Leading Personal Care Brand WOW Skin Science has launched its bestselling Vitamin C Face Wash in its first-ever paper tube packaging. It is a first-of-its-kind initiative in India through which the brand aims at reducing the use of plastic at the source. This initiative titled #EkChotiSiShuruwaat falls under the umbrella of #WOWGreenHands, through which WOW Skin Science takes a step towards adopting a sustainable approach for responsible packaging. Through this, it aims to pave the way for a greener future & a plastic-positive society by creating lesser carbon footprints. The paper that is being used in the packaging is Forest Stewardship Council Certified and has a high burst strength and low COBB value, which translates to being strong & stable even in humid conditions. With 45% reduced plastic usage at source, this is WOW Skin Science’s small beginning for a greener tomorrow.
MediaNews4U in an exclusive chat with Manish Chowdhary, Co-CEO, WOW Skin Science spoke to him on this initiative, the marketplace during the pandemic, and much more…
WOW, Skin Science has recently launched a new campaign titled #EkChotiSiShuruwaat, which falls under the umbrella of #WowGreenHands, for responsible packaging, can you elaborate on this?
Since the inception of our company, we have been very eco-conscious. Over the last three years, our brand strategy has been to move towards becoming a clean, green beauty brand. That is why this year we started our #WOWGreenHands initiative to promote our vision of becoming a truly green and plastic-positive brand. One of the first strategies under this ideology is to launch our WOW Skin Science Vitamin C Brightening Face Wash in new plastic-positive packaging. We launched this with the campaign #EkChotiSiShuruwaat. Here we are talking about recycling and highlighting how wastepaper can be reused creatively; along with that, we are showcasing the new paper tube packaging. With this we are reducing plastic use – there’s 45% less plastic used in the tube sleeve. This is just the beginning for us. We are creating a sustainable brand that’s good for you and good for the planet.
As a D2C brand, you have now ventured into making brand films, what is the strategy behind this?
It is simple really. Since we have a strong connection with consumers in the online space, so it was logical to use the reach of YouTube to tell our story. Films have a way of telling a story that easily resonates with the consumers. The visual element tends to hold attention longer. Also, market research shows that video content has a positive effect on ROI and has a more direct impact when it consumer engagement and sales. Brand films are a great tool to explain our products and help us in increasing user understanding of our products. We are able to send out a more direct message about products, ingredients, and benefits.
Today there are many brands taking the natural route, as the frontrunners what is your USP?
As a skin and hair care brand, WOW Skin Science was one of the pioneers in the country in launching products without parabens, sulphates, mineral oil, silicones, artificial color, or fragrance. From the beginning, our mantra was ‘Nature-inspired, research backed’. When we launched our D2C brand, there were a handful of nature-based or ayurvedic beauty care brands in the company and they followed a very traditional retail model.
With our digital-first strategy, we reached out to customers directly highlighting the concept of hero ingredients for each of our range. We do intensive research on the efficacy of the natural herbs active for both skin and hair and based on that we create a complete skin and hair care solution. In fact, we led the market with natural actives like apple cider vinegar, onion and black seed oil, activated charcoal, rice water, etc. One of the ways we stay ahead of the game is to create a complete solution based on the one hero active. It delivers a unique user experience and a spa-like feel.
We are proud of the fact that we could make a success of the D2C concept leveraging the digital medium and launched natural care range that is now being followed by different nature-based brands in the country. We plan to innovate on our products, branding strategy, and consumer experience to retain our brand recall in the market.
The last year and a half were terrible, how has the festive season been?
The pandemic did take a toll on individuals and businesses. It defined a new normal and consumer sentiment was at its lowest. Yet, people did buy products that made them feel good about themselves. However, because of social distancing and all the pandemic protocol, people were meeting less and there was less overall gifting during the festive season. That trend has changed this year. With people getting vaccinated, and the government lifting pandemic restrictions, there is a sense of freedom and people are ready to celebrate. So, we are upbeat about the festive season and launching kits and complete care sets that are excellent for gifting.
What are the trends when it comes to skincare, haircare you are noticing post the pandemic?
Self-care, hygiene, and clean beauty are the three things that are driving the skin and hair care trend. During the pandemic, consumers moved towards using more eco-friendly, sustainable, and nature-based products. They also took up a minimalist approach when it came to taking care of their skin and hair. The focus is to enhance the natural texture of skin and hair by using gentle products that are infused with natural ingredients. People do not want to hide behind layers of styling products, instead highlight their natural beauty. In keeping with that, there is greater demand for simple care products with one hero active or minimal blends.
Where do you see WOW in the next 3 years?
We are constantly innovating on our product formulations and trying to stay ahead of the demand curve by launching newer products and product formats. We are also moving towards becoming a more eco-friendly and sustainable brand with our packaging and the ingredients that we use. We want WOW Skin Science to be known as a responsible brand. As a company, we want to be more than just a skin and hair care company by focusing on wellness products like nutrition supplements that make you look and feel good from the inside.
