Deciding where hair care language should work hardest

The question

The company had two linked questions about the language of hair care: one for its hair brands, one for its salon brands.

For the hair brands, what part do the words on pack, in store and at home play as a woman moves from noticing a need to buying and using a product? And do shoppers in two markets treat the same words the same way?

For the salon brands, how do stylists really talk about hair and products, so the company could build claims with a salon voice of its own?

Our approach

We followed women on a mobile app from the first moment something caught their attention, through searching and shopping, to the shower at home.

In one market we also went shopping with them, in beauty stores, pharmacies and supermarkets, and a specialist partner analyzed the language in each store and on a typical pack.

For the salon voice, we watched stylists cut and style clients from start to finish, then interviewed each of them at length.

Watching whole appointments let us hear how stylists talk with clients in the moment, as well as how they describe their work afterward. A salon voice for claims draws on both.

What the team came away with

The company had a map of where words can reach hair care shoppers in both markets, and a dictionary of salon language for its salon brands.

Together they gave its brand, design and claims teams one view of shopper and salon language to write from.