As consumers continue to gain knowledge and sophistication about the kinds of changes beauty products can—and cannot—bring to the skin, they are casting a more critical eye on product claims, and importantly, they are expecting not just their skin care to bring product testing claims to the table, but makeup and color cosmetic products as well.
Where in the past color cosmetic brands were able to get away with uninteresting generic claims such as “long-lasting wear” or “fade-proof”—which don’t tell a compelling story or engage the consumer—now brands are raising the bar with far more specific claims, such as “24-hour cream gel shadow,” “8-hour lip color” or “10-day wear.”
Also, color brands are beginning to offer clinical claims such as, “In one week, 88% had smoother lips.” It may seem like a small point of difference, but when it comes to consumers’ reasons for choosing one shade of pink lipstick over another, the beacon consumers are flocking toward is validated proof, and that proof is the point of difference that puts the odds in your favor.
Tell a More Colorful Story
Additionally, as more and more beauty brands and products flood the market and vie for space on already overcrowded shelves, isolating your brand’s point of difference is becoming critical. Trouble is, creating that point of difference is becoming equally as challenging. Ingredients, technologies and breakthroughs are alarmingly similar, and everyone is turning to the same pool of innovation for points of differentiation.
Add to this the fact that innovations for color products have historically always lagged behind skin care anyway, and it quickly becomes very obvious why testing of color cosmetic products is a key strategy to ensure your new color product truly stands out against today’s stiff competition.
Not so long ago, the biggest difference between one lipstick brand and another was shade range or texture. Consumers also weren’t looking for the same level of performance from their color cosmetic products as from their eye creams and anti-aging serums. Now all of that has changed, and consumers expect their makeup to offer additional benefits to their skin beyond just color.
The full article is available from GCI.
