Garnier Fructis woos women with 'Blind Use Test'

The on ground and online activation was conducted in various cities across the country including Pune, Patna, Guwahati, Ludhiana, Lucknow, Jaipur, Coimbatore and Vijayawada.

Indian women's needs are very particular when it comes to long, strong and beautiful hair. And, they don't just trust any cosmetic product by its name, until they are very sure of the good results. Taking this insight, Garnier Fructis reached out to college students, women from housing societies and bloggers in a unique manner by getting them to experience the new, improved Garnier Fructis Long & Strong Shampoo and Conditioner. The activation involved a 'Blind Use Test' as the women were unaware of the brand they were using.

The on-ground and online activation was conducted in various cities across the country including Pune, Patna, Guwahati, Ludhiana, Lucknow, Jaipur, Coimbatore and Vijayawada.

Conceptualised and executed by digital marketing agency FoxyMoron, the online campaign kicked off with over 50 top beauty and lifestyle bloggers across India experiencing and reviewing the new Garnier Fructis Long & Strong Shampoo and Conditioner. Bloggers received a package of the 'Love Long Hair' shampoo and conditioner and used it for a period of two weeks. Upon revealing the name of the brand within two weeks across Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, their reactions were encapsulated in a video.

Commenting on this activity, Rupika Raman, general manager, Garnier, says, "Our formula has changed and it is important for us to reach out to consumers and get them to try the product and see and feel the difference themselves. After the activation, it is wonderful to see such an overwhelming response from our consumers, which also means that New Generation Garnier Fructis has met its consumer expectations."

With top names like Miss Malini, Ayushi Bangur and Ritu Rajput participating in this unique Blind Test, Garnier Fructis succeeded in converting top online influencers in the digital space into Fructis Long & Strong loyalists while reaching out to the thousands of readers who follow these bloggers.

Speaking about the idea, Harshil Karia, co-founder and digital strategist, FoxyMoron, comments, "Quality perception is highly related to a consumer's purchasing behaviour. Hence, the 'Love Long Hair' campaign aimed to generate trials for the new, improved Garnier Fructis shampoo and conditioner and simultaneously, also develop loyalists through advocates of the brand who influence consumer preferences. The biggest learning for us has been the importance of developing a deeper and strategic connection with influencers on the digital platform."

Garnier as a brand has been using the digital platform quite effectively to reach out to its consumers. In January, using layered animation, Garnier released famous movie posters that conveyed how pimples have not spared anyone in Bollywood. Iconic characters were brought to life and their dialogues from famous and much-loved Bollywood scenes converted to rants about pimples. The campaign was also extended in a series of illustrated online videos called 'Lights. Camera. Garnier Pure Active.'

Besides, in March 2013, Garnier Men launched a social campaign called Power Light a Village with an aim to light up hundreds of villages that are without electricity in India. For this, Garnier Men collaborated with Project Chirag as implementation partner.

The campaign promised that every action made online would be translated into actual energy donation on-ground in the villages. Each like, share and comment across the Garnier Men social media platforms contributed a pre-determined unit of energy. It also encouraged people to be a part of a movement that promised to provide villages with one solar lamp with an in-built mobile charging unit, one solar tube light and one solar panel to charge the equipment.