A recent insights report by Bauer Media and BEAUTYDIRECTORY has revealed that 79 per cent of Australian women consider product quality the top driver of their beauty purchase decisions.
But what exactly does this mean and how can it be effectively communicated?
One example that industry publication, Fashionista, recently reported on is the charm and lure of an interesting brand origin story and/or a serendipitous ingredient discovery. Let us elaborate.
A brand lauded for its efficacy and premium formulations is La Mer, whose cornerstone ingredient is called Miracle Broth. The Miracle Broth formula was discovered by founder Dr. Max Huber who burnt his face while working in a lab and subsequently spent the next decade searching for a remedy. He finally found this by combining sea kelp with lime tea extract and other naturally derived ingredients. What adds to the mystery of La Mer's elixir is the complex way it's produced. Fermentation, special lights, even a recording of bubbling sounds and astrological alignment are all part of the process. Fantastical or not, people bought the story and consumers came flooding.
There are a multitude of other beauty brands that have fortuitous or historical tales for the discovery of their ingredients - FRESH, SK-II, Caudalie to name a few - and what matters, reports Fashionista, is that it remains an important way to stand out from competitors and validate a product's authenticity and effectiveness.
It's worth mentioning an obvious concern here. Are we at risk of falling victim to fabricated heritage stories invented for marketing purposes? Not likely, WGSN senior beauty editor told Fashionista. "I don't think brands inflate the stories of where the ingredients originate from, but companies have become increasingly more honest and authentic in the 'unique' ingredients they use, as consumers are demanding this even more than ever before," she says. "Consumers want to know how they source the ingredients and brands are providing the story of how the product is made".
