The internet, spas, ethnicity and ethics… looking ahead to the in-cosmetics 2007 trends presentations, to run alongside the this year's show from 17-19 April
The latest global marketing trends and key issues affecting the cosmetics and toiletries market will be discussed at this year's in-cosmetics show. This year's three-day programme promises to be a crowd pleaser with eminent speakers from the industry's leading market research agencies and consultancies.
Research company Euromonitor will set the scene, presenting global trends with data derived from the company's latest research findings for 2006. The company's Briony Davis will review regional and sector performance, company and brand strategies and retail distribution trends, including insights into the future development of the global C&T market up to 2011.
Marvin Wilkinson, new business director for marketing consultancy Anterior: Insight, will discuss the influence of the internet and its impact on the beauty markets. He will examine new online developments, including blogging, user reviews, photo sharing, open source programming and social networking sites. The potential implications that online identities will have for brands and effective communication to consumers will be discussed.
Spa focus
Several presentations will look at developments in the professional spa market. Carrie M Mellage, industry manager for Kline & Co, will share highlights from Kline's recently published Professional skin care and salon hair care report. She will look at trends in Western Europe, covering the markets for hair and skin care products in salons, spas, beauty institutes, physician offices and medical spas. Product and ingredient trends, the competitive landscape and future outlook to 2011 will be reviewed.
Veronique Liabeuf, associate director of the Dragon Rouge Agency, will look more specifically at the treatments offered, rituals and associated products in spas in Europe, the US and Asia, highlighting similarities, differences and respective strengths of each region. She will also attempt to anticipate the influence of spas on retail cosmetic brands, looking at product innovation, their presentation and communication with consumers.
Independent beauty enhancement consultant Wendy Lewis will assess the impact that the growth of professional products sold mainly through medispas, clinics and doctors' offices is having on retailers in Europe and the US. The explosion of competitive mainstream products has captured market share from smaller brands as well as traditional premium brands. In particular, Lewis will focus on evolving consumer behaviour and attitudes towards their skin care and personal care purchases.
Cultural mediums
Increasingly, manufacturers are having to take into account cultural and ethnic differences and accommodate these into their global strategies. Euromonitor's Davis will compare key markets, such as India and Japan, to illustrate the differences both in perception of individual product categories and attitudes to global brands. She will offer strategies to maximise future success in this area.
Key product launches for ethnic consumer groups will be put under the spotlight by David Jago and Lynn Dornblaser, directors of Mintel's Custom Solutions Group. The examples shown will highlight how different ethnic groups have specific needs and concerns in terms of functionality (eg skin sensitivities, hair texture), but also require products that address cultural differences, such as skin whitening in Asia.
Ethical issues
Internalising the corset - the body, ethics and capitalism is the striking title of Pearlfisher planning director Tessa Wickstead's presentation. She believes that the effect of an increasingly individualistic society on the body is that the body increases in importance as it is our sole means of communicating and expressing our individuality. “In many ways this increased importance of the body as an expression of the self is liberating and exciting, and cosmetic companies have played a huge part in this,” maintains Wickstead, who warns that the way we can manage and control our bodies can also have a negative aspect. As our bodies are now more open to display and commodification we have in effect “internalised the corset”. Instead of wearing the corset, we have to be it. The consumer-cosmetic relationship will be explored in further detail and Wickstead will also examine the ethical future for cosmetics brands.
Amarjit Sahota, director of research agency Organic Monitor, will discuss the growing market for ethical cosmetics, focusing on the natural and organic cosmetics segment. He will provide a definition of natural and organic cosmetics, highlighting the importance of production standards. Market data will focus on consumer trends, products and ingredients, leading companies and industry challenges. Following his presentation, Christian Ecker, sales director of natural and organic cosmetics brand Melvita, will present his company's range and provide marketing perspectives, including business challenges and pitfalls.
In his presentation, Philippe Gadel from marketing services company Jump France will try to understand consumer motivations in the face of the new beauty market that is emerging. He will compare food trends with their beauty counterparts and discuss the extent to which they transfer credibly between sectors as far as the consumer is concerned.
Mintel will examine the growing polarisation of beauty products and positionings and address some of the push-pull issues as they appear in the market and in new product introductions. Jago and Dornblaser will focus on dichotomies such as the increase in products bearing anti-ageing claims and the stronger focus on products that embrace “the real you”. Another example is the growth in organic, natural or easily understood ingredients, while products with a strong scientific positioning have also been increasing in importance.
Gillian Morris, consultant to Kline & Co, will conclude this year's trends presentations with an insight into some of the key mergers and acquisitions amongst finished products firms and raw material suppliers in the personal care industry over the past five years. She will examine key drivers, the impact on the overall industry and competitive landscape and the impact on the pace of innovation in the personal care industry.