The Second Moment of Truth

Creating an emotional connection with the consumer is a critical goal that brands needs to achieve in order to attract the consumer. This connection is relied on for initial purchases and, more importantly, repeat purchases. When searching for color cosmetics, consumers are interested in value, performances and style—in fact, these are the key attributes that engage the consumer.

A few years ago, Jan Carlzon, president of Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), wrote a book titled Moments of Truth. The book observed that SAS increased customer retention when it realized that loyalty is composed of many moments of decision-making, or moments of truth. Through this philosophy, Carlzon found some of the moments that are very impactful for consumer connections.

First Moment of Truth

In beauty, there are two moments of truth that have the largest impact on winning the consumer’s heart and mind. The first moment is the initial engagement with the product, and this is something the beauty industry likely understands better than any other industry—that visual appearance and packaging are critical to determining whether a consumer makes a purchase.

Brands rely on packaging to attract the consumer, focusing on innovative delivery systems and unique application tools. Creating that connection at the point of sale is a matter of strongly and effectively communicating how the product will perform. It is this first full physical engagement that will hopefully match the consumers’ expectations and provide that first moment of truth.

Second Moment of Truth

Ultimately, it is the second moment of truth that will determine if the consumer is fully engaged to the product and the brand. The application experience, or when the consumer actually uses that product, is what defines this moment—whether the consumer has a positive or negative experience. Exercising a full range of senses, consumers are experiencing, judging and confirming the initial purchase. And if the product passes this second moment of truth, the consumer will be motivated to use the product and enjoy its full benefits.

Often the application is the greatest competitive opportunity to set a beauty product apart from others. Beauty brands look for simple yet innovative application methods, and are continually seeking a unique solution that will enhance the consumer experience.

For example, as BB and CC creams have launched into the beauty marketplace as an explosively growing trend [Read Euromonitor International’s “Multifunctionality: The Sweet (and Sour) Spot for Color Cosmetics” for more market and trend information on these product types], Taiki developed an application tool that helps provide a distinct performance, the BB Sponge. This unique applicator is a two-layer sponge that allows the cream to stay on the surface while also providing antibacterial protection, offering itself as an applicator for BB and CC creams, and allowing consumers to develop an even better relationship with these types of products through a better application and user experience.

Build the Relationship

Providing an application method is a great way to connect the brand to the consumer. In fact, many beauty brands are integrating functionality into their products to attract consumers who are looking for ease of use and portability. Appealing to a lifestyle like on-the-go is a great way to build a relationship with repeat consumers.

To help facilitate this type of brand development, Taiki and other packaging companies and brand partners offer a range of dispensers that allow for on-the-go metered dosing with various tip options, aiding in the creation of an entire experience for the consumer. These customized solutions can provide many options to help create a complete, functional package for a beauty product.

Stand Apart

Providing key benefits and differentiators to consumers is an angle brands should focus on to gain market share. Developing a package or product that is unique and clearly provides results is a key to success.

As product safety is a growing consumer concern, creating application tools that have an antibacterial treatment is an effective way to stay at the forefront of this trend, as well as to meet consumer needs. By offering this type of benefit, products and brands can more easily connect to consumers and further build brand equity with them.

By continually offering consumers innovative solutions that enhance their experiences, beauty brands can achieve a positive second moment of truth—and that ultimately leads to the profitable consumer loyalty that every brand seeks.

As president and CEO of TaikiUSA, Jim Perry is responsible for all aspects of the U.S. division of Taiki Group, including sales, marketing, operations, development and finance. He works with the Japan-headquartered organization and other global offices and factories to successfully lead the company in strategic development, planning and the philosophy of kaizen, which is Japanese for “improvement.” The company is focused on continually making improvements to provide its customers with the best products that meet their consumers’ needs. With more than 30 years of business and industry experience, Perry’s background spans from a retailer with beauty brands to fashion design licensing, Internet retailing and more. He offers a wealth of experience and knowledge in all areas of management, strategic business planning and organizational development.

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