Consumer education is a big part of the Bayer brand’s plan to win in the marketplace. “The greatest need today is educating the public with factual, science-based information backed by rigorous testing, experience and clinically relevant data,” Lisa Perez, marketing director at Coppertone, tells Cosmetics Design.
While FDA rules and research on photoaging have advanced the sun care category, “actual sunscreen usage, even when applied properly (such as quantity used and frequency of application), is still lower than it should be,” says Perez.
“It has been reported that less than 15% of men and less than 30% of women regularly use sunscreen, even though the American Academy of Dermatology estimates one in five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime,” Perez notes, refering to statistics from the American Academy of Dermatology. And she emphasizes that “improving compliance is essential.”
Perez explains, that “to encourage sunscreen use not only at the beach or pool, but also during daily outdoor activities like hiking and bicycling, Coppertone has focused on creating innovative new products that feel better on your skin, and with packaging that is convenient and easy to use. These benefits,” she says, “encourage consumers to both use and reapply sunscreen more frequently.”
Trust
At Coppertone, trust and transparency overlap. “Consumers are looking for more transparency from their sunscreen providers because there is conflicting and confusing information about sunscreen available to them. Today's consumers need a trusted brand to cut through the clutter and add a new level of confidence,” believes Perez.
But simply being a household name may not be enough. Bayer reached out to the independent standards firm AccountAbility to further substantiate the quality, safety, and efficacy of Coppertone sun care products.
Perez explains that “Bayer opened its facilities, processes and records to third party assessment, which found that Bayer’s products: comply with internal and all applicable external guidelines to ensure the quality, safety and efficacy of the Coppertone product line; accurately test and implement quality assurance procedures; [and] comply with quality, safety and efficacy requirements.”
Textures
Sensorial product attributes have become increasingly important in all cosmetics and personal care categories over the past couple of years. Sun care is no exception.
“The experts at Coppertone spoke with consumers and found that some people don’t adequately apply sunscreen because they don’t like the way it feels on their skin. Some don’t like the application process,” explains Perez.
In an effort to develop more pleasant and user-friendly sun care, the brand “created revolutionary new ‘Whipped’ sunscreens that glide on easily and absorb quickly, leaving skin feeling soft. This new innovative form of sunscreen is the latest example of Coppertone’s continued commitment to addressing barriers to sunscreen compliance and providing consumers with products they actually want to apply,” Perez tells this publication. The brand has also updated its Coppertone Sports product formulations to make them feel lighter and more breathable, she says.
Tomorrow
Coppertone and likely everyone in sun care is looking forward to "new sunscreen active ingredients awaiting FDA approval [that] will offer sunscreen manufacturers more opportunities to improve sunscreen performance, the feel of the product on skin and other characteristics. We are hopeful that FDA will receive the additional information needed about these ingredients from suppliers, to allow the industry to continue to innovate," says Perez.
And, Coppertone aims “to lead the sun care industry… in terms of both innovation and consumer behavior.” To that end, “Coppertone is committed to providing helpful resources and educational information that give consumers the confidence they need to make informed sun protection decisions,” Perez tells Cosmetics Design. “This includes:
- Launching the #ProtectMy campaign to get personal about sun protection. Throughout the campaign, the brand will ask consumers and influencers to share what they want to protect most via Facebook and Instagram
- Launching the “Because Protection Matters” advertising campaign to raise awareness about the need for sun protection and demonstrate to consumers how Coppertone products stand up to the test
- Partnering with the Skin Cancer Foundation this year on the organization’s three-month long Screening Tour: Destination Healthy Skin
- Intuitive websites where consumers can find the answers to their most pressing suncare questions
- In-store product demonstrations to showcase how best to use our sunscreens
- Informative social media content”