Diana Penty to be Estee Lauder’s India face

December 21, 2018

In a major thrust to its India business, Estee Lauder signs Diana Penty as brand ambassador for its super luxury skin care and cosmetics segment

Indians will be one of the top cosmetics consumers by 2025, forming 5 percent of the global beauty market, as per a recent RedSeer Consulting report. The premium and luxury cosmetics segment, featuring brands like MAC, Estee Lauder, L’Oreal, Avon, has gained traction too. The growing consciousness about looks and enhanced purchasing power has created an ensuing demand for superior products. In a move to capitalise on these prospects, Estee Lauder, one of the top brands in the segment internationally, has chosen model and actor, Diana Penty as its India ambassador. Diana will be the first Indian to be the face of the brand.

Diana, always an international favourite

Diana Penty, who began her modelling career way back in 2005, had first walked the ramp for Italian designers Nicola Trussardi and Gianfranco Ferré at the Indo-Italian Festival. In the subsequent years, she established herself in the global fashion circuit, endorsing brands like Maybelline, Garnier and Forever 21. She was also a common face at the fashion weeks in New York and Paris.

Penty’s versatile face with her confidence and sophistication augurs well for the connect to the modern Indian woman, whom Estee Lauder is targeting. The brand has been working globally to diversify its customer appeal and become more relevant to millennials. Estee Lauder has also created a strong online presence and retails through Nykaa in India to draw the socially engaged consumer generation.

The brand’s skin care and make-up campaigns featuring Diana as will be unveiled across the digital and in-store channels on December 11. The model-turned-actor will debut for the brand with Advanced Night Repair and Pure Color Love Lipstick marketing campaigns. She will also be leading the DoubleWear Stay-in-Place Foundation promotions, and will be supported by local influencers with varied complexions and backgrounds.

Estee Lauder’s India focus

Estee Lauder had clearly indicated, in an Economic Times interview, a couple of years earlier that in spite its price-sensitive reputation, India is a key market for them. And that the company will be working to slowly steer the Indian audience into premium quality and luxury brands. While Estee Lauder has over 25 brands in its portfolio, MAC, considered an entry level premium brand, was the first to enter India. The spectacular success of MAC paved the way for the launch of Clinique, a super-premium category brand, followed by their luxury brand, Estee Lauder.

The brand also believes being locally apposite. So, they understand the culture, mindset and respond to those needs. Estee Lauder’s association with Forest Essentials is in line with this philosophy. And now, Diana Penty’s selection as brand ambassador for their flagship brand is another straight extension of this strategy.

The skin care, hair care, cosmetics and fragrance segments that Estee Lauder operates in are extremely lucrative but highly competitive as well. Consumer identification of the brand coupled with pricing and distribution are major factors that effect a brand’s success. Estee Lauder is competing with L’Oreal and Unilever who have a strong foothold in the Indian market. It is therefore crucial for the brand to focus on promotion and product launches to ensure that they ride on the growing ‘look good’ wave.

The Indian cosmetics pie

The Indian cosmetics market was pegged at $6.5 billion in 2017 and estimated to grow at an average of 25 percent per annum, to $20 billion by 2025. While the international cosmetics market is expected to move at a steady pace of 4.3 percent during the same timeframe, according to the RedSeer study. With a deepening demand for branded products from not just metros, but tier 1 and 2 cities, cosmetics majors are increasing looking towards India to exploit this huge opportunity.

But Estee Lauder has built a formidable base with phased launches, brand visibility, pertinent channel penetration and now a fresh look to their brand. Diana Penty has been one of the much-loved Indian models in the local and global fashion circuits. But it remains to be seen if her quiet poise and versatile beauty appeal to the aspirational Indian woman, seeking that match between perfect beauty and innate confidence that makes one feel beautiful.

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