“Innovation is our number one objective.” That was the bold
statement from Ihab Rafik, general manager of the Procter & Gamble-owned appliance
brand Braun, who spoke to MJ Rabbit at the TFWA World Exhibition in October. Among the latest innovative propositions developed by Braun,
Rafik listed the new WaterFlex shaver, which incorporates a contour-adaptive swivel
head, and the best-selling range of CoolTec shavers featuring active cooling
technology. Innovation spans both products and communications tailored to
different shoppers, he added. “Braun wants to supply all needs in terms of
prices and customers.”
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| Braun's new brand ambassador Jessica Alba endorses the Silk-epil epilator |
Braun is also ramping up its appliances’ appeal to women
with a move from purely functional packaging towards beauty-inspired, attractive
visuals on boxes. The German brand has signed American actress Jessica Alba as
brand ambassador, who appears as the face of its women’s appliances, which
include the new Braun Face cleansing brush, a two-in-one product that also
features a facial epilator. The award-winning actress also appears in striking
visuals for Silk-epil epilators and the Satin Hair styling tools.
New display fixtures are also part of the innovation
pipeline. These “touch-and-feel” units allow consumers to interact with the
products – something Rafik believes is important in closing a sale – while also
highlighting product features and benefits. He used the buzzword “FMOT” (“first
moment of truth”) when describing what happens when the consumer sees the point
of sale.
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| Jessica Alba presents Braun's festive campaign |
Wooing the Chinese market
Braun has starting tailoring its communications to the
Chinese market with packaging including Mandarin, while also emphasising the
“made in Germany” aspect of the products with stickers on the front of boxes. The
German-made characteristic is important to the Chinese consumer as a sign of
product quality, German engineering and technology, according to Rafik, and it
also appeals to Europeans and Americans.
In terms of product developments, the hair styling and
trimming categories have room for expansion, Rafik said. Braun will continue to
develop relevant items for the duty-free channel, such as haircare and face
products. He said the company’s training programme would be ongoing, with some
2,000 staff having been trained in travel-retail stores.
On a corporate level, Braun’s top three markets are Europe,
Asia and North America, with Rafik stating that the duty-free business is the
equivalent of a market the size of South Korea or Benelux. The July to
September 2014 quarter had been “a very good start to the fiscal year 2014/15” for
the company with a series of innovations planned.
