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Vietnam's General Department of Taxation has told Unilever Vietnam to pay tax arrears covering the period 2009 to 2013 when the company expanded its local business operations. According to GDT, the country's laws did not offer corporate income tax incentives to investors who expanded their business during the period. GDT, however, has accepted the company's request to exempt it from paying the related fine.
"Unilever Vietnam Asked to Pay Tax Arrears", VietnamNet, September 19, 2016
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French fashion brand Nina Ricci launched a marketing campaign for its Nina brand of perfume. As part of the campaign, the brand has recruited fashion model Monika Jagaciak to join her best friend and fellow model Frida Gustavsson. Filmmaker Gordon Von Steiner directed the “Nina & Luna” commercial, which highlights the models' real-life friendship as a selling point.
"Nina Ricci Tells Friendly Tale to Promote Companion Fragrances", Luxury Daily, September 26, 2016
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Sales of niche and artisanal fragrances grew 22 percent in 2015, compared with the previous year, according to NPD Group. Data revealed sales of the perfumes, which sometimes come in unconventional varieties, are driven by millennials who do not want mass-market perfumes and celebrity-driven scents. Also driving growth and competition in the market is the increase in merger deals, including Revlon Inc.’s acquisition of Elizabeth Arden Inc. and Coty Inc.’s purchase of Procter & Gamble Co.’s 41 beauty brands. Premium scents have driven market growth, with sales of artisanal products and premium fragrances forecast to grow 18 percent from its current $6.6 billion by 2020, according to Euromonitor International.
"Perfume Shoppers Swap Celebrities for Niche Scents Like Sea Salt", Bloomberg Pursuits, September 30, 2016
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Duty-free sales of beauty products worldwide reached $19.8 billion in 2015, with fragrance accounting for 43.6 percent of total sales, according to Generation Research. In 2014, however, overall sales were $19.3 billion, with the fragrance segment contributing 48.7 percent of total sales, and in 2013, $17.5 billion, with fragrance accounting for 50.8 percent. Factors driving the decline in fragrance’s share of total sales included a decrease in disposable income in some markets and terrorism and security concerns. In order to deal with these factors and their adverse impact on the duty-free market, many companies are marketing products aimed at consumers who continue to travel. For example, Armani/Prive created Pivoine Suzhou, a fragrance designed for Chinese consumers. Lancome launched its Miracle perfume, which is also aimed at China’s consumers.
"Following the Scent of More Perfume Sales", The New York Times, October 02, 2016
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Jo Malone, founder of perfume brand Jo Malone London, will have her autobiography, “Jo Malone: My Story,” published by Simon & Schuster. For publication and release in both the UK and the US, the book's print editions will feature a page treated with Pomelo, a scent from Malone's Jo Loves collection. While the book highlights her business achievements, it also looks at the difficult times she went through, including overcoming breast cancer and being estranged from her mother.
"Jo Malone: Her Story", The New York Times, October 02, 2016
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Gender-neutral fragrances are becoming more popular, as younger consumers continue moving away from conventional “sexist messaging” previously used by marketers. With 950 out of 1,000 new niche launches aimed at no particular gender, the growing trend owes its existence to Calvin Klein's launch of the unisex fragrance CK1 in the 1990s. Strengthened by Hollywood in the 19th and 20th centuries, marketing strategies for promoting women's and men's fragrances would be considered offensive today, according to market executives, such as perfumer Ben Krigler and PHLUR CEO and president Eric Korman. Some of the popular gender-free fragrances today include Atelier Cologne, Jo Malone London, and Ex Nihilo.
"Gender-Neutral Fragrances are Next Wave of Gender Identity Politics", The Hollywood Reporter, October 03, 2016
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Revlon Australasia moved its creative account from GPY&R to Reborn as part of the company’s efforts to create a digital-first approach to advertising and marketing in 2017. Part of Reborn’s responsibilities is working with the company’s other brands, including Mitchum and Colorsilk. Reborn will collaborate with Revlon’s marketing teams for the Australia and New Zealand markets.
"Revlon hands creative to Reborn, drops GPY&R", AdNews, October 06, 2016
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Shiseido wants to become one of the world's top 5 perfume companies in five years. By securing a licensing deal for Procter & Gamble's Dolce & Gabbana perfume, Shiseido has compensated for its loss earlier of the Jean-Paul Gaultier perfume license. According to Shiseido, the Dolce & Gabbana has helped it to double its market share from 2.2 percent to 5.8 percent. Shiseido said it aims to grow its market share to 9 percent in five years.
"Japan's Shiseido aims to become a top five perfume maker", Reuters, October 07, 2016
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Facebook not only offers FMCG marketers a treasure trove of online customer data, it offers targeted ad solutions and insight tools for a wide range of products. Big FMCG marketers like Procter & Gamble, Reckitt Benckiser and L'Oreal have made use of Facebook’s resources to boost sales of products like razors, condoms, and hair removal cream. Reckitt used Facebook to target Indian men with cricket-themed condom ads. Last March, Facebook worked with Nielsen on a month-long test in two Indian cities for a L'Oreal acne wash. Media ads were shown in both cities, but only one (Kolkata) saw Facebook mobile ads targeting 18- to 34-year-olds. Sales of the product in Kolkata more than doubled.
"Marketers find a gold mine in Facebook’s data trove", Economic Times, October 07, 2016
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Consumers prefer to buy consumer packaged goods from a brick-and-mortar store, according to the report, “CPG Ecommerce in the US: Expectations and Strategies for Growth.” Results of the February‒March 2016 study of Amazon by Cowen and Company revealed 78 percent of 2,500 adult respondents purchased their groceries at a supermarket in the past 30 days, with 61 percent saying Wal-Mart, and only 8 percent saying they bought online. Meanwhile, 90 percent of respondents had bought grocery or food in a physical store in the past year, according to a February 2016 study by PR firm Walker Sands Communications.
"Consumers Just Aren't into Buying Packaged Goods Online", eMarketer, October 11, 2016
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An advertising experiment that involved the Pond’s skin cream brand has confirmed that TV ads supplemented and reinforced by mobile ads are more effective in delivering “an experiential element” that improves purchase intent. Unilever worked with InMobi and Mindshare to test the hypothesis that multi-screen ad campaigns – TV plus smartphone – would be more effective than just TV alone in moving the skin cream product. The hypothesis proved correct: the mobile ad boosted purchase intent by 50 percent and interest in the product by 15 percent when the mobile ad was seen after the TV commercial.
"Synching mobile ads to TV creative improves purchase intent, finds Unilever", The Drum, October 11, 2016
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China cut the country's consumption tax on imported beauty products. Effective at the start of October 2016, the total effective tax rate, which includes the import tariff, VAT, and consumption tax, will be lowered from the current 84 percent to 29 percent for most cosmetics and 51 percent for luxury beauty brands. Aimed at encouraging Chinese consumers to spend more on local stores instead of leaving the country to shop, the new rules, however, include unchanged tax rates for skincare products and higher rates for premium skincare brands from zero tax to 15 percent.
"Cuts in make-up tax beautiful in the eyes of US and European brands", South China Morning Post, October 11, 2016
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New Avon LLC said it has appointed Anjana Srivastava as the company's president of its Health and Wellness business in the US. Srivastava's appointment highlights the company's plan to expand into the health and wellness market, which accounts for 33.5 percent of total sales in the direct selling channel. Also, health and wellness is the fastest-growing segment in the channel, expanding 16.3 percent to $12.1 billion in 2015.
"Avon Begins Expansion Into Health & Wellness With New Hire", Avon, October 12, 2016
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Tesco has removed dozens of Unilever brand products from its online store following a dispute between the companies over prices. Worsening tensions between suppliers and retailers, the disagreement highlights the adverse economic impact of the UK's exit from the European Union. Unilever has been working to raise the prices of products it supplies to the country's big 4 supermarkets by about 10 percent, claiming it needs to recover losses caused by higher cost of imported materials. Grocers, however, are opposing Unilever's demands for higher prices, saying some of the products are actually made in the UK.
"Tesco pulls Unilever goods from website over price row", Reuters, October 12, 2016
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South Korea-based Beauty Architects launched its Masqueology line of skincare face masks in the US. Aimed at the affordable segment of the market, Masqueology face masks are available in 3,000 Walmart stores across the country and online. Beauty Architects said it plans to expand into the body and hair care markets. Also, the company plans to launche a line of deep treatment hair masks with treated ingredients to moisturize the hair, create volume, and repair damaged hair.
"South Korea innovates global face mask market", Cosmetics Design , October 12, 2016
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Consumers get information about beauty products from brands' websites before visiting beauty bloggers' sites or viewing instructional videos on YouTube, according to research by Imogen Matthews Associates. IMA said although millennial women are regular users of YouTube, which accounts for 1.3 billion views of beauty-related videos, they get beauty information from a variety of channels. Conducted through One Poll, the study surveyed 1,000 women worldwide in an attempt to determine the implications of omnichannel marketing for the beauty industry.
"Consumers still favour beauty brand websites over other digital content", Cosmetics Design , October 12, 2016
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In the US, 61 percent of consumers said they plan to spend more in the 2016 holiday season than they did in the previous year, according to a survey conducted by Kelton Global for RetailMeNot. Results of the survey revealed almost one in three shoppers plan to spend at least $200 more; however, 70 percent of respondents look for deals on holiday gifts, while 40 percent believe they will find the best deals on Black Friday. Consumers looking for the best deals can find an average discount of 33 percent off their winter travel in October, while toys, home décor, and apparel are most discounted early in the season, RetailMeNot said.
"New Survey Finds 61% of Shoppers Expect to Spend More this Holiday Season", RetailMeNot, October 13, 2016
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Beauty retailer Ulta Salon Cosmetics & Fragrance Inc. announced plans to expand its store network by opening 1,400‒1,700 locations from its current 900. Significantly higher than the company's previously announced plan to have 1,200 stores in the US by 2019, the planned expansion is in line with Ulta CEO Mary Dillon's aim of doubling market share in the next several years. Also, the company aims to increase online sales to $1 billion, with Ulta raising its revenue forecasts for the year.
"Ulta Bucks Retail Trend, Plans New Stores, Lifts Outlook", Wall Street Journal , October 13, 2016
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UK retailer Tesco and Unilever have settled their pricing dispute caused by the drop in the pound's value following the country's vote to leave the European Union. Before settling the dispute, Tesco suspended sales of some Unilever products on its online store. Industry sources revealed that Unilever had demanded 10 percent increases in the prices it charges the country's big 4 supermarkets for a wide range of products.
"Tesco, Unilever settle prices row after pound's Brexit dive", Reuters, October 14, 2016
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