Premium Beauty News - So you created a 200 square meter journey for each customer that focused on three major themes. What were the themes?
François Camilli - Yes. Our staging focused on three themes that we called: "One Stop Shop", "Local Sourcing" and "Innovation".
Premium Beauty News - Let’s start with the "One Stop Shop" theme. Tell us about it.
François Camilli - The idea was to present our multi-category offer of products (make-up, skincare, fragrance) and services (formulation, filling, primary and secondary packaging, POS material, instrumental beauty), as a truly comprehensive, one-stop offerboth in terms of packaging and formulation. In addition to our recent partnership with the Korean beauty and R&D company Cosmecca, we have factories in the US, UK, China, Indonesia and Thailand, supported by R&D laboratories in the UK, China and Thailand from which key products and innovative ideas were presented. For example, we presented multi-material and multi-shape face care masks that had various features like moisturizing, relaxing, revitalizing, detox, and so forth.
Premium Beauty News - What do you mean by "Local Sourcing"?
François Camilli - It is important to know that we currently offer alternatives to products manufactured in China, and instead work with local partners. This is important to meeting expectations of the European market. We already have a network of manufacturers in France to meet requirements in point of sales (POS) material for pop-up and temporary events, and we recently signed a partnership with a French industrial expert in the design and injection of thermoplastic parts with high added value.
Premium Beauty News - And you are also a champion of innovation!
François Camilli - "Champion" is maybe not the right word. The fact is, we let innovation drive as much of the visitor journey as possible and in many areas such as digital, interactivity, consumer experience, light, product customization and eco-design. We presented novel ideas, concepts and achievements in each category of products and services, and this was applied across all areas.
Sarah Romay - One of the highlights for our guests was the ability to see and touch a wall of materials with nearly 20 different innovative textures intended for accessories, packaging or boxes.
Premium Beauty News - So the customer journey ended in style?
François Camilli - It closed on a creative workshop that enabled us to collect their feedback on the journey, take note of their favourite products, and determine next steps. It’s important that we support our customers in their differentiation process, to anticipate their needs and deliver added value.
Sarah Romay - This first ‘Creative Days’ event was a great opportunity to show our customers the different trades and innovations of LF Beauty. Beyond simply proposing a showroom dedicated to each of our activities, we recreated a common space full of inspiration, creation and collaboration called, the Idea Lab. It makes us tap into our five senses and provides us with all the tools necessary to imagine the products and packaging of tomorrow - including a 3D experiment station- while also taking inspiration from bygone packaging. We have to thank the company Musée à la Carte for lending us some magnificent collection pieces: powder compacts, beauty boxes, lipstick and perfume cases of the 30s or 19th Century… and not to mention a beauty spot box and a chatelaine of the 18th Century!
