Nivea rolls out mobile slimming clinic

A truck has been transformed into the mobile clinic, and has been located in busy shopping spots in the city over two weekends in May.

Brand ambassadors have invited the target audience - comprising 30-year-old and above women who want to get back in shape but have no time to work out - to board the clinic for a simple health assessment test. They are then given a sample pack of Nivea My Silhouette to improve consumer confidence in the product.

Nivea’s product porfolio is well-known for its body lotion and lip care product. Since 2007, however, it has introduced two new slimming products with natural ingredients, but consumers often hesitate to buy these because of concerns over allergies and ineffectiveness.

“In order to convince them to take the buying action, we need to do more than just thematic ads, TVCs and advertorial tools. Through our earlier consumer focus group study for Nivea, we found that an interactive product trial is one of the key drives for purchase of slimming products,” said Ivy Lee, associate business director at Carat Hong Kong.

“However doing a roadshow is not easy, as people are time-poor. But the moving clinic helps to draw a targeted audience. The one-to-one promotion is a more personal and effective way to build confidence than conventional media.

The creative for the accompanying TV campaign is handled by global agency of record TBWA and is adapted for Hong Kong.

The new product will be sold in Mannings and Watson’s and other major drugstore.

“The pricing is also important. At HK$139.90, (US$17.90) it doesn’t work if it’s too expensive, but if it’s too cheap, people do not trust it either,” said Lee.

Competing slimming product brands include L’Oréal and Neutrogena.