Buying patterns in personal care sector generally stay stable year-round: Poulomi Roy

With the festive season driving consumer optimism and economic vitality, businesses have been intensifying efforts to stand out in a competitive landscape. For personal care and beauty care brands, the festive season is a crucial period to drive sales and brands in this sector come up with aggressive marketing strategies and numerous deals and discounts to woo the consumers.

In conversation with Adgully, Poulomi Roy, CMO, Joy Personal Care (RSH Global), shares her observations on the overall consumer and market sentiment during the festive season this year, what formed the core of Joy Personal Care’s festive marketing strategy, its marketing and advertising budget for the festive season 2024, and more.

Consumer and market sentiments

Upbeat about the festive season this year, Poulomi Roy saw very optimistic consumer sentiment this festive season. According to her, stabilizing inflation and improving rural markets contributed to an overall positive economic outlook, with increase in spends seen among both urban and rural consumers.

Roy observed, “In the personal care sector specifically, buying patterns generally stay stable year-round, as people primarily purchase regular-use items. However, during the festive season, there is a modest rise in purchases, especially in colour cosmetics. This increase is encouraged by a small rise in disposable income during this period. People are also enthusiastic about buying beauty and personal care products, especially items that focus on wellness and natural ingredients. Gifting is also a big trend, with consumers opting for products that offer a sense of wellness and self-care.”

Marketing strategy

Speaking about Joy Personal Care’s festive marketing strategy this year, Roy said that it centered around embracing and celebrating the natural beauty of women. To bring this theme to life, the brand highlighted skincare essentials and product-focused content, particularly through digital and social media channels, with influencer collaborations as a key component. These influencers connected with the audience by sharing expert skincare tips tailored for the festive season and recommending Joy’s products as ideal additions to their skincare routines.

“Additionally, we have a television commercial launching in November that will spotlight our winter flagship product – Joy Honey & Almonds Body Lotion – enhancing our presence during the festive season,” she added.

Advertising & Marketing budget

While she refrained from sharing any absolute numbers regarding the festive marketing and advertising budget, Roy said that the brand’s budget for the 2024 festive season remained in line with last year’s allocation, with no additional increase.

Roy further said, “Our festive ad budget allocation is strategically designed to engage consumers across various platforms, ensuring we connect with them at multiple touchpoints in both physical retail and online spaces. We maintain a robust presence in leading retail chains like D-Mart, Reliance, and Smart Bazaar, where we have experienced impressive growth – 20% in D-Mart and 30% in Reliance Retail. On the digital side, we focus on leveraging e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, Flipkart, and Meesho, as well as quick commerce channels, to enhance the accessibility of Joy Personal Care products. These third-party platforms not only broaden our reach but also align perfectly with our retail strategy, enabling us to effectively navigate today’s fragmented media landscape and meet evolving consumer demands.”

Also Read: Focus East: Rise of D2C brands is transforming the skincare landscape: Poulomi Roy