Beauty in the East

按国家新规，今年10月起市面化妆品必须标明所有成分，进口化妆品也不例外。这意味着诸如“美白因子”、“弹力蛋白”等含糊其辞的名词成分不能再出来“忽悠”了。
据业内人士透露，广州多数化妆品生产企业在忙着为化妆品更换“新衣”，目前市面上销售的产品大多属于过渡期中生产。广州市药监局则表示，化妆品的全成分标识尚有一定缓冲期，将从2010年6月17日开始执行，“以后不标注全配方将最高罚款1万元”。
禁标“美白因子”“保湿成分”
今年10月1日，国家质检总局新规并实施《化妆品标识管理规定》、《消费者使用说明化妆品通用标签》，要求化妆品必须标明所有成分，且所标注的名称应该按照加入量降序排列，进口化妆品也不例外，须在其加贴的中文标签上标明，不得明示暗示具有医疗作用，如发现违规将被正式查处，并给予1万元以内的罚款。
这意味着，诸如“水感保湿成分”、“活性美白因子”这些含糊其辞的化妆品成分有望从外包装上逐步消失，取而代之的是例如尿素、甘油、玻尿酸等实实在在的标识。
如今，新规已“满月”，广州市场反应如何?记者昨天走访广百百货、吉之岛等化妆品卖场，发现大多数化妆品外包装上并未全部标注化学成分，依然“旧装上阵”。记者看到，在欧莱雅、强生、旁氏等知名护肤品的外包装上，所谓“成分”一栏多为“保湿剂”、“润肤剂”、“甘油保湿因子”、“提取液”、“中药成分”等模糊玄乎的字眼。霸王一款洗发水注明含有“首乌、当归精华提取液”、“中药成分”;可伶可俐的一款洗面露的“主要成分”则是“薄荷舒缓因子”、“水杨酸抑痘因子”。销售人员表示，“现在的化妆品都是这样写的”，至于新规定，她摇头称不清楚。
某进口品牌化妆品专柜的营业员说，该品牌从今年10月起生产的产品都使用了全成分标识，但由于库存原因，目前在柜面上销售的产品依然使用原来的旧包装。
“标明全成分有助于消除造假”
记者对比了市场上同品牌的新旧系列的外包装，发现有的产品标识已有变化。限用日期为2011年的碧柔洗面乳外包装的成分标注并不符合规定，而批号较新的限用日期为2012年的外包装上虽仍有“日本研发浸透化妆水成分”、“红白按摩揉粉”等描述，但在“成分”一栏则对化学成分有详细的陈列。
正在选购产品的陈小姐持类似的看法。她告诉记者，最近天气转凉了，希望购买一款保湿的护肤品使用，但是五花八门的说辞让她感觉不大靠谱，“说得都很好听，但是都不知道真正成分是什么，买了也不大放心使用”。
药监局:明年6月开罚
据业内人士透露，广州多数化妆品生产企业已经做好了应对措施，很多企业在忙着为化妆品更换“新衣”，目前市面上销售的产品大多属于过渡期中生产。
“化妆品的全成分标识尚有一定缓冲期，将从2010年6月17日开始执行，以后不标注全配方将最高罚款1万元。”广州市食品药品监管局工作人员向记者表示，在明确化妆品实行全成分标注规定的基础上，还应继续完善具体明细，比如化妆品主要成分、有效成分、成分比例标注的规范，以及涉及产品保密配方如何进行保密申请等。

（来自：中国化妆品网）

买A赠B是商界用滥的促销方法，妮维雅将其上升为经营战略，运用得炉火纯青、威力毕现。对于同样境况的国内企业，重要的不是哀叹竞争激烈、缺少机会，而是认真研读市场、捕捉机会、选取最适切的方法攫取市场。既便是用滥的手段，只要运作得当，亦具有强大的杀伤力和作战力。既便是最新的营销手段，生搬硬套，也不会出好效果。
　　德国商展在中华世纪坛举行，也许只有在这个展会上，我们才能看到如此众多有着上百年历史的老面孔靠着根基里的那一脉实力坚定地世代相传而从不衰败。NIVEA(妮维雅)就是他们中的一员，德国企业给人老成持重的可信赖之感，然而在中国竞争激烈的日用消费品市场上，德国人保守的经营理念却难免水土不服，致使很多世界顶尖的品牌无法展现原有的风采。妮维雅用它六年努力方转亏为盈的历程告诉我们光有实力是不够的，还要有足够灵活的头脑来适应这块市场。
　　“有名牌没效益”的欧洲品牌
　　虽然早在1930年就已经登陆上海滩，虽然据说它是欧洲人眼里仅有的两个专业护肤品牌之一，但妮维雅在中国消费者的心中一直是“徒有其名”---有名牌没效益。自1994年在华合资建厂后的六年中，作为中档护肤品牌的妮维雅在中国一直处于旁氏、玉兰油等同档位强势品牌的挤压之下，无法进入主流化妆品之列。但2001年的报表显示，妮维雅在中国不声不响地小步快跑，每年都以50%的速度实现着增长，并且已经开始盈利了。与妮维雅的扭亏相映的是同样在中国市场上拼杀了多年的另两家德国日化企业，汉高和美洁时，当初都曾风光一时，但德国人传统和固执的经营方法似乎在这块土地上难以再续传奇，很快就被宝洁、联合利华等擅用本土策略的跨国巨轮及土生土长的本地品牌所淹没，而渐行渐远。而同为德裔的妮维雅在全球化中注重区域性差异，因地制宜地制订产品和行销策略正是它渐入佳境的原因。
　　为进入中国，妮维雅走了和其他国外化妆品公司一样先合资又独资的路子，但是它却显得比别人都“小家子气”，一是很低调，似乎从没作过什么秀，广告也是只打地方台不铺中央台；二是只进超市、卖场和便利店，不在大商厦里设专柜；三是到目前为止中国公司只有120个人，而负责销售的人员仅40人。靠这点人马能成什么大事业呢？妮维雅中国区市场总监邱长兴告诉记者，妮维雅会坚持它的平民化定位，需要的只是用过再回头的家庭主妇随时可以方便买到，而广告费和宣传费的节约一方面是因为产品质量好可以让消费者自觉扩散传播，另一方面则是他的“袖口”里还藏着一支400万的促销队伍随时待命。
　　400万支润唇膏撒豆成兵
　　邱所说的这支队伍并不是人，而是润唇膏。邱长兴一不留神向记者透露出了将润唇膏“撒豆成兵”的独家经营秘诀后，颇有悔意。因为他实在不想这一招被人学了去。但实际上，记者觉得这个妙计说起来简单学起来却不易。
　　一直坚持做皮肤护理产品的妮维雅，有很多拳头产品，比如美白霜、洁肤晶露，但这些产品走上市场都还借了一个小兄弟的光，那就是小小的润唇膏。此话怎讲？话说三雄鼎立的润唇膏市场上，妮维雅虽然不像它的竞争对手曼秀雷敦和什果冰(这两个品牌实际上同属一家)那么专一，但不知怎么搞的，对手就是总比他们慢半拍，而每年让妮维雅的润唇膏稳稳抢去400万支的销量。
　　根据一般人一年一支润唇膏的使用速度，这400万支唇膏的背后应该是有接近400万个消费者。于是邱长兴想到不管多新的产品，只要和润唇膏搭上，买A送B就肯定能将试用装轻松地发到400万个消费者的手中。而喜用赠品又注重实效的中国消费者很快会因为对试用效果感到满意回头购买新上市的护肤产品。所以很多新产品几乎不用做广告就可以稳稳地达到即定销售目标。比如柔美霜因为搭上了唇膏快车，本来计划四年才完成的销售业绩在去年一年就完成了；而在碧柔称霸的洁面乳市场上，很多国内外品牌投了巨额广告费也打不进去，但妮维雅的美白洁面乳搭上夏季的120万支润唇膏，没花一毛钱广告费，就达到了乐观估计的销售业绩。据邱长兴介绍，在每年中的不同时期，他们会先后将4种新品借着唇膏的光上市，实际上，小小唇膏对妮维雅的利润贡献远远超过了它本身的销售额。
　　Nivea's fantastic idea of selling its skincare products with its lip moisturizer didn't came by accident. In Chinese cosmetic industry, you can hardly find this comapratively less competitive marketing segment like lip moisturizer as there are not so many compeititors and many of them only sell lip moisturizer, which blocks their advantage shift and makes them hardly compete with Nivea in an all round way.
Also, we find that we never see any ad Nivea launched for its lip moiturizer for Nivea's ambition is not only in lip care. However, due to its unique function, almost all Nivea's new product campaign are launched according to its marketing calendar. Compared with its competitor, Nivea's lip care maintains its quality with support from German headquater's research and development department. With its limited 6 kinds of lip care, Nivea can afford low price with low cost in Chinese markets.
　　In addition, Nivea leads the lip care marketing calendar in the industry for it delivers earlier than its competitors.
Though Nivea didn't bear advantages in Chinese markets when entering. It did open a new marketing routine in mass skincare industry against its competitors. Chinese consumers always care about the bonus in product value. With its low cost lip care, Nivea successfully launched its skincare products targeting house wives and mass audience, thus establishing its unique position in beauty industry.

An Interesting article from Korea

The article looks at how beauty marketers are trying to bring the store experience online to drive trial/purchase in new interesting ways beyond couponing.

Also blogs continue to be an untapped opportunity for beauty marketers to leverage consumer insights and reach out to their key influencer audience directly.

Business implications: The digital space is becoming increasingly competitive as beauty marketers begin to tap into social media and build interactive tools to drive preference in-store.

http://www.clickz.com/3635018
By Lisa Lacy, ClickZ, Sep 18, 2009

Mary Kay Cosmetics, Avon, and Rimmel have all licensed virtual makeover application Makeover Studio, above.
Buying beauty products is a very hands-on experience, which can make it tricky for marketers in the online space. But these days brands can't afford to ignore sites like Facebook and Twitter even if their customers can't try out products there.
"People usually do not buy beauty products online -- they replenish online," according to Jennifer Walsh, CEO of Behind the Brand Media. "If people see others talk about a product online or on TV, nine times out of ten, those people will go to the store."
So, besides inundating customers with free samples, what's a beauty product company to do to market itself on the Web?
Plenty, it turns out. From offering virtual makeovers like the new Makeover Studio from Daily Makeover to leveraging entire online communities such as the recently launched E.L.F. Beauty Network, makeup and skin care companies are finding ways to create their own hype and to use existing buzz to their benefit.
Over 60 beauty brands, including Mary Kay Cosmetics, Avon, Maxfactor Clairol, and Rimmel have licensed the virtual makeover application Makeover Studio, which launched last month from Daily Makeover. According to the company, Makeover Studio makes "the online experience more like a department store beauty counter experience."
That's because Makeover Studio includes new rendering and visualization functionality as well as face-tracing capabilities and a large range of makeup finishes, Daily Makeover says.
Even with these advances, challenges remain. One of Mary Kay's independent beauty consultants, Lorraine Kinslow, has a virtual makeover tool on her Web site as well as an extensive customer base that frequently orders online. She notes, "I have established 90 percent of these customers first by having them try the products in person. Then they continue to reorder online."
In cases like this, makeup companies can also allay fears by appealing to customer pocketbooks. Social media sites are an increasingly popular way to distribute discount codes, sale news or special offers to loyal followers. One company doing so is skin care line Lather. Company rep Lori MacGregor recently started a Facebook page where she posts items about upcoming events, promotions and new products. She also uses Lather's Twitter feed to follow beauty bloggers, which she says has allowed her to introduce Lather to them and their readers.
E.L.F Cosmetics, which recently launched the E.L.F. Beauty Network, offers another example of how brands are utilizing user-generated content. This site is an upgrade to the company's old site -- AskELF.com -- and includes discussion groups, forums, beauty advice, recommendations and other ways for customers to interact with the E.L.F. brand.
E.L.F. Chief Marketing Officer Ted Rubin said the company's many fans are vocal on YouTube, Twitter and blogs. So, E.L.F. decided to capitalize on this chatter and create a single space where all of the content could be aggregated along with content the brand produced itself. That site debuted in January.
But, according to a recent study from Grail Research, beauty product companies could perhaps do a better job of utilizing at least one form of user-generated content: blogs.
The Grail study focused on women's skin care and blogs and found there are over 26,000 beauty blogs in existence. These provide often untapped information on women's behavior and attitudes toward skin care. The study found that it's possible to analyze blog comments in a quantitative fashion and that companies can use that information to learn more about customer preferences.