Beauty brands are increasingly breaking ground by offering essential and luxury cosmetic items and experiences to consumers. However, the current market has grown increasingly and with new market players setting the pace, beauty brands must work harder than ever to cultivate customer loyalty. While it is important for brands to move with the times and build new customer bases across all demographics, it is also key that original customers aren’t forgotten, and their loyalty is rewarded.
With the cosmetics and beauty industry showing no signs of dipping in profit, customers are often the main advocates for a brand and this behaviour is worth rewarding. A loyal customer sharing what their favourite brand is doing can consequently help boost profit and further growth in various ways. As a result, brands with longevity are those that resonate with a specific consumer base, answer their questions, and find new and innovative ways to keep them close and retain their customers.
Loyalty-driven incentives and subscription success:
Implementing loyalty-driven incentives is a convincing strategy for building customer allegiance and repeat purchases. By offering event invitations, membership privileges, discounts and deals and access to new products brands are showing their appreciation. For example, brands offering loyalty rewards such as points-based systems incentivises repeat purchases and encourages customers engagement – through physical stores or online platforms.
A key driver in capturing customer loyalty also lies within a subscription model. Beauty brands offering subscription services that provide regular product deliveries or exclusive benefits create additional opportunities for the customer to feel valued. The benefits of the subscription model include convenience, continuous engagement, personalisation and shareworthy unboxing experiences.
Bringing a bespoke experience to the beauty consumer:
Building a bespoke experience for a customer involves a number of factors.
- Customising products with the goal of inclusivity: Product offerings such as custom foundation mixing known as ‘dramming’ enabling customers to perfectly colour-match their chosen beauty product to their skin type can help a brand reach consumers from all walks of life, backgrounds and cultures, simultaneously building a brand reputation of inclusivity.
- Creating a bespoke experience: The power of convenience and personalisation should not be overlooked – methods such as kitting, which involves curating product bundles based on customer preferences help create a tailored experience that resonates with customers, making them feel valued and connected to the brand.
- Brand consistency: It is vital that brands are consistent with replicating offerings and messaging across multiple channels. Signposting from the website to the bricks-and-mortar site at the very least will not only help retain existing customers but also create a seamless brand experience.
A two-way street for brand and customer:
Cultivating brand loyalty is a two-way street. To establish the longevity of a relationship, brands must also show gratitude towards their customers to ensure they feel heard and a part of their brand of choices. By offering customers the opportunity to share their experiences and then actively making improvements based on feedback, a brand will build trust and emotional connections with their target audience.
With customers being bombarded by numerous advertisements from multiple companies, it’s essential to stand out. At the same time, allowing customers to opt out of marketing materials that may not apply to them enables a customer to feel that a brand is sensitive to their needs and interests. Proactive and responsive customer service plays a part in this experience. If fulfilment and customer service teams work together, issues can be pre-empted and dealt with, efficiently limiting any delays or miscommunication for a customer.
Using data to inform brands’ fulfilment operations:
The final area to consider when capturing customer loyalty is data. Intelligence gained within the eCommerce space is invaluable and key to informing a brand’s order fulfilment model. By analysing customer preferences, feedback and reviews, brands can offer personalised recommendations not only at the point of sale but from a fulfilment perspective too. Likewise, business process outsourcers (BPOs) can help with identifying areas for improvement in fulfilment operations to ensure that a brand remains at the forefront. By addressing and implementing relevant technological advancements brands can demonstrate their commitment to delivering the best possible experiences to customers.
Ultimately, the key to success in the beauty space is when customers have faith in a brand and perceive it as consistently evolving and providing optimal experiences. Only then can loyalty and trust be naturally cultivated, resulting in a consistent and satisfied customer base.
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