This article was published in the online and print version of Cosmetics & Toiletries magazine.
Written by , Ph.D., and , Deerfield, IL USA
- KEY POINTS
This article delves into the emotions and feelings of product experiences and explores how they impact purchasing decisions.
In addition, it considers how to measure emotional responses to design products that meet consumers’ emotional desires.
Perhaps more than any other industry, beauty and personal care holds a powerful connection with consumers, who have strong feelings about the brands they use. Purchasing decisions around products form a part of consumers’ identities and when incorporated into daily routines, products can impact users’ ever-changing emotions.
At their core, cosmetics and toiletries are inextricable with emotion. The way consumers perceive products is largely based on how (or if) they believe the product will help them achieve a preferred emotional state; for example, according to one Mintel report, 54% of Canadians agreed that using beauty/grooming products made them feel good about themselves.
Consumers connect emotionally when brands fulfill deep, often unconscious desires such as standing out from the crowd, having confidence in the future and enjoying a sense of well-being.1 The two primary reasons given for wearing makeup can be tied to emotions. The first is to camouflage flaws and blend in with the crowd – i.e., calming the user’s anxiety or insecurities. The second is to appear noticeably more attractive – i.e., making the consumer feel sophisticated, edgy, elegant or seductive, in turn boosting their confidence, sociableness and assertiveness.
The idea of creating products that appeal to consumer emotions is nothing new, but the need for such remains. Add to this the recent advances in neuroscience and sensory science, which are uncovering deeper insights about emotional connections, and it presents an opportunity for brands to create new value for consumers through emotion-driven products.
This article delves into the emotions and feelings of cosmetics and personal care product experiences and explores how they impact purchasing decisions. It also considers how human senses are engaged in these experiences and ways to measure responses qualitatively and quantitatively. Together, these insights can enable the design of better, more consumer-aligned products that resonate with desirable emotions and build stronger brand connectivity.
More Main Article Sections
- Emotions, Product Experience and Decision-making
- Sensory Impact on Emotion and Wellness (Smell and memory, Color connections, Color in packaging, Texture effects)
- Measuring Emotions
Read here for the full article.
About Curion:
Curion specializes in delivering impactful insights to the world’s top CPG companies, helping them develop winning, repeatedly purchased products. Curion’s deep data-driven product insights, sensory expertise, and state-of-the-art consumer centers enable them to uncover responses to critical client objectives. With over five decades of experience in the product testing industry, Curion is dedicated to guiding clients with their proprietary Product Experience and Performance (PXP™) platform, connecting brands to consumers at every step. An innovator in the industry, Curion recently developed a groundbreaking benchmarking product testing method, the Curion Score™, which has become a trusted and sought after tool within the industry. As one of the largest product and consumer insights companies in the U.S., Curion has built a reputation for excellence and trust among the world’s leading consumer brands. Curion’s commitment to innovation and expertise, coupled with a passion for delivering actionable insights, makes Curion a valuable partner for companies looking to develop and launch successful products.
