How and Why CPGs are Targeting Affluent Consumers Online - Tom O'Regan-Martini Media

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The CPG market has changed dramatically since the recession, propelling giants like Procter and Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive and other major brands into fresh thinking. For generations, the CPG audience was a given, a huge pool of American women who could be reliably reached through television advertising on soap operas and full page ads in Good Housekeeping.

To say all that has changed over the past two decades is an understatement. The digital shift of media and most recent recession have altered CPG buying habits, limited the appetite for non-essentials and even introduced men as a marketing target. As women have assumed a major role in the workplace and middle-class households face more economic pressure, the cash cow for all CPG brands is not so reliable or easy to find anymore. She and, increasingly, he are on the go and, today, more price versus brand conscious than ever. While brand loyalty hasn't flown out the window entirely, the almighty coupon now wields incredible power over consumer choice. The dollar store, formerly patronized only by lower-income families and pre-teen boys, has now become a weekly shopping stop for many households. P&G has seen top-selling brands like Tide suddenly outsold by lower- priced siblings like Gain, and Luvs stealing market share from category leader Pampers (also a P&G brand).

However, in this newly bifurcated market, there is still a taste for luxury on the shelf. It seems that many heads of household want to take a break from coupon-clipping to indulge in a high-end vibrating razor or vitamin-enriched BB cream.

CPG companies are learning to adapt to this new "hourglass" market. It's a morphing consumer market that is (as the name indicates) top- and bottom-heavy, and very narrow in the middle, indicating that the true middle class is shrinking into oblivion. Marketers are, accordingly, targeting way from the center and shooting both higher and lower. P&G is investing more in its lower-cost brands, giving them more shelf space and more ad budget. At the same time, their newer Olay Regenerist line is targeting more affluent women with print ads that compete head-to-head with department and specialty store brands.

L'Oreal Paris has taken their quest for affluent audiences online with their recently launched "L'Oreal Insider" program in the UK. Unveiled less than a year ago, the program celebrates the 40th anniversary of the "You're Worth It" slogan with a loyalty club that rewards members with samples, exclusive content and special deals in exchange for information about their preferences and product reviews. Essentially a social network for British L'Oreal fans, the site is connected to Facebook, and also leverages email and direct mail programs to recruit and engage fans.

Other CPG and personal care brands should take note. L'Oreal reported a 19 percent lift in Q2 results based on its success with affluent audiences. As the web strives to become more brand-friendly, there are tremendous opportunities for CPGs to reach savvy, wealthy consumers online. Rich media, social, mobile and video all represent newer channels that are effective for reaching these audiences. L'Oreal has an incredibly successful YouTube channel – several successful YouTube channels, in fact. Venus razors and Pantene both have Pinterest boards. And all of these brands should be dipping their toes into rich media ads that can feature HD video to showcase their products and how they're used.

But although, according to a Martini Media/Digiday study, digital is perceived to be more effective than offline media in driving both favorability and online and in-store purchase, most of these companies are still spending significantly less online. L'Oreal made headlines in September by allocating more than 10% of its marketing budget to digital – and with equally newsworthy results. Other brands would be smart to follow suit. The audience is there, perhaps not watching soap operas and reading "Better Homes," but they're consuming media online, on tablets, laptops and smartphones. And there are plenty of sites and networks that are serving up the content they love, and the context luxury brands seek. If CPGs really want to connect with affluent households, they really need to start thinking about online.

Tom O’Regan is a seasoned advertising executive with an expertise in vertical publishing and sales strategy. As CRO of Martini Media, he is responsible for company-wide advertising revenue and operations. Tom can be reached at tom.oregan@martini-corp.com.

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