BW Confidential - Issue #10 - May/June 2012 - (Page 24)

Interview Clinique global brand president Lynne Greene Targeting growth Clinique has revitalized its skincare business by focusing on targeted products, hefty advertising investment and a new approach to serving consumers at the point-of-sale. It is now planning to do the same for make-up. Clinique global brand president Lynne Greene tells BW Confidential what’s next for the company by Oonagh Phillips I nitiating what companies like to call “disruptive innovation” at a two-billion dollar plus, 44 year-old brand is not easy, but it’s something Clinique global brand president Lynne Greene says is her main focus, whether in terms of product, advertising or retail strategy. The brand, part of the Estée Lauder Companies (ELC), took a big risk in putting major investment behind what was essentially considered a niche category— uneven skin tone—with the launch of Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector in 2010. The risk seems to have paid off. Just one year after its launch, Even Better Clinical became Clinique’s top-selling sku. The product accounted for 8% of its total skincare sales in fiscal 2011, while another key launch, Repairwear Laser Focus (a “de-aging serum”), represents 5% of the brand’s skincare business. Both launches were backed by major media campaigns, with a strong focus on TV advertising—TV was the biggest portion of the media mix for the two products. While a strong advertising push may get consumers into stores, Clinique also set out to make buying and browsing the products at retail easier with the introduction of its Service as You Like It concept in 2009. The concept focuses on different levels of service: for those who want to get in and out of the store quickly, those who want to browse and those who want a full consultation with staff. Clinique has rolled out the full concept to more than 60 doors globally, while other stores have incorporated key elements of the initiative. The brand also introduced iPads at its counters which shoppers can use to carry out a 90-second skin analysis; the application can produce up to 180,000 skincare product combinations based on skin concerns and customers can print out or email their recommendations. By the end of the group’s fiscal year (June 24 2012), Clinique expects to have 1,500 iPads at 1,250 doors in North America. The company says that these new pos initiatives have lifted sales and that combined with the advertising push they have even brought shoppers back to US department stores and added new consumers, who predominantly bought in mass, to the prestige category. Clinique claims to be the number-one skincare brand in the US in prestige and mass combined. The brand also plans to launch a major new retail initiative later this year. Clinique’s approach fits neatly with ELC ceo Fabrizio Freda’s strategy of focusing on fewer, bigger launches backed by strong investment in TV, print and digital media and combined with high-touch service at the point-of-sale. And this same approach will now be taken for Clinique make-up, a category that received less attention in recent years as the brand worked to revitalize its skincare business. The push on make-up has already begun. A TV advertising campaign for Even Better Makeup launched in the US at the end of last year, and more initiatives are planned for the end of this year. Make-up represents 35% of Clinique’s global sales and the company claims to be the number-two prestige make-up brand in the US. Alongside developing make-up, Clinique continues to expand its strategy of high media investment and the Service As You Like It concept internationally. Some 60% of the brand’s sales are done outside North America, and it says it has grown market share in Europe and is expanding in key Asian markets, a major focus for the group. Clinique global brand president Lynne Greene reveals the next steps for the company. May-June 2012 - N°10 - BW Confidential

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of BW Confidential - Issue #10 - May/June 2012

Cover
Comment
Contents
Update
- Brand & retail news recap
- Companies on the move
Take note Market facts, figures & trends
Best of BW Highlights from our e-publication
Launches The latest in fragrance, skincare & make-up
Interview Clinique global brand president Lynne Greene
Insight: Skincare
- Category overview
- Retail technology
- Retail viewpoint
- The latest trends
Wellness
- Spas & healthcare
- Spa case studies
Retail
- Inspiration from Apple
- Store concepts
Market watch: China
- Country overview
- Industry viewpoint
- Prestige retailing
- Taobao & the internet
Digital focus Social media strategies
Strategy spotlight Case studies to inspire
Travel retail: Asia Pacific
- Regional overview
- India
- Interview: Delhi Duty Free Services coo Arun Barathi
Radar Six up-and-coming beauty brands
Packaging
- Make-up packs
- Innovation showcase
Last word Metis Insights director Stéphanie Morou

BW Confidential - Issue #10 - May/June 2012