Mark of a woman: Advertising cosmetics brands in India

Aakriti Goel
Warc Exclusive
Marketing to Women in India, December 2015

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Mark of a woman: Advertising cosmetics brands in India

Aakriti Goel
Warc Exclusive
Marketing to Women in India, December 2015

Mark of a woman: Advertising cosmetics brands in India

Aakriti Goel
Grey Group
Marketing to Women in India
This article is part a series on marketing to women in India. Read more.
Rajni Devi used to take 15 minutes in the 1980's. Her daily ritual consisted of bathing with Fuller's Earth and washing her hair
with a herbal concoction. She would then open her small steel box and apply some kohl in her eyes. From an adjacent similarlooking box, she would apply some vermillion and make a bindi on her forehead using her thumb. Her 15 minute ritual would
get extended to 30 only on the days when she would go out with her husband as Mrs. Verma.
It was on these occasions, that she would dig into her vanity box and indulge in imported lipsticks, blushers and nail paints to
look her charming best.
In Rajni Devi's eyes, her 25-year-old granddaughter's beauty regime seems a special occasion every day. Her vanity box is not
limited to the dressing table but starts from her bathroom and permeates into everything she does during the day. From
chasing a size zero figure to buying products which work on individual body parts, she is the child of the cosmetic generation.
And she is not the only one.
The Indian retail beauty and cosmetics market was estimated at $950 million in 2013 and is predicted to treble to $ 2.68 billion
by 2020. The drivers of this 15-20% annual growth 15-20% are skin whitening and anti-aging products, along with other
beauty products which have captured mass imagination with alluring promises. The number of hair salons has increased by
35% and projected value of the spa and beauty industry is estimated to reach $772 million over the next 5-8 years.
For modern Indian women, every square inch of their skin and scalp has become an investment and brands are cashing in on
this opportunity.
Beauty has always been an intrinsic part of Indian culture. History and literature is rich with stories of goddesses like Sarswati
Lakshmi and Durga, Draupadi and Apsaras (Divine Nymphs) who were the embodiments of beauty.
However, beauty found mainstream success and acceptance in 1994 with the crowning of Aishwarya Rai and Sushmita Sen.
Prior to that, women were typecast as home makers and makeup was a luxury. However, the early 1990s led to a change in
perception - there was a spike in the number of beauty products available when companies like Lakme and Revlon set up
base in India and re-defined the archetype of the perfect women. The fairer sex ran after being flawless and fair and, in the

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process, added products which soon transitioned to being a part of their daily regimen. The industry continues to increase
even today, on the back of the rise of the alpha female.
As women move out of the closet and break pre-defined gender roles to become a bread winner, the cosmetics market is
evolving. With women moving into the workplace, the focus has shifted from just looking beautiful to a combination of looking
good and feeling well.
Natural and herbal cosmetics are enjoying a revival. Likewise, the rise in spas, salons, fortified foods and beverages, and gym
clothing is a testimony to women looking for products which give them a holistic benefit. Brands increasingly understand that
Indian women know that physical beauty wanes with time and have tweaked products to include nourishment instead of just
cosmetic effect.
So lip colors now add nourishment, in addition to pigment; shampoos enhance growth, as well as cleaning; massage oils are
infused with aromatherapy ingredients; and fairness creams come with vitamins. With rising disposable income and global
exposure, women are increasingly investing in themselves and looking for options which give a holistic benefit.
The reign of established players is being challenged by the entry of herbal and natural products which promise much more
than just ornamentation. There are specialized products from head to toe, catering for a market that is potentially immense in a
society which wants both to look beautiful and feel good.
As the wave of wellness spreads, brands need to speak to the changing consumer. The value addition in products that are
extending from purely cosmetic to enhancement as well needs to be communicated. Until now, cosmetic ads have been
focused on stereotypical flawless imagery, positioning products as a means to attract male attention or feel more confident.
However, the woman of today is more realistic and is looking for reliability and an assurance of self-worth. Many brands are
increasingly realizing this new discourse and evolving their offerings accordingly.
Dove's Real Stories or L'Oreal's ''You Are Worth It'' campaigns strike a chord as they talk to modern women. The traditional
approach taken by various cosmetic brands in India will become redundant as the narrative shifts towards individuality, real
people and holistic nourishment.
Brands now need to communicate to real women who are no longer dressing up for male attention. Cosmetics are no longer
about artificial adornment but have now become a symbol of expression and identity. There is a change in the outlook towards
self-image as women increasingly grow conscious of their image. And there is a ready market for brands which can evolve and
adapt to the changing narrative, breaking the shackles of past recipes of success.

About the author

Aakriti Goel, Senior Planning Manager at Grey Group.

Read more articles from the Marketing to Women in India series

Marketing to women: Glass lions and shattering the glass ceiling Treading carefully: Connecting with the new Indian woman
Anil Nair
Poonam Kumar
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We can do better: Brands and the changing Indian woman

Babita Baruah

Humanisation of a goddess: The Indian mother

Poonam Kumar

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