How to survive the unprecedented challenge presented by the coronavirus crisis? That’s the million-dollar question. Wizz Selvey, founder and CEO of retail strategy consultancy, Wizz & Co., and Millie Kendall, CEO, The British Beauty Council, will join Dean DeBiase, chairman of Revieve for a webinar on April 8 (4PM GMT / 12 ET) entitled “Reinvention, Reimagination and Regeneration for the Health and Beauty Aids Industry, The Reboot Chronicles, “Ideas For Selling In The Age Of Coronavirus.”

The webinar will outline specific steps HBA brands can take now to ensure consumer engagement and drive sales both in the short and once the current crisis eventually subsides.
 
Selvey, who formerly headed up beauty buying at Selfridges and has launched disruptive beauty brands like Charlotte Tilbury and Facegym, says now is the time for brands to take a close look at their digital presence and assess what platforms are being used to communicate.  In particular, she says emphasis should be placed on social media channels that facilitate curation—think Pinterest—so that consumers, who may not be buying now, can begin to compile lists for future purchases when the current status quo lifts.
 
Happi checked in with Selvey and DeBiase to get some insight ahead of the webinar.
 
HAPPI: If there was only one thing you can tell beauty brands right now about the current state of affairs, what would it be? 
 
Selvey: Beauty is and always has been a buoyant product category during any recession, commonly known as the Lipstick Effect. Focusing more on content and digital strategies is crucial to building any brand for the decade ahead and is now more prevalent than ever before.
 
DeBiase: I agree with Wizz…brands need to meet consumers where they are now, while they are experiencing high levels of anxiety and trauma in their lives. Start by developing easy-to-consume brand-relevant content that can be informative and entertaining.  It’s counterintuitive for competitive brands and retailers—your current goal is not just shopping-cart optimization, but developing culture/country appropriate emotional consumer connections  
 
HAPPI: What are some of the common mistakes a brand might make? 
 
Selvey: Carry on with the content they had planned before the COVID-19 outbreak, all marketing and communication channels should be reviewed, even standard auto messaging such as email sign ups and post-delivery emails may contain something that is could be deemed as insensitive now
 

DeBiase: Exactly Wizz…It is also critical to look beyond the crisis with a focused digital and in-store plan the bridges your brand to the consumer recovery by country. We are seeing early trends emerging in China with revenge shopping and affinities to beauty and skin care products that consumers developed new digital relationships with during the great lockdown.
 
HAPPI:Is there a difference if your brand is prestige/mass market in terms of messaging? Like selling a luxury skin cream vs. the everyday essential?

Selvey: Messaging should be aligned to the brand's target customer; it is less about the price point and more about why it is right for the customer. Consider that customers may be in two camps: firstly, more price sensitive and purchasing a lower priced product so new to the brand,therefore do not forget to educate potential new customers. Secondly, customers who have been considering purchasing a higher price product now have more time to research their purchase and are not spending money on a facial so they maywant to replicate an experience at home. In either case, rich, educational digital content, advice and online experience are an opportunity.
 
To register for the webinar, click here  https://www.revieve.com/rebootchronicles