With a wide range of products and affordable, accessible prices, Colourette Cosmetics is truly for everyone. The proudly homegrown beauty brand caters to a wide audience regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, etc. and is all about embracing the culture and lifestyle of being a Filipina. Swetha Nagasundaram from the Alavi team had the opportunity to speak to Audree Del Rosario, Assistant Digital Marketing Manager at Colourette Cosmetics in Philippines on some of the most effective ways to build a successful e-commerce brand.  

Swetha Nagasundaram: Tell us a little bit about the brand – what inspired ‘Colourette Cosmetics’ and how does your brand stand out from other cosmetic players in the market?  

Audree Del Rosario: The brand's inspiration is the lack of Filipina representation in the local beauty industry. As most brands focus on Western beauty standards, Colourette aims to be a brand that makes products and shade ranges that are made specifically with Filipina skin tones in mind. Our target audience leans toward young millennials and Gen Zs within the 18-34 age range. But we believe that makeup is for everyone.  

We’re really focused on bringing products that are fit for Filipina skin tones. We really put a lot thought into our shade ranges to make sure that everyone will find something there for them. We also emphasize on making our products multi-use so that our consumers would get great value-for-money out of our products. Lastly, we're a brand that likes to take a stance on issues in society. Being a progressive brand is something that we're proud of, and we set aside funds to support to causes we believe in such as animal rights groups and LGBTQ+ organizations.

Swetha: What are some new and interesting ways in which Colourette Cosmetics appeals to the Millenial and Gen Z audience?  

Audree: One thing that we do to appeal to millennials and Gen Zs is to make sure that our brand voice is one that resonates with them. On top of that, we create content that goes along with current trends. We'd create all types of content, whether it's a fashion trend or it's a meme, we'll do it! We're also a brand that isn't afraid to take a stance on societal issues, so that's also something that resonates.  

We utilize content creation tools and platforms like TikTok to create our content, and we also heavily analyze our paid media results to support our insights on the movement of the market. Our customer service is personalized and anyone that’s talking to our CS team feels like they're talking to a friend.  
‍

Swetha: Tell us about some of the challenges Colourette Cosmetics has faced over the past few years. How did the brand manage to resolve them and remain resilient?  

Audree: Prior to the pandemic, Colourette was a heavily retail brand. Lockdowns and travel restrictions really forced the team to pivot and become e-commerce heavy. In order to market that, the team doubled down on creating content and strengthened their overall online presence. Which is where my team comes in, I actually got hired during the height of the pandemic since the team did not have a specialist for paid media. So essentially, aside from strengthening organic efforts, we built a new framework for our paid activities online to make sure that we get to introduce our brand to more people.  

One thing that we do is to sit down as a team and discuss the challenges that we are facing and really brainstorm from there. And I don't mean just a few people, we're really open to ideas from everyone in the team and I think that's something that helps keep us resilient. I think one thing that came about during our efforts this pandemic is that we became a top local beauty brand here in the Philippines. There's a wider brand recognition now that we didn't really have before!  
‍

Swetha: What are some trends that you see in the future of your industry and what can we expect next from Colourette Cosmetics?  

Audree: I think in our market, the cosmetic space is evolving in a way that more brands are recognizing the need for more Filipina-friendly shades and products. In terms of online experiences, you can expect to see more activity within our recently launched website and of course, new products!  
‍

Swetha: What is one piece of advice you would give small to medium cosmetic businesses that are looking to grow online?  

Audree: I'd say find your specific brand voice and really create content that connects with your target audience. Don't be afraid to be trendy or funny, if that's something that fits your voice. Aside from that, invest in a paid media strategy that works for your brand. It doesn't have to be big budget, it just has to be a good fit with the current scale of your business.
‍