Psychologists would have us believe that the ‘events’ of 2020 so far have turned us into more cautious consumers, in addition to us being unable or unwilling to return to the Beauty Halls and their brightly lit counters. In fact, a recent study of 8000 shoppers found that 39% have bought new brands during the first lockdown and 88% intended to stick with them. With the focus increasingly on e-commerce and ‘like to cart’ social, how can you make sure you’re serving up a brand experience worthy or the lacquered and lovely in-store interaction it’s replacing?
Commit
It might not sound very beautiful, but we are big advocates of commitment and consistency. Building an expectation of high-value, quality content among your audience is a great way to set your brand apart from the myriad straight-to-social brands that are popping into social feeds. Whether it’s a quick how-to or a full-scale product launch, show confidence in your own brand by delivering it flawlessly every time.
Create
‘Flawless’ does not mean every how-to has to be a full 4K production. Choosing to mix up your content with a combination of high-def delights and low-fi fun is a great way to appear more agile and responsive to consumer needs, even if you can’t launch products or run new campaigns right now. Retail consumers are used to a looser, more spontaneous feel in their social feeds, and there’s no reason even well-established brands can’t take advantage of that. It’s simply a case of knowing when it’s the right time to shake it up.
Connect
One of the great joys of the Beauty Counter is getting a little bit of one-on-one attention. That, and feeling like you might be getting an insider secret or two thrown in. Whether your consumers are used to the in-store experience or Gen-Zers who wouldn’t be caught dead in an actual shop, finding ways to recreate this feeling digitally is key to making people feel understood and valued by your brand. Building the profile of your experts, your ambassadors and even your superfans is a great way to build connections. And even light-touch interactions using Live functionality, Q&As and polls are simple but effective ways to create deeper brand connections.
