Understanding the Buyer Decision Process: Skincare Industry

How Do You Value Your Skin?

A huge part of every marketer or salesperson’s job is to understand how and why our market behaves the way they do and most importantly how to influence an attitude in a certain direction to influence an associated behavior.

I am currently in the skincare industry and the company that I work for is Business to Consumer (B2C). Navigating the buying decision process in my industry has been the most challenging due to consumers having so many options for skincare. Typically, consumers recognize their need for skincare as they start to age. They experience external stimuli in various ways, such as looking at a photograph of themselves when they were younger, looking in the mirror, seeing advertisements or receiving skincare consultations or services in the spa. What influences the majority of my industry’s consumers is the demographic the products are targeting. 

For example, the company I work for is one of the leading luxury skincare brands. They are more commonly known for providing products for a more mature demographic as they focus mainly on anti-aging and the reduction of fine lines and wrinkles. However, consumers still have the option of purchasing from a variety of skincare brands who also provide anti-aging skincare so what sets my company apart? The way the brand positions itself leads customers to feel that they are not only buying into amazingly healthy, wrinkle-free and glowing skin but also a luxury experience. The fact that this company is luxury skincare already denotes an interest or appeal to a small, specialized section of the population or a niche and allows them to curate their content to target that niche. 

Various factors influence consumer behavior and in turn affect their choices in the skincare industry. Factors such as group influence, personal preferences, quality, brand, price, packaging, and marketing campaigns may determine the skincare brand a consumer decides on. Consumers generally conduct an alternative evaluation and search for information based on these factors to see their options. In my industry consumers tend to carry out Brand or model processing, that is, processing information on one brand at a time. According to this approach, consumers separately evaluate each brand on the attributes presented. In skincare the buyers already know what they want and do not want to achieve by purchasing the skincare, some may be looking for key ingredients or company values such as being gluten-free and cruelty-free.

Once the consumer decides on the brand or product they would like to use and make a purchase, they then enter the post-purchase evaluation stage which may or may not follow the post usage evaluation. This is when they reflect on their decision. Did I spend too much money on that serum? The other serum had hyaluronic acid and this didn’t, what if I needed that? What if this does not work for my skin? Skincare companies reassure or comfort their consumers with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Some companies offer additional perks such as free skin consultations and skin analysis to guide buyers and give them enough information to encourage referrals and loyalty. All in all, many factors affect the buying decision in the skincare industry. All consumers are different, and all make their decisions based on a variety of factors. As a marketer in the skincare industry, it is our job to ensure that choosing our brand is the superior choice in the minds of the consumer and we do this by understanding our target and their needs and approaching them accordingly.