Lakme’s Path to the Top: A Marketer’s Dream

Lakme is one of India’s top beauty and cosmetics brands, known for its high-quality products, innovative marketing, and understanding of the modern Indian woman. With a history spanning over 60 years, it has secured its place as a beloved beauty brand. This blog post will analyze Lakme’s marketing strategies and the factors behind its phenomenal success.

Introduction: Lakme’s Enduring Beauty Legacy

Lakme Lakme began its journey in 1952 as a subsidiary of Tata Oil Mills (TOM). At a time when international beauty products dominated the Indian market, Lakme brought high-quality cosmetics made especially for Indian skin tones. Their unique R&D department focuses on creating products tailored to Indian women.

What’s New with Lakme?

Today, Lakme offers a wide range of color cosmetics, skincare, hair care, fragrances and salon services. It keeps up with the latest global beauty trends while retaining its essential Indianness. Recent developments include new lines of matte lipsticks, chrome nail polishes, intensely hydrating serums, fruit facial kits, and more.

Also, Watch Our YouTube Shorts Video on: Day 15 – How Simon Tata’s Unique Marketing Strategy Made Lakme a World Class Brand

Getting to Know Lakme’s Style-Savvy Customer

Lakme appeals to young Indian women aged 18 to 35 who like experimenting with the latest makeup trends. They are beauty enthusiasts who want good quality products that make them feel confident and stylish at affordable prices. The typical Lakme customer visits beauty and fashion blogs and YouTube videos for inspiration on the newest looks.

Lakme’s Secret Marketing Sauce

Lakme has finely honed all four Ps of the marketing mix – product, price, place, and promotion – to appeal to the modern Indian woman.

Product Strategy: Science Meets Beauty

Lakme’s product portfolio is designed to capture current global beauty trends while keeping Indian skin tones and preferences in mind. The R&D team continuously launches new makeup, skincare, hair care, fragrances, and more products to attract beauty enthusiasts.

Recent launches include Matte Reinvent Liquid Matte Lipsticks, Strobe to Glow Highlighter Palettes, Absolute Argan Oil Range for hair damage repair, Perfumes in sensorial fragrances like peony and musk, and Pollution Protection Hydrating Aloe Vera Gel for the Tone Protect Range among dozens of others.

Lakme taps into major trends like Korean glass skin, smudge-free matte lipsticks, hydrating serums, chrome nail polishes, fruit facials, and more. But the products are adapted and tested to match Indian skin tones across the complexion spectrum from fair to dusky. They are specially formulated to suit Indian climate conditions.

The brand also leverages seasonal and festival trends with special collections for Holi, Diwali, bridal seasons, and summer essentials. High quality and safety compliance make sure products deliver on promises. This fuels brand loyalty among customers.

Pricing: Premium Quality, Surprisingly Affordable

Lakme uses an intelligent pricing strategy with affordable prices catering to middle and upper-middle-class segments. Products are priced between Rs. 100 to Rs. 800 for mass market lines and Rs. 1000 to Rs. 3000 for premium Select ranges.

There are budget buys like the 9-to-5 weightless matte mousse lip and cheek color at Rs. 249. Mid-range bestsellers like Lakme Absolute Argan Oil Serum Foundation with SPF 45 are Rs. 699. The high-end Lakme Absolute White Intense Skin Cover Foundation with SPF 40 retails for Rs. 1700.

Pricing is attractive compared to high-end global brands like MAC, Bobby Brown, and Clinique. This makes Lakme accessible to working millennials and college students. Discounts, flash sales, combo offers, and festive deals make the brand even more budget-friendly.

Distribution: Taking Beauty Products to Every Doorstep

With a pan-India distribution network of over 3 lakh retail outlets, Lakme offers easy availability and accessibility. Products are stocked across beauty stores, cosmetics shops, department stores, supermarkets, hypermarkets and online stores.

Lakme leverages the distribution might of parent company Hindustan Unilever with an organized supply chain spanning manufacturing, warehouses, distributors, and retailers. Outreach spans metros, smaller cities, and towns.

The brand also retails online via partnerships with Amazon, Flipkart, Nykaa, Purplle, and its e-store. Home delivery expands its reach. Strategic tie-ups with fashion e-tailers allow bundled offers.

Promotions: Celebrity Power Meets Digital Sizzle

Lakme uses extensive celebrity endorsement and brand ambassadors like Kareena Kapoor Khan to promote new products. Beauty influencers, makeup artists, and bloggers on YouTube and Instagram drive conversations about the latest Lakme collections.

The iconic Lakme Fashion Week showcases the latest fashion and beauty trends. Lakme products, experts, and make-up artists are integral to the event. The brand engages younger audiences via selfie campaigns on social media, beauty app trials, and college campus promoters.

Through multiple traditional and digital promotion channels, Lakme ensures strong brand awareness, interest, and desire for its products among Indian women across age groups and cities.

Lakme’s Healthy Competitive Spirit

Though international brands like L’Oreal, Maybelline, and Revlon offer stiff competition, Lakme holds its own through its legacy, understanding of Indian consumers, and affordability. It also faces competition from homegrown brands like Sugar, Mamaearth, and Nykaa Cosmetics, which appeal to younger digital-native audiences.

Lakme’s Success Mantras Over the Decades

Tailor-Made for Indian Skin Tones: an essential aspect of Lakme’s success is developing products specially designed for Indian skin tones. While international brands have a more universal approach, Lakme formulates cosmetics that match and enhance Indian complexions.

Mastery Over the Indian Complexion

A key aspect of Lakme’s success is developing products specially designed for Indian skin tones. While international brands have a more universal approach, Lakme formulates cosmetics that match and enhance Indian complexions.

Innovative In-House R&D

Lakme set up an R&D center as early as 1962, one of the first in Indian cosmetics. Lakme scientists have intimate knowledge of Indian skin and hair needs. Innovations from the R&D team drive new product development.

Blending Global Beauty Trends with Indian Sensibilities

Lakme stays on top of the latest make-up and skincare trends worldwide. But products are adapted to suit Indian tastes and sensibilities. So, consumers get the best of both worlds.

Bottom Line

Through strategic R&D, innovative products, targeted marketing, and local insight, Lakme has made cosmetics captivating for generations of Indian women. This winning formula looks set to carry it forward for years to come.