‘We are strengthening our eco-consciousness drive with WOW Skin Science’

In the era of growing eco-consciousness, consumers today are aware of their choices and are ready to adopt methods that are gentler to the planet. Ethical, responsible and sustainable consumerism is becoming the first choice for many across the globe. Joining the sustainability bandwagon, FMCG personal care brand WOW Skin Science from the house of Body Cupid Pvt Ltd, has launched a paper tube packaging initiative for their bestselling Vitamin C face wash.

Manish Chowdhary, Co-CEO, Body Cupid Pvt Ltd shares how the brand aims at reducing the use of plastic at the source with their new initiative known as #EkChhotiSiShuruaat. He also sheds light on the evolving brand proposition for a sustainable future, standing out among the competition, marketing strategy, plans going forwards and more.

Please tell us the insight behind your new initiative of using paper tube packaging for your face wash?

There is a new consciousness about clean living and clean beauty. We as a company have always been highly eco-conscious and in 2022, we expect more and more consumers to move towards clean, ethical and sustainable beauty. That is why we strengthened our eco-consciousness drive with our #WOWGreenHands initiative to promote our vision of becoming a truly green and plastic-positive brand. One of the first strategies under this initiative has been to innovate on the packaging of our products – use recycled material to develop packaging that retained the ease of use. We decided on a paper-based tube after extensive research on the packaging material. It is based on virgin kraft paper, which is 100% recycled paper and can be recycled for future use.

The first product to come out in this packaging is our best-selling WOW Skin Science Vitamin C Brightening Face Wash. We launched this with the campaign #EkChotiSiShuruwaat. Here we are talking about recycling and highlighting how wastepaper can be reused creatively; along with that, we are showcasing the new paper tube packaging which is the innovative plastic-positive packaging. We are reducing plastic use – 45% less plastic in the tube sleeve. 

Are you planning to implement this sustainable packaging approach across your entire portfolio? By when do you plan to become truly sustainable?

This is just the beginning for us. We hope to continue with various initiatives under our #WOWGreenHands program and create a sustainable brand that’s good for the consumer and the planet. 2022 will see more of this from our brand. We are testing the market with this new packaging. Based on the market reaction, we plan to extend this approach across our portfolio of products. The journey to becoming sustainable has begun for us, but it is a tedious path since there are many aspects to be taken care of before one can become truly sustainable. Our products are already clean, vegan and have actives from organic sources. Now, we need to continue taking more eco-conscious initiatives to reach our sustainability goals.

How do you see this sustainability proposition changing the way you communicate to your TG?

We see our #WOWGreenHands initiative bring us closer to our customers since they are highly eco-conscious right now. We are reaching out to our consumers on a regular basis with communication that highlights various eco-conscious initiatives. To make our commitment stronger towards the #WOWGreenHands initiative, now we plan to give out seed pouches to our consumers, that they can plant and have a greener set up around them. This will support us in paving the way to a cleaner and greener planet.

How do you differentiate yourself in a cluttered ecosystem where many brands' proposition is chemical-free products?

Since the inception of our company, we have been very eco-conscious and used environment-friendly formulations for our products. When it came to reducing harmful chemicals like sulfates, artificial fragrance, preservatives, and silicones from our products, we were one of the pioneers in launching products without parabens, sulphates, mineral oil, silicones, artificial colour or fragrance. Our mantra has been ‘Nature-inspired, Research backed’.

Over the last few years, consumers have become highly eco-conscious and are rapidly supporting brands that are responsible towards nature and following a sustainable product strategy. Ethical and clean beauty products are part of this growing awareness. We will continue to address these needs and meet the demands of our consumers. Amidst competition, we have a first-mover advantage and a strong brand recall and loyalty among our customers.  One of the ways we stay ahead of the game is to create a complete solution based on the one hero active. It delivers a unique user experience and a spa-like feel.

How do you ensure a consistent consumer experience and messaging across all platforms, distribution and media, when you interact with the consumer?

We have always been a digital-first organization. We leverage the power of the digital medium in a big way to reach out, connect and communicate with our consumers. Social media plays a major role and we have been leveraging not only Instagram but also YouTube to create awareness about our products and initiatives. We have a dedicated digital media communication team that ensures that our brand messaging is similar across the board.

What is your current media mix?

Instagram and YouTube play a major role in creating brand and product awareness. We use Facebook to address customer issues and LinkedIn to keep the industry stakeholders and business partners up to date with our activities. We have been exploring television and print media over the last year to improve our consumer connect.

How have you performed in the last year? What has the YoY growth been?

Since our inception, WOW Skin Science has been experiencing steady growth. We are now quite well-known for our range of iconic range the Apple Cider Vinegar range, which was the first of its kind in the Indian market. Despite the pandemic, we grew at an impressive growth rate, since people invested in hygiene and self-care products. We have been growing from strength to strength and feel good about the fact that WOW was able to sustain itself in a market dominated by MNC brands.

What are some consumer trends in 2022 that brands should keep in mind this year?

There is an increasing demand for natural, organic, cruelty-free products among all types of consumers. This demand has become prominent over the last two years due to the growing eco-consciousness. In 2022, we expect more and more consumers to move towards clean, ethical and sustainable beauty.

Self-realization, self-confidence, and being comfortable in your own skin are the main trends driving consumer buying patterns currently. Consumers today are more conscious about what they put on their skin and hair – for them looking good is about how healthy skin and hair feel in their natural state. Consumers, both women and men are willing to invest in taking care of their skin and hair the right way. They want core beauty care solutions that deliver visible results and have long term benefits. There is a renewed focus on natural, nature-based, and organic products. That is why we are seeing increasing demand for effective, and targeted beauty care products. This increased consumer demand is now driving the launch of new and indigenous, nature-based brands on a regular basis in the market.

Customers will seek simple, back-to-basic kinds of products. Self-awareness will also influence the kinds of products that will be launched in the new year. The emphasis will be to enhance the natural texture of skin and hair by using gentle products that are infused with natural ingredients. Beauty care will have a new direction now – focus on one hero ingredient that delivers a targeted result. We have seen the growing popularity of single active skincare serums to respond to a specific need. Similarly, sheet masks, overnight masks, single-active based serums, gel-based hydrating lotions and multi-use products have all taken center stage this year. This will continue to be in demand in the new year as well.

Any learnings from 2021 that you would like to implement this year?

We will continue to focus on amazing customer experience – ensure that our consumers enjoy and love using the products that we bring forth in the market. One of the key learnings has been to introduce products that help customers not only take care of themselves but also give back to nature. We will bring innovative products that are gentler on skin and kinder to our planet.