A Revlon makeover has begun in Singapore. The brand's distributor, Alliance Cosmetic Group, used the tough times of the last four years to renovate its counters, restructure its sales team and improve its service and relationship with partners and customers. It is also pushing Revlon's new 'Bellissimo' campaign, featuring Hollywood actresses Halle Berry, Julianne Moore, Eva Mendes and supermodel Jaime King.
In the highly-fragmented Singapore market, Revlon needs such a facelift.
It is not perceived as a fashionable brand, and new, exciting Revlon products are few and far between. The brand also vies with L' Oreal, which has more visibility in Singapore, if only because it spends more to promote its extensive range. ACNielsen's Singapore Adex report shows L' Oreal spent S$6.82 million (about US$4 million) in 2003 and has around 90 different products across all categories (skincare, cosmetics, etc). Revlon's expenditure, in contrast, was $472,560 in 2003, with less than 20 different products.
Alliance managing director Tan Thiam Hock says last year's eight to 10 per cent growth in sales, despite Sars and job retrenchment worries in Singapore, attests to Revlon's strength as "an enduring brand". But a factor that also helped sustain the growth was the huge jump in advertising last year, from 2002's $159,475 (see chart).
Tan emphasises Revlon's value-for-money core offering and laments that magazines are increasingly moving towards prestigious and glamorous brands, which the regular reader - the student, office worker and housewife - can only aspire to, he says.
Still, he stresses that Alliance is increasing its A&P budget, especially above-the-line. "Next year, we intend to be aggressive, now that the feel-good factor is back and we are ready with our counters; Bellissimo is good timing."
Brand gurus say Revlon is on the right track with the campaign, which blends brains, glamour and affordability. But in order to fully capitalise on the potential, a total integrated marketing and communications approach is needed, including more activities to help connect the brand to the consumer.
VITAL SIGNS
Revlon advertising spend in Singapore (across all Revlon categories)
Year S$2000 55,900
2001 214,552
2002 159,475
2003 472,560
2004 "One-third of sales turnover", says Alliance
Source: Nielsen Singapore Ad Expenditure Report
DIAGNOSIS
NEIL JOHNSON, CREATIVE DIRECTOR, DDB SINGAPORE
Revlon is a well-known brand, but any opportunity to hype visibility and awareness is an opportunity to increase sales.
To me, it's about helping a strong international brand succeed locally.
As the local Singapore custodian of Revlon, I wouldn't try changing anything about the brand - I think it is on the right track internationally. It just needs more activities and more alliances to be really noticed.
Affordable and sensible can be sexy. The trick is to say you're sexy - and let the affordability be a nice surprise at the store. Swatch, Bodyshop and The Gap are good examples of this.
What I would do is roll up my sleeves and begin translating the brand imagery into strong local, on-the-ground activity. I'd hang out at the malls on weekends, with or without my friends. That's where the hardcore retail action happens in Singapore. If you're not there on the ground, you can't hold the territory. This is where everyone from credit cards to cars actually sells, sells, sells in Singapore.
Singapore is as cosmopolitan a city as any - and I don't think identifying with international stars is a problem. But it needs to come down from ads and into consumers' lives. For instance, Halle Berry movie premieres with Revlon in local Singapore cinemas.
LILY CHIA, FOUNDING PARTNER AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR, ATOMZ I!
The challenge for most consumer products today is the changing trends of consumers and the wide choice available to them. A campaign has to have a high level of personalisation, as perceived by consumers. The result should make the consumer feel cared for, so that he or she will connect with that brand.
To make it to the top of the mass market cosmetic brands, it is important to focus on clearly understanding consumers' lifestyles and needs; then to be authentic and genuine about satisfying those needs.
Also, personalise the messages, delight the customer by showing care, and extend this beyond just the product - for example, on accumulation of a certain amount of purchases of Revlon products, reward the customer with a free spa facial treatment instead of just free Revlon products.
This shows the customer that you know what is important to them, and it is an unexpected and very much appreciated reward. In other words, such surprises and delights will hold customers, loyalty and encourage them to be brand evangelists.
It necessitates total integrated marketing communications which are well managed across the process to ensure strong brand reinforcement and directed marketing to the target segments.
TREATMENT
JOHNSON'S PRESCRIPTION
- Try to ally the brand with similar brands in excitingly different product categories, but very similar, premium mass-market brand identities - Revlon with adidas for the woman who wants to be beautiful inside-out; Revlon with Evian for the woman of pure beauty... the list goes on and on.
- Localisation should be applied to promotions at retail outlets. For instance, a promotion targeted at the Singapore office crowd and a promotion targeted at the HDB heartland shopper should be different.
CHIA'S REMEDY
- Take Revlon out of display cases and create personalised beauty counters which are centrally-placed, and manned by well-groomed consultants trained to care about the customer.
- Place Revlon counters in leading-edge stores, such as MNG, DFS and selected spas, all associated with modern, contemporary lifestyles.
- Strengthen the association of Revlon with successful, confident, modern women through a well managed, integrated marketing communications campaign.