The teen market is commanding greater attention from manufacturers as demand for teen-friendly products continues to grow. Emma Reinhold reports
Today’s teens are smart, savvy, well informed and, most importantly, willing to spend, so it’s little wonder that manufacturers have been lining up to tap into this lucrative market. But considering the purchasing potential of this sector, and in contrast to other age-specific C&T sectors, the teenage beauty offer still has a long way to go to reach its full capability.
According to market analyst Mintel, the teen toiletries market is still a very niche sector and accounted for just under 1% of all global beauty launches in 2008, with activity very much concentrated in the US and Europe, although Japan also saw a high proportion of teen launches.
“The teenage market is a commanding force, an untapped niche,” Alexandra Richmond, senior analyst, cosmetics and toiletries, Mintel tells SPC. “Just look at the different categories they have a say in. Almost every beauty category, from skin care and deodorant to hair care is on their radar. Teens today are also more sophisticated about what they buy and are exposed to so much more, so manufacturers need to tap into this and make the most of it.”
“Teenagers are amazingly sophisticated and have an extraordinary awareness of what’s out there,” adds Elizabeth Hallett, founder of teen skin care brand, Elizabeth’s Daughter. “They are knowledgeable, savvy and have so much access to information through the internet and teenage magazines.”
SPENDING POWER
Teens are more self-conscious about their bodies than other age group and these worries have translated into a formidable purchasing power. Concerns about body odour for instance have made them the highest users of deodorants. Mintel found that 15-24 year olds spend an average of £14 per capita on deodorant products. “They may only represent 17% of deodorant users but teens are responsible for a quarter of the deodorant market’s total value sales,” says Richmond.
She adds that teens have traditionally bought adult deodorant brands such as Dove, Sure and Radox which are not age specific but this has changed with the launch of Sure Girl, which is said to have taken a 4% share of the deodorant value sales market since its launch in 2008.
The three sku range is said to be the first antiperspirant range specifically developed for teenage girls and has a formula with a longer lasting fragrance as well as promising to provide 24-hour protection against sweating, wetness and odour. The scents – Crazy Violet, Fun Spirit and Tropical Power – are housed in portable cans which can fit in a school or gym bag.
Teen consumers are unique in that they have the dual spending power of themselves and their parents but this also means that a product has to appeal to both age groups. “Appealing to the teen means that the packaging is brighter, contemporary and specifically gendered to make it more relevant,” explains Richmond. “The product names are also more engaging and focus more on feeling than function, and they are often endorsed by hit movies and TV series, such as High School Musical. They can also contain detailed usage instructions and guides. Appealing to the parent, meanwhile usually means the product is more expensive and uses language such as ‘free from’ or ‘contains no…’.”
The influence of peers is another key driver in a teen’s purchasing decisions and a recommendation from a friend can sometimes be more effective than a big budget advertising campaign.
“Word of mouth is extremely important in product choice – it’s a bit like mothers at the school gate,” says Hallett. “And the number of media platforms that are available for them to converse on is growing.”
Brand loyalty is also forged at an early age and Stirling Murray, founder of brand management company, The Core Business believes that appealing to today’s teen consumer can help create a lifelong relationship with a brand. “The teen market eventually grows into the 20 and 30 year old market,” he explains. “The teen years are when consumers make choices on brand loyalty and establish a brand‘s identity.
They may migrate to other brands but will always come back to the brands that they trust and associate with.”
THE ONLINE GENERATION
Today’s teen has grown up in a world where there has only ever been internet access and mobile phones, and as such the teen sector has one of the highest penetrations of computer and mobile phone usage. Research by Mintel and TGI in 2006 found that 94% of 11-19 year olds owned a mobile phone. Breaking this down further it found that 90% of 11-14 year olds admitted to owning a phone, rising to 97% amongst 15-19 year olds. The data also found that 96% of 11-19 year olds had a computer at home and 54% of teens had access to the internet for between four and 15 hours a week.
“This is a generation that has grown up with the internet and their mobile phones are never far from their sides,” explains Richmond. “As an interactive generation, there is so much that could be done with online marketing.”
“The way to communicate with this market is through the web and it will become even more important in the coming years,” agrees Murray. “This market has grown up with mobiles and laptops so web marketing is familiar to them and it is also a low cost exercise for manufacturers.”
Many brands have already taken interactive steps to connect with their teen consumers and have invested in advertising and created pages on social networking sites such as MySpace, Facebook, MSM, Bebo and Twitter. Alongside this there has been a proliferation of blog sites where teens can post reviews and air their views on subjects as diverse as parents, fashion and music.
SKIN CARE SEGMENTATION
Skin care has seen one of the most active levels of launch activity in the teen sector, with products to suit every skin type and skin complaint. Existing heavyweight brands such as Garnier and Nivea, who have traditionally catered for the teen market, are being joined by a surge of smaller, niche brands all vying for space on the retailers’ shelves.
Performance products and quick fixes are still the key factors in purchasing decisions as teen consumers strive to achieve their ideal look of beauty. “Skin care for teens is expected to grow,” says Richmond. “Teen consumers have become more self-conscious about their appearances and are heavily influenced by the media which has created an unrealistic expectation of beauty.”
To this end, demand for more specific skin care products has grown and manufacturers have begun to launch comprehensive lines that go beyond the traditional spot-fighting products associated with teen skin care and now include products for eyes and lips, as well as brightening and redness reducing skin care solutions. Running alongside this, price points have also begun to polarise, as the number of mass and premium brands begin to increase.
“Teens want problem solving, quick solutions and I still believe that value is a key determination for purchase,” explains Murray, whose new mass skin care brand Grace Your Face offers nine skin care products specifically formulated for teen skins. Products include Pre Date Brightening Mask, containing mulberry, gingko biloba, algae, allantoin and green tea; Green Tea Eye Pads, said to soothe, smooth and moisturise the eye area; Tinted Anti Blemish Moisturiser, containing a sheer colour to help tone down blotchiness and salicylic acid to help clear spots; Extreme Lip Volumiser, a clear gloss containing vitamins A, C and E; and Spot Reducer Gel Patches, a night-time treatment to help reduce the appearance of spots, containing allantoin, aloe, bisabolol and vitamin E. All products retail at under £4.99, which Murray says is a very important consideration.
“We looked at the existing skin offer and it was quite complex and science-driven in terms of graphics,” he explains. “The line is aimed at 14+ teens and is complicit in its tone. Skin care is quite regime oriented so we have tried to make Grace Your Face easy to use.”
In addition to the products, the website contains information on skin conditions as well as an ‘agony aunt’ page, detailing beauty solutions to many of skin care problems teens associate with.
Similarly US teen brand Blossom features advice from the brand’s four ‘sisters’ – Bailey, Bexley, Brooklyn and Berry – who each have a range of skin and body care products named after them. The ranges include bath and body products, skin care treatments and a hair care line.
Premium skin care targeting teens is also growing in popularity driven by a desire by parents to ensure their children use the best products on their skin. This desire led parent Elizabeth Hallett to launch the natural skin care line Elizabeth’s Daughter. The products are said to be formulated using natural ingredients – on average 95% – and are paraben, sulphate and petrochemical-free.
“The range is targeted at teens but it is their parents that are buying it,” says Hallett. “The products may be more expensive than other ranges out there but I think the quality of the ingredients used justifies this and the feedback from parents supports this too.”
Products include The Daily Moisturiser SPF15 for face and body, The Facial Cream Cleanser, The Purifying Mask, The Toner, The Soothing & Glossing Balm and The Skin Spritz, to tone, soothe and freshen skin.
However, the natural cosmetics movement is yet to be really fully understood by the teen market. “The free-from trend tends to have a more wholesome slant and is targeted more at the parent,” says Richmond. “Teens seem to be more interested in products that solve problems than the ingredients that are in them. It’s important to remember that teenagers are still essentially children and they want to have fun, so overloading them with information on ingredients will not have the desired effect.”
Spa brand Champneys has also launched a premium skin care range designed to target the symptoms of troubled skin caused by stress and life-stage hormonal imbalances. The five sku range promises to mattify and calm oily and spot-prone skin and includes a foaming face wash, balancing moisturising lotion, balancing night serum, refining mud mask and blemish gel.
A SPOT OF BOTHER
Speedy solutions to spot outbreaks have also been popular with mass manufacturers and Oxy’s new spot treatment range promises to do just this. The new range includes Emergency Zit Blitz Gel, a cooling, soothing gel said to help reduce the appearance and size of spots in four hours. Other products include Emergency Zit Blitz Pads, Anti-Spot Balm, Daily Face Wipes and Maximum Face Scrub. As the language suggests, the range is primarily targeted at teenage boys and is aimed at the 12-24 age group.
Similarly, Clearasil has answered the need for fast spot relief with Ultra Rapid Action Treatment Cream, again said to deliver visible results in just four hours. The cream contains Acceladerm, which helps accelerate the delivery of the medication into the pore, helping to reduce swelling and redness. The brand has also launched an Ultra Spot Blocker Pen, which helps to stop spots from appearing.
The hectic pace of teen life has also given way to a number of multipurpose products, which promise to cleanse, tone and prevent spots in one step and reduce the number of products needed. “There is a growing trend for multipurpose products such as face washes that are also scrubs and masks,” says Fiona Parkhouse, founder of natural teen skin care brand Amie.
To answer this Amie has developed Spring Clean Cooling Clay Mask, a deep cleansing mask, containing organic peppermint and lime that is said to help clear blemishes and absorb oiliness. Garnier also added a 3-in-1 wash, scrub and mask to its Pure range. The new product can be used as a daily face wash to help eliminate excess sebum, a face scrub to help unclog pores and as a weekly face mask to help even skin tone.
Neutrogena meanwhile has employed battery power for its latest cleansing initiative. The Wave is described as a power cleanser that uses a vibrating motion to cleanse and tone the face, to leave the skin smoother, clearer and softer, according to Neutrogena. The vibrating action is said to open pores, allowing for a more effective, deep cleanse to remove dirt, oil and make-up.
SCENTS OF CELEBRITY
Teen fragrances have also seen a boost in recent years as the trend for celebrity fragrances shows no signs of waning. From Katie Price and Kylie to Kate Moss, teen consumers are buying into this affordable way to emulate their idols, and with the number of launches accelerating, manufacturers are confident that the concept still holds potential.
Richmond believes there has been a slight shift away from individual celebrities towards fragrances from groups or films. Disney’s hugely popular High School Musical franchise has launched several themed fragrances, while UK teen soap Hollyoaks has also launched male and female fragrances. In addition, several nightclubs, including the UK’s Ministry of Sound, and Hed Kandi have launched fragrant offerings.
“Celebrity fragrance aimed at teens has become less about one individual and more about a series or film,” says Richmond.
Coty’s latest fragrance project with singer Gwen Stefani meanwhile has reintroduced the concept of collectible fragrance. The Harajuku Lovers fragrance series features five fragrance characters inspired by the Japanese teen fashion phenomenon, Harajuku, where girls in Tokyo wear eye-catching outfits. The five fragrances – Love, Lil’Angel, G, Music and Baby – feature a different scent and character, and can be personalised on a special website, where teens can communicate with friends and create virtual personalities linked to the Harajuku Lovers theme.
COLOUR CONFIDENT
Affordable, fashion led colours have become key with teen consumers who are motivated by trying different shades on a regular basis.
“Cosmetics aimed at teens are very much fashion led, with collections changing on an almost monthly basis,” explains Murray. He cites German brand Essence as an example, which has a range of more than 156 skus and changes about 50% of that every six weeks with new colours and shades. “This creates a must-have newness, combined with unbelievable prices,” he adds.
Customisable colour has also been a popular trend as brands tap into the drive for individuality. Miss Sporty’s Be Connected line allows the user to choose between a selection of mascara, lip gloss and liquid eye shadow colours which can then be connected together to create a personal make-up look, housed in a slimline tube.
Such innovation shows that manufacturers are beginning to understand the teen mindset and respond accordingly. However there is still much to be captured and with a rising demographic, particularly in the number of mixed race and ethnic teens, this market represents a massive opportunity for manufacturers.