(PDF) Beiersdorf Drives Brand Switching with 'Pearl and Beauty' Deodorant

Immediate pain point: Beiersdorf needed to validate an unmet 'underarm beauty' opportunity and determine how to create a deodorant—product, name, packaging and communications—that would truly resonate with 18–35 beauty‑oriented women across multiple countries, without being biased by existing brand or packaging cues.

We understood the pressure: the team faced an urgent go/no‑go decision. Investing in R&D and a global launch without clear cross‑country consumer insights risked missing the target audience or diluting NIVEA’s equity.

Framing question: Can cross‑country consumer insights identify a scalable 'underarm beauty' proposition and unbranded cues for product, naming, packaging and communications that will drive global growth and capture switching from other deodorant brands?

Key differentiator: De-branded home-use product usage tests with consumer diaries and within-subject armpit comparisons, delivering real-world performance and likelihood-to-switch insights.

1. First we conducted secondary research using existing usage & attitude studies plus an external fragrance-house study to frame category needs.
2. Then we ran primary qualitative research via discussion groups in Germany, France, UK and USA to surface motivations and unmet needs.
3. Next we executed monadic quantitative concept testing in France and Germany using category and product-specific criteria (wetness, fragrance, caring/beautifying benefits, purchase relevance).
4. Then we tested name and packaging (colour, pearlescent finish to convey femininity and pearl extracts) and carried out de-branded home-use tests with consumer diaries and within-subject armpit comparisons.
5. Finally we performed qualitative storyboard testing for advertising concepts and post-launch tracking via daily consumer interviews plus consumer panel and EPOS data to monitor sales effectiveness.

Involvement, timing and methods

1. Our role: Run by Beiersdorf’s international Market Research team in partnership with local affiliates.

Most consumers indicated they would switch brands after trying the product.

1. Concept & packaging: Winning concept chosen; name and pink/pearlescent pack ('Pearl and Beauty') validated as communicating femininity and sophistication.
2. Usage test outcomes: De-branded tests showed most consumers liked the fragrance and skin feel and found performance comparable to their current deodorant.
3. Launch readiness: Positioned to add feminine sophistication to the NIVEA deodorant range; ongoing tracking (consumer interviews, panels, EPOS) was implemented to monitor uptake and sales.

Business impact: these findings reduce launch risk and increase the likelihood of trial-to-switch conversion—critical for decision-makers planning distribution and promotional spend. The validated concept and tracking framework also position the team to deliver shopper insights savings and improvements in mobile survey turnaround time as the program scales.

FAQ:

1. How quickly were results delivered? Not specified in the source material.
2. What was the ROI? Not specified in the source material.
3. Was the method scalable or replicable? Yes — the use of consumer interviews, panels and EPOS for ongoing tracking indicates a scalable, replicable approach for monitoring launch and lifecycle performance.