THE GOAL: To put a Smile on customers’ faces today and tomorrow!
Established in Hong Kong in 1841, A.S. Watson Group is the world’s largest international health and beauty retailer with over 16,200 stores in 28 markets. Watsons is one of the leading beauty and personal care products chains in Turkey with its nearly 350 stores in 60 cities.
THE SOLUTION: Making a positive difference in customers’ lives with AR technology
2021 customer trends show that 25% of buyers see the ability to virtually try-on or test a product as something that would encourage them to buy a product when shopping online. Watsons decided to cooperate with PulpoAR, one of the world’s largest companies in the field of VTO, in order to respond to the expectations of the consumers, who believe that virtual try-on plays an important role in their purchasing decision.
With the digital filters we created for Watsons and the smart mirrors placed in the stores, we offered the customers a virtual try-on solution that would enrich their experience. After the Instagram makeup filter project, in which we broke the trial record of 1 million for the Revolution X Sebile collection, this time at Watsons, it was aimed to digitalize all products and to bring the same experience to every product group.
In the digitization process, where the Watsons product team was personally involved, detailed work was carried out to present the products as close as to real-life versions. Special algorithms have been developed to achieve a realistic look in all kinds of different light environments in the process involving makeup artists. A comprehensive study was carried out to examine how different product groups look on different face types.
340 makeup products were digitized successfully and added to Watsons’ virtual makeup platforms. In addition, the products of Flormar, Note, Loreal, Maybelline, which were previously digitalized and kept in our AR Library, were integrated into the Watsons Virtual Tester page. So, a total of 626 products were digitized in 8 different product groups, including lipstick, eyeliner, blusher, mascara, foundation, highlighter, concealer, and eyeshadow in as short a time as one month. Careful studies were also carried out for luminous and liquid products, which are more sensitive to light environments.
In the application named Virtual Tester, Watsons’ consumers were offered two different options to try the products; choosing a model or taking their own photos. The VTO solution has been integrated into Watsons’ website, app, Instagram.
PLATFORMS USED
Website Instagram Filter
App In-store QR Codes
MARKETING APPROACH
What is the secret to reaching a minimum 50K weekly try-ons even after the launch period?
- Always-on communication, store integration, providing experience to users on 3 different platforms consisting of web, app, Instagram
- Positioning VTO as a sustainable service that consumers can use and access continuously, not just a short-term solution
MARKETING ACTIVITIES
- Social Media Planning
- Homepage banner/ Landing page
- Mobile Application
- Instore branding / smart mirrors
THE RESULTS
- Weekly average number of VTO: 50K
- Weekly average number of visitors: 7.5K
- Weekly average screen time: 83 sec
*January Weekly/Average
KPMG’s consumer survey predicts that “brands with the ability to reach customers in or close to their own homes, and those willing to consolidate infrastructure to more easily enable this, will likely be the success stories.” That’s exactly the story Watsons envisioned and accomplished.
So, in 2022 try to be a success story by adding the virtual missing piece to your digital strategy and stay ahead of the competition with just one click. Contact us!