Investing In Beauty Research
IPC Southbank's Investing in Beauty is a comprehensive research project which explores consumers' attitudes to premium beauty products, price points and promotions. It demonstrates an in-depth and unique understanding of the best use of all media and how to engage with consumers in today's media marketplace.
Investing in Beauty seeks to provide some objective insight to beauty clients on where to place their media investment and answer questions such as – How can premium beauty advertising engage consumers? What media environment is the most effective for premium beauty? What is the role of glossy magazines and other media in the decision making process?
Methodology
Investing in Beauty combines both qualitative and quantitative research techniques. Qualitative groups amongst AB women 25-55 were used to really understand the mindset of the premium beauty consumer. These insights were backed up by an online survey amongst 1,180 ABC1 women 18-60
IPC SouthBank commissioned BMRB to conduct both stages of the research; Affinity Research worked in conjunction with BMRB for the qualitative groups.
Key findings
Consumer insights - Brand Loyalists & Experimentalists
Investing in Beauty identified two distinct types of premium beauty:
• Brand loyalists
• Brand experimentalists
The challenge to premium beauty advertisers is to retain their own brand loyalists and prevent them experimenting with competitor brands, and to encourage experimentalists to become loyal to their own brands.
The Decision Making Process & the role of media
Investing in Beauty identified three stages in the decision making process:
1. Awareness
2. Active information gathering
3. Final decision
Beauty counters, sampling and word of mouth are strong influencers at each stage of this process. The research explores the role of media and other influential factors in each stage of the decision making process.
For more information on 'Investing in Beauty' please contact Lynne Springett, Head of Insight IPC SouthBank or you can download the summary presentation here.
