Dissertation

Many of today’s consumers are consumed by technology, and none as much as
‘Generation Z’. Alex Williams, writer for The New York Times, discusses how ‘Generation
Z’ may be “emerging as the next big thing for market researchers, cultural observers
and trend forecasters” and are “primed to become the dominant youth influencers of
tomorrow” (Williams, A. 2015). Whilst this consumer information is extremely relevant to
any brand or marketers looking to target a tech-savvy consumer; appropriating brands
to this consumer can mean avoiding issues that result is shutting out other, large market
sectors. For example, an older generation, such as the ‘Baby Boomers’, that may be a lot
more sceptical of technological, internet-based brands. In fact, Mintel found that “44%
of women in the Baby Boomer generation are classified as ‘Technophobes’” (Davies, P.
2015a). However, Baby Boomers are currently the second largest generation in the UK
(Mintel. 2015), so addressing the issues these consumers have with technology could
have great potential; and may also result in stronger ideas for brand experiences, which
avoid gimmicks and focus on honesty and accessibility. A 2015 Mintel report on Baby
Boomers and Technology, found that “around half (51%) of ‘Technophobes’ aged 51-
69 prefer to receive in-store advice over any other customer service channel” (Davies,
P. 2015a), showing that physical retail is still of importance to this generation. This
may mean a ‘phygital’ retail experience may be the perfect answer for introducing this
consumer area to the benefits of integrated online and offline retail.
[Fig 34] Innovation Curve (2016).
One area where this consumer is the most unidentified by retail may be within the
beauty industry. Within a primary research questionnaire, it was found that 72.5% of
women over the age of 40 wear makeup everyday, and 56.8% use a daily cleansing
skincare routine (Appendix F.2). This idea is supported by the Mintel report on Facial
Skincare in the UK from May 2014, in which they found that “eight in 10 women used
facial moisturiser in the 12 months to March 2014 (79%), with a further 37% using antiageing
products” (Khanom, R. 2014). This data proves that cosmetics and skincare is an
integral part of their daily lives, and consequently an area that brands should be tapping
into. There is no denying that there are several brands on the market catering to Baby
Boomers, but many fail to see that there is a wealth of opportunity to make much more
out of their brand experiences in order to fully engage the consumer. It is equally easy
to identify many brands who have created ‘phygital’ brand experiences in the past few
years. Yet, the beauty industry may be the one retail sector that is yet to make the most
of ‘phygital’ experiences, most specifically brands catering to an older demographic.
As demonstrated in Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovation Theory (Rogers, E.M. 1962), late
adoption of this trend places the beauty industry within the ‘Late Majority’ category.
Identifying the potential within the ‘phygital’ trend could help brands within the Beauty
Industry to create more meaningful brand-consumer relationships and experiences; it
could also be the answer to providing an appropriate platform for targeting a female
consumer aged between 45 and 60.
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