The COVID-19 crisis has changed the course of the world, it does not matter which corner of the world you are in or the industry you work for, it has impacted all. The beauty and cosmetics industry is not alien to it either. Beauty and cosmetic brands are using this opportunity to innovate the way they engage with their consumers.
The COVID-19 crisis has changed the course of the world, it does not matter which corner of the world you are in or the industry you work for, it has impacted all. The beauty and cosmetics industry is not alien to it either. Covid-19 has severely hampered the import and export aspect of this industry as well the usage of products has gone down severely with increased WFH in many organizations and people stepping out less.
With countries on the road to recovery, beauty and cosmetic brands are using this opportunity to innovate the way they engage with their core consumers.
The Rise of DIY Beauty Care
With rising internet accessibility among the Indian population, brands are introducing newer ways to interact with consumers. One such initiative was launching a wide variety of online tutorials from colouring of hair at home to applying a simple charcoal facemask. This not only ensures that consumers can try and experiment with the cosmetic products in the safety of their home but also proved to be a win-win situation for the brands helping them increase the usage of their products along with reaching out to a wider and potentially a newer set of consumers.
Tech is the Future of Beauty
With the new customer buying journey becoming more interpersonal and fragmented than ever, brands are adapting to an omnichannel presence that would encompass offline and digital shopping experiences and add in a host of touchpoints that consumers would navigate at various stages, thereby causing consumers to move back and forth between these stages. Things relating to knowing in-depth about specific products and solving individual needs will become more important than ever. New technologies like photo filters, stickers or a voice assistant add remarkable value to online content as they meet customer desires to provide a real experience of envisioning and trying out products live.
Rise of the Online Influencers
The movement that first gained traction on YouTube has now taken over the world of Instagram and Tiktok. Consumers are increasingly turning to online influencers to discover the latest beauty trends, everyday skincare, and other routines. People trust these lifestyle and beauty influencers because they view them as their peers—just like them, not out to vend a particular product or brand but to solve a personalized problem, consumers prefer this refreshing new attitude that defies the industry’s traditional marketing ways, indicating a switch to the online influencer economy, brands have realized this and are increasingly relying on these lifestyle and beauty influencers to promote their products. In recent times, we have seen some exclusive product launches as well.
In conclusion, consumer attitudes and behaviours have shifted because of the pandemic but also have brought in new opportunities for the beauty and cosmetics industry to innovate as well to try out new ways to reach out to consumers. The COVID-19 pandemic has simply led to an acceleration of trends that were already shaping the industry rather than carve out entirely new ground.
Any views or opinions represented in this blog are personal and belong solely to the blog owner and do not represent those of people, institution or organizations that the owner may be associated with in professional capacity, unless explicitly stated.
Harshdeep Bhatia
Harshdeep is a Management Consultant working with Avalon Consulting with experience in sectors like Consumer, Healthcare, Automotive, and E-Mobility.
