The Power of In-Store Engagement: Insights from Sonia Summers
A Beauty Barrage brand ambassador representing for Kérastase hair care at Sephora.
In a recent interview with Sonia Summers, the CEO of Beauty Barrage, we learned about the continuously evolving beauty industry landscape and notable changes in consumer behavior.
Beauty retail is ever-changing, with diverse consumer behavior across multiple generations. Despite the widespread availability of online shopping and digital marketing, consumers are still seeking out in-store experiences and human connections when it comes to beauty products. According to Summers, this explains why there is room for so many amazing brands at retail. Speaking to Fairchild Studio, she explained that the one common denominator between generations is the "human touch.” With years of experience in the beauty industry, Summers is able to share valuable insights into the industry as well as how brands can connect with consumers in-store.
Despite the mixed state of the economy and retail, this year has been consistently profitable for Beauty Barrage's brand partners. "We have applied our tried-and-true principles in-store and are thrilled to see a strong ROI,” Summers explained. Consumers may be anxious about inflation, but they have not stopped their spending. Brands are taking care to build value promotions to appeal to those deal-driven consumers, with some even lowering their prices, and retailers are ensuring that their stores are inviting to their customers. Consumer behavior has changed significantly in the past year, with people becoming more educated on beauty than ever before. Summers explained, "This makes sense as they had more time on their hands to consume information." And surprisingly, people were still coming into stores, even throughout the pandemic. "They were seeking out human connections and looking forward to discovering new beauty products," she added.
For brands to effectively connect with consumers in-store, they need to provide the same attention as their digital presence. "It makes no sense to spend so much on digital to tell your story then not have the same attention in-store," said Summers. "Customers want to be engaged, especially after going through a pandemic." To be effective, a team needs to bring the brand to life in-store by providing education for associates, mining the merchandising, demoing products, and answering questions for consumers. Beauty Barrage is a unique partner because they offer a customized approach that optimizes and plans the execution of all activations, yielding success for both brand partners and retailers. Beauty Barrage utilizes consumer behavior and market intel to implement strategies for brands to execute in-store. "We are very methodical," says Summers. "One of our greatest assets is our customized post-shift survey that must be filled out by all beauty educators and ambassadors.” These surveys are tailored to each brand partner and include in-store images, which can be used for product fact-finding, inventory reports, and more. The data is aggregated on a dashboard that shows week-over-week or month-over-month trends, using pie charts, bar graphs, and free responses. This helps their brand partners understand their consumers better and make any necessary adjustments to their strategy.
What makes Beauty Barrage a unique partner is their pay-per-hour model. According to Summers, the company was born out of a need for in-store support that was more cost-effective than hiring a full-time field team. "Beauty Barrage was never something I thought I would start," admits Summers. "In the beginning, it came from a need from my clients that I was consulting for. I knew they needed the in-store support but the expense of a field team that at the time was well over $1M. Today it’s even more, not to mention the cost of overhead. That never made any sense to me.” With Beauty Barrage, you only pay for the hours that the team is in-store or educating, without having to worry about the cost of full-time employees and benefits. They also have strategic account management to ensure success and work closely with brand partners and retailers alike. As we head into the summer season, brands need to start planning how they will support their businesses in-store. "If you can create a budget for consistent support, that is amazing and your best bet," advises Summers. "But if you only have a limited budget, then what I would recommend is to do an in-store blitz surrounding your new product launches. This will help build sales. You can’t expect success at retail brick and mortar if you don’t have a plan to connect with consumers and retail associates in-store.”
In a fast-changing industry like beauty, keeping up with evolving consumer behavior and market trends is critical. Sonia Summers, the visionary leader behind Beauty Barrage, shared her insights on the state of the industry and how brands can succeed in today's marketplace. With a focus on human touch, engagement, and education, her approach emphasizes the importance of connecting with consumers in-store. By implementing customized strategies and utilizing market intel, brands can develop successful activations that resonate with customers and drive sales. Moreover, Beauty Barrage's unique business model, which allows brands to pay only for the hours worked, makes it an ideal partner for businesses looking for a more cost-effective retail support solution. As we look to the future, it's clear that in-store support will continue to play a critical role in driving beauty industry success, and Beauty Barrage is well-positioned to provide the necessary support for brands looking to stay ahead of the curve.
Get in touch today at info@beautybarrage.com to learn more about our customized solutions and how we can help you succeed in the competitive beauty industry. Let's work together to bring your brand to life in-store and achieve your goals.