The Essence of Marketing: Key Insights for Building a Successful Skincare Brand
Today, we’ll discuss the mindset needed for entrepreneurs looking to create their own skincare brand.
Don’t rush in with just technical expertise in manufacturing, advertising for traffic, product development, or aiming for the most unique concept. As a marketing consultant who has overseen over 50 startup brands, I’ve encountered several common issues:
- Incomplete Market Understanding: One of the biggest pitfalls is diving into the market without a clear understanding of it. Relying solely on technical innovation or unique ingredients doesn’t guarantee success.
- Insufficient Knowledge of Target Audience: Many brands aim to connect with affluent consumers, who have numerous choices. Ask yourself: Why would consumers choose your brand over established names they’ve trusted for years?
This question needs to be more specific: Why would affluent consumers choose an unfamiliar brand over a well-known one they’ve grown up with?
Consider how they choose big-ticket items like cars or luxury bags. Many struggling brands would benefit greatly from addressing this question. Relying on keyword ads, Yahoo native ads, or Facebook ads alone is unlikely to succeed, as these tactics don’t address the core issue.
More Than Just Traffic: A Comprehensive Marketing Strategy
Think of it like a bubble tea shop with a subpar ambiance rushing to drive traffic. If the setting isn’t right, conversion rates will suffer. Dynamic optimization without enough experience can be challenging. As Lei Jun said, “Don’t be diligent in tactics to cover up strategic deficiencies.” The real issue often lies in why high-spending customers might prefer pricier options over your brand.
Despite the hype around online marketing and e-commerce, convincing customers to buy remains difficult. For instance, a client with a technical focus might be confident in their product but struggle with packaging that even men find unappealing. One suggested experiment was to place their product and competitors’ products at a subway station exit, offering samples for free without any personal introductions. Though this idea was eventually abandoned, it highlighted a critical point: Online marketing requires deeper strategic thinking beyond just advertisements.
Consumers, especially women buying skincare products, often have emotional factors like self-pampering, expectations, and reward. They care more about the brand’s atmosphere, experience, and trust than just the price.
Fundamentals of Marketing
Essential elements to address include positioning, pricing, packaging, brand atmosphere, and trust. Many brands focus on generating traffic without deeply considering these core issues. Advertising is not a cure-all and is just one part of the broader marketing strategy.
Understanding the industry ecosystem and avoiding the pitfalls of blindly following advertising trends is crucial. Marketing isn’t just about ads; it’s about the entire communication strategy. If you’re facing similar issues, it’s not just about finding the right advertising channels but asking the right questions and understanding your audience’s needs.
Conclusion
The skincare industry is highly competitive and mature. Many of the online strategies and methods may not suit your specific needs. It’s better to pause and get the fundamentals right before diving into optimization. Market analysis is crucial. If you lack expertise, at least master the basics like the 3C analysis (Company, Customer, Competitor). Seek advice from experts if needed.
Having answered numerous questions over the past seven years, I urge you to focus on marketing fundamentals before proceeding. Don’t rely solely on advertising; its effectiveness depends on the product category. Even with the advantages of platforms like Facebook, the industry remains challenging. This underscores that success depends more on foundational strategies than just advertising.