Creating award winning in-store beauty experiences
At Fizz, we like to think we know a thing or two about working with health and beauty brands to create in-store beauty experiences. Over the past three decades we’ve represented some of the industry’s best loved brands inside high street retailers all over the UK. From established leaders like Max Factor to fresh challengers such as H2O+ (see case study below), we approach each campaign in a similar way. We begin by understanding the brand challenges and objectives, followed by recognising the needs of the consumer. Only then can we weave the two together in a customer experience that demonstrates why a product works whilst communicating the story of the brand.
In this article we explain this approach in a little more detail. We also share an in-store beauty case study demonstrating this approach in a real-world situation.
Brand challenges (objectives).
For brands, there are two types of challenge. Some are common and apply to almost every brief. Others are more unique; demanding more creativity in order to achieve. Let’s look at some common examples.
Common challenges:
Health and beauty is a highly competitive marketplace. For this reason, one of the key requirements is to elevate a brand in-store in the eyes of consumers and stand out against the competition. Others will usually include driving sales and ensuring consumers understand the key features and benefits of the product.
Unique challenges:
It gets interesting when we add in the unique challenges for the brand and product in question. And the newer the brand, the bigger this list can be. For example, a lack of in-house client resource can require an agency to deliver a ‘360 degree’ approach to deliver multiple aspects of the campaign. Likewise, if the brands relationship with the retailer is a new one this can create further challenges. For example, ensuring a limited period of in-store promotion (where the product is ‘spotlighted’ by the retailer as NEW) is maximised. Finally, being a new brand can also mean the retailers own staff don’t fully understand a product – potentially jeopardising sales longer term.
Customer needs.
Next are the needs of the customer. For beauty brands, individual characteristics such as skin type, hair condition, allergies etc. are important considerations. It is these, together with consumer questions about suitability and application that increase the importance of having trained experts at the point of purchase. In addition, many consumers like to delve deeper into a brand to understand core values such as sustainability, provenance and other ethical concerns in order to truly buy-in to a new product. And finally of course, every consumer prefers to “try before they buy” ahead of fully committing to a purchase.
Creating the in-store beauty experience.
The final stage is to combine the challenges and needs into an engaging in-store beauty experience and create a campaign that meets its objectives. At Fizz, we believe this rests around three key areas:
Bringing the brand to life
Key to success is to bring the core of the brand, its values and the key benefits to life in-store. By showing consumers what is important about the brand, they are most likely to learn.
Prove the product works
Secondly, a face-to-face interaction is your opportunity to prove your products’ benefits. By demonstrating the impact your offer can bring will all but eliminate any objections to purchase.
Get buy-in for the long term
Finally, the consumer needs to be taken on a journey in order to buy-in to the brand and its values. This marks the beginning of what should be a deeper relationship with customers – vital in establishing long term brand advocates.
The following case illustrates this approach.
IN-STORE BEAUTY CASE STUDY: H2O+ “Discover Hydration” in M&S Beauty
Fizz created and delivered an in-store beauty experience to take customers on a journey to “Discover Hydration” (the key brand benefit and message). In-store point-of-sale material allowed customers to quickly identify and understand the brand, the products and the importance of hydration. Fizz beauty experts delivered the “Moisture Rush Experience” demonstrating the unique and compelling product features to customers. This allowed them to see and feel the benefits for themselves. A strong promotional offer of a Free Gift with Purchase helped to drive sales. Finally, a cleverly branded bottle of water aided brand recall and the key product benefit (hydration) once customers had left the store.
People
Key to the campaign was the exceptional quality, skill and experience of the Fizz beauty team. In the first pre-campaign phase, each was carefully profiled and matched against the needs of the brand. This stage also measured suitability against the criteria for working in M&S – a retailer renowned for its quality of service. Once selected, a second phase of face-to-face interviews allowed the best candidates to be identified. Finally, Fizz delivered a pre-campaign training day together with the client at the M&S training centre in White City, London. This ensured every member of the team was fully equipped with the information and skills needed to make the campaign a success.
Results
100% coverage, zero complaints, over 250% uplift in sales, and a Field Marketing Award for ‘Perfect Service’.
And remember, it’s not just health and beauty we’re experienced in. Visit our case study pages for other examples across food, drink, technology and more. For more information call 01306 644630 or email fizz@fizzexperience.co.uk.
