Ariane Goldet: What is Avène’s link with anti-aging?

Nuria Perez-Cullell: The Avène brand was launched in 1990 and has been interested in anti-aging since 1994. This is a time when we talk a lot about fighting, efficiency and wrinkles.
We then launch the Ysthéal range by highlighting rhetinaldeide, which is a stable precursor of vitamin A acid and is also effective and well tolerated.
We are waiting until 2005 to launch the brand’s second anti-ageing range, formulated around hyaluronic acid.
We work around specific fragments that boost the natural, physiological and cellular synthesis of hyaluronic acid.
Then, in 2009, the Serenage line was created and addresses mature skin in order to provide a nutritional response dedicated to this specific target group.

AG: How has the idea of anti-aging evolved?

NPC: We are trying to conduct qualitative and quantitative surveys to fully understand this target.
These studies have provided us with some lessons and I would like to share several of them with you.
First of all, consumer Q is very interested in the benefit of the product she will use, age doesn’t talk to her, it doesn’t interest her. It has specific needs and therefore wants an answer.
Secondly, this target has a very poor product-related loyalty.
One in four women reveals that she is interested in and loves new things. In addition, she has time to do her research and wants to know for herself, to test and then to be able to give her opinion.
Finally, she wants a return to a more serene, truer, more authentic communication.

AG: Did these findings help you in the way you work?

NPC: Yes, they allowed us to segment the Q population around three different typologies.
The caretaker, a consumer who is interested in primary health, science, efficiency and for whom evidence is needed. She needs expert advice.
The controller is a little more worried about this aging that appears on her face and that she regrets a little. She joins the caretaker because science is important to her but she has a slightly more focus on beauty.
The sensorial women is a little far from health, but still there. She is even more into beauty and is in search of cosmetic pleasure. For her, pleasing and liking each other are important notions.

AG: How do these three typologies experience beauty today?

NPC: These are consumers with whom we need to talk differently.
We should no longer talk to them about their age, but rather about their lifestyle.
It is very important to address them with attention to their interests.
It should be noted that two out of three Q women consider that they are living the best time of their lives and 68% of them confirm that this is the best time of their lives.
Until the age of 50, we are all turned towards our professional lives, our personal lives, are everything we must build to exist.
And then from the age of 50, we refocus a little more on our aspirations. So these are women who are there to be told about themselves and what they want now.
Even if they assume their age, they express a gap because they feel younger.
They see themselves as beautiful, they want to take advantage of it, but they feel they don’t exist.
72% of them say they don’t really listen to the ads that are supposed to concern them.

AG: Avène will release a new range dedicated to these women. How does the brand intend to communicate?

NPC: The mission is to try to talk to them about their lifestyle with kindness, positivism, and authenticity.
They are in a moment in their lives when they still have a lot to do.
We must ask ourselves how we can support them in terms of cosmetic care and at the same time be present to share this very beautiful moment of life.
We will work with them, try to contact them through the press, ads and everything else that is specific to our circuit.
The exchanges we were able to have upstream with them during the development of the range showed us that they know a lot.
We will set up a portal to share different data to provide them with the information they are looking for, not just focused on beauty (travel, beauty, nutrition).
We want to share an experience on their needs.

AG: Will there be an anti-wrinkle statement on the packaging?

NPC: No, because for this consumer Q, anti-wrinkle is nonsense.
On the contrary, she is in a perspective of ageing well.

AG: What about the development of cosmetics for seniors?

NPC: I think it’s something that will have to be well understood because the Q generation is going to age and will be in demand.
But, once again, a particular mode of communication will be required.