As the beauty industry starts to become a key player in the realm of multichannel marketing, it has since embraced the idea of incorporating interactive digital features within its campaigns and adverts as a way to further engage consumers both online and in store. 

Consumers are connected to one another now more than ever, with various ways of communicating at the tips of their fingers and new technologies readily in their hands throughout the day. This creates an unlimited amount of opportunities for beauty brands to utilize multiple different touch points in order to reshape the way consumers interact with and shop with their brand. With consumers seeking advice and inspiration from one another, they are now expecting that same relationship with beauty brands.

Beauty consumers expect an effortless interaction in order to experience experimental looks and products, as well as access to the same level of information and services that they would receive either through beauty vloggers or in store customer service. 

By taking advantage of the endless opportunities that digital touchpoints offer, beauty brands will create a stronger two-way conversation with a wider audience. It is important to understand that the customer experience is increasingly starting online and from there can lead to different channels through seamless integration.

According to a survey conducted by InReality, shoppers have claimed that they use mobile devices whilst in stores in order to compare prices and to find out further information about a product. 

In the fall of 2014, Burberry created an integrated multichannel marketing approach by pushing their signature makeup line through runway shows, email blasts, and social media. Burberry created curated looks for each of the new products that they then shared on their social media platforms to engage with consumers. The social media posts gave consumers inspiration through content ranging from product imagery to sneak peaks behind the scenes of both back-stage and campaign photo shoots.

Burberry then tweeted a 35-second campaign video that featured Suki Waterhouse flawlessly applying the eye makeup herself - displaying to the viewer the ease of product application to create their signature look . Their email blast began by introducing the new mascaras, liner, and brow definer that was new to the collection and then went on to show the reader how to “create the look” through a series of photos. Burberry closed out the email with a link to the webpage specifically designed for the new makeup line, which displayed even further information and advice about their products.

By incorporating several different digital touch points within their campaign, Burberry allowed for more exploration and engagement. The only thing that Burberry’s website and email possibly lacked, was a video tutorial to demonstrate how to “create the look” in more detail for consumers who work better with moving visuals and to add a more personal interaction between the brand and its consumer.

“The number one piece of content that converts to sales is video tutorials. Those can be viewed on the go via mobile and will help impact a consumer in their buying decisions. Your brand needs to have a voice within that space" Brittany Mills, Vice President of client solutions at Nervewire Inc, New York.

Dior recently released a newspin on video tutorials by speeding up the footage and adding a more playful take on their new ranges, to boost awareness. The short film shows models behind the scenes at a Dior fashion event with several different 'Backstage Pros’ hands reaching out to show consumers how to “fix” the look on several different models. Acknowledging that the beauty industry heavily relies on visuals and utilizing visual assets, Dior’s video features over-laid text and attention-grabbing animation to further communicate their brand story.

Dior’s social media platforms then direct consumers to its Backstage Makeup School, which is a website that contains even more product information, curated looks, and video makeup tutorials that will open the door for consumers to explore and to learn more about their brand. This use of multichannel sources is an excellent example, especially since several reports have proven that customers who gather information online and through digital sources are more likely to browse in different categories online than they would in store – which translates into more overall sales.

Multichannel marketing allows for innovation and brand differentiation, which leads to growth in business as well brand awareness. The beauty sector has been slow to adopt new technologies, so beauty brands that create a strong online presence through multiple different channels will stand out from their competitors.