Live from HBA Global 2012

NEW YORK—HBA Global 2012 opened its doors this morning to Manhattan and the beauty industry, Kicking off three days of education, product showcases, a Design Hotspot (new at the show this year!), show floor chatter and more. To open this mornings sessions, Jane Larkworthy, beauty director of W Magazine, moderated the keynote panel comprised of industry insiders such as Coty Prestige and Stila Cosmetics, discussing the future of beauty, how value is a key driver in the marketplace today (quality from top to bottom) and how critical it is that products meet consumers' needs.

Later this morning, executives, technology managers and perfumers from several fragrance companies (Diffusion LLC, Aroma M, Scents by Alexis, etc.) discussed the most important issues in fragrance today, including the functional power of fragrances to make consumers feel better and the technical aspects of fragrances (controlled release, extending the effective life, etc.). Other educational sessions touched on the many issues facing the beauty industry today: ethnic beauty, brand transparency and more.

After lunch … from green development and packaging to regulatory matters and organic messaging, Intertek, Estee Lauder, L’Oreal, Sabinsa and more, further tackled pertinent industry subjects.

The packaging session—Packaging: Innovation that Matters—carried on the "products must meet consumers' needs" theme. Charles Chang, president and CEO of Topline Products Inc., kicked off the session, stating the packaging industry must provide, "Innovation, innovation, innovation", defining innovation as anything new + provides value to the consumer. According to Chang, there are two ways to innovate: Inside-out—invent something new and present it to the world (e.g., the Post-it); and Outside-in—find a need in the world and fulfill it. He said Outside-in is a three-step process: 1) Identify the need; 2) Crystallize the need (sharpen the issue); and 3) Find a solution to the need. An example he gave was window jar packaging (think eye shadow).

Two speakers from L'Oreal—Philippe Bonnique and Marta Wolska-Brys—addressed consumers insights. Bonnique said you must recognize the expectation and then exceed it. Wolska-Brys outlined several ways to approach packaging innovation:

• Differentiation by design
• Changing product performance & method use by bringing innovation from other industries to the beauty industry
• Intelligent & multimedia packaging
• Anticipating regulatory & society expectations
• Accessible innovations for new markets (i.e., lower-income countries)
• Invisible innovation such as technological innovations not visible to the consumers, i.e., lowering price and increasing quality
• Beauty + eco-friendly via less material and recycled & new materials

John Butcher from Revlon talked about product development. "When developing packaging, we start with the produce itself," he said. "What material can go around it and what glue will hold it together."

When developing packaging, he gave four points of consideration:

1. Product containment: Don't just think about the material; but also think about the processes you can apply to that material. Talk with your R&D department to find out what "nasty" ingredients are in the product.
2. Form: Out of all the finished product examples he gave, the one thing they all had in common, except a wax-based lipstick, is they are poured into their container. The significance of this is the idea of mixing and matching, i.e., a lip balm can go into a compact, a cream-to-powder can be poured in a pot, etc. This consideration, along with product containment, often provides the biggest opportunity for innovation.
3. Dispensing & Application: "Your product can be enhanced by the way it feels upon application," he said. Think more about the applicator, he stressed, noting there isn't a lot of variation in the marketplace so things such as convenience and application can really make a difference. Also think about dimension and precision (a lip pencil and a waxed-based lipstick are the same in terms of packaging).
4. Aesthetics: Aesthetics can also enhance a product. Typically, great products are buried in their packaging (think lipstick buried deep in its tube; the pretty color palette is lost in the packaging) so consumers never experience the attractive aesthetics of colors, design, etc. Instead, use packaging to showcase the product (e.g., a DNA, coiled package with transparent plastic or glass that exposes the product's color).

A few points of advice: Don't assume! Collaborate! Test & retest! Don't lose sight of your consumer!

Hope you're enjoying the show!