Branding is all about positioning, making sure the target audience understands, believes and embraces the values the brand espouses. History is littered with beautiful brands launching full of promise, which have quickly become tarnished and lost the attention of their audience. It’s especially risky with high end products, where price is one of the main indicators of position yet also one of the biggest obstacles to sales growth. So how can you position a product as luxurious, but which still attracts quantity of sales. Dalal Moussa , CEO, of beauty brand Obliphica Professional is an expert at creating a brand that exudes luxury yet is loved by a wide, discerning demographic.
How do you identify the strengths of a brand?
First and foremost, Customer Loyalty. Building the trust factor is crucial in the beauty industry where women are far more conscious about what they use as part of their beauty regimen. Then there is Brand Identity, sustaining our brand and continuing to create meaningful differentiation and engagement is important in order to be successful in the beauty industry.
What are the best channels to communicate luxury?
Today the key to communicating a luxury brand story is greatly influenced by peer to peer marketing. Whether editorial in leading fashion and beauty publications or social media recommendations, customers listen to their peers and the icons of luxury. Luxury is both tactile and visual and is best communicated by the use of sampling and demonstrating supported by instructional videos often chronicled on Pintrest and other Social Media. Authentic personal recommendation has quickly surpassed traditional mediums such as print, television and loyalty programs.
How do you drive aspiration without frightening potential consumers that it will be too expensive, or it’s not for them?
Personalization. It’s reminding them through powerful messaging that there is accessibility to our luxury hair products. The common thread is the customer, and there is a certain universality to the luxury customer. This isn’t about the demographics or the affluent, but about the desire to have unique things and experiences that are special at a personal level because luxury goods are a symbol of success. Ultimately that defines luxury.
What can weaken or cheapen a brand?
Guilty by association, being in the wrong environment, associated with inferior products, highly discounted, sold without being properly prescribed and demonstrated. Pressure to expand sales causes brands to expand into venues with inferior products, no advice available, and discount pricing. The most modern way to devalue a brand is selling on Amazon and other unauthorized sites. Online prices are often 20-40% below retail and possibly counterfeit or expired product. Products sold under these circumstances immediately lose all perceived value to the consumer.
