In my last post,I shared some results from our recent survey on the cosmetic and skincare needs of Baby Boomer women. Because midlife brings the most dramatic changes in their skin ever, these women are seeking new solutions, new information, and they want it delivered in new ways.
We also asked our survey respondents about the brands that do serve their needs now, as well as the brands they believe will be there for them 5-10 years from now, and the results are fascinating.
(If you want a custom report about a specific brand or brands, send me an email at info@VibrantNation.com]
The Brands They Still Love
While women offered detailed insights on over 20 brands, six of them kept coming up:
- Olay
- Clinique
- L’Oréal Paris
- Estée Lauder
- Lancôme
- Avon
Here are a few findings about each brand.
Olay has made the biggest investment in engaging Boomer women appropriately, and has reaped the biggest rewards. Women named it almost twice as often as a brand they currently use and as a brand they believe will be there for the 5-10 years from now.
Women were also more likely to remember (or respect) Olay’s ads for relating directly to their needs. And Olay ranked highest overall in addressing their current skincare needs.
By a substantial margin, Boomer women told us they were more likely to use L’Oréal Paris now than any other brand other than Olay. It’s also the brand they are third most likely to believe will be there for them in 5-10 years. L’Oréal also seems to be the winner among brand for selecting the best model for Boomer women. Diane Keaton was the only model named for ads that speak directly to their needs.
L’Oréal has been doing a solid job in convincing the Boomer woman it values her business, and should continue doing a lot more of the same.
Boomer women grew up on this brand, which was launched as they came of age, and they still respect it. It may be the brand with the most untapped potential for Boomer women.
After Olay and L’Oréal, Clinique is the brand that Boomer women are most likely to use now. And after Olay, it’s the brand that Boomer women believe will be there for them 5-10 years from now.
Yet it ranks low for delivering ads that relate directly to the needs of Boomer women – if they can remember its recent ads at all. Space limits sharing all the reasons why I believe Estée Lauder should consider devoting this brand exclusively to Boomer women for the foreseeable future.
This veteran brand continues to earn respect from Boomer women. While they don’t cite its ads for directly relating to their current needs, they do use it currently and many believe it will be there for them in 5-10 years. Other responses offer insights into ways that the Estée Lauder Companies could integrate the ways that its flagship brand and Clinique could better serve the audience of 40 million Boomer women.
Many Boomer women love Lancôme. While they may use other brands more frequently, this L’Oréal brand has remarkably low negatives, and they expect it to be there for them in the future. And they cite its ads for relating to their needs more than many of its larger peers. As with Estée Lauder and Clinique, L’Oréal the parent company should be carefully considering how a paired marketing campaign for L’Oréal Paris and Lancôme could capture even more market share from Boomer women.
One brand surprised us with its largely unprompted prominence in this survey: Avon. Women continue to believe it serves their current needs and will do so in the future. They cited Avon’s ads more than those of marketing powerhouse Estée Lauder. Given Avon’s support for women as entrepreneurs, and the disproportionate number of Boomer women who want to start their own businesses, this brand should consider new ways to embrace the Boomer women who continue to understand that it serves their needs.
Also-Rans
Two brands stood out for their lack of prominence, brands that have invested lots of dollars in recognizing the strengths of older women: Dove and Cover Girl. While Boomer women do use both brands, they also have relatively high negatives, and are not viewed as being there for women in the future.
And in spite of the remarkable viral buzz from Dove’s “Real Women” campaign and its “Pro Age” products, Boomer women don’t see this brand being there for them in the future. Nor does Cover Girl seem to be reaping any special rewards with Boomers from investing in 54-year old Ellen Degeneres as its spokesperson.
Kinda like "Advice is what we ask for when we already know the answer, but wish we didn't." ~ Erica Jong. Right????? I find this quote to be SO,so true. Why is it so hard to go with our hearts and stop caring what others think? I think what bothers
I think that it is sad that women are choosing brands based on the history of the product or the amount of advertising of the product. The truth is, I didn’t see any brands above that I would ever touch. Most of these products are filled with horrible ingredients. I believe that we, as boomers, must seek out brands that are as natural as possible yet do the job. There are numerous brands at Health Food stores like Whole Foods that are filled with wonderful NATURAL ingredients that work better on a boomers skin than the brands above. We have to remember that our skin is getting more and more thin and fragile. Target brands are extremely harsh on our skin, weather we see it or not. I wouldn’t dare put anything on my face that had mineral oil, preservatives, or fake fragerances on my skin, not to mention all of the other chemical, man-made ingredients that they use to fill up the jar. Almost all of the creams mentioned above have probably sat on a shelf for years before they got to the store. My vote is for organic, plant based ingredients to use on my skin.
Its too bad that women use products just because they have the money to advertise. Where did they get that money? From us suckers who buy that crap. I don’t want to support large companies who deceive us with their products that can cause much more harm that good. I want to support a local company or a company with integrity like Aubrey or Dr. Haucshka. They not only make my skin feel good and healthy, I’m not contributing to corporations that have a less than perfect record of keeping the planet healthy.
SeekerPatty, thank you so much for your response! I agree with everything you said. I was an Aesthetician for 20 some years and know about skin care products as you do. I have always searched for the better ingredients plus not using animals to test on.
Mary Kay Cosmetics is a brand which has been available for over 50 years, does not test on animals and uses natural ingredients where possible.. also 100% money back guarantee and Try before you Buy Policy. Has worked for me for almost 30 years.
Good for you!! Mary Kay is the best – no animal testing, in fact they are pioneers in finding new ways to test; no added fragrance or oils; been in business for almost 50 years!! The guarantee itself is worth trying the product!
Avon? Really?
I’ve become a huge fan of M Asam products, sold on HSN. I don’t watch HSN, and I am leery of any product sold that way, but a friend gave me a few samples. I’m hooked. The line is pure, natural, and absolutely the best skin care line I have ever used. I will be 65 in May.
Clinique is good but expensive for me. Use Olay now because they have sensitive formula without perfumes and fragrances. My husband smells finds offensive some hand creams I have used that I can’t smell at all and that are marked fragrance free. Want to try some of the brands mentioned but don’t want to spend the money if they have an offensive smell either to me or my husband. Glad to see some new products that are advertised as perfume and fragrance free. However, even these have a smell. I am not sure if the smell disappears after awhile, or if I would be stuck with product I can’t use.
A true dilemma. I may just have to bite the bullet.
Helen