#BadassPlan: Authenticity, open communication, community pay off for Vogue International

How can marketers successfully target and engage millennial customers in the New General Market? For Vogue International’s OGX brand, the secret to catering to the female New General Market consumer is to “remain authentic, foster open conversations with her and create a community she can engage in that provides the opportunity to create the brand she wants are really the linchpin of success,” according to Courtney Connelly, senior brand manager for North America.

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“The New General Market — millennials — is and has been our core consumer, so we’re constantly evaluating and improving our interaction with her to provide her a strong community and a brand she can believe in,” Connelly said.



Such interaction provides valuable insight into what OGX customers would love to see, from the introduction of new fragrances into its hair and body care lines to assistance in battling confidence issues. OGX’s Badass Hair Day campaign underscores its commitment to leveraging that insight. “We created Badass Hair Day because we kept hearing [our customer] say, ‘I’m having a bad hair day’ — but we completely disagreed, and we wanted to empower her to believe in herself as she is instead of living up to unrealistic expectations,” Connelly explained.



Under the Badass Hair Day umbrella, consumers were invited to “put an end” to bad hair days by experiencing how different OGX products can fuel their Badass Hair Day, embracing their natural beauty and participation in an OGX sweepstakes. One grand prize winner and their “bestie” took home a year of free OGX products and a $1,000 gift card, while 20 women received a one-year supply of OGX for themselves and another for a bestie as well.



The company also depends on social influencers. Engaging with these social influencers and encouraging them to try the company’s products plays an important role in cultivating customers because it “allows consumers to obtain an objective, authentic point of view” on all of OGX’s hair care and body care offerings, according to Connelly.



Continuing to innovate and drive trends, so that its target consumer can “discover within [the OGX] brand no matter what her need,” comprises another initiative for OGX as it strives to maintain its strong foothold in the New General Market, Connelly noted. She cited the 2016 OGX 02, Bamboo Fiber-Full and Niacin3 & Caffeine hair care lines as examples. OGX 02 incorporates oxygen liposomes and cloudberries; a power-packed form of vitamins A, C, E and B; calcium; magnesium; and other potent antioxidants to “help hair swish and shine with every strut.” Bamboo Fiber-Fill is the first suite of hair care products to use real bamboo fibers, which attach to hair strands to help “create thick, full and voluptuous tresses, along with a fresh and spicy scent.” Niacin3 & Caffeine is a “fallout-busting formula” blend designed to aid in exfoliating and stimulating the scalp while combating hair loss.



Connelly said partnering with retailers that are willing to tell stories in an industry that has historically been function- and benefits-driven is where success lies for these new products, as well as for the entire OGX brand. “We provide [retailers with] tools to promote our brand stories, engage the consumers with emotional benefits in-store and drive our consumer back to the shelf by sharing insights,” she noted.



Retailers, Connelly concluded, would do well to further target the New General Market consumer and improve the in-store experience with on-shelf educational tools so “she can read about ingredient stories and benefits, and discover on her own or through knowledgeable beauty staff. These are small pieces that can be implemented without major overhaul to improve experience in store.”