Beauty marketing turns to technology to reach teens

Drug Store News,  Nov 12, 2007  by Yelena Moroz

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Within seconds of signing on AOL Instant Messenger, the AIM greeting page pops up, prominently displaying a fresh-faced model, a makeup brush and a Sonia Kashuk logo. A banner over a MySpace profile features the Philips Norelco razor and the Nivea Men moisturizing shaving system. Click to a friend's profile, and L'Oreal offers samples of their Colour Juice lip gloss. Yes, it's a whole new world when it comes to advertising.

According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project Report, 93 percent of teens age 12 to 17 went online in 2006. Grunwald Associates reported that 71 percent of online 9- to 17-year-olds visit social-networking sites weekly. Therefore, it's likely that these ads reached a few million teenage eyes.

When it comes to targeting teens, social-networking venues and viral marketing are the most cost-effective, said Peter Grunwald, president of Grunwald Associates. The use of social networking, which includes IM/chat, text messaging and e-mail, is even more prevalent when it comes to teenage girls.

"They are probably the heaviest users of social media," Grunwald said. "Girls are generally more oriented toward communication, particularly group-to-group communications."

A marketing study by Forrester Research revealed that half of beauty buyers believe that ads are a great way to learn about new products, and 38 percent don't mind ads pertinent to their interests. The study also mentioned that 61 percent of beauty buyers who receive commercial text messages actually read them.

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Although the popularity of texting has skyrocketed in the teen demographic, it is rarely used by brands unless the customer requests information. Currently, texts serve as an important tool for voting, especially when it comes to television programs. However, because text messages are considered obnoxious, unless they are requested, marketers should be wary of bombarding the consumer. According to Forrester Research, 79 per cent of 12- to 21-year-olds use a mobile phone, creating a window for advertisers to utilize such marketing mechanisms as SMS, the mobile browser, multimedia messaging and application downloads.

Research also indicates that advertisers will likely have more success if they develop ads that stimulate teens. In fact, the Grunwald study shows that more than half of all teens participate in advertiser-branded interactive activities, such as quizzes and polls, every month.

Recognizing the opportunities that exist, beauty companies increasingly are infiltrating the online community by creating a personalized page on MySpace, then 'befriending' customers to get traffic on their page. Although the move does not necessarily cement the brand connection, it shows that a company has personality and is part of the social-networking scene. Thanks to the acquisition of Strategic Data Corp., MySpace can deliver targeted advertising that is based on information in individual profiles.

On Facebook.com, another social-net working site, advertisers can zone in on a certain group thanks to the database of information offered voluntarily by users, who often create beauty-related groups.

According to Karen Grant, senior beauty industry analyst for The NPD Group, 43 percent of Internet beauty shoppers said they have spent more this year versus last year, and the number of women who shop for beauty products online rose to 73 percent from 59 percent in 2005.

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