With the festive season being in full swing, The Body Shop has launched the Spark a Change campaign for its latest gift collection. The goal is not only to provide joy to the recipients but also ignite a change in the lives of those who have helped create them. This is part of the Community Fair Trade (CFT) initiatives.
The campaign has been complemented by an inspiring film featuring actor Shefali Shah. The film captures works by the women professionals of Teddy Exports, The Body Shop’s long-standing Community Fair Trade partner based in India. These artisans handcraft recycled cotton gift bags, specially commissioned by the brand.
Harmeet Singh, VP of Marketing E-commerce & Product, Asia South, The Body Shop, told exchange4media that every single gift from The Body Shop is infused with ingredients or packaging from their Community Fair Trade partners. As a result, with each purchase, buyers not only receive a gift but also help communities all around the world, particularly in India.
"We are not a brand that merely produces and sells beauty products; we also believe in making a positive impact on society. Since the 1970s, The Body Shop has been the first beauty company to push for women's rights. It has campaigned against animal testing and sex violence among other causes. The whole point of this campaign was to make a difference in the lives of people in communities by buying gifts for those who craft them."
The campaign also unveiled the beauty brand's new line with recyclable and handcrafted packaging. Singh stated that the company supports around 600 women by providing daily pay and upskilling their special skills through Teddy Exports, which allows them to earn a living and provide children's education, healthcare, and other needs. Teddy Exports is a fair-trade export company in Thirumangalam, Madurai, and it has been a Community Fair Trade partner of The Body Shop since 1987.
Media Mix
The beauty brand’s media mix is focused towards digital and not TV. Singh noted that the brand doesn’t invest in TVCs. The last one that the brand did was in 2019 when they launched a campaign with actor Shraddha Kapoor for their product British Rose.
“We don't invest in TVC, we might do that next year. However, for this festive campaign, the focus is digital platforms because that's where we feel the consumers are. Today people are consuming most of the content on their phones as opposed to TV. We are maximizing our investments on digital platforms, social media and YouTube. We will probably be looking to go for OTT sometime in the future, but not right now.”
Marketing Strategy & budget
Singh also shared that the festive campaign will attract huge investment from The Body Shop. “Nearly 15% of our revenue will go towards this campaign. This is the time when we really want people to come forward and join the cause as well. We want them to come and see our gifts, with a huge variety and offerings for every budget, along with helping and giving back to the communities. “
Singh explained that when it comes to marketing, The Body Shop invests more in their stores. The brand has introduced a new concept of workshop stores which are sustainability-focused stores.
“Our major investment goes into our stores and in training our staff because we need customers to experience The Body Shop and feel satisfied. So apart from investment in media, our big chunk goes into our workshop stores.”
The brand also invests in influencer marketing campaigns. “We do have macro and micro influencers and they are definitely very instrumental in helping us to reach our audiences but I wouldn't say it's a very big chunk. It's important to have them but the digital platforms take the maximum investments and a part of it goes to these influencers.”
