LONDON — For Simple, the future is all about creating an easy dialogue with customers.
That’s why the cosmetics and toiletries brand by that name has launched simplycity.me.uk, a Web site meant to facilitate communication between the company and its consumers.
Visitors to the site are invited to comment and vote on marketing materials and offer feedback on brand initiatives, as well as tap into more traditional Web content, such as blogs, message boards and Simple-generated editorial. In return for their feedback, cybervisitors are offered 50 percent-plus discounts on a selection of product kits, which can be purchased through an online boutique.
The idea is that offering beauty bargains will act as an incitement to spread the word.
“We know that 41 percent of the people that come to Simple come by recommendation; it’s the biggest route to the brand,” said Heidi Muller, marketing controller of the Accantia Health and Beauty-owned brand. Muller added that of the Simple customers polled, 63 percent would go on to recommend the brand to others.
“They want to be involved,” she said, referring to the opportunities visitors to the site have to give feedback on the brand. “We can also test and trial with a fail-safe mechanism.”
In July, for example, visitors to the site were polled on questions, including which packaging images for Simple for Men “would jump out off the shelf at you most” from a sample selection of three. After completing the voting process, visitors, who are referred to as “special advisers,” are invited to enter the brand’s online boutique, where they can buy a selection of themed product kits.
One package, called Night With The Girls, includes Daily Radiance Cream Cleanser, Sun Face Self Tan Lotion, Daily Radiance Moisturiser, Hydrate Body Moisturiser, Body Self Tan Lotion and an eye mask, for example, is priced at 16 pounds, or $32.25 at current exchange, in lieu of the full high-street retail price of 32.36 pounds, or $65.21.
Since shoppers can only buy items grouped by theme rather than individually, the idea is they try out products they may not traditionally purchase.
“They get bundles they can’t buy anywhere else, put together by lifestyle [concept],” said Muller. “The bundles are at good prices, which reflect a ‘thank you.'”
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Executives said 2,000 people signed up to the site within two weeks of its spring launch, putting the brand in position to outdo its full-year target of 5,000 subscribers.
In addition to further broadening communication channels with customers, Simple also rejiggered its product packaging and extended some of its lines.
“We’ve been hiding our light under a bushel with the Simple brand, and the consumer is looking for more confidence from us and a more overt expression of our personality,” said Muller, adding its logo graphic has been revamped so the brand name is more visible and no longer enclosed between horizontal brackets. “The previous logo had a more protective look and feel.”
The new packaging design, which began to appear on shelves earlier this year, has been receiving positive results on the brand’s simplycity site, she said.
Simple, which was founded in 1960, generates annual retail sales of 100 million pounds, or $201.5 million.