About 93 percent of consumers in China said that makeup helps improve personal charisma, while 83 percent agreed that makeup boosts self-confidence, according to an online survey conducted by L'Oréal. Results of the survey also show that about 79 percent of male respondents believe makeup can increase attraction from the opposite sex. Other findings indicate that women are aware of the importance of makeup, with 80 percent of women respondents saying they use makeup on a daily basis, and 37 percent indicating they put on makeup 3–4 times a week.

Sales of men's grooming products are forecast to reach $3.2 billion by 2016, up from $2.6 billion in 2012, which makes men's grooming one of the fastest expanding segments in the beauty market, according to market research firm Mintel. Although the market for cosmetics and skincare for men is booming, marketers have to deal with a major challenge — most men do not want to use products with packaging that seems too feminine. Marketers circumvent this issue by offering cosmetics with packaging that looks designed for cigar and liquor and sporting manly brand names. Nordstrom, for its part, transferred male grooming products from the beauty department to the men's furnishings section.

Lamoiyan Corp.'s Hapee brand of toothpaste, after 25 years of competing on price and quality, grabbed a 15 percent share of the toothpaste market in the Philippines, which is currently dominated by Colgate Palmolive's Colgate and Unilever's Close-Up brands. Armed with a lean 300-strong manufacturing workforce, 100 of whom are deaf, Lamoiyan's Hapee toothpaste is 50 percent cheaper than the leading brands and tastes similar to Colgate. From being the biggest supplier of aluminum tubes to Colgate, Lamoiyan has become a credible competitor to the market leader.

Unilever launched its Sustainable Living Plan sustainability initiative in 2010 to cut by 50 percent its environmental footprint, help one billion people improve their livelihoods, and source all agricultural inputs from sustainable sources, according to Jan Zijderveld, president of Unilever's Western Europe operations. Zijderveld also said that governments have failed to handle properly the world's sustainability- and environment-related problems. Moreover, companies like Unilever have to share the responsibility in promoting sustainability and develop a new business model that takes the environment into consideration. At present, Unilever has achieved encouraging results in raw material and manufacturing; however, the company finds that changing consumer behavior is the most difficult part.

Brazil's make-up market, with an estimated worth of more than $2.7 billion, is one of the largest markets in the world, according to Vivian Steinhäuser,  L'Oréal's group manager for make-up. Steinhäuser said that the nail polish sector is especially strong, as demonstrated by the performance of the Colorama brand acquired by L'Oréal in 2011. Door-to-door selling accounts for most of the sales; however, all distribution channels are rapidly changing. For the past two years, L'Oréal invested in Brazil's distribution network, which has about 7,000 retail chains and more than 53,000 independent outlets. L'Oréal has also harnessed the Internet's power of communication. For example, Maybelline's Facebook page has more than 300,000 fans in Brazil.

Unilever CEO Paul Polman said the apparent failure of governments and political processes to make the Rio+20 conference a meaningful event for environmental protection should prompt the world's largest companies and NGOs to promote sustainability on a global scale. While the political agreement that emerged from the conference "recognizes an increasing role for business," Polman said the text "lacks specificity, clear dates, funding, and accountability." Instead of complaining, however, Polman claimed that the agreement's weakness should be seen as an opportunity for businesses to play a major role in global efforts to protect the environment.

Microsoft Corp. launched the NUads interactive TV advertising format on Xbox LIVE, with Toyota, Unilever, and Samsung Mobile USA as the first brands to develop advertising campaigns based on the technology. NUads advertisements turn conventional TV advertisements into interactive experiences for Xbox LIVE viewers using Kinect gesture and voice controls. Unilever's interactive campaign for the Axe Attract for Him deodorant brand involves transforming the original digital advertisement into a NUads TV spot for Xbox.

Economic slowdown in South Korea caused sales of imported cosmetics brands, such as Estee Lauder, Clinique, Lancome, and Kiehl's, to drop by 10–26 percent in January to May 2012 compared with the same period in 2011. Domestic cosmetics manufacturers launched efforts to attract consumers' attention, such as products that integrate traditional herbs or fermented ingredients. For example, Amore Pacific's Sulhwasoo brand of cosmetics, which contain traditional herbal ingredients, became the bestselling brand in department stores in May, overtaking Procter & Gamble's SK-II and L'Oréal's Kiehl's brands. Recession has forced consumers to become more discriminating, putting emphasis on how products perform relative to their price.

Procter & Gamble Open Innovation partners, Little Busy Bodies, LLC, manufacturer of Boogie Wipes, and Nehemiah Manufacturing, licensed maker of Pampers Kandoo, merged in order to leverage their expertise in children's products. Little Busy Bodies, an Oregon-based start-up company that grew from $20,000 to a $10 million company in five years, manufactures Boogie Wipes saline wipe for soothing children's stuffy noses. Founded by two entrepreneurs seeking to create a business while improving their community in Cincinnati, Nehemiah Manufacturing markets Procter & Gamble's Pampers Kandoo product.

Hindustan Unilever said it plans to expand its Lux soap brand into the deodorant segment. HUL's parent company, Unilever, had already expanded the Lux brand into the body and hair wash market. Unilever may also consider extending the Lux brand into the deodorant market depending on how it performs in the fast-expanding Indian deodorant market, which is currently valued at Rs 1,300 crore. HUL has been aggressively expanding its main brands into other categories, especially in the personal care market, which accounts for 30 percent of its sales and half of its operating profit.

Walmart partnered with Procter & Gamble to promote online and mobile shopping and the retailer's free delivery service for consumers in New York City. The @PGMobile marketing campaign features a fake food truck that will visit popular destinations in New York City in June 2012. QR codes for several P&G and Walmart products will be highlighted during the campaign, such as Bounty paper towel and Head & Shoulders shampoo. Online sales accounted for a mere 2 percent of Walmart's revenue in 2011, although overall growth reached 8 percent.

Dove will launch the Dove Movement for Self-Esteem, a national program seeking to highlight real women as role models for girls, during the Girl Scouts Rock the Mall event in Washington, D.C., marking the 100th anniversary of Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. During the national program, Dove will encourage consumers to relate their stories about positive role models in their lives. Dove will celebrate Toni Blackman, a musician and writer who became the U.S. State Department's first Hip Hop Cultural Envoy; Jane Chen, inventor of a lifesaving incubator for vulnerable babies in developing countries; Melanie Matchett-Wood, a mathematician who became a member of the U.S. International Mathematical Olympiad Team; and Lydia Villa-Komaroff, a molecular biologist and a proponent of Latinos' participation in the field of science.

Embracing sustainability as a core element of their marketing and business strategies, marketers can use the power of brands to encourage consumers to adopt a sustainability-friendly lifestyle. Companies, such as Unilever, have helped consumers gain access to basic necessities including health, basic hygiene, and food. For decades, marketing has ignored the concept of sustainability, making it difficult for present-day marketing professionals to integrate it into their campaigns. Marketers, however, need to address this challenge by integrating digital media into marketing and consumer relations, and using marketing to urge consumers to adopt a sustainable way of life. 

Unilever launched the "Best Night Ever" advertising campaign, which features sponsored content on social TV that lets viewers decide how the storyline goes, for its Clear Scalp & Hair Therapy haircare product line. David Rubin, Unilever's haircare marketing director in the United States, said his company decided to use NBC Universal's platform, which combines TV and social media, to launch a product that is "going to revolutionize the hair care industry." Mindshare managing director Christine Lamson claimed the campaign is innovative because it takes advantage of a growing consumer desire to interact with brands via digital media platforms.

Clorox Co. said it plans to introduce a concentrated version of its liquid bleach product in August 2012. The reformulated product, which comes in a bottle 33 percent smaller than the previous one, will help the company reduce shipping and packaging costs while increasing margins. Clorox will spend $80 million in marketing the new product during the first year of rollout, 30 percent more than what the company spent in a typical year.

Marketing research firm Buyology co-founder Donna Sturgess claimed that at least 85 percent of consumer decisions are made using the non-conscious mind, and thus packaging should appeal to the emotions. In her seminar, "Neuro Insight and the Science Behind the Most Powerful Packaging in the World," Sturgess said that brands can improve their competitiveness through packaging, which if done properly and makes the right impression to consumers, can appeal to their emotions and influence their purchasing decisions. Packaging that inspires awe, which is described as the highest end of emotion, is often used by marketers of luxury products to encourage consumers to buy.

The organization representing America’s dermatologists has issued an advisory saying that sunscreens are still the most effective protection against the harmful effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation. The American Academy of Dermatology says sunscreens, when used with other forms  of sun protection, are an important way to fight skin cancer, including its deadliest form, melanoma. The group recommends applying a water-resistant, broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF 30 or higher, along with sun-safe practices such as limiting sun exposure, seeking shade, and wearing sun-protective clothing, hats and sunglasses.

Procter & Gamble Company launched a marketing campaign featuring Olympic gold medalists, track and field athlete Allyson Felix and taekwondo fighter Steven Lopez, for its Crest & Oral-B Complete dental care products. The campaign highlights the relationship between a person's oral health and confidence level. Research shows that a healthy and confident smile has a direct impact on a person's self-esteem, as well as a significant effect on how others perceive that person.

L'Oréal USA won two awards at the 2012 Brand Innovators Awards. Makeup.com won in the Content Marketing category, gaining recognition for building relationships using content marketing; in the Digital Video category, Dermablend's "Go Beyond the Cover" online video won top honors after receiving more than 15 million views and 650,000 shares on Facebook since its October 2011 debut. L'Oréal USA's digital brand, Makeup.com, helps promote all of the company's brands and serves as a platform for developing interactive relationships with consumers, according to the company. 

Bath & Body Works' Twilight Woods, Noir, and Ocean varieties of anti-bacterial gentle-foaming hand soap for men come with overpowering aroma and too heavy scents that might turn off most male consumers. The hand soaps seemed to be designed more for concealing bad odor instead of cleaning hands. Ultimately, the issue boils down to whether men need hand soaps especially designed for them when any generic soap will do for most members of the male species. 

Unilever chief executive officer Paul Polman changed his company's business focus from satisfying shareholders' demand for short-term profits into a strategy that puts emphasis on longer-term results. Polman said he requires marketing agencies to be "performance-driven," basing their fees and earnings on how well Unilever performs overall. Unilever's CEO also said that in marketing, a company needs to determine what the brand stands for and what its message is before looking at which media — TV or digital media — to use. Polman said marketers need to exert more efforts to really know consumers and their real-life situation.

Bloom.com, a Web site that sells cosmetics products from 150 brands, also offers an online forum where senior women can interact and share stories about their beauty needs and solutions. Established by technology entrepreneur Julie Mahloch in 2010, the Web site reached the $1 million revenue milepost in December 2011. Mahloch's site allows users to upload videos and photos highlighting how they resolved beauty questions with branded products; it also features beauty consultants and professionals and matches women with similar beauty needs or questions.

Manufacturers of consumer products are reviving and updating their old brands to upgrade them into the 21^st century. Procter & Gamble transformed Pepto-Bismol from a bulky bottled product into the portable Pepto-Bismol To-Go; Oral-B launched the Oral-B Glide 3D White Floss Pick floss sticks with tooth whitening feature; Planters unveiled its Planters NUT-rition Men's Health Recommended Mix mixed nuts snack; and Kraft re-launched the Wheat Thins crackers as salty snacks that come in various flavors.

Old Spice deodorant brand launched an advertising campaign that uses made-up words and brings to mind the 1980s, a time when men's grooming was simpler. Developed to promote the brand's new Champion scent, the campaign includes a TV ad that incorporates various cultural symbols representing the 1980s, such as wood paneling, Walkman portable audio players, and the DeLorean sports car.