Image Courtesy: GoReal Studios

Jill Snijman is the Marketing Manager of French luxury beauty brand Lancôme, having joined L’Oréal South Africa in 2021. With over 16 years’ experience in marketing management, she is passionate about people development and leading happy high-performance teams to deliver real business results. She’s a mom of three who is passionate about women empowerment and the well-being of the communities in which she serves. Her time in business has afforded her exposure to multiple sectors, however beauty and its role in people’s lives remain of particular interest to Jill who is also a qualified professional make-up artist. Jill began her career in the rise of the digital age igniting an ongoing interest in the discipline which she believes will play a critical role in realizing a more prosperous Africa through improved access to digital products, digital competency and digital skills development at a grassroots level.

What is L’Oréal’s strategic intent (vision & mission) for its African Luxury Market?

Image Courtesy: L’Oréal Groupe Instagram

Our over-arching vision is to consciously inspire luxury beauty in Africa, it’s a vision we spent a significant amount of time on crafting as a team. The word “consciously” is critical because luxury by its very nature needs to be very meticulously crafted at each point of truth including sourcing, manufacturing and at each point of the consumer journey. Of course, this is a long-term vision, and I can’t share anything more specific around the strategy that would risk our competitive edge but what I can say is that we believe we have a very important role to play in delivering the best of luxury beauty to Africa. That’s important to us, we don’t want our market to feel that they need to leave the continent to access high quality luxury beauty products.

What are the key trends that you have noted in the African Luxury Marketing Landscape?

Image Courtesy: Lancôme advertisement

Gen Z has led the charge on brand social responsibility, so it makes sense that sustainability remains a key trend in 2024 with long established luxury beauty icons adapting various points of the value chain to meet this consumer demand. Over and above more responsible manufacturing practices, you can expect to see more refillable or rechargeable offerings across multiple categories including fragrances, skincare and even lipsticks, which is very exciting.

Another trend I’m super excited about is beauty tech, we’ve only started to scratch the surface of what’s possible in South Africa. Beauty tech refers to tech tools, available in the retail environment as well as online, that aim to more accurately diagnose and recommend products to consumers. This benefits both parties as consumers are more likely to find the right brand solutions and therefore have a better brand experience leading to brand retention and ultimately, loyalty. This is particularly important for luxury brands where the buy-in access point is high, and consumers are more likely to need support and guidance in order to minimise the risk of dissatisfaction.

Lastly the influence of Tik Tok shows no signs of softening in 2024 and I have no doubt that this will grow stronger as the platform rolls out more shopping functionalities. Get ready to see the retail environment make massive shifts over the next few quarters as new beauty trends go viral everyday leading to an even faster paced environment where brands have to remain adaptable to remain relevant.

Which L’Oréal luxury brand have you found resonates the most with the African market and why?

Image Courtesy: David Sharp

Lancôme is definitely having a major moment right now. The brand has taken its most significant steps ever in the last few years to get closer to the needs of the African consumer, including more inclusive offerings in our skincare and make-up offerings.

We also launched our brand social responsibility program, Write Your Future, which focuses on the digital inclusion of South African women in under resourced communities. We launched our pilot project last year with plans to roll out over the next three years and hopefully beyond. Research tells us that our consumer community resonates strongly with brands that are committed towards improving society over and above just delivering quality products to market.

Which campaign do you believe was your most successful in 2023 (in South Africa) and what made it a success?

Image Courtesy: David Sharp

The relaunch of our iconic foundation Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra Wear was a massive hit in SA. I think this is because we offer a wide range of shades, and the new formula is super breathable while delivering an impressive coverage. We also have our long-standing brand ambassador, Zendaya, as the face of the campaign which was beautifully shot by our global team. The combination of beautiful campaign assets with an incredible product was a winning formula and the market response has been even better than we had anticipated. If you haven’t tried it yet, I highly recommend you visit a Lancôme counter for a complimentary shade matching service.

What are your top 3 ultra-luxe products that would make the perfect Valentines Day gifts?

Image Courtesy: David Sharp

Fragrance is always a memorable gift for any special occasion, I don’t know about you, but I remember exactly who gifted me each of the perfumes in my collection. My top pick is Lancôme’s La vie est belle because it’s an icon and has a scent profile that appeals to a wide range of women yet smells unique on everyone. I feel instantly happy when I wear it and always get loads of compliments, believe me, you cannot go wrong with this scent!

Skincare is a real treat especially if it’s a luxury product. Lancôme’s Advanced Génifique is our #1 serum offering our most advanced skin repair. It’s the best step-zero for any skin routine and totally worth all of the hype.

Make-up is always fun, and nothing boosts confidence like a sexy red lip. I’m obsessed with Lancôme’s L’Absolu Rouge in no. 82, it’s the perfect balance of yellow and blue base, making it a universal shade that pops on all skin tones. The packaging is super luxurious with a unique click mechanism that makes me feel super glamorous whenever I pop it out of my clutch on a night out.

All products mentioned are available on Takealot and selected national retail stores. Prices on Takealot are as follows: (La Vie Est Belle Eau De Parfum – 30ml R1520; Advanced Génifique Face Serum – 20ml R590; L’Absolu Rouge Drama Lipstick -R600). Disclaimer: Prices are as per time of article publish.

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillsnijman/

Note: Images provided by Jill Snijman