Understand how your consumers think! Why in Cosmetics it is fundamental to analyze the “Persona”
By Enrico GiubertoniUpdated 4 minutes to read
Why do we need to understand how the consumers think or perceive our cosmetic products in depth? Why are the socio-demographic variables used in other sectors not enough in Cosmetics Industry?
The reason lies precisely in the very intrinsic nature of the cosmetic product.
A cosmetic product is a product that is worn on the body.
The cosmetic product is said to be dressed on the body because it interacts inside our body for several hours: to give an example, let’s think of face creams, body creams, sun creams, which enter into symbiosis with our dermis (the skin).
Or think of the hairstyles that live with us even for days or weeks.
For this reason the cosmetic consumer has a holistic and symbiotic connection with his products.
That is because the cosmetic products coexist in our consumer’s body (symbiosis) or mind due to its holistic nature.
How well do you know your cosmetic consumer?
Knowing the values of your cosmetic consumer is fundamental to create the best product experience.
The cosmetic product is not a simple object: the cosmetic product is an experience that is deeply connected with the values of the consumer.
A cosmetic product is a colour, a substance, a fragrance, a shape that enters into symbiosis with our body and that determines substantial changes in our physiognomy.
For this reason it is fundamental to enter into a deep knowledge not only of the socio-demographic variables, but above all of the psycho-graphic variables of our target segment.
This is extremely important because, in cosmetics, we have to be inside our customer and see the world with his world view (Weltanschauung) .
The concepts that I have explained go under the term of Persona and are different from the target
What is a Persona? What is difference from Target?
A Persona, also called User Persona, online/offline Marketing Persona, Buyer Persona is in marketing the character created at the desk who will use our product or our cosmetic brand.
While the target group focuses on demographic variables, under the term Persona the psychographic variables are investigated in depth, i.e.:
Identity and Interests
Habits
Behaviour
Popular places
Purchasing Habits
The aim is to obtain a profile of our target prospect that is as close as possible to the real customer sentiments, emotions and behaviours.
The data that can allow us to define a Person is derived from digital: Digital & Social Media Listening and Digital & Social Media Monitoring applications allow us to obtain anonymous access to this data.
This is very important because, in cosmetics, we have to be part of our customer and see the world with his vision of the world (Weltanschauung).
Frequently asked questions
Why are socio-demographic variables not enough in the cosmetics industry?
Because of the intrinsic nature of the cosmetic product: it is worn on the body and interacts with it for hours, like face, body and sun creams in symbiosis with the skin, or hairstyles that live with us for days. The cosmetic consumer therefore has a holistic and symbiotic connection with the products, which demographics alone cannot describe.
What is the difference between a Persona and a target group?
The target group focuses on demographic variables, while a Persona investigates psychographic variables in depth: identity and interests, habits, behaviour, popular places and purchasing habits. A Persona, also called User Persona or Buyer Persona, is the character created at the desk who will use the product, as close as possible to the real customer’s sentiments, emotions and behaviours.
Why must a cosmetic brand know the values of its consumer?
Because a cosmetic product is not a simple object but an experience deeply connected with the consumer’s values. It is a colour, a substance, a fragrance and a shape that enters into symbiosis with the body and changes our physiognomy, so creating the best product experience requires seeing the world with the customer’s own worldview (Weltanschauung).
Where does the data to define a cosmetic consumer Persona come from?
The data comes from digital sources. Digital and Social Media Listening and Monitoring applications give anonymous access to information on the target’s interests, habits and behaviours, which lets a cosmetic brand build a Persona close to real customer sentiment instead of relying on assumptions.
