Nancy Jeffries, Contributing Editor05.07.15
Instant gratification in beauty is undergoing a dramatic shift, with the desire for a quick fix giving way to a focus on long-term sustainable beauty and whole life thinking.
“Planning for the long haul in beauty will be the new mindset,” noted Jill Scalamandre, chairwoman, CEW at the recent Global Trend Report presentation in New York.
According to Carlotta Jacobson, president, CEW, there is a global shift in the way consumers view overall health, beauty and wellness and that has a big impact on the beauty industry. To help prepare its members for what’s next, CEW partnered with
The Future Laboratory for a second year to share proprietary findings, which were presented by Claire Hobson, EVP-global business director, The Future Laboratory. She discussed consumer trends such as whole-life thinking, agelessness and the optimized self. Hobson also provided insights on how these concepts will impact the direction of the industry, as well as how brands can adapt for the future.
Hobson has lived in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Sydney and New York; she now lives in London, where she joined The Future Laboratory as head of consultancy in 2013. Formerly the head of a New York creative agency, she has spent the past 16 years building such brands as Qantas, Coca-Cola, Sunglass Hut and Panasonic.
Lifestyle Categories
“There are fundamental trends that will affect future lifestyle categories across numerous sectors, so it is important to understand the bigger implications as they impact your category,” said Hobson, quoting writer and futurist, Jamais Cascio, who said, “We need to stop thinking in terms of instants and start thinking in terms of ages.”
Noting that increased longevity has impacted the market across all categories, she asked, “How can the body take in the changes of an extended lifestyle?” She explained that short-term thinking is becoming obsolete for a population with a radically extended lifespan, adding that “when Millennials are expected to live a healthy life to the age of 100, their minds and bodies need to be operating at the top of their games. This longevity is fundamental, and as a consequence the consumer is thinking about the mind/body continuum.”
Taking better care of oneself is crucial.
“Optimization is about being in control of yourself, your environment and your biology,” she said.
Emphasizing the mind/body correlation, Hobson observed three trends, first, hyper-personalized beauty at a genetic level will be key; second, products and services that boost vitality, concentration, and intelligence, will be in demand; and third, the wellness focus that inspires seamless and holistic beauty lifestyles, including beauty, wellness and cosmetics, will be one and the same.
Understanding these market shifts as drivers will allow the industry to address them.
“We will need to help consumers plan for the future and step out of short-term thinking,” said Hobson, noting that shoppers are starting to resist brands that they feel embody a sense of impermanence, citing a survey that said that the majority of consumers wouldn’t mind if 73% of the brands on the market disappeared.
“People are gravitating toward brands that deliver something of substance,” she said, citing Louis Vuitton, a brand with heritage, provenance and longevity. “The digital revolution is not solving our biggest problem. There’s a gap between where consumers are and where we’re willing to take them. One of the roles we can play is understanding how technology can best be used to advance long-term lifestyles,” she said.
Mindfulness and Holistic Health
There is an increasing need to address mounting stress in our daily lives, as burnout prevents individuals from fulfilling their lives. Stress costs US businesses revenue, productivity and increased staff turnover.
“Mindfulness as a concept is now in everyone’s vernacular. We’re so stressed that it’s starting to make us ill, so consumers are aligning with brands that give them a sense of quiet and solidity,” Hobson explained. “We’re living longer than ever before, and this generation wants to be optimized, not necessarily anti-aging.”
Citing data from the National Institute on Aging, Pew Research Center, she noted that by 2060 there will be an almost equal number of under-fives as over-85s in the US. Therefore, it will be important to leverage brand loyalty and brand partnership. In this ‘flat age’ economy it is key to note that this generation is not retired and doing nothing, and brands will need to be relevant.
Hobson quoted Sarah Kugelman, founder of Skyn Iceland skin care, who once said, “It is extending beyond looking good, to your memory working better, your vision getting better. It’s being more youthful in every sense of that word.”
The new wellness paradigm emphasizes that beauty is increasingly defined as holistic and not simply cosmetic, health consciousness is going mainstream, and there is a spectrum of what beauty and wellness look like. The Beauty Chef, for example, has launched a new range of probiotic elixirs and serums for inner health. Among the key trends we need to look at is that “beauty empowers long lives that are worth living.”
There are smart pills, DNA and biotech solutions, pre-emptive wellness solutions. She predicted that brand standing and sustainability will all be part of a consumer’s everyday beauty palette, from yoga to nutrition, to customized products and services that address consumer needs on a molecular level.
Hobson noted that more than half of the beauty consumers in the UK would allow DNA testing of their skin, hair, and blood to create personalized products; and 60% said they would pay a premium for personalized care products. She cited two brands that are already creating these products: Parisian beauty brand Ioma, which introduced an anti-wrinkle treatment in tablet form; and GeneU beauty brand, which launched a bespoke skincare service, called U+, which tests DNA to create products matched exactly to a person’s skin type. GeneU allows personalization of anti-aging skin care for consumers seeking beautiful, healthy skin.
Beauty aside, other wellness categories are expanding via novel product launches. Nootrobox, billed as a smart drug system, is designed to aid memory, focus and energy and is available as a monthly subscription-based program. Moon Juice sells Sex Dust and Body Dust to boost libido, performance, and reduce stress; while Kiehl’s Energizing Moisturizer, features a moisturizing formula for the skin that includes menthol and caffeine to energize.
“Upstream wellness trends,” said Hobson, “include beauty brands that are finding pre-emptive ways to safeguard physical, emotional, and mental health.” The VitaStiq home device tracks personal mineral and vitamin levels. League is a digital wellness platform, in which users share their data with professionals and receive recommendations; while the Cue Health Tracker enables users to discover detailed hormonal information formerly available through lab tests only, and to make appropriate changes for themselves.
Beauty Alchemy
Besides monitoring their own body signs and signals, beauty shoppers are becoming their own alchemists and are confidently mixing ingredients they know are efficacious for their own skin and hair, according to Hobson. For example, The Blend is a fragrance oil kit that lets customers create scents and Mio, a range of remedies, which are said to optimize workouts.
Ultimately, marketers must get into a consumer’s brain to amplify an existing behavior, according to Hobson. Big opportunities lie in understanding the need for stress relief and bringing the body back into balance. One example is The Olive, a smart bracelet that monitors stress levels, skin temperature and heart rate. It offers exercise regimens and suggestions by simply tapping the device and getting a read out.
Whole system beauty also requires sleep, so anything that helps people achieve a restful wellness state is very important,” Hobson said, adding that the Beauty Sleep Sweet Pillow Scent from Supermood of Finland taps into that need.
“Today’s ageless consumer expects beauty brands to embody sustainability and ethical production. Over the long term, this will have the most impact on your brand,” she insisted.
Hobson urged manufacturers to use fewer chemicals, be environmentally sensitive in packaging and manufacturing, and understand the significance of bio-tech beauty.
“This is significant from a GM perspective. New ranges of beauty products based on bio-technology will deliver huge increases in interest,” she said. She cited Unilever’s sustainable beauty strategy, which illustrates this ethos in action.
Hobson predicted that beauty and wellness will get reshaped via bioengineering. At Gingko Bioworks for example, bio-engineers are developing new organisms that will enable the design of new fragrance molecules; organizations will change the way they plan for the long-term; and brands will build “body temples” where the convergence of beauty, health and wellbeing will be key.
She offered several suggestions for this new brand mind set:
• Start the ball rolling in your organizations about long-term ambition;
• Think brain boosters;
• Develop smart products;
• Get ahead of the curve;
• Get ahead of the consumer;
• Channel upstream wellness by being pro-active and pre-emptive; and
• Enable beauty hackers to create their own products.”
“Help create long lives that are worth living,” Hobson concluded.
“Planning for the long haul in beauty will be the new mindset,” noted Jill Scalamandre, chairwoman, CEW at the recent Global Trend Report presentation in New York.
According to Carlotta Jacobson, president, CEW, there is a global shift in the way consumers view overall health, beauty and wellness and that has a big impact on the beauty industry. To help prepare its members for what’s next, CEW partnered with
The Future Laboratory for a second year to share proprietary findings, which were presented by Claire Hobson, EVP-global business director, The Future Laboratory. She discussed consumer trends such as whole-life thinking, agelessness and the optimized self. Hobson also provided insights on how these concepts will impact the direction of the industry, as well as how brands can adapt for the future.
Hobson has lived in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Sydney and New York; she now lives in London, where she joined The Future Laboratory as head of consultancy in 2013. Formerly the head of a New York creative agency, she has spent the past 16 years building such brands as Qantas, Coca-Cola, Sunglass Hut and Panasonic.
Lifestyle Categories
“There are fundamental trends that will affect future lifestyle categories across numerous sectors, so it is important to understand the bigger implications as they impact your category,” said Hobson, quoting writer and futurist, Jamais Cascio, who said, “We need to stop thinking in terms of instants and start thinking in terms of ages.”
Noting that increased longevity has impacted the market across all categories, she asked, “How can the body take in the changes of an extended lifestyle?” She explained that short-term thinking is becoming obsolete for a population with a radically extended lifespan, adding that “when Millennials are expected to live a healthy life to the age of 100, their minds and bodies need to be operating at the top of their games. This longevity is fundamental, and as a consequence the consumer is thinking about the mind/body continuum.”
Taking better care of oneself is crucial.
“Optimization is about being in control of yourself, your environment and your biology,” she said.
Emphasizing the mind/body correlation, Hobson observed three trends, first, hyper-personalized beauty at a genetic level will be key; second, products and services that boost vitality, concentration, and intelligence, will be in demand; and third, the wellness focus that inspires seamless and holistic beauty lifestyles, including beauty, wellness and cosmetics, will be one and the same.
Understanding these market shifts as drivers will allow the industry to address them.
“We will need to help consumers plan for the future and step out of short-term thinking,” said Hobson, noting that shoppers are starting to resist brands that they feel embody a sense of impermanence, citing a survey that said that the majority of consumers wouldn’t mind if 73% of the brands on the market disappeared.
“People are gravitating toward brands that deliver something of substance,” she said, citing Louis Vuitton, a brand with heritage, provenance and longevity. “The digital revolution is not solving our biggest problem. There’s a gap between where consumers are and where we’re willing to take them. One of the roles we can play is understanding how technology can best be used to advance long-term lifestyles,” she said.
Mindfulness and Holistic Health
There is an increasing need to address mounting stress in our daily lives, as burnout prevents individuals from fulfilling their lives. Stress costs US businesses revenue, productivity and increased staff turnover.
“Mindfulness as a concept is now in everyone’s vernacular. We’re so stressed that it’s starting to make us ill, so consumers are aligning with brands that give them a sense of quiet and solidity,” Hobson explained. “We’re living longer than ever before, and this generation wants to be optimized, not necessarily anti-aging.”
Citing data from the National Institute on Aging, Pew Research Center, she noted that by 2060 there will be an almost equal number of under-fives as over-85s in the US. Therefore, it will be important to leverage brand loyalty and brand partnership. In this ‘flat age’ economy it is key to note that this generation is not retired and doing nothing, and brands will need to be relevant.
Hobson quoted Sarah Kugelman, founder of Skyn Iceland skin care, who once said, “It is extending beyond looking good, to your memory working better, your vision getting better. It’s being more youthful in every sense of that word.”
The new wellness paradigm emphasizes that beauty is increasingly defined as holistic and not simply cosmetic, health consciousness is going mainstream, and there is a spectrum of what beauty and wellness look like. The Beauty Chef, for example, has launched a new range of probiotic elixirs and serums for inner health. Among the key trends we need to look at is that “beauty empowers long lives that are worth living.”
There are smart pills, DNA and biotech solutions, pre-emptive wellness solutions. She predicted that brand standing and sustainability will all be part of a consumer’s everyday beauty palette, from yoga to nutrition, to customized products and services that address consumer needs on a molecular level.
Hobson noted that more than half of the beauty consumers in the UK would allow DNA testing of their skin, hair, and blood to create personalized products; and 60% said they would pay a premium for personalized care products. She cited two brands that are already creating these products: Parisian beauty brand Ioma, which introduced an anti-wrinkle treatment in tablet form; and GeneU beauty brand, which launched a bespoke skincare service, called U+, which tests DNA to create products matched exactly to a person’s skin type. GeneU allows personalization of anti-aging skin care for consumers seeking beautiful, healthy skin.
Beauty aside, other wellness categories are expanding via novel product launches. Nootrobox, billed as a smart drug system, is designed to aid memory, focus and energy and is available as a monthly subscription-based program. Moon Juice sells Sex Dust and Body Dust to boost libido, performance, and reduce stress; while Kiehl’s Energizing Moisturizer, features a moisturizing formula for the skin that includes menthol and caffeine to energize.
“Upstream wellness trends,” said Hobson, “include beauty brands that are finding pre-emptive ways to safeguard physical, emotional, and mental health.” The VitaStiq home device tracks personal mineral and vitamin levels. League is a digital wellness platform, in which users share their data with professionals and receive recommendations; while the Cue Health Tracker enables users to discover detailed hormonal information formerly available through lab tests only, and to make appropriate changes for themselves.
Beauty Alchemy
Besides monitoring their own body signs and signals, beauty shoppers are becoming their own alchemists and are confidently mixing ingredients they know are efficacious for their own skin and hair, according to Hobson. For example, The Blend is a fragrance oil kit that lets customers create scents and Mio, a range of remedies, which are said to optimize workouts.
Ultimately, marketers must get into a consumer’s brain to amplify an existing behavior, according to Hobson. Big opportunities lie in understanding the need for stress relief and bringing the body back into balance. One example is The Olive, a smart bracelet that monitors stress levels, skin temperature and heart rate. It offers exercise regimens and suggestions by simply tapping the device and getting a read out.
Whole system beauty also requires sleep, so anything that helps people achieve a restful wellness state is very important,” Hobson said, adding that the Beauty Sleep Sweet Pillow Scent from Supermood of Finland taps into that need.
“Today’s ageless consumer expects beauty brands to embody sustainability and ethical production. Over the long term, this will have the most impact on your brand,” she insisted.
Hobson urged manufacturers to use fewer chemicals, be environmentally sensitive in packaging and manufacturing, and understand the significance of bio-tech beauty.
“This is significant from a GM perspective. New ranges of beauty products based on bio-technology will deliver huge increases in interest,” she said. She cited Unilever’s sustainable beauty strategy, which illustrates this ethos in action.
Hobson predicted that beauty and wellness will get reshaped via bioengineering. At Gingko Bioworks for example, bio-engineers are developing new organisms that will enable the design of new fragrance molecules; organizations will change the way they plan for the long-term; and brands will build “body temples” where the convergence of beauty, health and wellbeing will be key.
She offered several suggestions for this new brand mind set:
• Start the ball rolling in your organizations about long-term ambition;
• Think brain boosters;
• Develop smart products;
• Get ahead of the curve;
• Get ahead of the consumer;
• Channel upstream wellness by being pro-active and pre-emptive; and
• Enable beauty hackers to create their own products.”
“Help create long lives that are worth living,” Hobson concluded.