfly London, described key trends in their A-Z Beauty Insights into Middle East Consumers:

• Consumption of fragrance is high with 4 out of 5 women using fragrance daily.
• Fragrance accounts for 42% of Middle Eastern beauty sales.
• The Saudis and Omanis spend the most on beauty products: Saudi girls often have several FaceBook accounts showing different personalities and looks.
• In Tehran, Iran, rich kids drive beauty product sales.
• Beauty sales in Syria are crashing.
• Beauty secrets are passed down through the generations, from mother to daughters.
• New product opportunity: hair treatment products for women who wear the veil.

Packaging innovations cross categories​

The newest cosmetic packaging solutions owe much to other industries, including medicine, agriculture, car paint and food. Cambridge Consultants is adept at spotting opportunities for beauty brands, such as:

• Transdermal technology applies product using a skin patch.
• “Vortik” rewrites the rules of spraying using a novel system which overcomes problems associated with spraying creams and conventional nozzles.
• Wear technology delivers actives in fabric deeper into the skin.
• Smartphone technology can provide skin measurements, such as for ageing, hyperpigmentation, hydration etc.

“Above all, packaging must deliver an effective and enjoyable experience for the consumer,”​ stated Peter Luebcke, Head of Personal Care, Cambridge Consultants.