Personalized Recommendation for Beauty Products at Retail and in the Home

A recognized international beauty brand believed better product education would lead to increased sales and satisfaction.

A major international cosmetic brand believed that a better understanding of how to use their products would increase sales.  In Asia, they focused on existing customers of their products and how to make the best use of those products and others in their product portfolio.

At retail, they placed an NFC tag where the user could register and use a face scanning app that would determine the user’s skin condition and coloring and link it to the registration.  The user could then interact with the brand’s other products and would get instant feedback if the product or color was correct for their profile.

An NFC tag on the product’s primary packaging would allow the user to interact with the app in the home and make recommendations on usage based on the skin characteristics of the user, the products they had already purchased as well as environmental factors based on the time of day and their location, things like night or day, winter or summer, etc.  Recommendations could range from which product to use, how to apply, and what combinations would maximize the effectiveness of the application.

Customer satisfaction increased significantly and sales to existing customers rose as well.  The brand also has significantly more information as to what products customers were using together and the general geography where the products were most successful allowing for more targeted campaigns going forward.

Tapwow Takeaways

• Personalized product information is more possible with a smartphone interaction through an NFC tag or QR Code.
• Registering products purchased gives the brand a more holistic view of the relationship with the customer and presents upsell/cross-sell opportunities.
• The app experience offered significant value for the user overcoming reluctance to opt-in/sign up.
• Smart products can extend the retail experience and brand relationship to the home.