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15/06/2022 CosmeticBusiness

The "Conscious Consumers" Target Group

How Cosmetics Brands Can Reach Critical and Seminal Consumers

The "conscious consumer" is one of the fastest-growing customer segments in the cosmetics market. The British chemical company Croda makes this observation in its most recent blog post, referring to the "Forces of Change" study by Hearts & Science. This is reason enough for the supplier of cosmetics ingredients to examine the characteristics of this category of consumers and how it should affect product development in cosmetics companies.

The Conscious Consumer Is Not Just a Passing Trend

According to Croda, conscious consumers are guided in their purchasing decisions by ethical and ecological aspects. They have clear objectives for their health, well-being and lifestyle. They expect products to benefit not only themselves but also society and the planet. For this reason, they inform themselves thoroughly about sustainability goals and brand values as well as ingredients and business ethics before making a purchasing decision.

The manufacturer does not consider this a passing trend and substantiates this view with data from the current Global Consumer Insights Pulse Survey by PwC. This shows that 50 per cent of consumers worldwide have become more eco-conscious since the pandemic. What is more, the conscious consumers are mainly young consumers, making these the consumer group of the future. According to the PwC survey, 58 per cent of millennials have developed more eco-conscious behaviour.

Tips for Brand and Product Profiling

From this development, Croda derives four building blocks for creating brand communication that will reach the conscious consumer. Brands must 1) communicate safety and the fact that they and their products are not only better for the buyer but also for humans, animals and the planet. They must 2) prove their sustainability based on both ecological and social criteria. Of course, they must continue to 3) emphasise their achievements by offering innovative and effective products. At the same time, they must 4) practice transparency so that conscious consumers can learn all about their sourcing and manufacturing processes.

All this should then result in products based on formulas that are vegan, cruelty-free, biodegradable and contain natural ingredients. These attributes need to be documented and certified by an independent body. Production processes should be ecologically-oriented and product packaging sustainable. Formulas that are water-efficient or waterless innovations, formulas that use only the most necessary ingredients (skinimalism) as well as products and brands that can promote diversity and inclusion will serve to complete the ideal brand profile for conscious consumers, according to Croda.

Source: Croda

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