Baccarose’ Villoo Daji on the changing face of Indian beauty business

The collaboration between Baccarose Perfumes and Beauty Products and Shiseido, the well-known global beauty brand began in the year 2002. Recently, Shiseido’s first standalone boutique store has been opened in India. It has also recently announced Tamannaah Bhatia as its India Brand Ambassador and unveiled its first campaign video in India for a skincare range promising vibrant and healthy skin. The campaign video shows the way Tamannaah Bhatia enhances her beauty with the help of Shiseido’s 3-step skincare regime which serves three benefits – Activation, Strengthening, and Regeneration of skin. The co-usage of some of the best products of Shiseido such as the Essential Energy Cream, Ultimune Serum, and Eudermine Activating Essence, is also captured by the video to ensure smooth, radiant, and buoyant skin. The campaign showcases a solution film addressing a specific problem, providing solutions to the intricate issues of Indian skin, and how the concerns of the Indian consumers are addressed by the Shiseido trio.

The aim of this collaboration between Baccarose and Shiseido is to perforate the market consisting of luxury aspirants by making them aware and educated about the beauty care industry. The marketing strategy includes leveraging digital campaigns and utilizing KOLS with a considerable follower base as well as including visually appealing Point of Sales. Presently consumers prefer beauty products with high efficacy value and those that are endorsed by reliable experts. They are also looking for quick visible results and are eager to pay a premium price for the same.

In the coming days, skincare routines would become more personalized leading to the creation of individualized and customized products catering to the skincare needs of each consumer. Moreover, rising global connectivity will lead to the celebration of numerous cultural ideals of beauty. Preventive skincare routines will also gain more importance along with personalized skincare routines. Besides, there is an increasing tendency towards the incorporation of traditional and natural skincare practices such as Ayurveda within modern skincare routines.

In conversation with Adgully, Villoo Daji, Senior Vice President, Group Marketing, Baccarose Perfumes and Beauty Products, shared, “Our vision focuses on - Consumer first always ensuring that they get on time awareness, creating campaigns and digital visibility with consistent engagement & building lifetime value for the consumers.” Excerpts:

How did the collaboration of Shiseido and Baccarose come about?

It has been a remarkable journey for Baccarose and Shiseido. Our longstanding partnership began back in 2002 when we started distributing the brand in India. Over the years, we've witnessed Shiseido's commitment to innovation, and timeless beauty, which has made the brand incredibly popular with Indian beauty lovers. We are proud to have recently opened Shiseido's first standalone boutique store in India. Located at Inorbit Mall, Malad, Mumbai, this new boutique represents a significant milestone in Shiseido's journey in India and promises an exceptional beauty shopping experience to the Indian audience.

What is the reason for collaborating with actress Tamannah Bhatia as the brand ambassador?

We are very excited to have Tamannaah Bhatia as the face of our skincare regimen Campaign in India. Tamannaah Bhatia's association with Shiseido goes beyond being a brand ambassador; she is a true user & advocate of our brand philosophy and skincare products, we are looking forward to her sharing how Shiseido skincare may help Indian consumers.

What can consumers expect out of this collaboration?

Tamannaah's grace, elegance, and authenticity resonate with Shiseido's values, making her the perfect choice for this campaign. Through this collaboration, we aim to inspire and penetrate the market of luxury aspirants by educating them. Tamannaah's dedication to Shiseido's products makes her not just an endorser but an authentic advocate, aligning perfectly with our ethos of promoting genuine beauty and inclusivity.

What is the marketing strategy and marketing mix of Baccarose?

Media consumption has evolved & changed over the years. We have shifted focus on digital campaigns as it is more visual and aesthetic and we drive more visibility across all age groups and other demographics. We also use a variety of KOLS which is imperative for our industry due to their more stringent and specific follower base. Most of these KOLs have an already-arrived audience but we want to capture the attention of the luxury aspirants and fashionistas. Another key focus for us is our visually appealing Point Of Sales, where we strive to keep the merchandising interesting and creative through mall activations.

What are the marketing activities and brand activations undertaken by Baccarose Pvt Ltd to introduce the collaboration? Who is the TG for those campaigns?

We are thrilled to have Tamannaah Bhatia as the face of our skincare regimen Campaign Video in India. India's first localized Shiseido campaign video, featuring Tamannaah Bhatia showcases how she harnesses her beauty with Shiseido's 3-step skincare regimen, to Activate, Strengthen, and Regenerate her skin. The video captures the co-usage of Shiseido's star products of the Eudermine Activating Essence, Ultimune Serum & Essential Energy cream to ensure radiant, resilient & smooth skin.

The campaign has been deployed across digital platforms like GDN and YouTube and aims at building consideration via social media like Instagram, Facebook, etc. Consumers will get to see 3 distinct key films that educate, build consideration, and generate trials. A specific problem solution film is also amplified, which will address the specific issues of Indian skin and how the Shiseido trio effectively addresses the Indian consumer's concerns.

What is the consumer behaviour observed in the beauty care segment currently?

Currently, consumers are looking for products that have high efficacy value and that are endorsed by known and reputable experts. Consumers want to see visible results and want to see them quickly and the willingness to pay a premium for such products has plenty of potential. The future of beauty especially in skincare would be more personalized skincare routines, which could become even more sophisticated, potentially incorporating genetic data to create highly individualized products. With increased global connectivity, beauty standards might become even more diverse and inclusive, celebrating various cultural ideals of beauty. Consumers may also tend to shift focus to more preventive skincare routines, focusing on protecting the skin from environmental pollutants and stressors, which might become more prominent.

What are the trends in the beauty industry at present?

Beauty in India is often diverse and inclusive, celebrating various skin tones, body types, and features. The perception of beauty is changing, with a move toward embracing natural beauty and individuality. There is a rich tradition of natural beauty, with an emphasis on features like dark hair, skin, and eyes. Traditional practices like Ayurveda also influence beauty products, promoting natural ingredients. Traditional Indian skincare practices often include the use of natural ingredients like turmeric, sandalwood, and neem. There is a growing trend toward incorporating these traditional practices into modern skincare routines.

How was the year 2023 for Baccarose?

This year has seen a large inclusion of several makeup & skincare brands like Laura Mercier, Pupa, Dr. Irena Eris, GADE, Nouba, Ahava, -417, and Nuxe, to name a few. We have enhanced presence in the number of doors across retail outlets like Shoppers Stop, Tira, Nykaa Parcos, and many more.

How has the brand vision of Baccarose evolved?

Our vision focuses on - Consumers first always ensuring that they get on-time awareness, creating campaigns and digital visibility with consistent engagement & building lifetime value for the consumers. We strive to curate the best portfolio of global beauty brands for consumers, carefully selecting a product mix that is in tune with the features colour, and skin as per Indian market trends. We aim to give our consumers an omnichannel presence with timely information on ongoing deals, offers, and range assortment.