Coty boosts beauty tech capabilities through partnership with Perfect Corp

By

Robin Driver

Published
Sep 27, 2021

American cosmetics conglomerate Coty, Inc. has signed a long-term agreement with beauty tech solutions provider Perfect Corp that will lead to augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI) experiences being incorporated into the digital marketing toolkits of its brands.
 

Examples of the digital beauty tools that the deal will bring to Coty include virtual makeup try-ons, online skin diagnostics and data-driven personalization services. These will be rolled out across the company’s beauty brand portfolio, which includes the likes of CoverGirl, Sally Hansen and Philosophy.
 
As well as being used to enhance the e-commerce experience, the tools offered by Perfect Corp will also be brought into stores to create touchless product interactions that respond to heightened consumer concerns about hygiene and safety raised by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“This partnership adds a new dimension to Coty’s digital journey, incorporating some of the best augmented and virtual reality technologies that will help the full portfolio of our brands unlock the best digital user experience and, as a result, help advance social selling,” explained Coty chief digital officer Jean-Denis Mariani in a release.

“Imagine opening a livestreaming session with your favorite makeup brand, and during it discovering a new lipstick through your preferred influencer, trying the product on virtually from your sofa, and seamlessly going to check out – all without ever clicking out of the livestream,” added the executive, outlining the kind of customer experience that the company hopes to create with Perfect Corp’s tools.
 
As part of the partnership, Coty and Perfect Corp have also drawn up a development roadmap for the co-creation of exclusive beauty tech for the New York-based cosmetics group.
 
The deal is part of Coty’s wider “Digital-First Omnichannel” strategy, which has seen the company invest in e-commerce and direct-to-consumer selling initiatives that aim to drive digital storytelling and discovery. Coty reported a net loss of $166.3 million on revenues of $4.63 billion in the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021.
 
Best known for its YouCam makeup try-on app, Perfect Corp recently announced the launch of its AI Face Analyzer technology, which aims to help brands deliver improved product recommendations to consumers by detecting more than 70 facial characteristics.