Sunsilk, Ponds, Dove, Vaseline and Lakme are power brands on their own. All of them are trusted household names in India. But apart from the business fraternity, it is quite likely that the end consumer is unaware that all of them come from the same stable. In an interesting move, Unilever India has launched Be Beautiful, with a strong digital and direct push. The aim: ‘make women feel more beautiful, by offering a range of services special to each of these names‘.
At the center of the campaign is the website, which offers makeovers, expert tips, customized solutions and discounts. I got some friends of mine to register and see what happens. Once the details are logged in, the follow up was diligent – in terms of SMS and phone calls. One of the registered users was overjoyed when she received a huge gift hamper in the office. The hamper contained a free lipstick sample, a booklet offering discounts and a scarf as a free gift. One of the boxes in the hamper was empty – one assumes that the friendly courier flicked a bottle of shampoo perhaps. Anyway, the huge gift hamper and it’s contents created much excitement in the office.
It seems like a multi-pronged approach to me:
– With so many international and local players participating in the skin care segment promising pretty much the same thing, it makes sense to combine the power of the individual brands into one.
– the website provides an opportunity to occupy the beauty high ground. With expert tips, two way conversations, personalized solutions and a potential to build a community it could be a platform to create loyalists
– the direct contact and direct mail components call for substantial investments but hey, this is HUL. The gift hamper was a nice touch – sure to make the recipient gush and feel good about registering at the site
– the recipients are likely to be consumers of one of the brands and it’s a nice way to cross-sell to them
It will be interesting to see how the campaign develops and the kind of returns the company gets from this initiative.
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Unilever India’s digital push for Be Beautiful http://www.lbhat.com/online/be-beautiful… #digital
RT @bhatnaturally: Unilever India’s digital push for Be Beautiful http://www.lbhat.com/online/be-beautiful… #digital
27th January 2010 – I had the worst unintentional accident ever; The day I entered my cell phone number on a website called “bebeautiful”
I wanted to unsubscribe my number desperately soon after because I m still getting messages from them ALL NIGHT LONG !!! ( Believe me ) !! however from this damned website but it seems like there is no such option at all in the first place, THERE IS NO OPTION TO CHANGE OR UNSUBSCRIBE YOURSELF so if you are in, you are in for good and there are all chances you can never get out unless you change your cell phone number!!!!
The website is a dump!
If someone has any issue sometime with this site or with the company and if they feel the need to contact someone from the company, THEY CANT ! Simple reason – because there IS no contact information!
Oh ya, I forgot to tell you the most important and the most prepostorous thing I have ever experienced!
I was in bed the next day, and the time was about 7.45 – 8 am and I get a call on my phone and guess what!?
Conti…
Conti…..
Its a representative from “bebeautiful” asking me ” Are you feeling beautiful today Ma’m? ”
I was like “what!!”?? “Who the hell are you”??
And she introduces herself and ( without a break, not letting me speak ) starts asking me questions about my beauty regime and asking me if I can go through a survey with her about beauty on the phone ”
And I politely told her that I am in bed and that she woke me u and that I wanted to go back to sleep. I requested to call me in the eening if this was something important and necessary.
she did not allow me to hang up anyway!!! She started to co orce me into conversation by saying things like “Please M’am, this will only take a few minutes” and such things and blahh blah!
bebeautiful spoilt my morning and my whole day!
At 8 am in the morning people!!!
RETARDS!
OMG! Amazing lesson about how execution of an idea is as important as the idea itself!