Social media potential to boost personal care appliance sales

The market relates to skin device, shavers, hair dryers and stylers and so on, with leading brands Clarisonic, Philips, Braun and Panasonic are all turning to Facebook, Instagram and YouTube for new launches and engage consumers with tutorials and promotional campaigns.

According to market researcher Euromonitor, increases in internet access and the growth rate of smartphones and tablets sales volumes has meant internet user numbers have greatly increased, with the internet becoming a significant selling channel and marketing channel for manufacturers.

Since smartphones and tablets are expected to post higher volumes over the next five years, social media will therefore be continuously utilised as an impactful marketing platform by personal care appliance manufacturers.

Thidathip Tawichi, Consumer Appliances Analyst, says that the next five years will see the internet have a dramatic impact on sales and marketing and that social media will boost sales of personal care appliances.

“Personal care appliances are like other beauty care products in so much as consumers like to test and try something before purchasing it,”​ she says.

“Or they like to hear from influential celebrities and bloggers before making a decision. Social media is therefore considered as one of the most powerful marketing platforms for manufacturers of personal care appliances and other personal care.”​

Trend influence​

Tawichi says that this specifically applies to the personal care and beauty market as social influence and celebrity endorsement has a bigger impact on these appliances, as oppose to household care where technical functions are more important to consumers than trends.

“Social media used to advertise personal care appliances will be related more with celebrities and attractive bloggers, since consumers tend to purchase personal care appliances that are related to the look or appearance they would like to have,”​ she continues.

“On the other hand, consumers who want to purchase other appliances, such as air conditioners or vacuum cleaners, will only care about products’ technical functions, rather than who uses the products.”​

Tawichi says this is because consumers relate personal care appliances with visual fashions and trends, requiring more frequent updates, especially for hair care appliances. She says social media allows marketers to update products much faster than other marketing platforms.

According to Euromonitor, internet retailing was one of the significant channels driving the global selling volume of more than 75 million units in personal care appliances in 2014.

Volume sales of personal care appliances via internet retailing dramatically increased by more than 270% in 2009-2014, led by China, the US, the UK and Russia.