Consumer Study - Pfeiffer: Understanding the Consumer

Even though Pfeiffer caters to its clients’ constraints, its role of supplier does not allow frequent contact with the end-users. As a result, late last year, the company decided to get out and meet those very customers.

25/08/06 Pfeiffer conceives and manufactures pumps for the cosmetics market. Although its main goal is to meet the demands of professionals in the sector, Pfeiffer keeps the end-users in mind, because they are the ones that use the packaging every day, therefore they need to be happy with the design, the function and the handling. In order to better understand their needs, the company conducted a consumer study at the end of 2005.

Solutions that mesh with industrial demands…

Pfeiffer’s wide range of pumps and sprays for gels and lotions allow the company to offer innovative solutions adapted to its clients wants and needs.

For example, to increase its potential in fragrance packaging conception and design, industrials asked for very small pumps. In response, Pfeiffer came up with Inspiration and Progress, highly discrete pumps, which offer the flexibility and freedom to choose and freely design packaging.

Or another, more technical example: to solve the problem of particles in make-up formulas, Pfeiffer launched the Make-up Pump, a system specially adapted to viscous products with particles inside.

…and consumer aspirations

Even though Pfeiffer caters to its clients’ constraints, its role of supplier does not allow frequent contact with the end-users. As a result, late last year, the company decided to get out and meet those very customers.

In collaboration with a marketing research agency chosen for its expertise in the cosmetics sector and packaging industry, Pfeiffer brought together 32 men and women spanning the ages of 20 and 65. The aim was to listen to what they had to say about cosmetics packaging, and take into account their needs and suggestions in terms of handling and design, and to learn more about how they used personal-care and beauty products. The consumer panel also gave feedback on products in development. The study was conducted on targeted groups of eight. To get more in-depth information without being swayed by the rest of the group, 8 individual interviews were also organized.

Thanks to these kinds of tools, Pfeiffer stays in close contact with the market and can offer its clients solutions that take into account the needs of the end-users.