Perspectives: Jeanine Recckio
Mirror Mirror Imagination Group
The beauty industry needs reinvention.
By Jennifer Kwok, Managing EditorThe market is overcrowded with so many beauty brands. How do brands make sure that their beauty products stand out from the rest? Many turn to Jeanine Recckio, founder of trend forecast agency Mirror Mirror Imagination Group, for advice.
Recckio spoke to us, suggesting ways to address some of the challenges beauty marketers face now.
What problems do you see beauty companies experiencing?
Every brand that I know is complaining about all of the SKUs that are just sitting on shelves and not moving. And retailers are complaining that these products are taking up precious space.
Why are so many products not selling?
We’re not launching the right products that consumers want to buy. It’s our own fault. We do far too much “competitive shopping” within our own category in the beauty business, only paying attention to what our direct competitors are doing. Then we wonder why everything ends up looking the same.
What solutions do you suggest?
We need to be more innovative now than ever before. Consumers today want constant innovation—new and improved everything, beauty products included. High-tech toys provide this experience to consumers. We should be feeding consumers the innovative and modern products that they want, in the fashionable designs and high-tech touch formats that they’re demanding.
Second, we have to make the consumer feel like she absolutely needs to buy new products—and make sure that she is always left wanting more. We need to reinvent the beauty categories and the way we package them.
Also, we need to listen to the consumer more, because there is a whole new level of taste that we’re not always recognizing. Fashion and luxury have taken on a new importance in the beauty business. There is a new sensuality required in packaging today. Consumers want sexy products that go beyond pretty.
Have consumer expectations of products and packaging changed as well?
Yes, consumers today feel very differently about products and packaging. For instance, we used to think that it would annoy our customers if we changed a product’s formula, but now customers expect formulas to change. They look for products that are injected with all of the latest ingredients.
Consumers also expect packaging to be upgraded. Everything, including packaging, needs to be smarter, better, faster, slimmer, and function better in their lives.
How can a brand attract customer attention?
Think about interactive packages. Change the way that you think about form, function, and usage.
How does trend forecasting help your clients?
Keeping informed of trends in other industries outside of the beauty business helps you to better understand what consumers want so that you can deliver new products that they will be excited to buy.
Here’s an example. Knowing about trends happening in the automotive industry in terms of paint colors and finishes might help a marketer choose the most appealing colors for a new brand’s packaging, or it might inspire a designer to come up with a new type of decorating technique for a fragrance bottle.
Do you have a final piece of advice you can give our readers?
Look at the consumer as a whole person. Beauty isn’t just about a lotion or a potion—it runs much deeper. As creators and designers of beauty products and packaging, we need look at new, innovative ways to do things. It will take forward thinking for us to get our brands, clients, and products to the next level.
Top 5 Inspirations
Recckio’s job is to inspire others, but what inspires her? Below is a list of five current sources of inspiration.
1. David Lawrence, an interior designer with a socialite/celebrity clientele.
“Working with interior designers gives me insight into what types of products and packaging consumers want in their bathrooms,” says Recckio. “Everyone is creating at-home spa-like environments right now. Form, function, color, and design are important for bath and body products.”
2. Zezé, a well-known floral designer and owner of Zezé’s Flowers in New York City.
“He is the most incredible source for fragrance and scent trends,” says Recckio. “Flowers in the home and garden are taking on a whole new importance now. The best color influence comes from nature.”
3. The Art Scene
“The art movement is huge right now. It’s influencing package design and decorating techniques.”
4. Jubb’s Longevity Center, a raw food deli and health-food store in New York City.
“The raw food trend will take organic beauty products to the next level. I’m working with Dr. Jubb right now, and he’s a genius,” says Recckio. “The wellness trend is all about how we live our lives.”
5. The Fashion Industry
“The beauty industry should always look to the fashion world for inspiration. Fashion trends drive customers to go shopping, which is why celebrity fragrances have been so successful,” says Recckio. “Look how fast a designer can turn around a collection. Different styles keep customers interested in buying more. It’s a totally different mind-set and shopping pattern.” that we can learn from.”