Meeting individual consumer demands

Consumers have very wide-ranging needs, depending on aspects such as their lifestyle and attitudes, and can be broken down into different groups according to their personalities. Manufacturers of personal care products are constantly looking for ways to meet the specific demands of each consumer group – in both emerging and developed markets. As a result, tailored formulations and ingredients that give end products the properties demanded by the various consumer groups are key to satisfying customers. BASF’s Personal Care business unit keeps a keen eye on those market trends, while understanding and following consumer demands closely in order to support its customers. A new concept from BASF focuses on different types of consumers and opens up new opportunities for manufacturers thanks to new solutions and example formulations.

 Individualisation and the quest for authenticity among consumers can be considered as mega and macro trends. Consumers have very wide-ranging needs, depending on aspects such as their lifestyle and attitudes. Whether opting for a specific hair care product or looking for a particular skin treatment, the extent to which a product caters to a consumer’s personal needs and allows them to express their individuality has a major influence on their preferences. The increasing diversity of consumer values and their need to give voice to their own individuality also have an effect on the market, particularly on manufacturers’ product development. This is particularly true for personal care products as they have a direct impact on a person’s appearance, while improving their overall sense of wellbeing and enabling them to express their individuality. According to research published by Euromonitor in September 2011, there is a growing trend in the hair care market towards tailored, so called ‘for me’ products that either care for or repair hair (source: Analyst insight, Function vs. Fragrance in Global Hair Care, Euromonitor, September 2011). As diversification has become a key trend among consumers, personal care manufacturers face the growing need to reach out and meet the more differentiated range of consumers with individual solutions. But finding ways to cater to this plethora of individual consumer needs is a major challenge for personal care manufacturers. They need to bring to market products that meet the various, wide-ranging demands of consumers, ideally quickly. This is why they are looking for tailor-made solutions that give end products the exact properties demanded by the different consumer groups.

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