Unilever U.S. Partners with FIT's Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing and Management Master's Program to Explore "The Changing Face of the Beauty Consumer"
Together the 2014 FIT Capstone Research Program and Unilever U.S. will help shape the future of beauty and grooming with prospective industry leaders
NEW YORK, Feb. 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Unilever U.S. and the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) announced today a new corporate partnership with FIT's Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing and Management (CFMM) master's degree program. Through this partnership, Unilever U.S. will be the sponsor of the 2014 CFMM capstone research project and presentation. The college's Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing and Management program, now in its 14th year, was developed in collaboration with the beauty industry as a leadership development program for outstanding mid-career executives. This partnership, rooted in research, is a natural fit for Unilever U.S., which grounds all brands in both consumer insight and world-class innovation.
"Evolution of the beauty landscape" will be the focus this year as the FIT students explore "The Changing Face of the Beauty Consumer." Under this theme, they will research three challenges that shape the way beauty companies operate, from economics to gender to ethnicity.
- Accessible Beauty will look at the current generation of consumers and what "value" means to them, specifically analyzing how beauty companies are facing pressure to offer value in ways like never before. One aspect of this research will uncover how prestige products will become more accessible to more consumers.
- The New Beauty Consumer will study the new patterns emerging in the U.S., which include the blending of cultural influences, the LGBT market and non-traditional households, and shifting notions of lifestyle marketing and segmentation. The research will explore how the multi-ethnic consumer and the globalization of cultural influences are impacting beauty, identifying how to serve these consumers through products and advanced brand story-telling.
- Men's Beauty and Grooming research will explore the growing opportunities for men's products, both in the U.S. and internationally, including analysis and identification of needs and desires, packaging, go-to-market strategies, usage differences, education, new channels of distribution, execution at point of sale, and digital implications. This section will demonstrate how companies can make the category more accessible to male consumers.
"The Beauty industry is evolving rapidly. We are rushing to adapt to demographic, socio-economic, and global changes that promise to transform our business and dictate what consumers want from us. We at Unilever are proud to collaborate with FIT and its world-class students to acquire their expert view on how we build the beauty business of the future to meet the needs and wants of our changing consumer," said David Rubin, Brand Building Vice President for United States hair care at Unilever North America.
"The new beauty consumer will pose challenges to the way today's top beauty companies operate – from innovation to execution," said Stephan Kanlian, FIT Professor and Chairperson of the CFMM master's program. "This year's capstone research with Unilever U.S. will help industry leaders understand how to approach current and future beauty consumers with innovations in new products and enhanced engagement."
Research results from the 2014 Capstone program will be released in June 2014.
About Unilever North America
Unilever is one of the world's leading suppliers of Food, Home and Personal Care products with sales in over 190 countries. Our products are present in 7 out of 10 homes globally and are used by over 2 billion people on a daily basis. In the United States and Canada the portfolio includes brand icons such as: Axe, Becel, Ben & Jerry's, Bertolli, Breyers, Caress, Clear Scalp & Hair Therapy, Consort For Men, Country Crock, Degree, Dove personal care products, Fruttare, Good Humor, Hellmann's, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!, Just for Me!, Klondike, Knorr, Lever 2000, Lipton, Magnum, Motions, Nexxus, Noxzema, Pond's, Popsicle, Promise, Q-tips, Ragu, Simple, Slim-Fast, St. Ives, Suave, TIGI, TRESemme and Vaseline. All of the preceding brand names are trademarks or registered trademarks of the Unilever Group of Companies.
Our ambition is to double the size of our business, whilst reducing our overall environmental footprint (including sourcing, consumer use and disposal) and increasing our positive social impact. We are committed to helping more than a billion people take action to improve their health and well-being, sourcing all our agricultural raw materials sustainably by 2020, and decoupling our growth from our environmental impact. Supporting our three big goals are more than 50 time-based targets. See more on the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan at http://www.unileverusa.com/sustainable-living/ or http://www.unilever.ca/sustainable-living/.
Unilever employs more than 12,000 people across North America – generating over $10 billion in sales in 2012. For more information visit www.unileverusa.com or www.unilever.ca.
About the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT)
The Fashion Institute of Technology's Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing and Management program provides advanced education for outstanding mid-level professionals in the cosmetics and fragrance industries. The program was developed in collaboration with leading multinational corporations in the industry to prepare students for senior management positions.
The two-year program is designed for individuals working in cosmetics, fragrances, and related areas who have been recommended by their employers because of their strong management potential. In this program, students master the core skills of a business degree along with the creative and technical skills specific to the cosmetics and fragrance fields. Graduates of the program hold senior positions at major global beauty corporations.
FIT is a leader in career education in art, design, business, and technology, with a wide range of programs that are affordable and relevant to today's rapidly changing industries. A college of the State University of New York, FIT offers more than 45 majors leading to the AAS, BFA, BS, MA, MFA, and MPS degrees. Visit fitnyc.edu.
Contact:
Adam Bricault/Edelman
212-819-4801
[email protected]
Cheri Fein/FIT
212 217-4718
[email protected]
SOURCE Unilever U.S.
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