NEW PRODUCT COMPETITION
Judging day highlights
A total of 36 entries were received for the 2020/21 P&C Review + Symrise New Product Competition, making this New Product Competition the biggest one to date. All of the entries are from local brands and the number of masstige entries has grown, which is exciting to see, considering the impact COVID-19 has had on the South African cosmetics industry. By Abby Vorster
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he judging took place on 29 September at the Society of Cosmetics Chemists (Coschem), which kindly loaned P&C Review their venue for the day. The entries were analysed by an esteemed panel of judges, which included Percy Sibanda, L’Oréal’s scientific and regulatory affairs advisor for sub-Saharan Africa; Jill Gardiner, cosmetics legislation expert; Robyn Brown, managing member of Botanichem; Elizna Hurter, manager – chemist department at Skin Chem Laboratories; Tony de Beer, packaging industry consultant; and Samantha Fletcher, client service director at Gullan and Gullan. All of these judges are passionate about the cosmetics industry and considered experts in their respective fields, which include cosmetics legislation and regulatory compliance, formulation design and ingredient innovation, packaging, and digital marketing and social media.
SELF-CARE FOR THE SKIN In 2020, skin care became a form of selfcare – this trend was highly evident among the majority of entries submitted for the competition. In previous years we saw great diversity among the entries, with products and ranges from various categories, including bath and body and hair care. However, this year the majority of entries were skin care products with a large number of serums. With so many face care products and ranges entered and the vast number of washes and masks on offer – we’re seeing the local market closely following global industry trends. The majority of these trends emanate from COVID-19, such as the heightened focus on hygiene and cleanliness, maskne and anti-acne, barrier protection and the microbiome. Many of the formulations entered have been designed to address barrier function and skin
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health concerns with a large focus on at-home treatments and self-care for the skin. The judges also pointed out that the INCIs
wonder if brands will be able to sustain these packaging formats for much longer, especially considering how the market has changed as a
were generally of a much better quality than previous year’s entries and that they could see those brands who entered in 2019 utilised the competition feedback to improve their line extensions entered this year.
result of COVID-19.
LESS IS MORE SUSTAINABLE Despite the global push towards more sustainable packaging, the packaging among this year’s entries included the use of a combination of printing processes and different types of decoration formats to produce the final pack. The use of tamper evident labels has also increased which adds to number of elements used to package a product. Brand owners should consider using their cartons and carton locks more effectively, ultimately conveying the perception of “less is more” when it comes to their packaging. Local consumers are definitely ready for more sustainable packaging options when it comes to
"Many of the formulations entered have been designed to address barrier function and skin health concerns " cosmetics and personal care products. Brands should be pushing their suppliers to reduce the use of foils while specifying recyclable board for their cartons. While a lot of thought has gone into the use of high-end types of packaging, one has to
COMPLIANCE CHALLENGES Previously, the competition had seen improvements over the years when it comes to compliance with cosmetics legislation. However, this was sadly not the case this year. Brands that had entered the competition for the first time appear to be in need of guidance in terms of the basic principles of cosmetics legislation. So, the judges sought to help these entrants as much as possible by providing constructive feedback. Entrants also need to be mindful of their press release content and below the line marketing, which includes social media marketing. It is no longer acceptable to have “clean” (compliant) packaging and yet social media posts and press release content are filled with claims that may or may not be substantiated. Social media posts are now being challenged at the Advertising Regulatory Board (ARB) and brands need to be watchful of this. The ARB’s social media code is available on its website and provides a clear set of rules around social media marketing to ensure the protection of consumers and the promotion of ethical conduct by brand marketers and their representatives across all social media platforms and activities.
GROWTH IN INFLUENCER MARKETING As influencer-created beauty content continues to grow worldwide, it’s great to see so many South African brands unlocking the power of this form of marketing to get their products in more consumers’ hands. Online conversations about ingredients, clean beauty, sustainability, fair trade and ethical
