Shopping centres are at the heart of socialising and entertainment in Asia, and it is this distinction with Europe that is fuelling the increasing focus on improving the purchasing experience for consumers.
Excitement through experience
“Shopping remains an adventure in many Asian countries where stores are open seven days a week,” Florence Bernardin, Founder of Information & Inspiration, enthused.
“Malls and individual shops are places where consumers like to meet friends and entertain themselves. In many Asian countries, socialising is of paramount importance and most often takes place outside the home,” observed Bernardin.
Connection and customisation
Competitiveness is rife within the Asia region, emphasised Bernardin: “Furthermore, in today’s digitally-connected world, the overall shopping experience provides a means of competing with virtual worlds.”
As the world develops at a rapid pace, the cosmetics and personal care market succeed by presenting the concept of customisation.
Innovations including interactive mirrors, products available to try in-store and readily available skin tone analysis that advises on perfectly matched cosmetics colours all “advance and enhance customer experience”.
Tapping into consumers’ feelings
Currently, marketers are trying to tap into emotions through encouraging innovation that aims to produce “unusual textures and properties that set the latest products apart from the rest”.
This relates to emotion and encourages proactive purchasing decisions in the end user and manufacturers by “developing formulations with emotions of playfulness and regression on the one hand, with self-satisfaction and accomplishment on the other”, Bernardin added.
In addition, health benefits are causing a stir in interest as a major trend across industries at the moment, which Bernardin points out plays into the latest new product development in the cosmetics and personal care market.
Innovative digital marketing
Marketing messages are combining with research and formulations to achieve efficacy by relying on the “power of the prescribers and influencers that will deliver the efficacy messages through the medium of videos and online messages”.
Although “these are connected directly to customer’s expectations”, Bernardin does not believe that there are any obstacles to achieving a faultless relationship between selling based on emotions, and providing an experience that optimises efficacy.
After all, this combines the strong influence of “communications, the claims on ingredients and the desired links with well-being and lifestyle”, Bernardin held.
Minimalist and textures
Commenting on her predictions on how this relationship between emotions, experience and efficacy is set to develop, Bernardin stated: “the relationship will split in two directions: a minimalistic efficient one and an ever-evolving direction based on textures and emotions to appeal to new customers”.
In-cosmetics Asia
Florence Bernardin will present in the marketing trends and regulations theatre at in-cosmetics Asia, which takes place in Bangkok from 31 October – 2 November 2017.
Her session entitled ‘Textures & sensories – when emotions & experiences meet efficacy in Asian markets’ will examine the key trends and latest textures from Asia that match consumer’s evolution.
To find out more or to register to attend the exhibition, visit asia.in-cosmetics.com