Appealing To Consumers’ Daily Routine Provides Nutricosmetic Opportunity
This article was originally published in The Rose Sheet
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U.S. consumers are generally leery of nutricosmetics, but may respond more favorably to ingestible beauty if it comes in the form of products they use regularly, according to Kantha Shelke, principal with Corvus Blue LLC, a Chicago food science and nutrition research firm. Many beauty supplements on the market are positioned as “something that’s medicinal, something you should take [separately] on a daily basis, which is cumbersome,” she explained during a session at the recent NutriCosmetic Summit in Las Vegas.
On the other hand, if beauty benefits are woven into products already consumed on a daily basis, firms have a better chance of securing consumer acceptance. “You need to understand how consumers eat today, how they buy foods and how to reach them,” Shelke told attendees. Firms entering the nutricosmetics arena in the U.S. are faced with consumers that “eat Raisin Bran and Fruit Loops every morning.” Selling a pill, or even a powder drink mix, to a “culture that eats things out of boxes and cartons and buckets,” may not be a viable approach, she indicated. Also, presenting a nutricosmetic too much like a traditional dietary supplement could tap into unsavory associations, given the negative press that market sometimes draws, the analyst suggested. Considering that consumers are in and out of their refrigerators multiple times a day, Shelke said, something that can appeal at a glance – something “tasty” – could be effective. Firms have found success in international markets with collagen-infused marshmallows and gummy candy with beauty benefits, for example (Also see "Consumer Lifestyles Offer Good Fit For Nutricosmetics, Research Groups Say" - HBW Insight, 28 Sep, 2009.). Consumers are not likely to stick with a product that seems too alien or inconvenient, and compliance is critical for nutricosmetics, which take time to deliver results. Firms must work to overcome the “instant gratification” mentality among U.S. consumers, Shelke said. “We’re living in a world where we expect things to happen immediately,” she observed, adding: “It is our duty to explain that beauty is something that happens over time.” The exact nature of the results they can reasonably expect should be made clear to consumers. “All they know is, whether they consume a capsule, or have collagen-based coffee or acne [fighting] chocolates, it somehow makes you better,” Shelke said. The analyst noted that although reaching them can be difficult, consumers are very loyal when nutricosmetic products are proven to be effective. Datamonitor analyst Mark Whalley noted at the NutriCosmetic Summit that demonstrating effectiveness is one of the biggest problems in the nutricosmetic industry (Also see "Improving Credibility Key To Nutricosmetic Success In U.S. – Datamonitor" - HBW Insight, 4 Jul, 2011.). |