Manufacturers’ brands a hair ahead

Among cosmetics in general, manufacturers’ brands have been quite successful against private labels so far, but among shampoos, they seem to be staging a true counter-attack. The market share of private label shampoos is declining and the average price is rising. Furthermore, smaller size flasks and specialised products for specific hair types are also in demand. Among sales channels, hyper markets and drugstores are improving their positions. According to Zsuzsanna Sipos from Henkel Magyarország Kft., new innovations are usually sold in drugstores where shop assistants can help customers with expert advice. Personalised solutions are the trend among hair care products. Two new segments have become especially successful recently: one is products developed for dyed hair, while the other is hair balsams. Hair balsams are especially popular during the summer – says Ágnes Benke from EVM Zrt. Consumers try to repair the damage caused by strong sunlight and water. Sales of hair conditioners are also expanding dynamically and trends are similar to those among shampoos. Companies which have several brands, not only carry balsams and conditioners for their premium brands, but also for their lower priced brands as well. Schwarzkopf is the Henkel branch for hair care products. Their two main brands are Schauma and Gliss Kur. Schauma offers solutions for all types of hair, while their other brand, Gliss Kur specialises in problematic and dyed hair, with accordingly higher prices. – Our new product line is Gliss Kur Tápláló Olaj for splintery hair – says Zsuzsanna Sipos. They also have an anti-dandruff shampoo named Seborin. EVM Zrt. begun building a sub-brand targeted at young people in the spring of 2006 under the name WU2 Next. In the summer of 2007, EVM Zrt. will introduce several new products intended for men, like a conditioning shampoo. As Schwarzkopf is an umbrella brand for hair care, dying and shaping, the company takes advantage of the popularity of the brand in multi-brand promotions. Drugstores are important to them, because these specialise in cosmetics and hyper markets and supermarkets are also important, because that is where large scale, routine purchases take place. Displays are the main tools for ensuring their products are noticed, but appearance on shelves is also given a lot of attention. A powerful campaign with a wide range of ATL and BTL tools like hostess promotions with gifts will be staged in the summer of 2007 to support the WU” Next product line.