Echo Sandburg, Chief Brand Officer, CP Skin Health Group US, Colgate-Palmolive, shares how to expand your community and reach market demands in the personal products industry.

In her words:

Our CP Skin Health brand communities are our best asset and help create continuity between clinical treatments and everyday skincare routines. For EltaMD, PCA SKIN and Filorga, these characteristics are paramount.

With this strategy, we have been fortunate to have multiple products reach “cult-favorite” beauty product status. In order to act with agility and provide a positive customer experience as a product goes viral, there are a few things to keep in mind:

Preparation Is Key

Every department, from supply chain to IT to marketing, should have a plan for a sudden spike in attention and traffic. For example, if shipping times are going to be delayed due to an increase in orders, have a plan to communicate that to customers.

Provide Real-Time Engagement

Be ready to engage quickly with customers on social media by responding to comments and answering DMs. Consider sending a gift to the influencers and creators who kicked off the viral moment! Also keep in mind that the virality will likely spread into other channels, such as website reviews and direct calls to the customer service department.

Inform Community Members

Establish an effective method to inform additional team members and external groups such as retailers, and in our case, doctors’ offices and spas. You will want to be able to fill them in on what products are going viral, as they too will likely see an influx of traffic and questions. If you have an ambassador program or affiliate partners, let them help spread the news and jump on the social media trend. For a field sales team, sharing the exciting viral moment could be a great talking point during a presentation or a follow-up to try to secure new business.

Use The Opportunity To Share & Educate

With a potential new-to-brand audience coming to your social media and website for the first time, it’s always a good idea to have content ready to go that showcases your brand history and values, as well as explicit product education assets – in our case skin consultations/quizzes – that empower the consumer to feel good about trying your new product. This is especially important when a product is a higher price and you need to convey why. Also, add these new potential customers to the CRM so that the brand can retarget and continue the relationship via email/SMS. This is especially important for cross-selling opportunities so that the audience can learn more about other products from the brand.

Amplify The Buzz

With appropriate permissions, leverage the social media trend or influencers that started the virality in your social channels, website, email/text creative, and more. Be ready with a reactive PR strategy to pitch the story and/or product to relevant outlets. If possible, leverage the virality in your paid media efforts as well.

Thank Your Customers

As the virality winds down, take a moment to thank your OG customers for their support, while welcoming any new followers. This could be a great opportunity to showcase fans of the brand in your owned media, sharing community stories about how your brand has impacted their lives.

By being proactive and staying true to your authentic brand personality, you can maximize your impact during a viral moment and build lasting relationships with both professional and consumer audiences.

About The Expert

Echo Sandburg serves as the Chief Brand Officer for CP Skin Health Group US, which includes the brands EltaMD, PCA SKI, and Filorga. In her role, she drives both professional and consumer brand experiences, managing the brand, media & communications, trade marketing, education, and creative teams.

Before CP Skin Health Group’s establishment in 2022, Echo was the Global Chief Marketing Officer for EltaMD, beginning in 2019. Throughout her career, she has focused on growing professional, science-based brands, holding various positions in marketing, eCommerce, and customer development.