Today, I still feel the effects of this cruise all over my skin. Let me explain.
Organized by top PR and events personality Keren Pascual, the cruise which covered Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand was billed as the Nivea Cruise to Well Being, Beauty and Health. Nice concept, yes.
But what made it even nicer was that I discovered a skincare line that is really good not because a Hollywood celebrity says so, but because it really works.
From sunny Orchard Street in Singapore (for shopping), to Langkawi beach (for fishing, boating, swimming and parasailing), to Phuket (for Thai massage at a spa, temple-hopping, more swimming and shopping), my cruisemates and I were able to use and test Nivea’s beauty products at work on our skin. And until now, most of us are still addicted to its moisturizing lotion and anti-wrinkle night cream. Okay, we admit, some are still hooked on its whitening lotion.
Nivea is the Number One skincare line in the world, and you can say it is the Mercedes Benz of skincare lines. And yet it is affordable.
How Nivea is quickly zooming to Number One position in the Philippines as well is best explained by its Philippine marketing manager Rica King. From brand manager 12 years ago, Rica says it has taken a lot of passion and belief in the brand to see it propel to its current standing on the local market.
"I am married to my wonderful husband, Winston, who works with another big German brand, Mercedes Benz. His proficiency of the German language has been quite helpful to the brands we separately work on. And being a career-woman, having Winston in a more solid-based business helped me a lot in focusing on rearing a fast-growing brand and two energy-packed children, both boys, Ryan and Gabby. For mind and body therapy, I occassionally play golf, do weekly practices in the shooting range with my new Glock 26 – it’s good practice for hitting targets, sales or otherwise – and normally end my tiring work week with a great massage and some pampering from a spa," says Rica.
PHILIPPINE STAR: What was the original idea behind Nivea? How has the company evolved to suit present-day demands?
RICA KING: It all started more than 90 years ago – year 1911, to be exact – when Nivea was given birth to by three pioneering men who went through years of extensive research for a skin protecting cream. These men were Dr. Oscar Troplowitz, Professor Paul Gerson Unna, and Dr, Isaac Lifschutz, who is the founder of the richest and mildest emulsifier called "Eucerit" – now under the Nivea trademark. The name Nivea is derived from the Latin adjective niveum meaning snow-white. Wide and extensive research was then and still is the foundation of today’s Nivea product formulations.
What makes Nivea different from other skincare companies?
Nivea is the world’s largest-selling skincare brand. Nivea’s formulations are backed up by extensive research and cutting-edge technology from the world’s largest skincare research facilities of Beiersdorf AG based in Hamburg, Germany. As a brand, it has extended to a wide variety of personal care ranges that no other brand has ever achieved, from body and face care products to soaps, deodorants, lip care, shaving creams, hair care, and even colour cosmetics. ACNielsen’s Global Services Division has heralded Nivea as the "Queen of Mega Brands," based on the brand’s extendability, to a wide variety of product ranges and their success in garnering top-market shares in several countries and continents, a feat that neither Coke nor McDonald’s has achieved. Coke is limited only to the soft drink, and its apparel are limited to just merchandising purposes. Nivea’s trustworthiness in quality and skin-caring properties are the core of its success in whatever category it enters.
Nivea seems to have zoomed up so fast in terms of patronage and popularity in the Philippines.
Yes, from a mere PCX existence of P10 million in sales revenue more than a decade ago, it is now gearing for the P1-billion mark. The growth has been very steep and aggressive. The Filipino consumers’ increasing level of skincare education has been an important factor for the sales growth.
Nivea was founded in Germany and made in Germany. How has it kept its products attuned to the needs of Asian women, Filipino women in particular?
We have invested a lot in consumer researches in Asian consumer’s skincare needs, which can be seen now in Nivea’s whitening range and oil-regulating range. Several of Nivea’s products have a lighter and fresher formulation versus their European counterparts.
Based on your research and sales, what is it that Filipino women are concerned most about when it comes to skincare?
Oily or greasy skin, dark skin, and wrinkles for the sun-exposed and/or maturing skin.
What are Nivea’s bestselling products in the Philippines?
As expected, the whitening range. Actually, the concept of whitening under the Nivea brand originated from the Philippines almost 12 years back, even before any whitening lotion came out here. Beiersdorf is just wary about how many cheap whitening ingredients can be harmful for the skin, and that is why the formulation study had to be even more extensive. Beiersdorf makes sure that each and every ingredient used will not be of harm to the skin and provide caring properties to keep the skin healthy. Nivea products also stand worthy of its claims on its labels, so basically there is no overpromising or false hypes.
Unlike most companies, you do not use celebrity endorsers or image models for Nivea. What is your view regarding hyping a product by using celebrities?
Celebrity use may be good for awareness-building, but in the end, consumers should be able to make decisions based on quality. Nivea’s strength lies in the brand’s credibility and the high quality of its products.
What lifestyle changes do you foresee for Filipinos as they are becoming more interested in spas, aromatherapy, look good-feel good products?
As the Filipino consumers become more educated, better travelled, and more conscious of their appearances – whether it is for fashion or mere well-being – the value for sophistication then comes in. The consciousness and thirst for high-quality standards for choice of products and lifestyle should set in as well, rather than relying on hypes and false endorsements.
What’s the latest in the Philippine market? Nivea skincare product?
Nivea has just launched its new anti-wrinkle range under Nivea Visage. It has a patented Q10+ formulation that works to regenerate skin cells underneath the skin, and smoothen the surface to lessen and hopefully erase facial wrinkles. It has been multi-awarded in several countries like France and Australia for being the consumer’s choice best anti-wrinkle cream available on the market. Thank God, it is now here in the Philippines! Nearing the age of 40, now is the time I am trusting Nivea even more.