[Brands & Social Communities]

Brand community is the term social scientists use to describe like-minded consumers who identify themselves with a particular brand and share significant traits. 

Thomas C. O’Guinn and Albert Muniz  have showed that consumers may organize into these communities to share their experiences of a brand. Consumers who are part of a community demonstrate brand advocacy which is a high level of consumer loyalty, Conversely, consumers in an identifiable brand community represent a cohesive group that reflects the brand’s values.

However, brands also try to organise these communities by enhancing bidirectionnal communication. It's very clear on Facebook or Twitter that the brands are customer-centric and the cusumer is involved. On these sites community managers are asking questions to the brand fans so that they feel heard by their favourite brands. Including consumers in branding leads to value co-creation. 

NIVEA Facebook page

Nivea has their own Facebook page. They have a very interactive page with games, videos and people can put comments on the Facebook page. There is an interaction between customers and the brand. They are also active on twitter but for the their whole product range, not only for Nivea skincare.

L’Oreal also has a facebook page but it’s not only dedicated to skincare products. They  only have a facebook page for L’Oreal revitalift. This website is also quite interactive and proposes some games, offers and gifts for their customers. Vistors also have the possibility to leave comments on the page.

L'Oreal Twitter

Nivea and L’Oreal both enjoy a high brand name awareness. Building a strong brand community is very important in order to create strong customer relationship. That’s why these brands use all the possible mediums to be close to the customer and create deep relationships . With this kind of interaction the customer feel very close to the brand and a link is created. Also via facebook customers exchange tips or comments about the product. 

Garnier Website " Elles en parlent"

Garnier is trying to handle its social image by creating a website dedicated to consumers who want to test their new products. They publish some comments and also several data which are a good publicity for their products. 

 Below you can find some screenshots about the site called "Elles en parlent"

Sources : http://www.terrella.com/bcmarketingwp2.pdf  David M. Kalman (2009)
http://www.garnier.fr
Official Nivéa and L'Oréal Twitter and Facebook pages

[Touchpoints]

[ When a product meets a woman...]

The expression “Touch-Points” is used by marketers to define the different occasions where consumers interact with a brand and discover what the brand is about. These interactions are collectively known as the customer experience with the brand.

 In shopping for skincare products, touch-points can be grouped into 3 broader occasions: 

Before: press review in a magazine, TV commercials, outdoor communication (billboards…), asking friends with similar needs about their satisfaction with a product, etc.

During: Packaging, POS, asking a sales consultant or professional for advice, using a product tester…

After the shopping experience: using the product, looking for more information on the brand’s webiste… 

Soon: an article on brand community to see another kind of touchpoint: when brands use bidirectional communication to increase thei brand image.

[Customer Insights]

A customer insight represents a deep understanding of customer needs and the drivers of customer behaviour. Customer Insight leads to opportunities for creating solutions that are closely linked to the core drivers of human needs and expectations. They are influenced by factors such as opinions, trends, attitude & values.

The following section displays the customer insights per segment of the skincare market.

Moisturisers:

“ I don’t have much time so I want a moisturizer that hydrates my skin and makes it soft and beautiful ”

Anti-Age:

“ I want my face to look younger,

similar to how I feel ”

Young Skin:

“ I want a facecream that deeply cleanses and softens my skin,

so that I feel more confident”

Face Wash:

“ I want my face wash to protect, clean and purify my skin”

Sources:
avis.sephora.fr
www.beaute-conseils.com
www.testons.com
www.ciao.fr
forum.aufeminin.com
www.journaldesfemmes.com
www.beaute-test.com

[MARKET SEGMENTATION]

There are many way in which the skin care market could be segmented.

In this blog, we have focused on two ways to segment the market:

This first segmentation is based on the relationship women have towards beauty. Does she like to look smart, natural, seductive or is she not that into her looks?

 Another way to segment the market is more focused on another variable, namely the age of consumers. Obsviously the skin needs different treatments & products depending on your age. Here is the classic segmentation based on age.

[MARKET INTRODUCTION]

Sometimes, images are more powerful than words.

If you want to know what are the segments our blog is dealing with, just take a look at the video we have shot.

Your Skin Experts

[A SOCIAL MEANING FOR SKINCARE?]

65% of French Women see themselves as pretty 

(79% of 20/24 ; 49% of 60 & +)

62% of French women thinks that in order to be pretty they should be happy first

(69% of 25/34 ; 56% of 60 & +)

25% of French women thinks that in order to be pretty they should first take care of their body

(28% of 15/19 ; 21% of 25/34)

(Ipsos - September 2011)

Body and skincare rituals are expressions of cultural heritage. The habits regarding body and skincare are passed upon generations through childhood socialization. Furthermore, there are several social motivations for the use of skincare products as skincare includes a psychological and social aspect.

The body, and in particular the skin, is regarded as a crucial indicator of oneself in the mind of the contemporary consumer culture. The skin is closely intertwined with the mind as the skin is a representation of the individual. It is a concept of the physical appearance and forms a substantial part of the physical identity. As a result, individuals observe their physical appearance, are conscious about their skin and the reaction of others in their communities.

One of the biggest concerns of consumers, and particularly women, is aging. The concept of aging is increasingly seen as a problematic issue. This is apparent in marketing communications about skincare which present ageing appearances as an issue. These advertisements aim to offer solutions to the ‘problem’ of aging. The target of these communications is primarily focused on women but a newer male market is developing.

All in all, the social meaning of skincare is related to the individual’s body image and the desire to look attractive and be accepted by others. 

Source: http://dcm.sagepub.com/content/1/1/37.short