nt to its commitment to redefine age resilience. The campaign is being led by Shiseido’s global ambassador, Anne Hathaway. In an exclusive interview, Shiseido’s regional brand director of Apac Sher Le Chua offered invaluable insights into its innovative strategies, approach to addressing the global anti-aging skincare market, and the resonance of its latest campaign. Evolving beauty trends According to Chua, the beauty landscape has evolved over decades, and it is interesting to see how society, culture, technology, globalization and more recently, the pandemic, have played an integral role in determining the beauty trends we see today. “To remain relevant in the market, it’s crucial to feel the pulse of customers, and their ever-evolving needs, but also to be steadfast on the brand values, DNA and the uniqueness we bring to customers,” she told Inside Retail. Chua said that customers are looking for doses of positivity these days, after all the doom and gloom during the pandemic. She believes beauty brands need to be uplifting and contribute to a sense of self-care and holistic well-being for customers. In keeping with this mantra of holistic beauty, Shiseido recently developed an ‘Ultimune probiotic powder’ a health supplement that is the extension of the brand’s Ultimune power infusing concentrate.  The concentrate contains the unique ‘Imu Langerhan defence technology’ to strengthen the skin’s barrier function and enhance its resilience to environmental damage. These are line extensions of the brand’s mantra of ‘beauty inside out’. “Post-pandemic, we have also seen that consumers increasingly want more out of less, attempting to reduce complexity. Trends like skin minimalism are on the rise. Trustworthy multifunctional products that provide more than one benefit and are becoming increasingly popular across both skincare and makeup categories,” she said. Chua also said that products like Shiseido’s RevitalEssence skin glow foundation and its global suncare with SPF50+ are standout performers in the beauty marketplace. The rise of anti-aging skincare According to Chua, the rise in demand for anti-aging skincare has seen a huge surge, especially among the much younger demographic. “This booming group of Gen Z’s and millennials are highly connected, and have high expectations on the science and technology, efficacy results and claims, ingredients, and the overall safety of the products they intend to try and potentially buy,” she noted. This is where Chua believes Shiseido has an edge. With over 150 years of experience in skincare research and over 30 years in wrinkle research, customers are confident in the brand’s superior quality and reputation in the marketplace. Beyond technology, Chua said the brand also differentiates itself via services with Omotenashi, a Japanese hospitality experience that is offered in stores. From facial treatments to traditional Japanese gift wrapping, the brand offers Japanese values with a touch of luxury. “Shiseido Asia-Pacific comprises over 15 markets and our goal is to connect with our local consumers through showcasing our superior products and technology as Asia’s leading beauty expert brand,” she pointed out. Apart from Anne Hathaway, the brand has Win Metawin, a Thai actor as its local representative in Thailand. It also recently appointed Indian movie actor Tamannaah Bhatia as its first ambassador in India. “Tamannah perfectly embodies the brand’s values with her exceptional talent, timeless beauty, and influence on the diverse and dynamic fan base across the nation,” she said. The road ahead Chua has been in the luxury beauty retail industry for over 15 years, and she has observed that the market is constantly evolving at a fast pace. This is where it is important to listen to the pulse of the customers across different demographics and channels. “Consumer insights and brand health trackers provide insights and more immediate metrics like Net Promoter Score (NPS) provide an almost-instant reading on the business happenings, so we conduct these to understand what customers are looking for,” she noted. Chua also said that loyalty programs and leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) are a great way to stay connected with customers, as well as create more desirable experiences in terms of more accurate and product service offerings.  “Aside from driving seamless omni-customer experiences, we have gift-with-purchase and service offerings that aim to connect, reward, and pamper our customers both online and offline,” she concluded.