Nielsen fingers Top 10 most likeable celebrity endorsers, global cosmetics market to reach US$390 billion by 2020, battle royal in China as L'Oréal tackles Korean onslaught, and world first packaging to debut in Australia and New Zealand.
Nielsen fingers Top 10 most likeable celebrity endorsers
Dior, Neutrogena, COVERGIRLand Head & Shoulders can give themselves a corporate pat on the back. Nielsen has announced a list of the Top 10 most liked celebrity endorsers of the past year. Liam Neeson took out the top spot with a 78 per cent likeability rating but the three women who were deemed the most influential were - Jennifer Garner, Natalie Portman and Sofia Vergara - who all scored above 70 per cent.
Jennifer is currently spruiking Neutrogena sunscreens and cleansers on Australian screens. Ms Portman's reign as the face of Miss Dior is beginning to look like a permanent position. While dandruff problems have never had such a sexy makeover, thanks to the Sofia Vergara ads for Head & Shoulders.
Men dominated the list, though. The second and third place-getters were Pierce Brosnan and Matthew McConaughey, the former "face" of Dolce & Gabbana's The One men's fragrance. Jeff Bridges, Jim Parsons from The Big Bang Theory and this year's Best Supporting Actor Oscar winner, J.K Simmons, also rated highly as product purchase influencers.
Global cosmetics market to reach US$390 billion by 2020
That's the bullish forecast from Allied Market Research who identified four major factors driving the beauty tidal wave - an increase in the world's professional population, rising disposable income, the growing importance of personal appearance across most employment sectors and the growth of online beauty sales.
Skincare, suncare and hair care account for 60 per cent of global cosmetic sales says the US researcher. Skin and suncare are on track to enjoy the fastest growth rate over the next five years - an annual hike of 5.6 per cent. Much of it fuelled by the growing demand for natural ingredients and technologies.
Unsurprisingly, women are responsible for 80 per cent of worldwide beauty and personal care sales. But the men's grooming sector, excluding shaving, is posting explosive growth, especially in Asia, as males reach for moisturisers, skin whiteners, facial wipes, deodorants and sunscreen on an unprecedented scale.
Retail stores still command the lion's share of overall global cosmetic sales, notably in the Asia/Pacific region, South America, the Middle East, Africa and major European markets. But the huge growth in online beauty sales in the US over the past few years is expected to flow on to Japan, India and China, where beauty e-commerce is already surging strongly through giant e-malls such as Jumei. Sephora recently opened a flagship store on JD.com and e-commerce already accounts for 10 per cent of L'Oreal's sales in China. Globally, online beauty sales are expected to grow at a quick pace of 5.3 per cent annually through to 2020 says Allied Market Research.
Battle royal in China as L'Oréal tackles Korean onslaught
Last week, China announced a reduction in import tariffs on Western fashions, nappies and skincare from June 1st. Part of the reason is to boost local spending as a record number of Chinese tourists head overseas to splurge on beauty products. Within two days, L'Oréal Paris declared that the multinational would drop its prices on makeup and skincare in China in a bid to hang on to its market leadership.
L'Oréal, with a 13 per cent market share, is the leading player in China's US$25 billion a year skincare sector, says Euromonitor, followed by and P&G. Chinese customers have been complaining about the inflated prices of imported cosmetics for years and they don't always go overseas to feed their beauty habit.
Korea has overtaken the US and Japan to become the second largest exporter of cosmetics to China - capturing a 34 per cent market share second only to France. It hasn't been plain sailing for the Asian beauty powerhouse as it battled to overcome the Chinese preference for established Western brands from the US, France and Japan. But persistence has paid off and the country's innovative products, global recognition of its ground-breaking R&D expertise and the ability to respond faster to what Chinese consumers want has seen exports soar. In the first quarter of this year, China imported US$686 million worth of cosmetics and beauty products - 20 per cent from Korea.
World first packaging to debut in Australia and New Zealand
Look out for a blitz of new makeup and skincare packaging. Italian cosmetics packaging specialist, Lumson, has signed a deal with Sydney-based manufacturer Trulux to debut its "world first"Airless Bottle Technology in Australia and New Zealand.
Trulux is a contract cosmetics company that provides product development and packaging solutions for private label ranges and small to medium companies in both countries. The new technology features an internal pouch system which prevents air from getting in. A major plus for skincare products as it extends the longevity of active ingredients.
Snippets from the wires
- More and companies are emphasising that in-store skincare and makeup consultations have become more like a chat between friends. In the US, Nordstroms have taken the strategy a step further. The department store chain has introduced a new TextStyle service to encourage a more personal relationship between beauty consultants and consumers. If a BC sends a valued customer an image of a new or recommended product, it can be purchased instantly by using a unique code.
- Emerging markets account for 60 per cent of Unilever's global sales. The multinational pulled in US$1.9 billion from the Middle East and Africa ( MENA) last year and operate nine manufacturing facilities in the region. CEO Paul Polman has announced that Dove will build a new factory in Dubai.
- The value of the world's top 10 luxury goods brands slumped 6 per cent - US$7.1 billion - to US$105 billion last year says researcher Millward Brown. Louis Vuitton and Chanel were the only major luxury brands to increase in value in 2014. Chanel's worth spiked 15 per cent to US$9 billion, rising to fourth position behind Louis Vuitton, Hermes and Gucci.
- Bulgari's latest fragrance launch to the Australian media - The limited edition Bulgari Eau Parfumee Collection - illustrates the strength of the Italian jeweller's perfume business. Bulgari's beauty division accounts for 22 per cent of the company's total turnover and global sales increased 5 per cent in 2014 to $428.7 million.
- What do you give the bride who has everything? La Mer, of course. The -owned premium brand is targeting the wedding market through Facebook and now has a dedicated bridal page on its web site filled with "big day beauty tips".
- , Aesop and many more brands have increased their global visibility by expanding into hotel amenities. will enter the lucrative market in July through a partnership with Sysco Guest Supply. La Source and Jojoba will be the debut collections.
