Innovations for ageless skin

Although the effects of the financial crisis can be felt in the market of personal hygiene products, average sales are doubled during the Christmas season. Manufacturers have a large number of innovations waiting to be launched. The largest number of innovations appear in the face care segment which accounts for two-thirds of total sales in the category. The quantity of Q10 enzyme in Nivea Visage products has been doubled by Beiersdorf and Q10 has also appeared in products intended for men like,the NIVEA For Men DNAge product line. Eucerin has become successful with its products containing hyaluron acid, while Vichy is promising a cleaner skin with Detoxerine. This year’s innovation by Vichy is Liftactiv CxP, with special proteins, peptides and vitamin C help in regeneration. The innovation launched by Estée Lauder is the serum Perfectionist (CP+ which has successfully removed wrinkles within two hours of being applied, during tests. Helia-D has 14 products in the face care segment. According to Attila Ireghy, sales director, brand loyalty is very strong in this market. It is no surprise that the four classic versions account for a substantial part of their total sales. Most Helia D consumers belong to the 40+ age group, but the objective is to expand this into the 30+ age group. At present, sales of Helia-D Fruit Selection are the most promising. According to Nielsen data for the January-August 2008 period, sales of hand creams were down both in terms of quantity and value. – We think that the most probable reason for this drop is the economic recession, as hand cream is a sensitive segment, often replaced with body lotion – explains Adrienn Vida, from Unilever. Only Dove has produced expansion in 2008, with an over 30 percent boost in sales as a result of the introduction of two innovations. Dove Pro-Age hand cream intended for women over 45, was launched in the beginning of 2008, while Dove Intenzív for dry skin was introduced in August. The latest addition to the Nivea Hand product line contains DNAge Zone Action cell regenerative formula. Awareness of Beiersdorf Atrix is still high among consumers. Only a hydrating and an intensive version are sold in Hungary. Unilever uses hostess promotions where potential consumers can try their products and also publishes inserts in women’s magazines. Apart from classic trade marketing tools, Helia-D also uses product samples in women’s magazines. A number of promotional campaigns have been launched by Nivea in co-operation with retail chains, including Cora, Tesco, Interspar and dm. Dove is offering Christmas gift packages with new hand creams.