“The digital plays a major role: in the cosmetic & beauty area, the percentage of those who search online before buying is 70%. That means that social media is a must," Mirela Nemtanu, the brand’s corporate communications & public affairs manager in Romania said recently.
Speaking at the ‘Social Media Business Forum’ in Bucharest, the marketing professional emphasised today’s need for a more ‘personal’ communication with the target consumer.
"It is very important to know the consumer. We’ve all transitioned from the classic marketing model to its modern version, in which the consumer is instrumental,” she confirmed.
L’Oreal’s digital
The global beauty brand, consistently picked out by L2 ThinkTank as beauty’s top ‘genius’ brand, states that its digital strategy revolves around a principle of ‘360-degree’ consumer targeting, which involves a presence across all platforms, both on and offline.
“The new 360-degree communication and marketing strategies make it possible to develop a direct relationship with consumers while boosting brand image and positioning,” L’Oreal states.
It has made strides to keep ahead of the curve with marketing on the digital channel: earlier this year, its acquisition of the beauty brand NYX Cosmetics, pronounced ‘nix’, assured it can now lead on the increasingly lucrative YouTube platform.
According to marketing and advertising software company Pixability, major brands currently control just 3% of the site’s beauty video content of 14.9 billion views: L’Oreal’s acquisition will enable it to address this.
A personal touch
The beauty giant’s digital marketing strategy marks it out as a key example of brands responding to the rising demand among beauty consumers for a personal rather than corporate brand interaction.
Partner in venture capital firm Maveron and industry expert Jason Stoffer explained to Cosmetics Design that consumers nowadays are demanding a sense of participation and accessibility with brands.
"Yesterday's brands defined themselves internally. Today building a beloved brand requires fostering a two way conversation with a passionate base of core customers,” he confirmed.