Exploring first-time usage experiences and adherence challenges in hair care solutions

Client: A leading personal care brand aiming to enhance customer satisfaction and product adherence for their hair care solutions.

Objective: To understand the first-time usage experience and adherence challenges faced by consumers of hair care solutions. The focus was to identify barriers and facilitators influencing consistent product usage among both genders.

Methodology: The study employed a qualitative approach through:

• Conducting extended In-Depth Interviews (IDIs) to gain detailed insights into respondents' views and experiences.

• Utilizing one-on-one interactions to establish context, ensuring privacy and individualized focus during data collection.

Findings: Adherence Challenges:

• Many respondents, irrespective of gender, reported issues adhering to the product usage regimen.

• Factors influencing non-adherence included:

  • Forgetfulness.

  • Dissatisfaction with results.

  • Concerns about product effectiveness, potential side effects, or cost.

Facilitators to Adherence:

• Respondents who noticed visible improvements in hair health were more likely to continue usage.

• Peer recommendations played a positive role in sustaining adherence.

• Reminders, either self-set or external, supported consistent use of the products.

Challenges:

• Overcoming skepticism about product effectiveness and fear of side effects.

• Ensuring product affordability to improve accessibility.

• Addressing low awareness regarding the importance of consistent usage.

Business Implications:

• Developing targeted marketing campaigns emphasizing visible results and peer recommendations can boost trust and adoption.

• Introducing reminder systems, like app notifications or packaging features, can promote regular usage.

• Offering trial packs can address initial hesitations and cost concerns, improving product trial rates.

• Providing educational content about product usage and consistency can enhance adherence.

Conclusion: This study provided valuable insights into the challenges and drivers affecting adherence to hair care solutions. By addressing the identified barriers and leveraging facilitators, brands can enhance user experience, improve adherence, and build long-term consumer trust.