In developed markets, a great deal of growth in the personal care industry now comes from products that help consumers fight the effects of ageing (particularly the rejuvenation of skin and teeth), and from an increasing range of beauty products for men. However, the industry's strongest growth comes from developing markets, where a new and very different set of consumer needs applies.
Personal care products have, to a degree, mirrored household cleaning products in the way that formats have changed over time. The gradual shift has been away from bottles of fluids to sophisticated (and often powered) devices with a consumables stream. This trend will continue provided that real benefits can be delivered, and as the industry makes this transition, the skills required for product development will also have to change.
One of our key strengths in the personal care sector is our ability to help major multinationals invent and develop more sophisticated devices when their employees' core skills and corporate processes are not yet optimised for these sorts of products. We are currently working with leading personal care brands to identify major technology leaps, invent and develop devices, and gather deeper insights into consumer needs.
