6/5/2020
WhenValeria Jiménez returned to Beiersdorf after 15 years, she faced nothing lessthan the objective to make Eucerin Anti-Pigment the number one in the NorthCone Group of Latin America (NCG). In this interview, the Business Unit Head ofDerma & Healthcare NCG describes her journey, reveals the secret of hersuccess, and what her work has to do with women’s self-confidence.
Valeria, you returned to Beiersdorf after 15 years. What was it like for you?
Valeria:When I started my professional career after university, my first stepinto working life led me to Hansaplast (Curitas). I stayed for four years. Thisway Beiersdorf became my first love! Coming back felt like coming home. At thesame time, it was of course a challenge to take over responsibility for Dermaand Healthcare for the NCG countries. There were great expectations for theEucerin Anti-Pigment series, which was about to be launched for my region atthe time. But I was highly motivated to fulfill these expectations!
What was the expectation?
Valeria:The Anti-Pigment series contains the patented active ingredient Thiamidol– due to its efficacy it represents a real scientific breakthrough in thehyperpigmentation market. Many women in Latin America suffer fromhyperpigmentation. However, most of them are either unaware of the cause fortheir skin appearance or they have lost faith in current treatment methodsalready. It often takes a long time to get results – at least four weeks. Andwell, we as Latin Americans are very impatient. I had to ask myself thisquestion: How do we become number one in a market that consumers either don’tknow about or have already given up on?
And what was the answer to this question?
Valeria:For me the answer lay in an integrated approach. Colleagues from MedicalManagement, Marketing and those responsible for the Point of Sale had to workhand in hand to create consistent and compelling core messages. After all, wehave various relevant target groups with very different entry points into ourcommunication. But whether it's dermatologists, pharmacy advisors or consumers:trust always plays the decisive role. Therefore, well-founded and consistentcommunication is essential for building credibility. And that can only beachieved if everyone pulls together and takes the same direction.
So how did you communicate these credible core messages?
Valeria:It was very important to educate our target groups abouthyperpigmentation and our appropriate product solution in the very first step.Dermatologists are looking for studies and detailed background informationabout the effectiveness of a product. They want to hear about patientexperiences before they think about recommending a product to their ownpatients. That’s why we have been in very intensive dialogue with many of them.We had to make sure that they received broad and well-founded information inorder to build a relationship of trust with them.
Consumerstend to look for examples from everyday life with which they can identify. SocialMedia Influencers, who themselves suffer from hyperpigmentation, are perfect forthis. They shared their experiences and showed how they have used Eucerin fortheir hyperpigmented skin. The results have been visible and accordinglytrustworthy. Of course, this only works with such effective products as theAnti-Pigment series. But then all the better: Many influencers are stronglyconvinced of our products. So many posts have been purely organic – without anycooperation behind them!
That sounds great. So, the launch seems to be successful?
Valeria:Yes, absolutely! Within 6 months we were number 1 in thehyperpigmentation market in Mexico. Since March of this year we are also number1 in Colombia and number 2 in Ecuador. We are also on the way to conqueringCentral America, where the series was just launched in the last quarter of2019. I am very proud of what we have achieved together as a team.Nevertheless, we haven’t reached the ceiling yet. I’m highly motivated tocontinue our work as successfully as so far. However, I do not only draw thismotivation from the great figures. The fact that the Anti-Pigment series hassuch a major impact on the lives of our consumers actually plays a key role forme.
What kind of influence do you mean exactly?
Valeria:Although the relevance of diversity is also becoming more and morerelevant in terms of appearance, in most NCG countries a rather classical idealof beauty still applies. And this kind of beauty is considered a status symbol.Take Colombia, for example – known as the cradle of many beauty queens. Beautyis perceived as a social advantage, which creates a strong social pressure onwomen’s appearance. That’s why they are constantly trying to improve how theylook like.
Anindication such as hyperpigmentation can cause women to be dissatisfied withtheir natural appearance and thus lower their self-confidence in various areasof life. They use a lot of make-up to hide their own skin. But Eucerin helpsthem to love their own skin again. By feeling more comfortable in it again,they take on their natural beauty and become more self-confident. And that istrue, absolute beauty! For me, this can be summed up quite simply: ThroughThiamidol we help women regain their self-confidence, and it empowers them inmany ways! For me personally, there is nothing better than being part of thisrevolution of beauty.
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About the editor: Carolin Schreyer
Carolin is responsible for our Pharmacy and Selective Brands within the Corporate Communications team. In this way she takes care of international communication projects of brands like Eucerin, Aquaphor, Hansaplast and La Prairie.
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