Putting the personal into Personal Care

Returning from Berlin after my annual visit to the international industry exhibition IFA, I have been reflecting on the progress we’re making at Philips on becoming a true health technology company. With smart software engineers now forming the majority of our Research and Development (R&D) team, it’s become clear how much we are transforming towards a data driven solutions company with the aim to improve people’s lives. Having worked for more than 25 years at Philips, this is by far the biggest transformation I have witnessed in our business and I am proud to be part of it.

My career has taken me all around the world and having lived for nearly a decade in multiple Asian markets, I personally learnt the need to adapt and to respect diverse cultures, habits and rituals. In our teams we put this understanding of cultural differences at the heart of the beauty and male grooming businesses, to truly deliver solutions supporting our users to up their confidence every day.

In the past, products were designed with a one-size-fits-all approach in mind and with the product function at the heart rather than the end benefit for the men and women using them. Not any more. Now our products are developed with individuals in mind, recognizing the importance of the transformative morning moment – that moment first thing in the morning after waking up, when we are making decisions about how we are going to represent ourselves for the day.

With close to 80 years of experience in innovation in shaving, Philips is well positioned to adapt again for the next generation. The Philips OneBlade, for example, has been launched as a result of our observations about a new way of approaching male grooming and the need for a new type of solution for millennial men. Our launch campaign for this product is focusing on the power of the online environment, featuring user generated video content to help other men understand how the product works and to ensure the sense of authenticity that the digital generation craves.

Looking ahead, Personal Care has the opportunity via technology to bring ever more personalised solutions. Advances in technology and the Internet of Things (IoT) where devices are connected with each other are enabling data measurement and analysis of consumers’ personal daily routines which in turn is driving innovation via coaching apps, online advice and personalised feedback.

One such solution being showcased at IFA in Berlin: the Philips Lumea Prestige, which provides a personalized and digitized approach to an important activity for women - hair removal. By making that process more effective and faster, we’re giving women back time in their busy lives so that they can be out enjoying life. Building on the success of the original Philips Lumea intense pulsed light (IPL) hair removal device, the new product addresses consumer insights around needing a device that works faster and one that is better adapted to every woman’s individual shape. This is thanks to its new body attachments and skin sensor. As a result, the product delivers with the uniqueness of each individual in mind. Supported by an app to map the required treatment schedule over time, this type of personalization is a key trend that will shape the way we develop our products long into the future.

But the importance of all this technology is not just the efficiency of the product but most importantly it’s about empowering confidence. Confident people tend to be healthier people as they’re taking care of themselves, looking after their bodies, their teeth and their skin - the body’s biggest organ! Enabling our users to build their personal confidence and fulfil the need to define and change the way they look every day is therefore a very rewarding purpose. Personal Care has become truly personal!

This is ultimately Philips’ mission – finding ways, through technology and innovation, to make life better – to help consumers’ live healthier and happier lives.

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