NIVEA Soft wants a spot in the handbags of Gen Z girls

Remember the classic blue tin of NIVEA Creme? A full tin would appear out of the grandmother's cupboard during winters and would continue to make its presence felt in the home, long after its contents were over, by doubling up as anything - from a jewellery box to a piggy bank.

Be it dry skin, a bruise or even a burn, the household solution for every concern would be the ubiquitous NIVEA Creme. Probably, that is how most Gen Z would have had their first brush with the brand.

But now the brand reaches out to that TG directly. Last month, NIVEA India ran two social media campaigns - #TrustMyNIVEAFam Reel Challenge, and an influencer hunt - NIVEA Soft Fresh Batch 2022. Through these, the brand reached out to Gen Z.

Ajay Simha, marketing director, NIVEA India, says the company wants to be relevant in the lives of Gen Z girls and build a lasting affinity with them. "We want to make NIVEA Soft the entry point to skincare for Gen Z urban Indian girls across the country."

This cohort has seamlessly integrated digital in their lives. Therefore, the brand launched campaigns with a very strong digital execution. Also, both the contests involved creating content for the brand. #TrustMyNIVEAFam Challenge urged users to make Reels on Instagram, and NIVEA Soft Fresh Batch asked participants to create a video on the short video app Moj.

"The millennial generation identifies themselves as content consumers, whereas the Gen Z sees themselves as content creators," Simha adds.

The multi-generational #TrustMyNIVEAFam Reel Challenge was live from August 1-15, 2022. Celebrating the brand's connection across generations, it asked the participants to upload a Reel with the complete family. This engaged everyone - from grandparents, parents, millennials and Gen Z. Three unique entries will meet NIVEA’s brand ambassador and actor Ranveer Singh at a finale event.

"We have been in the market for 110 years globally. NIVEA has lived through generations. The earliest memories of the product for this generation is of their grandparents or parents applying it on them as a child. That was the core insight for the campaign. The brand's childhood imprint has passed on from one generation to the next," mentions Simha.

Meanwhile, the recently concluded second edition of the NIVEA Soft Fresh Batch aids the digital journey of Gen Z girls and kickstarts their influencer journey. Winners get to feature in the brand's ad and become its influencer. They will also get a photo shoot by a celebrity photographer and a content creation kit. The brand also launched special Fashionista College Edition packs with four designs for the campaign.

Simha says this campaign enables the brand to achieve its objective and vision, which is to be India's most loved and trusted skincare brand. It enables NIVEA Soft to get into the handbags of more Gen Z girls.

"These girls are the future content creators and their journey will begin with NIVEA. It empowers them with the right opportunities to achieve their dreams and also helps us to connect with them. If we make meaningful connections with the consumers, it drives loyalty, brand love and trust," he says.

While NIVEA's marketing strategy has a good mix of television, digital and print, in conformity with its attempts to target the younger cohorts, it has an active digital presence. The brand collaborates with several beauty influencers to promote its products. These posts depict how the products can be relevant in the lives of Gen Z.