The best strategy any beauty and hair-care brand can adopt is one of inclusion. India has such a vast and differentiated population that no products with similar composition could serve the needs of all the people. Depending on which part of the country people are from, their skin type, hair type, hair density etc. all change. Most of the major brands recognize this and are coming up with products to cater to a variety of people, thus, increasing their consumer base. For example, if brands only make shampoos for people with straight hair, they’re leaving out all the people with curly hair as potential customers.

Going Online
E-commerce websites and online retailers have given beauty and hair care brands a great platform to market/sell their products on. Not only does this provide brands with a wider audience for their products, but it also makes shopping swift and convenient for consumers. A press of a button or single click, that’s all it takes for one to shop for a product online. Apart from e-commerce platforms, brands invest time and resources to turn their websites into a viable shopping platform, striving to make them consumer-friendly.

Social Media
Consumers turn to social media regularly when looking for information about beauty products and tutorials. Social media makes it easier for brands to bring content directly to their customers, and also serves as a powerful tool for feedbacks, as consumers can post their queries and feedbacks/reviews where brands can address them immediately. Social media also allows brands to get consumer insights and stay updated on the latest consumer trends.

Due to the rising popularity of video content on social media, Instagram is becoming the platform of choice for most beauty bloggers, vloggers, and influencers. Influencers and bloggers play a big role in shaping consumer behaviour as they attract huge followings. If an influencer endorses a product or reviews it positively, their followers are much more likely to purchase the said product, as it

instils a sense of confidence in the minds of the consumers. Influencers help significantly in spreading the word about a brand and its products, and brands actively collaborate with influencers for the same.

Apart from focusing on what to post, brands also focus on when to post. As per Twitter mentions, conversations about hair and beauty products starts rising from 6 am and peaks at 4 pm, making the early afternoon the best time to publish content on social media.

Advertising
Advertising is perhaps the most traditional and effective way of spreading the word and creating awareness about a product or a brand. Brands are aggressively advertising their products to gain the maximum audience, due to which people are paying more attention to personal grooming and hair care. The beauty and hair care industry had always been women-centric, but styling products are getting more and more popular among both men and women nowadays, with gender-specific styling products entering the market, thanks to effective advertising.

Premiumisation
According to Euromonitor International, premiumisation will continue to be a key trend until 2030. Simply put, it is how brands get customers to pay more for a product by emphasizing a product’s superiority in terms of quality and making it seem more appealing. Beauty and hair care brands mostly do this either by increasing the price of their products or by making their products exclusive to specific salons or retailers. With the increased purchasing power of the average Indian, consumers are spending more on products that they feel are of better quality. Premium products are desirable, make a distinct place for themselves in the market and almost always generate more demand.

Personalized Beauty Solutions
Beauty and hair care brands know very well that the “one product for all” approach cannot possibly work in India. India is a vastly diverse country, with people having different hair and skin types, textures, and so on. Brands release products for different cases and specific problems. For example, different shampoos and conditioners for straight and curly hair. Also, brands are releasing products to tackle the effects of worsening pollution on hair and skin.

Going Green
Conscious consumerism has been a popular consumer trend as of late. Consumers are being vary of the products they use as well as the impact these products have on the environment. As a result, they are more inclined towards purchasing organic and chemical-free products. Not only is it better for the environment, but using organic ingredients and plant extracts in products also help in reducing, or in some cases, eliminating the negative side effects of products. Consumers are seeking out organic, natural brands and products and are likely to pay extra for them.

Brands are actively working on using more natural ingredients in their products and using recyclable materials in their packaging. Brands also use social media to show their devotion to the ‘go green’ movement. An eco-friendly brand is seen as socially responsible and earns the trust of the public, building more goodwill. The better a brand’s image is, the more popular they ought to be!