Beauty on the beat
INNOVATIVE MARKETING CAMPAIGNS BY BEAUTY BRANDS ARE GETTING FANS ExCITED
JELLY lipstick, chocolate-coloured eyeshadow palette and cookieshaped compact powders inspired by delectable desserts and the classic tale of Hansel and Gretel — these were among the unique items in the Sweet Recipe colour cosmetics collection rolled out in 2013 by South Korean make-up brand Etude House.
With products looking and smelling good, and irresistible ice cream, chocolate and fruits as flavours and scents, the collection came with adorable print advertisements and campaigns to entice beauty buffs and fans.
Apart from unique products, coming up with creative marketing strategies is a never-ending battle among big and savvy global beauty brands such as Etude House.
Despite efforts that ranged from serious, heart-breaking advertising messages to funny and comical or even extreme videos shared on social media, nothing beats the challenge of the real deal — offering customers a personal touch or hands-on experience with the products.
For two homegrown beauty brands, Zawara Cosmetics and Pinkboxcereal, it’s all about winning consumers through innovation.
These popular brands have stepped up their game in the local scene by taking a unique approach and providing customers with a make-up and beauty experience that’s extra special compared to typical, beauty counters at department stores.
ZAWARA AND ITS COSMETICS MACHINE
Cosmetics and skincare brand Zawara
was founded in March 2015 by siblings Nur Fadilla and Kamarul Ariff Abd Karim.
Zawara has since garnered steady customers and fans (315,000 followers on Instagram) searching for affordable Koreanformulated make-up and skincare products that suit our weather and lifestyle.
The brand is synonymous with products which are halal and wudhu’ (ablution)friendly and packaged in chic designs.
“Zawara means guest and in our business, customers are our special guests. We need to find innovative ways to reach out to customers and treat them to memorable beauty experiences with our products,” says Nur Fadilla, 33, whose business started due to her passion for make-up and dressing up.
Besides its flagship store in Section 7, Shah Alam, Selangor, the brand mainly retails its products via e-commerce platforms as well as stockists and agents nationwide. In line with its efforts to boost sales especially among its stockists and agents, the brand launched Cosmetics Machine, a mobile truck that tours the country.
Splashed in pink, blue and black, the eyecatching truck (launched in January) is installed with a well-decorated beauty counter and a vanity mirror, with various make-up and beauty products neatly stocked up.
“The concept of Cosmetics Machine is simple — it’s like bringing a shopping mall to your doorstep. Customers can try products that they see on our website and online platforms on site or where the truck makes its rounds.
“As a business that mainly retails online, this gives us an edge as we offer a way to sample the products at their for customers convenience. It’s also a more personal way to get in touch with customers and promote new products,” adds Nur Fadilla.
“At our recent promotion in Sungai Petani, Kedah, the truck was stationed in the compound of a rented premise. Guests could either try our products or get a quick fix and tips from our make-up expert inside the truck or watch make-up tutorials and product demonstrations in a home-based party setting.
“Sometimes during such an event, we also train our stockists and agents located in the area,” she says.
The initiative also helps the brand to gain instant and valuable feedback from both existing and potential customers as well as their stockists and agents.
“We’re thinking of placing the Cosmetics Machine at Kuala Lumpur city centre soon. We want to offer special beauty treats or make-up touch-ups for office workers during lunch break,” she adds.
Customers are our special guests. We need to find innovative ways to reach out to our customers and treat them to memorable beauty experiences with our products.
Nur Fadilla
If you are a beauty buff who adores local brands, you may have heard of Pinkboxcereal and its popular Beauty Emergency Kit (a customised box of skincare and make-up goodies curated according to your skincare needs). Or, you are probably already a Doll, as how its founder Shafiqah Shafie calls the brand’s fans.
Last year, the brand opened Pinkboxcereal Cafe for customers to get dolled up and try local and international makeup and skincare brands in a homely and relaxing atmosphere.
Previously at Empire Damansara, Petaling Jaya, the cafe recently moved to Pelangi Square in Petaling Jaya due to increasing demand.
“Most of us have had the experience of being bugged by salespersons at pharmacies or beauty counters trying to influence us to buy products that we don’t want.
“That’s how the idea to set up this cafe came about. I wanted a space where customers could have privacy and the time to try many new products in a fun and relaxing cafe atmosphere,” says Shafiqah, a beauty guru and professional make-up artist with 41,600 followers on Instagram.
She has been running the business with her husband Mohd Ilya Fahmi Azmi since 2015.
A former stewardess and copywriter, Shafiqah has been passionate about skincare and make-up since she was 12.
She took a professional make-up course at SUB College in Berjaya Times Square and graduated with an international certificate.
“I love sharing tips and my experience on skincare and make-up with my friends and colleagues. When I was a stewardess, I shared my knowledge and skills with my colleagues when we were off-duty. My hotel room was a fun, makeover party space,” says Shafiqah.
From giving make-up classes at home and make-up jobs for events, she turned to YouTube to share her beauty secrets.
Endless enquiries from viewers on the products that she reviewed or tested and shared on the platform led her to open her Instagram online shop, Pinkboxcereal — a wordplay created by her husband and derived from her collection of pink boxes. A website was set up in 2016, followed by the cafe in 2017.
FUN AMBIENCE
With the concept of “skincare, make-up and all things pretty”, Pinkboxcereal Cafe is an all-pink place where customers can test skincare and make-up while enjoying a cuppa.
About 70 per cent of the products are produced by homegrown labels, while the rest are international brands picked by Shafiqah during her travels. Pinkboxcereal’s in-house brand, Pinkboxcereal Beauty, is also available.
“At our cafe, which I like to call Dollhouse, we stock up on quality brands and what’s trending in the beauty scene, which I’ve tried out myself.
“For a small fee, customers can enjoy a cuppa and try anything they want without any interference from salespersons. They can even get their make-up done here — using the available products — before going to an event. We have had bachelorette parties as well as mothers enjoying bonding sessions with their daughters here,” she says.
Hygiene and cleanliness are the company’s top priorities at the cafe, with make-up tools consistently sterilised.