Cosmetic brand Maybelline New York started advertising on Connected TV only a year ago but now it is doubling down on its spends, Zeenia Bastani, General Manager, Maybelline New York and NYX Professional Makeup, L’Oreal India, tells e4m.

“The number of consumers on CTV is evolving quite rapidly. So, from that perspective, it is the place where we want to be and we are because our consumers are watching. Our CTV journey is picking up and creeping into double digit,” says Bastani.

As per the company’s financial report posted on its website, L’Oreal group’s global sales amounted to 38 billion euros (USD 40) at 31 December 2022. How much contribution Maybelline NY has in total sales of the group is unclear, as company officials refuse to share more details. Advertising and promotion expenses accounted for 31.5% of L’Oreal sales.

Most of the Maybelline NY’s adex goes to digital advertising, Bastani said, who declined to share Maybelline’s media mix and other details about revenue or marketing budgets for India.

In a guarded response, she merely says, “Media mix is evolving over the period of time. We do some campaigns on mass media but we do less and less on mainstream TV. So, we do a lot of social media, digital media, social with influencers and connected TV which is picking up.”

The brand’s social media marketing strategy focuses on active engagement with consumers by disseminating tutorials about its products, beauty advice, influencer and user-generated content.

On four brand ambassadors for India

To up its visibility across the touchpoints, the brand has recently roped in three brand ambassadors for India-Suhana Khan, Ananya Birla and Eksha Subba and has extended its erstwhile brand purpose association with sportsperson PV Sindhu. Through them, the brand seeks to build a stronger connection with the Gen Z consumers in India through its energy, edge, style and even for a message for mental health.

Amid the rise of social media influencers, how crucial it is to have four brand ambassadors? Bastani explains, “Celebrities have huge reach among the masses because of their recognizability. In India, when you want a message to be heard and a fighting vibe, you need to go to celebrities. When people see a celebrity who has such stature, who has a following and media behind them all the time, talking openly about mental health, they also come out and share their feelings. Maybelline seeks to give people that much confidence.”

The company is also doubling down on mental health support work as part of its CSR activity. Bastani says, “Mental health is our prime CSR activity. In 2022, we launched a mental health initiative – ‘Brave Together’ – to destigmatize the conversation around mental health and make support accessible to all. We partnered with the non-profit organization Sangath to provide free one-on-one counseling via a toll-free helpline number 011-41198666 and TheMindClan.com for expert resources.”

The brand has partnered with The Jed Foundation (JED), to create “Brave Talk”, a free training designed to equip individuals to handle difficult conversations around mental health with a friend or peer who may need their support, says Bastani, who held a panel discussion at a Mumbai College on Tuesday, on occasion the international Mental Health Day.

On consumers expectations

According to Bastani, “Today the consumer is not only watching TV but spending at least 4-5 hours on her phone doing many different things such as watching influencers on YouTube, searching something on Google and social media, looking for products at Amazon, or anywhere. So it's important for brands to reach their fans albeit non-invasively.”

Today's consumers are expecting more from their brands as well, which is a big shift, quips Bastani. “Consumers are not just expecting a good quality product at a fair price. She's expecting that there's service beyond getting the product. If she has feedback, she wants to write a review somewhere and  expects someone to get back in touch with her.”

She adds, “More importantly, she is expecting big brands to be responsible corporates as well. She's expecting brands to mean something, and have an active voice for changing society and the world and taking on important causes. And I think it's great. I think as consumers are more and more demanding, it pushes brands to be more responsible and innovative.”

How challenging is to retain consumers these days, especially in India when plenty of homegrown personal brands are increasingly becoming popular? “It is more challenging, yes, but I truly believe when you offer something which is innovative and of the best quality, the consumer will surely reconsider you. She may try many other brands and products, but she comes back.”