Beauty brands drop the language barrier to attract new internet users

Lakme, Biotique and online retailers Nykaa, Flipkart learn to speak in many tongues, hope to appeal to first-time users on digital media

Every year, at the start of the festive season, brands get into outreach mode. Ads, special offers, product launches and other such initiatives mark the months October to December. This year, while such offers are also part of the bouquet at Walmart-owned Flipkart, there is another Diwali special that the e-tailer is hoping will bring home the bounty. The introduction of a Hindi interface on its platform.

One of the biggest gainers of this move is expected to be Flipkart’s beauty and personal care marketplace. According to a report by Nielsen (The changing face of beauty, 2017), the Indian beauty market is “growing in scope and breadth”. The beauty shopper, the report said, is getting younger and increasingly, emerging from deep within the hinterland. Besides, the 2019 Google Year in Search report revealed, “Consumers living outside metros are using the internet as a bridge to their aspirations. They contribute to more searches related to life insurance, vehicles, beauty, travel, and finance, among others.”

Several brands have focused on language as a way into the Indian market, over the past year and more. Their efforts are based on a seminal 2017 study by KPMG India and Google. It found that India’s local language internet user base increased at a compound annual growth rate of 41 per cent between 2011 and 2016 to 234 million users and is expected to grow over 530 million in two years. Google now offers search facilities in eight languages and is expected to add more in the coming years. 

Industry research also suggests that 90 per cent of new internet users in India are local language speakers. However, it isn’t enough to just speak the language; while it helps break the ice, brands need a new strategy for new users from small towns. “Quite recently, we revamped the experience by adding catalogue images for products. We also organised our reviews to convey the key product aspects and highlights more systematically,” says Nishit Garg, vice president, Books, General Merchandise and Home, Flipkart. 

Beauty e-tailer Nykaa has been on the language trail for a while. Its YouTube channel has a special section of Hindi tutorial videos targeting smaller towns and the platform runs up an average of over 100,000 views per video, the company said. Lakme, one of India’s oldest beauty brands, is also taking the same route. “Our content is designed for vernacular in line with our ‘Winning in Many Indias’ framework,” said its spokesperson.

Traditionally beauty and personal care has been a difficult market to penetrate online, as consumers usually look to mimic an offline experience. The authenticity of the product is also a huge concern. These concerns made their way into the planning process said Flipkart, which has around 10 lakh beauty products on its platform. It has set up an assurance service for the products and is looking at ways to replicate the offline experience. For one, product reviews are being differently organised; three key findings across reviews are highlighted at the top of the page for each beauty product. 

Most beauty and personal care brands also employ immersive tools that allow users to try before they purchase. Nykaa said that it works closely with beauty influencers and has special content for certain geographies, such as a make-up guide for north-eastern users and a special bridal guide for the South. “Every customer visits Nykaa after watching content across our social media, before she finally completes a purchase,” said Hitesh Malhotra, chief marketing officer, Nykaa. The company’s channel has over five lakh subscribers. 

For Lakme, according to the team that looks at its digital penetration, the medium helps unlock new geographies and enables familiarisation with the brand. “We believe the digital platform gives consumers the opportunity to understand brands in great depth, and hence helps them make the right buying decisions,” said the spokesperson. The India online strategy for international personal care brand Bath & Body Works envisages a big role for bloggers who will influence potential buyers. The company said it works with 80 top beauty bloggers from across the country. Herbal-natural beauty label Biotique too has influencer-led marketing campaigns for language users.

Language cart

• Flipkart has launched its Hindi app and is tailoring its content from blogs and product reviews, specifically for non-metro consumers

• Nykaa has make-up and other personal care tutorials in several languages

• Lakme has  launches, fashion week coverage, beauty tutorials, and product information in multiple languages