Beauty brands are reducing their spend in traditional print media, with a report by research agency L2 revealing their growing investment in digital throughout 2014.
In the last year, brands have not only upped their social media presence but have continuously aligned with social media celebrities and bloggers, recognising the influence they have on their audience.
“Beauty is a fairly sophisticated sector when compared to other industries that we look at,” says L2 research lead Jenny Shen. “Most brands have the fundamentals in place, such as having a mobile site, being present on strategic social media platforms, and having some kind of CRM program.”
L2’s Digital IQ Index: Beauty report has ranked the digital presence of 94 beauty brands, with L’Oréal Paris, Lancôme and Clinique found to be the major players this year.
L’Oréal Paris was ranked number one for its digital presence, while Lancôme came in second due to its visual ecommerce solution that allows consumers to select a model online and match product to their skin type.
Clinique was given props for personalising the online consumer experience, while Estée Lauder’s new digital flagship was awarded for its user-generated content. In social media, Chanel and Giorgio Armani were credited for their presence on all platforms.
“This year, there were three geniuses in our beauty ranking, led by L’Oreal Paris, Lancôme and Clinique. These genius brands set themselves apart from the pack as they executed digital programs that were effective at driving brand awareness at scale or leveraging digital as a way to lubricate the purchase funnel,” reveals Shen.
“[In 2015], we expect the level of sophistication present in beauty to continue – more mobile investments, as searches are increasingly happening on the smaller screen, smarter segmentation and targeting, and stronger partnerships with brick-and-click retailers.”
