For L’Oréal, this use of VR technology is a logical next step in beauty retail and consumer engagement.
“The retail landscape is rapidly evolving, and we're evolving with it,” says Rachel Weiss, vice president of digital innovation and entrepreneurship at L'Oreal USA. “We have been reinventing the future of beauty services for years, and we see this partnership as the natural evolution to that. Through VR, we're creating more dynamic, personalized experiences that add value for our customers in a new and personalized way,” Weiss explains in a media release about the new campaign.
Weiss herself was, according to the release, “instrumental in helping shape the experience, as well as facilitating the partnership with Samsung.”
Digital native
NYX Professional Makeup is a L’Oréal brand precisely because of its digital proficiency and online following. Commenting in June of 2014, when L’Oréal acquired the brand, Frédéric Rozé, president and CEO of L’Oréal USA emphasized that “NYX is a dynamic company that has done a tremendous job of harnessing the power of social media, digital marketing and multi-channel distribution.”
Toni Ko launched the NYX brand in 1999 and built it into one of the fastest growing color brands of its time. Before being acquired, NYX Professional Makeup was on track for year-over-year sales growth of over 50%. And this was due in large part to Ko’s effective use of “impactful social media and grassroots marketing,” as the L’Oréal press release announcing the acquisition states.
Virtual reality
With every new technology comes new opportunities. The NYX VR experience includes makeup tutorials from three prestigious beauty vloggers, immersing fans and consumers in the sphere of each tutorial (and offering them discounted product too).
“We aim to seamlessly incorporate digital into everything we do, and see virtual reality as the new frontier in the beauty industry,” explains Mehdi Mehdi, VP of digital at NYX Professional Makeup, in the release about the new VR initiative.
“Our community is passionate about their connection to beauty influencers, and Samsung's Gear VR technology provides our customers with a level of immersion and proximity to their favorite beauty vloggers that they've never experienced before,” he says. “We are thrilled to continue to push the envelope using cutting-edge technology, and are ecstatic to partner with a best-in-class company like Samsung.”
The tech is debuting in select stores today. And in the New Year, NYX Professional Makeup will bring this VR experience into all the brand’s 42 stores.