New beauty challenges: Revieve advocates for smart consumer beauty amid shortened attention rates

17 Apr 2023 --- As the average consumer attention span drops, beauty brands are moving from a purely transaction-centered strategy to a more customer-centered approach, helping consumers navigate their options and buy products at the most opportune moment, according to a report by US- and Finland-based global service provider Revieve.

With the global markets being uncertain, delivering authentic customer experiences and navigating the complexity of the consumer journey is becoming more critical. As a result, iconic brands and smaller players in the beauty industry are presented with opportunities that require them to navigate the complex digital brand experience landscape and better address future consumer expectations. 

The report explores the future of the beauty industry and how the customer experience is evolving in 2023. It includes insights on developing a strong foundation for a good digital customer experience and navigating the complexities of the consumer journey. 

Brands need to better understand their customers to track their journeys and offer personalized service and recommendations, asserts Revieve. It provides predictions for the upcoming year in beauty based on various research and analytics techniques.

Consumer journey complexity
Revieve finds that the future of consumer experience will be based on how brands personalize their customer journeys and capture consumer interest wherever they shop. 

The customer journey in the beauty sector is becoming even more complex, with multiple paths, both online and offline, funneling customers from product discovery to the final purchase. The company highlights the customer journey continues even after the purchase. 

With numerous touchpoints and channels, brands need to better understand their customers to track their journeys and offer personalized service and recommendations. According to a recent survey by Salesforce, “74% of customers have used multiple channels to start and complete a transaction.” 

Building engagement with consumers
Understanding customer psychographic data will be critical to helping customers navigate complex shopping journeys. The company highlights that in beauty, as in other verticals, the customer’s journey is a path to pursuing and fulfilling aspirations. 

Revieve finds that as consumers pursue their desires in beauty, seeking out relevant guidance and support, they’re intuitively trying to follow one or more of the following paths:

• Education: Learning how products or brands can help them become more adapted to beauty.
• Advice: Seeking tips and suggestions that can inspire them with new ideas. 
• Expression: Enhancing and demonstrating their creativity.
• Entertainment: The fun of discovering new looks and brands.
• Connection: Sharing and connecting with like-minded consumers.
• Contribution: Supporting social causes. 

With artificial intelligence and augmented reality technologies, beauty brands and retailers can fulfill these engagement gaps along their journeys and forge meaningful relationships with their consumers. Relying on quality data can help brands prepare to adapt and deliver personalized experiences, says Revieve.

Revieve’s report suggests customizing every experience based on millions of past customer interactions across various verticals, from the first touch point to the last, creating loyal repeat shoppers and lifetime advocates.

However, the company flags that gaining this in-depth knowledge about customers does not happen suddenly. Businesses must collect customer data and extract valuable insights from that data quickly and precisely.

A new beauty digital realm 
While consumers are still spending and purchasing, they are taking longer because they often need help finding products or services that meet their needs. In addition, consumers are also doing more comparative shopping. 

According to a survey from the National Retail Federation, in 2022, 43% of US shoppers were still engaged in product comparisons to make their purchase decisions.

Furthermore, with quality data, brands or retailers can provide analyses that lead to insights. Businesses can leverage these insights and information to serve customers in a personalized way.

The report concludes that 2023 brings new challenges and opportunities for beauty brands and retailers. Understanding customer demands, relying on quality data and navigating complex customer journeys can help brands prepare to adapt and deliver personalized experiences in the new year and beyond. 

Edited by Natalie Schwertheim