Did you know that “hair” is the most popular search word on the Internet? And that it beats “travel” and “smartphone” as the most-Googled-about topic?
Those were the findings Google supplied to Unilever Philippines in its constant quest for customer information. “One of the biggest things we do at Unilever is customer research and I’ve been an advocate of that — we really try to find out what our customers need because that’s one of the key things that make us successful,” says Apples Aberin, Unilever Philippines’ head of PR for personal care. “Google provides us with that kind of information.”
Google client solutions manager Thomas Poulain confirms, “In the Philippines over the last three years, ‘hair’ is searched for three or four times more than ‘travel.’ And one of the most popular categories within ‘hair’ is ‘hairstyling.’ Filipinos are turning to Google and YouTube to find very practical tips and hair solutions.”
If, like me, you’re one of those people who’ve relied on a YouTube tutorial to find out how to do the latest hairdo or hair color, you’ve probably found that the majority of vloggers doing hair how-to’s are Caucasian.
“The Internet has become the go-to platform for tips and trends but a lot of the tutorials are foreign, which you can’t really relate to,” notes Summit Media beauty director Agoo Bengzon. “For example, how to get pink hair — it just isn’t the same for Filipinos, who have to go through so many more steps just to get their hair stripped, whereas a blond person would go directly to pink. There’s no real single platform that’s able to give us tips on how to achieve certain styles of hair.”
To fill that void, Unilever teamed up with Google to launch “All Things Hair” (ATH), a YouTube channel that features the Philippines’ most popular vloggers answering Pinoys’ most pressing hair questions.
Want to learn how to do a low ponytail, fishtail braid or bob without cutting your hair? Vloggers Kelly Misa-Fernandez, Nicole Andersson, Laureen Uy, and Angela Nepomuceno show you how in less than five minutes.
Or are you a guy with a hot date after work? Dashing footballers James and Phil Younghusband show you the most effortless work-to-night out hairstyles for men.
“All Things Hair is the online source for all your hair inspirations and solutions,” says Bengzon, who is the editor of the site. “It’s actually a YouTube channel based in the UK but the Philippines is the first country to launch it in Asia, so it’s a really big deal.”
All you need to do is search for your particular hair dilemma, or a style you’re interested in. For example, if you type in “braid,” tutorials for all sorts of braids will pop up on your feed, and you just watch the video and follow the steps. The video content is created according to what’s most searched, and Unilever provides links at the bottom to the hair products recommended to achieve the style.
“Our number-one brand is Creamsilk, then Dove,” says Aberin. “All our hair brands participated, which makes it even better because we have a wide portfolio: Clear, Sunsilk, Toni & Guy, which is more style-meets-wardrobe, and Tresemmé, which is salon-gorgeous hair by professionals.”
At the event, ATH offered different hair stations with stylists like Emphasis’ Victor Ortega and a vlogger assigned to each, to show the press how to style their own hair.
“We didn’t go to hairstylists because we want people to know that they can do it on their own at home,” Aberin says.
“It’s so important because it’s very personal,” claims Poulain. “People are looking for answers because it’s very authentic — there’s a very strong personal connection with the vlogger. It’s a lot more believable. There’s no better person than a vlogger who knows exactly what they’re talking about.”
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Got a hair question? Go to www.youtube.com/user/allthingshairPH.
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