Apart from the functional aspect of products, consumers are largely influenced by emotional factors when making purchases, causing brands to strive to be relevant in consumers' minds.
Chairit Nasomyont, brand general manager of Maybelline Thailand, said the nation's cosmetics market in 2024 has exceeded the level before the pandemic as more Thais take part in outdoor activities, such as participating in events or socialising with friends, increasing the frequency of occasions where people would wear make-up.
"Even though the country's economy looks gloomy, the Thai cosmetics market is estimated to be still growing," said Mr Chairit.
The rapid growth of the cosmetics industry in Thailand this year comes with exciting new product launches from both local and global brands. This variety gives customers more choices than ever, encouraging brands to be more creative in their marketing campaigns to succeed in today's dynamic consumer landscape.
From left are Ms Punnada, Mr Chairit and Ms Kornnika.
This compels companies to not only constantly develop new products but also to embrace innovative marketing strategies that deliver unique consumer experiences, fostering brand recognition and maintaining a competitive edge, he said.
Mr Chairit said Maybelline Thailand seeks to engage trendsetting young adults aged 18-36 who use social media to explore and share their love for beauty.
"They account for about 20% of the Thai population and report extensive use of social media," he said.
Kornnika Niwattisaiwong, head of FMCG, E-Commerce - TikTok Shop Thailand, Maybelline's strategic partner in bringing this unique IRL concept to life, said although the beauty industry changed significantly during the pandemic, data shows that consumers are spending just as much as ever on beauty and personal care products.
Seamless customer journey
"Product development research plays a crucial role in creating successful products that meet customers' needs, but emotional factors also influence customers' purchase decision of beauty products," Mr Chairit said.
The company also takes emotional factors into account such as organising promotional campaigns with a large audience and advertising with emotional appeal.
Thus, consumers become part of the brand, creating an emotional connection between them.
Mr Chairit said Maybelline Thailand currently has a strong presence on TikTok, leveraging the platform's vast user base to introduce its brand to potential new customers.
Through the combination of emotional experiences and the strong customer base of TikTok, the company sees new opportunities to elevate the entire customer journey by partnering with TikTok Shop and Grab Thailand.
Maybelline New York and TikTok Shop recently co-hosted Asia's first-ever IRL (In Real Life) pop-up experience at Parc Paragon, Siam Paragon to celebrate the launch of the Super Stay Teddy Tint.
At the pop-up store, known as "Maybelline l TikTok Shop Teddy Land", the company and its partners transformed the area into a New York-inspired amusement park wonderland.
"We chose to present a Teddy Bear theme, which symbolises 'cuteness', softness and represents our 'New York' and 'American' identities," said Mr Chairit.
Attendees had a chance to experience the Super Stay Teddy Tint lip tint while enjoying a variety of activities such as the Bear House Zone, in which they could select the perfect shade among 10 shades of the lip tint, and the 4D Bear Cinema Zone, in which players could virtually blend and build their lip colour and snap a sticker picture using augmented reality technology.
The pop-up store also featured IRL experiences and digital content from celebrities, influencers and creators such as Mikey Panitan, Daou and Offroad, etc.
Celebrities and influencers also hosted 24/7 live-streaming from the venue.
Punnada Leung-aram, Head of Ads and Marketing Services of Grab Thailand, said the company collaborated with partners to create an impactful marketing campaign such as releasing product image through Car Icon on the app and using a human-sized teddy bear to ride on a GrabBike and roam around Bangkok to create buzz and awareness of the product.
The company also provided discount coupons for customers who came to the venue.
Ms Kornnika said users can also see product advertisements on the TikTok Shop platform.
Moreover, by the joined TikTok Shop Mega Campaign 9.9, Maybelline and TikTok Shop set to stimulate sales and attract content creators to share techniques using the products in a creative way.
"The collaboration with our partners creates a powerful synergy which led to a seamless customer experience from travelling to the event, during the event and after they return home," said Mr Chairit.
Through the success of the event as reflected by the higher than expected number of participants coupled with soaring sales of the newly launched lipstick, the company aims to make Super Stay Teddy Tint the best-selling product this year, he said.