Over the years, India has become one of the most preferred destination for cosmetic brands. The story is similar with American cosmetics firm, The Estée Lauder Companies which claims that most of its consumers in India is present online. “Our consumer is mainly on digital and online and that’s also our preferred channel. We also invest little bit in terms of out-of-home (OOH) specifically in malls, among others,”Dikshita Shukla, Brand Manager, Estée Lauder and The Ordinary, India, told BrandWagon Online.
While the company refused to divulge any details about ad-spends, Shukla claims despite the current condition, India will receive significant investment. “For the past couple of years, our ad budgets have gone up, although only on digital. This will continue in the same manner. As the landscape changes, the avenues expand and now there are more tools. I think gaining sufficiency on digital is becoming more and more expensive,” she added.
Further the company claims that it will continue to focus heavily on social media platforms as consumers now purchase products through Instagram and Facebook. The cosmetics company recently roped in actor Manushi Chhillar as the global brand ambassador in addition to its new campaign ‘My Shade, My Story,’ “For brands like ours, which sit at between the entry point and very much within the ambit of luxury, the Indian consumer is an important consumer to target,” Shukla, stated.
The campaign features six faces from diverse backgrounds with distinct skin tones to represent Estée Lauder’s Double Wear Stay-In-Place Foundation. Additionally, the company claims that products come with over 50 shades to match every skin tone. “What has been really interesting for us is that how we have tailored our communication to be locally relevant to the Indian consumer. So, even with a product such as on Advance Night Repair, we make sure that we have got some benefits relevant for the Indian customer. It’s really important to have a deep understanding of consumers, so that we are able to serve them and fill the gap,” Shukla added.
The Estée Lauder Companies Inc’s revenue declined 12% to $3.75 billion for the third quarter which ended March 31, 2023. While organic net sales overall dropped eight percent, primarily driven by Asia travel retail in Hainan and Korea, developed markets such as the United States, the United Kingdom and Hong Kong, and emerging markets globally, recorded growth. The Fragrance category grew by double digits.