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Charlotte Tilbury Beauty, the Puig-owned cosmetics brand, is launching a standalone app — betting on the draw of its famous founder and its use of tech-driven personalisation to overcome the biggest barrier to success: convincing customers to download it.
The free app will blend shopping with expert tutorials and videos and leverage AI to help match users with their correct makeup shades, as well as provide guidance on how and where to apply products. It will be available in 34 regions on iOS and Android.
Speaking exclusively to Vogue Business, Corinne Suchy, chief growth and technology officer at Charlotte Tilbury Beauty, says the app was designed to make consumers feel as if they have the expertise of Tilbury, the brand’s celebrity makeup artist founder, in their pocket. “Many customers feel that shopping for beauty is not enough of a personalised experience,” says Suchy. By tracking users’ preferences, from their past order history to information about their skin they input, the brand hopes to create a more bespoke experience.
The app — which Suchy says will be a ”very important” pillar of the brand’s direct-to-consumer business going forwards — has been in the works for three years. “A lot of the technology that we’re using has only recently been available,” she explains.
Other beauty brands with apps include Nars (Digital Studio), L’Oréal (Access) and Mary Kay. Earlier this year, Estée Lauder launched a new voice-enabled app for the visually impaired. But a dedicated app is a bold gambit, says Hamza Khan, a partner at McKinsey and co-leader of its marketing and sales practice. While brands typically have a wealth of content to share and are often able to offer seamless in-app shopping, getting customers past the pain point of another login — as well as taking them away from apps where they already choose to pass the time, such as TikTok and Instagram — can be arduous.
“What compelling reasons do consumers have to download and visit the app? This is an extra barrier compared to just scrolling a social media feed and clicking through,” says Khan. “Getting that right will attract users at the start and keep them coming back over time. Not cracking that question well enough will lead to higher marketing spend to attract users and a lower likelihood of being able to retain them.”
To that end, Charlotte Tilbury Beauty, which was purchased by Spanish conglomerate Puig for a rumoured $1 billion in 2020, is taking a multi-faceted approach. Consumers can “shop the look” of celebrities Tilbury works with, while some of the brand’s regular faces — including the models Kate Moss and Jourdan Dunn — have shoppable mini-pages where users can see their favourite products. A calendar section will allow users to virtually attend or watch tutorials hosted by Tilbury and her team, while the AI try-on filters show shoppers how to use products. Users will also be able to shop app-exclusive products.
“We know that we have some consumers who want a detailed breakdown of a red carpet look and are very confident with makeup. We also know there’s plenty who just want the basics of an eyeshadow tutorial,” says Suchy.
The pros and cons of apps
Apps offer many inherent benefits over standard e-commerce if executed correctly. The best apps are differentiated, user-friendly, consistent and responsive, says Noam Dorros, director analyst in Gartner’s marketing practice. “Anything short will drive consumers elsewhere.” One of the biggest advantages of a standalone app is the access to first-party data. “Apps can help beauty brands collect valuable data on consumer preference and behaviours, which aids in making more informed decisions, such as products and app functionalities,” says Dorros.
Suchy says customer data will be tracked across Charlotte Tilbury Beauty’s website and app, so if a product is added to a user’s basket online, they can check it out later on the app and vice versa. This also allows for richer data capture and analysis, with Charlotte Tilbury Beauty quickly able to learn about consumers’ skin types and preferences through repeat purchases and their selections via the product-matching tools, she adds.
Apps let beauty brands have a direct channel of interaction with consumers, which is different from having a social media account because it allows for a wider range of two-way interactions, says Khan. It also has the benefit of enabling personalised content and engagement with fans, building an online community that interacts not only with the brand but also with each other to reinforce brand “fandom”, he says. “Apps open the aperture to other potential uses, instead of just thinking about near-term ROI, especially as online advertising costs continue to see rapid shifts.”
Access to exclusive offers can drive repeat usage of the app, which helps build long-term brand loyalty, says Dorros. “Another avenue of connection for brands to reach consumers and maintain top-of-mind awareness through features and incentives.” He adds: “Beauty brands need to think of these platforms as extensions of their marketing mix – a place to reach, engage and convert consumers just like any other digital marketing channel.”
Suchy and her team will track engagement as well as revenue and profitability. “We want to see customers using the app frequently, and we’ll be looking at repeat business,” says Suchy.
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The downside to apps — apart from the challenge of convincing people to download them in the first place — is that they require significant investment and constant attention.
“Maintenance is continually required. There is not a ‘set and forget it’ mentality that applies to successful app execution. So, before that activation point, it’s imperative that brands understand, not only if there is an actual market for their app, but also what is expected from users in terms of features, functionality and offers,” warns Dorros. “Apps must function flawlessly. Anything short of satiating demand will lead to failure. It takes loads of time to create an app, and only seconds for unhappy users to delete it.”
Suchy and her team are confident the Charlotte Tilbury app can deliver. “Through our beta testing, we got a lot of validation from users, especially in terms of how much they value the tutorials,” says Suchy. “The feedback was that while the internet is awash with content, the app allows them to see all of Charlotte’s expert artistry in one place, with a full shoppable list of the products used, and that was powerful.”
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