Case Study
Transforming the Market Perception of a Luxury Skincare Brand With Purpose-Led Consumer Insights
Industry
CPG & Retail
Solution
Social Media Performance, Qualitative Deep-Dive Solution
Market
Germany
Business Problem
L’Occitane, a globally recognized luxury skincare brand, faced a unique perception issue in the German market. Although admired and trusted, the brand was primarily seen as a “gift brand”—one chosen for special occasions rather than integrated into consumers’ daily skincare rituals.
To shift this mindset, L’Occitane needed a deeper understanding of what modern luxury means to today’s wellness consumers in Germany and how to reposition itself as a daily essential in the world of personal care.
What & How We Did It
We deployed a hybrid, multi-layered research approach that combined:
- Immersive qualitative interviews with niche luxury consumers to capture the emotional and personal dimensions of beauty rituals.
- Structured quantitative surveys to validate emerging themes at scale.
- Social listening to tap into organic conversations and sentiment trends across digital platforms.
This triangulated methodology enabled a nuanced understanding of both stated and unstated consumer needs, offering cultural context and emotional depth to the data.
Key Insights
- Luxury is Now Purposeful: German consumers increasingly define luxury not by price or prestige but by values—sustainability, efficacy, transparency, and self-care alignment.
- Science Meets Sensory Delight: There’s a growing appetite for science-backed products that do not compromise sensorial experience—indulgent textures, natural ingredients, and functional outcomes.
- Personalization Over Convention: Traditional branding cues of luxury (ornate packaging, exclusivity) are giving way to customized experiences and authentic storytelling.
- A Shift in Consumption Behavior: Consumers are moving from ‘gift-giving’ to self-gifting mindset, viewing daily skincare as an act of wellness and self-worth rather than an occasional treat.
Client Impact
Borderless Access’s insights empowered L’Occitane to refine their messaging by highlighting science-backed efficacy, sustainability, and emotional connection. The findings also illuminated new product categories and daily routines for brand integration, ultimately strengthening L’Occitane’s relevance with a new generation of informed, value-driven luxury consumers focused on wellness.
