Where regular make-up campaigns focus on increasing awareness and temporary sales uplifts, we want to add value to the brand Maybelline. Not by pushing a brow product in mass media in a few weeks but by being always-on and by claiming the expert role. We want to be there when consumers need us most. And that is where data comes into play.

Based on search data, feedback of retailer personnel and quantitative research we know that brow problems can be clustered into three main groups: bushy brows, brows with gaps and invisible brows. We use this insight to design the Brow Studio website as a practical problem solving destination. Our strategy is to be Owned First and based around ownership of the category. The website is fully based on brow needs and customer journey phases. From general information about brow problems to how to videos that help women to perfectly apply their recently bought brow product. By tagging the website in detail we are able to create unique audiences.

Programmatic buying has become known as a super efficient performance marketing technique. We flipped its qualities as a conversion driver into its use as a powerful story telling engine.

In a detailed digital blueprint we manage all relevant aspects/variables per customer journey phase (awareness, consideration, purchase and loyalty):

- Audiences: defined by data signals

- Message/content: based on brow needs

- Touchpoints/assets: that fit the audience and message

- KPIs: that fit the communication task

We use several data sources to define our audience segments:

- Owned media: data signals provided by the Brow Studio, the general Maybelline website and the Maybelline YouTube channel

- Paid media: data signals provided by online advertising (SEA, display and video)

- Google: data signals based on online behaviour (interests) provided by Google

By combining these sources we can create unique audiences that represent specific customer journey phases and specific brow needs. Next step is to guide these audiences through the customer journey by exposing them to tailored content distributed by precision media.

By collaborating with a big e-tailer we know exactly which creatives are able to seal the deal in the ‘purchase’ phase. This way data helps us to get a grip on the total customer journey even though Maybelline does not sell make-up online itself.

We create and deploy the Get-the-WOW-Brow story in four parts with the help of programmatic advertising.

During a period of five months we optimised both media and content resulting in record scores on relevant media KPIs. For example: VTR commercial 27%, VTR how to videos 39% and the average CTR of the dynamic creatives tripled resulting in a website traffic increase of 1100%.

Despite the decreased promotion pressure the average Maybelline revenue per week increased with 21% (objective: +10%) while competitors increased their promotions. This resulted in an increased market share of 9%.

Why this work is relevant for Cannes Lions?

“This is the best programmatic campaign I have ever seen: good use of data signals to reach different types of make-up users during important moments in the costumer journey. Advertising, content and technical possibilities are combined in a creative and effective way. This is how the media mix of the future looks like.”

Joris Merks-Benjaminsen: Head of Digital Transformation, Northern Europe at Google

This case is nominated for a Dutch Annual Masters of Media Award, category ‘Best Media Performance’ (ceremony May 19th). Furthermore, this campaign is selected by ZenithOptimedia Worldwide as one of the best ROI Excellence cases.