The beauty sector in Côte d'Ivoire is very promising. What is your view on its recent development?
According to the 2017 Ipsos study, beauty is the third largest item of expenditure for women in Côte d'Ivoire, just after fashion. We can therefore say that it is a significant item of expenditure.
Looking at the brands present on the Ivorian market, we can see a strong presence of local brands, particularly in the areas of hair care and skin care. International brands are also present, both in stores and in corners at distributors. Many players therefore seem to be interested in the market and want to meet an ever-increasing demand.
Despite the presence of international brands and the resurgence of local brands, there has been no clear winner to date. No brand seems to stand out as we might see in Western markets with Huda Beauty, for example, which quickly made its mark, or the Bold brand launched in Cameroon in 2015, which gained notoriety and asserted its positioning thanks to digital-focused communication.
In Ivory Coast, we do not yet have a brand that stands out in this way. We need more awareness and incentives to try new products; more work on the brand and its identity, on the community, on engagement, on the value proposition, etc.
The good news is that there is still room and a market for more brands, more products, and more experience.
Are some segments more dynamic than others (makeup/creams, etc.)?
From a media perspective, we can say that face/body and hair care are very dynamic. More dynamic than the makeup segment, in terms of the Ivorian market. This observation differs from country to country, of course, because beauty codes are not the same. In Nigeria, for example, makeup takes the lion's share. In Côte d'Ivoire, there is a great range of both international and local products, with a trend in recent years towards organic/natural products and an emphasis on traditional recipes.
From a consumer perspective, are they looking for new products? Have you noticed any new ways of consuming? Are international brands developing products specifically for the market?
From a consumer perspective, there is strong demand for products tailored to their needs, the climate, the conditions in the country, and their specific characteristics in terms of skin tone or hair type.
International brands are setting up and establishing production lines in sub-Saharan Africa, whether in Côte d'Ivoire, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, etc. However, very few have launched a specific African range in Côte d'Ivoire. That said, we also have local champions who have been present in Africa for decades and often distribute across several countries.
In terms of consumption, women are increasingly using digital platforms to check the quality and effectiveness of products and read consumer reviews before making a choice. They do their own benchmarking before testing. Online magazines and social media are very important for this, as they are now the new influencers.
In terms of communication, can we identify common themes chosen by brands? Beauty/natural/ecology…?
In Africa, brands are promoting natural and traditional recipes that have been brought up to date. Brands are increasingly playing the organic and natural card with locally sourced ingredients. We even believe that in a few years' time, brands will also be communicating their commitment to CSR.
In terms of communication, international brands are making more and more effort to adapt their communication to specific cultural codes and characteristics.
ELLE.ci is the only media outlet covering this sector. What are your strengths? What are our key sectors?
As a free online media outlet, we engage in conversations with women who are interested in fashion, beauty, and lifestyle topics, bringing them together within a community.
Our approach is to combine international content that is considered interesting for women living in Africa with local creativity. We highlight local and international trends. At the same time, we offer solutions and tips that work, tailored to the women who follow us and their environment. For example, in June and July, we won't be covering the usual "summer" topics found in the international media, but rather beauty topics that are relevant to the local reality, with the rainy season. In addition, each month, we strive to showcase the best places to visit in Côte d'Ivoire and, more broadly, West Africa. Our travel feature this summer was the most engaging content of the year.
We cover the segments that are most popular with our readers: fashion, lifestyle, hair care, skin care, and makeup tips through articles, crash test videos, tutorials, and discovery videos (#ELLETEST).
Who are your main advertisers?
We work with all types of advertisers that are relevant to the daily lives of women in our target audience. However, we mainly work with cosmetics and fashion brands such as L'Oréal, Lancôme, Dior, The Beauty Bar, Maybelline, Mixa, Ebene, Dream Cosmetics, Guerlain, Pierre Fabre, Clinique du Cheveu, GLAM's, Yves Rocher, and more.
What does a media outlet like ELLE.ci offer advertisers?
Firstly, we provide advertisers with a community of women from the middle to upper classes who are interested in beauty-related topics, who consume and want to consume.
Whether the advertiser uses "brand content" or "video," ELLE.ci offers several advantages:
- Guarantee
- Content writing based on a strategy tailored to the needs of advertisers and our readers.
- Engagement
- Visibility
- "Natural" search engine optimization
- Naturally engaging content
- 360° digital platform (display, branded content, social media, influencers, etc.)
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