The blue tin brand is already recognized from afar by consumers on retail shelves. But Nivea also wants to dominate the internet. The “mother of all creams” created an e-commerce board that has already leveraged a 208% increase in sales. The company of German origin has the slogan on its flag The Touch That Transforms and Inspire Connections to Keep Leading care beyond the skin, a purpose taken over by the holding company of which it is part, Beiersdorf, whose manufacturing structure is located in the city of Itatiba, in the interior of São Paulo. Guilherme Almeida, e-commerce director at Nivea in Brazil, spoke with PROPMARK to talk about the strategy that intends to align the contact points and let the consumer decide how their experience will be. “For us, he is at the center”, insists Almeida. Check out the interview below.
What is the brand’s presence in the Brazilian market today considering physical and online locations?
We are present throughout the national territory, in pharmacies, supermarkets, perfumeries and digital, working with different partners. Today, we are the leader in body care and the #1 brand in sun protection.
How many products do you sell and in how many countries do you operate?
Today, the brand is present in around 150 countries and, in Brazil, it has a complete portfolio of body and facial moisturizers, sun and lip protectors, items for men’s care, in addition to products aimed at bathing and deodorants. Currently, it has more than 500 items in its portfolio, which value the individuality and needs of each skin type.
What is the evolution of the Nivea brand since its foundation, in the city of Hamburg, Germany, in 1911, the company’s headquarters until today?
There are more than 110 years of history. In 1911, the chemist dr. Isaac Lifschütz invented the Eucerit emulsifier, which has the ability to produce a stable mixture of water and oil. The pharmacist and entrepreneur dr. Oscar Troplowitz recognized the potential of the invention and, together with dermatologist and professor Paul Gerson Unna, developed the “mother of all creams”. Nivea launched the world’s first moisturizing emulsion, which would later become known as the iconic and beloved “blue can”. After its success, the line expanded to include talcum powder, soap and hair milk.
A brand has been in Brazil since 1914. How was it possible to import products so quickly?
Yes, just three years after its launch, it was already possible to find Nivea Creme on all continents. Due to its stable formula, Nivea Creme can withstand long journeys in different climatic zones.
How to be an omnichannel brand today?
Nivea is at the point of sale, in the online universe and in the consumers’ skin. Therefore, it is essential that the relationship strategy is aligned at all points of contact, so that the consumer can decide how the experience will be. For us he is at the center.
What is the investment in digital transformation?
This is a priority issue for our company. We strongly believe that the digital transformation also goes hand in hand with a change in the company’s culture, and we certainly accelerated this a lot in the pandemic. We invest in the way our employees relate to the company, such as, for example, promoting online courses to offer a learning journey with topics, including those involving technology.
How does the brand conduct its relationship in the digital environment?
We have a virtual assistant called Manu, who also helps with the brand’s interaction with employees, in addition to Nivea Go On, which works as an innovation laboratory. We created, for example, a program that prospected startups with innovative solutions to find new technologies capable of transforming shoppers’ experience within physical points of sale, simplifying the decision process and engaging consumers in the facial care category.
How much were the brand’s online sales in 2021?
We grew almost three times our sales in the channel and the expectation is to continue the growth in an accelerated way, seeking to be close to the triple digits and expanding our market leadership.
How does the brand operate in e-commerce?
Nivea products are sold online through bricks and mortars, that is, online channels at traditional points of sale, such as pharmacies and supermarkets, and are available in major shopping applications, in addition to the main pure players, exclusive businesses for e-commerce in departments and beauty. We also have 3P, third party operations, with stores linked to important marketplaces such as Amazon, Magazine Luiza and Americanas, among others.
Nivea created a new e-commerce board. What results were achieved?
The creation of an e-commerce board in the country has already generated a 208% increase in online sales of products in the first half of 2021, mainly in the categories of items for facial, lip and sun care. The digital channel is a priority for our business. We want to increasingly strengthen the relationship with our partners so that, together, we can offer the best shopping experience. Thinking about the online channel from the initial moment of a launch is what we will have more and more ingrained. This will reinforce our leadership in key segments of the digital market.
Nivea already has a tradition at the physical point of sale. How to transfer that same trust and culture to the online universe?
We are recognized for our tradition and quality and we want to be where consumers look for us, whether physical or virtual. We understand that the online market will continue to grow and our strategy is to expand business in this universe. We are following with great strength in the digital environment, where consumers continue to feel cared for by Nivea. All the planning and strategies are aimed at consolidating this trust in this important channel as well.
What digital strategies have already been made to increase the brand’s sales in the online environment?
We rethink the shopping journey, taking into account the new reality of our consumers’ lives, as e-commerce offers a safer purchase and is already the number one channel for many people. We have a strong team at Nivea dedicated to making our portfolio available to partners, with high quality, investing in new ways to communicate our products. People started to value the daily self-care routine as a way to connect and create a sense of personal well-being. Facial and body moisturizers are popular among consumers and are part of the home office. More than just adapting to the online world, there was an acceleration towards the digital world, which is where the consumer is present.
What innovations are planned for 2022 to improve the customer experience?
We will continue to focus on the shopping experience, with emphasis on relationships to bring consumers closer to the brand. We should bring some items focused on the channel to delight and surprise those most demanding consumers.
What is the weight of influence marketing on brand strategy?
Partnerships with content creators are part of Nivea’s strategy, as they are
the fundamental link between the brand and the final audience. We have a strong and diverse team of brand influencers, who help us spread the word and the care that only Nivea offers. We reach millions of people with these collaborations, always working with co-creations and we are happy with the results obtained from these partnerships.
What are the digital influencers that help spread the brand and its initiatives today?
Our team of influencers has renowned names, such as singers Teresa Cristina, Liniker and Preta Gil, and actresses Paolla Oliveira and Debora Secco, for example. We also activate different names throughout the year during our campaigns to communicate brand news.
Are there any new names coming up on the influencers team that you can anticipate?
About 2022, we are still closing our team of influencers, but, for sure, we will have important names and we will continue with a strong eye on issues related to diversity.
How the brand contributes to raising awareness of diversity and inclusion?
In synergy with our brand purpose, The Touch That Transforms and Inspires Connections, we developed a unique work with seven different third sector institutions that inspire human and social transformations. Two of these NGOs serve a more vulnerable portion of the LGBTQIA+ community. In addition to supporting and strengthening these projects, our actions are also planned to generate reflection on diversity, such as the Nivea Edition Pride collection, which had 100% of the sales proceeds donated to support initiatives by organizations and collectives that promote diversity and inclusion.
