Niche Beauty
How niche brands are changing the beauty landscape (II)
What is the key consumer audience you are targeting and how?
Aesop: Aesop was created for the curious-minded. Indeed, our customers think about what they consume, and how. They value quality and sincerity and are worldly in their outlook. They encounter us most frequently via friends or family who have recommended our products, or via the sensory appeal of our spaces. These are the common threads, enduring throughout the company’s growth.
Our customers span all ages and genders. We have, from the outset, formulated our products to meet the needs of the skin across a global audience. The desire to look after and care for the skin, to groom and nurture it, is rather universal. The core needs of the skin – to be cleansed, hydrated, nourished and protected – are not exclusive to one age group or gender. We believe that such care does not need to be complex and should always be minimally disruptive.
Tom Watson (Michael Malul London) : We provide a broad range of fragrances that appeal to both men and women, for different occasions and moments. Most important for us is that the quality of our product - the fragrance itself, the bottle and the packaging speaks to every consumer.
Perfume is such an emotional product. So much so that sense of emotion should be felt from the moment the consumer sees the box or holds the bottle in their hand in anticipation of the scent within.
Mark Brewer (Egyptian Magic) : Egyptian Magic appeals to everyone. A lot of our customers are looking for instant results from impulse buying and will purchase Egyptian Magic knowing that the product will enhance various elements of their routines for skin, hair and body. One swipe of the luxurious formula can provide gleaming skin, glossy lips and provide immediate relief to dry skin.
Egyptian Magic is a multi-purpose cream that has been making waves in beauty circles
Frédéric Fekkai (Fekkai) : Our key consumer audience are people who want the best haircare and styling products while doing good for the planet. We target them by showing incredible product results in our unretouched images, claims and clinical results from independent testing labs and by incorporating the most innovative ingredients and clean science actives. Our mantra is Performance & Planet.
Pauline Prescott (Formulae Prescott) : We are targeting busy and established men and women who value simplified, luxury skincare regimes that are clean & natural yet don’t compromise on efficacy or the overall pleasurable experience.
Debbie Sleeman (Polished London) : Everything we offer is based on science, research and data. People don't wake up and think of your brand so you have to tailor content with a strong strategy that’s tailored to suit your audience with a clear message. Our audience is predominantly made up of people who are interested in beauty, looking and feeling good and who are invested in good quality products.
Margaret Dabbs: With beauty products that take care of the health and wellness of feet, hands, and legs, Margaret Dabbs London has become renowned for its pioneering innovations that suit men and women of all ages.
Rachel Williams (Albus & Flora) : Albus & Flora’s key consumer audience are women with whom preventative skincare is a priority. We have targeted aesthetic & dermatology clinics because a clear gap and demand exists from the consumer, and we are now looking to scale and grow the brand within travel retail.
Lip treatments/augmentation within aesthetic clinics is the second most popular treatment worldwide, worth US$2.2Billion, forecast to reach US$4.4 by 2027 – this group of beauty consumers are highly engaged, with high spending power and are interested in products that protect the lip area and slow ageing.
Shapeaccelerator: Our key consumer is the conscious one, willing to combine the use of Shapeaccelerator with a change of lifestyle to reshape their body therefore not only feel better but also look better. The reduction of white fat cells is very difficult and the effectiveness of the Shapeaccelerator is extremely rewarding in the process to reshape your body.
The typical audience is 35-60 and ready to make the change. Shapeaccelerator will reach out to this group by direct marketing as well as retail fit for this group. That includes ravel retail, salons and high-end cosmetic shops.
Miriam Ciantar (Baroque & Rose) : We believe that our target audience are people who want to supply their bodies with genuine organic ingredients. Baroque & Rose believes that ‘if an apple is good for you – why would it be restricted to age or gender.’ This is why we have no age or gender demographic.
Baroque & Rose’s products are naturally-derived, vegan-friendly, paraben-free, GMO-free, sulphate-free, cruelty-free, and toxin-free
Mark Wood (Skin Generics) : We are very lucky that we have attracted a very wide audience, which was our goal from the outset. We are catering for every skin type and are gender neutral. This is being driven by our style, packaging and messaging. Our consumers are aspirational wanting a high-end product but at an accessible price point. They want a cosmeceutical brand which is normally out of reach in terms of pricing. We make this clear by stating the high percentages of ingredients on all packaging and communications.
Karina Lassen (Mums With Love) : With every product being simple, clean and allergy-friendly, our target group is very inclusive. However, we are especially targeting women from 25-45 who want the best for their family. Our sustainable mindset is also likely to appeal to this target audience, as consumers in this demographic are increasingly interested in environmentally conscious and ethical products. We strive to create products with a multi-purpose use which means that they can be used by the entire family.
We reach our target audience through various marketing and promotional efforts, including social media campaigns, influencer partnerships, and targeted advertising. With our ambassador programme we have real people test and use our products. We also rely on word-of-mouth recommendations and positive customer reviews to reach new customers within the target audience.
Andrew Glass (Non Gender Specific) : Our target audience is any gender aged 22-55 years old. We typically focus on consumers who are passionate about skincare, want clean formulas and those who put a focus on sustainable business practices.
Edward Muller (Selvedge Grooming) : Our key consumer audience are travelling businessmen of all age groups especially those who truly cares about their appearance. Men who not just care about how their hair looks with the product on, but how the hair feels when the product is rinsed off at the end of the day. Let’s face it, most guys prefer a ‘minimalist’ approach when it comes to our grooming routines - the less effort we need, the better.
The Everything Cream is one of Non Gender Specific's best-selling products
David Herdman (Beautypro) : With 97% of consumers saying they would consider using skin care during a flight and 60% of duty-free items accounted for as impulse purchases, our key consumer audience is everyone who is travelling. Whether they are looking to purchase products for themselves, a gift for someone or to benefit from exclusive products and pricing.
We target our key consumer audience through various channels and strategies. Firstly, we engage in targeted digital marketing campaigns through social media platforms, search engines, and other online advertising channels as well as inflight magazines and onboard shopping catalogues.
Sophie and Hannah Pycroft (Spectrum) : Our products are designed with everyone in mind, no makeup collection is complete without Spectrum brushes. However, our biggest demographic are females, aged between 25-35 who’s interests span beauty, fashion, travel and lifestyle — all of which align with the Spectrum brand. We connect with our audience primarily through our active social platforms with a combined following of over 800,000.
Christopher Chong (Thameen) : We are taking British heritage to the international consumers who understand and appreciate the artistry of niche luxury fragrances. We create a community in which we share our stories with our consumers through social and print media. For example, we work with international KOLs via Instagram, TikTok and podcasts to create an authentic and intimate atmosphere where we share our news with our followers.
Lee Cristou (Kroma Makeup) : Kroma Makeup targets sensitive skin and ethnic skin due to the variety of travellers who need a high-performance product under any environment or conditions. We've always catered to models and celebrities via fashion weeks & celebrity award events, travel executives such as Disney professionals via Disney Artist kits and clients through high-end hotel/resort spas. Our recurrent outreach is through our on-location studios, online channels and dermatologist referral networks.
Grown Alchemist: The brand has fast developed loyal followers with its focus on futuristic anti-ageing technology and botanical skincare formulas. It attracts a multi-generational global audience but has particular appeal for more health-conscious, influential Millennial and Gen Z customers. With its ‘green beauty’ focus on creating high-performance, results driven, natural skincare products that are sustainably derived and cruelty free, it ticks all the right boxes for younger audiences that care passionately about the planet. It has a cool, urban-chic vibe with minimalistic, clean packaging that reflects the brand’s authenticity and inherent values.
Grown Alchemist has quickly garnered a vibrant and loyal online presence through its user-friendly website with edgy and cool messaging and imagery. It’s Ambassador LAB for which customers are invited to act as online brand ambassadors is proving a success on TikTok and Instagram, creating social buzz and attracting a growing Millennial and Gen Z loyal following.
Based on consumer research, health and wellness are key motivators for Millennials (aged 18-34) who believe that caring about their wellbeing helps them feel better about life and themselves. Nearly half are shown to prefer organic skincare and a natural look. They make decisions about beauty product buying based on a product’s ability to prolong life and outperform age. As many as 59% read beauty product labels to identify harmful ingredients. Overall, Millennials are willing to pay more for a quality product. Given the data, it is easy to see why Grown Alchemist ticks many of the right boxes.
Born in Australia, Grown Alchemist is rooted in the country’s progressive sustainability mindset
Victoria Neymann (Verdilab) : We want to build a clientele with whom we share the same values. We want to engage forward-thinking luxury consumers who are conscious and considered about their skincare choices.
Verdilab reflects a new mindset of skincare consumers driving a positive approach to their natural look and ageing and desire to enhance skin’s natural vital functions from within.
Dimitri Weber (Goldfield & Banks) : Though I had a more targeted audience in mind when I first launched Goldfield & Banks back in 2016, it’s been amazing to see the variety of people who have become customers. What unites our audience now is a love of travel, and a passion for originality in perfumery.
Partner's message
The Moodie Davitt eZine
Issue 323 | 5 May 2023
The Moodie Davitt eZine is published 14 times per year by The Moodie Davitt Report (Moodie International Ltd). © All material is copyright and cannot be reproduced without the permission of the Publisher. To find out more visit www.moodiedavittreport.com and to subscribe, please e-mail kristyn@moodiedavittreport.com