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Gebr Heinemann’s new Airport Specials initiative at Frankfurt T1 |
GERMANY. Gebr Heinemann has reinforced its commitment to the evolution of beauty travel retailing, via a new Airport Specials campaign and corresponding promotional event, which was formally unveiled today at Frankfurt International Airport.
The initiative comes just months after the retailer’s innovative Beauty Lounge event, which also made its debut at Frankfurt last November.
In a move that reinforces its desire to educate and inform, Gebr Heinemann invited not only travel retail press, but also leading domestic beauty journalists, in a bid to further raise awareness among consumers of what travel retail has to offer.
The press conference was led by Gebr Heinemann Managing Director Kay Spanger, with additional presentations from airport authority Fraport CEO Dr Wilhelm Bender, L’Oréal Produits de Luxe Travel Retail Worldwide Managing Director Vincent Boinay and Guerlain President and CEO Renato Semerari.
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The star-themed promotion is designed to better inform passengers about travel retail exclusives |
All four speakers explained the importance of travel retail sales to their business – and detailed their own company’s contribution in terms of product, promotions and partnerships.
“Today is a great day,” declared Spanger. “Never before have we welcomed so many press for this kind of meeting. It is something we at Gebr Heinemann never used to do, but we too are changing.”
Spanger also explained the thinking behind Gebr Heinemann’s new “Airport Specials” branding. “Travel retail exclusives are a very important part of the travel retail offer,” he noted. “But not everyone understands the term. Is it clear enough for the consumer; do travellers realise what these products represent? We think that the term Airport Specials is much more obvious and easier to understand.”
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Make-overs using Airport Specials products are a key element of the promotion |
In his presentation, Bender paid generous tribute to the role travel retail played at Frankfurt, explaining that over 50% of Fraport’s profits are generated by retail and property. “I could describe [Frankfurt airport] as a department store with a runway attached,” he noted, “and I would be only half-joking.”
L’Oreal’s Boinay explained the importance of the channel as a “window to the world”, a sentiment echoed by Semerari, who also detailed the advantages it brought to a “challenger” brand such as Guerlain.
After the presentations, the Airport Specials event, located in terminal one B East, was unveiled. As its name suggests, the animation focuses on the wide variety of travel retail exclusives that are available in the channel.
In-store, travellers are guided to the main event site via star shapes set into the floor (the star is the concept’s main design motif). These stars lead to several dedicated merchandising units, staffed by beauty advisors dressed in white, star-studded uniforms.
Travel retail exclusive fragrances are a key product focus. The brands featured include Givenchy’s Lovely Prism, Guerlain’s Colours of Love, Donna Karan’s Be Delicious (Delicious Kisses) and Lancôme’s Tropiques.
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Left to right: Vincent Boinay, Kay Spanger and Renato Semerari |
In the middle of the site is a Play & Win Wheel of Fortune, which passengers can spin to win free fragrance or cosmetics samples. Behind the wheel are two make-over stations.
The make-overs are shown on TV screens both inside and outside the store, to drive up footfall. Outside the store there is a complementary gift-wrapping station, for Airport Specials purchases.
In addition, a gwp has been created. Passengers who spend €50 receive a versatile star-shaped pendant.
The Airport Specials event began on 18 April and will run for two weeks. It will be repeated at Frankfurt in June for one month.
NOTE: Look out for a more detailed feature on the Airport Specials initiative, to be published in the May issue of The Moodie Report print edition, out soon.
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