Lakmé is an Indian beauty and cosmetics brand, founded in 1952 by the British cosmetic company Unilever (now Hindustan Unilever Limited). It is one of the largest and most popular beauty brands in India, offering a wide range of skincare, haircare, makeup, and beauty makeup products.

1. Products: Lakmé offers products like foundations, lipsticks, eyeliners, skincare lotions, moisturizers, and haircare items.
2. Innovation: Known for its innovative products and collaborations, Lakmé was the first to launch the Lakmé Fashion Week in 2000, an event that blends beauty and fashion.
3. Popular Lines: Some of its famous product lines include Lakmé Absolute, Lakmé Enrich, and Lakmé 9 to 5.
4. Target Audience: Primarily catering to women of all age groups, with a focus on affordable luxury and quality.
5. Brand Ambassadors: Over the years, Lakmé has had several popular Indian celebrities as brand ambassadors, including actresses like Kareena Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, and Jacqueline Fernandez.

Lakmé continues to dominate the Indian market through a combination of quality, innovation, and strategic branding.

HOW LAKME BECOME POPULAR

Lakmé became popular through a combination of strategic branding, innovation, and timely market positioning. Here’s how the brand established itself as one of the leading names in India’s beauty and cosmetics industry:

1. Pioneering Indian Beauty Brand:

• Founded in 1952 by Hindustan Unilever (HUL), Lakmé was one of the first Indian cosmetics brands to cater to the emerging beauty needs of Indian women. By being a domestic brand with a focus on Indian skin tones and preferences, it quickly gained the trust of its audience.

2. Focus on Local Needs:

• Lakmé tailored its products to suit the unique needs of Indian women, offering beauty solutions that were more suited to Indian skin tones and climates compared to foreign brands. This created a strong connection with its target audience.

3. Quality and Affordability:

• Lakmé provided high-quality cosmetics at affordable prices, making it accessible to a wide range of consumers, from young girls to working women. This balance of quality and value helped it appeal to a broad demographic.

4. Innovative Product Launches:

• The brand introduced groundbreaking product lines, such as the Lakmé 9 to 5 range, designed for long-lasting wear for working women, and the Lakmé Absolute range, which offered premium quality makeup. These innovations kept the brand fresh and relevant.

5. Celebrity Endorsements:

• Over the years, Lakmé collaborated with numerous Bollywood celebrities, including Kareena Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, and Jacqueline Fernandez, to endorse its products. These high-profile endorsements boosted the brand’s visibility and appeal.

6. Lakmé Fashion Week (LFW):

• In 2000, Lakmé makeup launched the Lakmé Fashion Week (LFW), an event that brought together top Indian designers, models, and makeup artists. LFW positioned the brand as a premium and fashion-forward name in the industry, aligning beauty with high fashion. This association reinforced Lakmé’s status as a trendsetter.

7. Strong Distribution Network:

• Lakmé made its products widely available, from small local stores to large supermarkets and online platforms. Its wide distribution network ensured that it reached consumers in both urban and rural areas.

8. Advertising and Branding:

• Lakmé invested heavily in advertising, using television, print, and digital media to engage consumers. Their ads focused on the idea of beauty, empowerment, and confidence, further solidifying their connection with Indian women.

9. Consistency and Trust:

• Over the decades, Lakmé built a reputation for consistency and reliability. Indian consumers trusted the brand’s products to deliver on their promises, whether it was in skincare or makeup.

Through these strategic moves, Lakmé was able to establish itself as a household name and maintain a strong foothold in India’s highly competitive beauty industry.

WHO LAUNCHED LAKME

Lakmé was launched by J.R.D. Tata (Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata), a prominent Indian industrialist and philanthropist, in 1952. The brand was introduced under the Tata Group, one of India’s most respected conglomerates. Initially, Lakmé makeup was developed in collaboration with Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL), which was known as Lever Brothers at the time.

The idea behind Lakmé was to create a cosmetics brand tailored to the needs of Indian women, offering high-quality beauty products for the Indian market. This vision was driven by J.R.D. Tata’s commitment to creating a product that would cater to the growing demand for beauty and skincare solutions in India makeup.