Nicolas de La Hosseraye, Country manager at Merz Aesthetics France
Interview by Thierry Piolatto
Merz Aesthetics are celebrating their 10th anniversary in France and have got themselves a new MD. New team, new projects, and a brand-new, stylish communication campaign that highlights the values promoted by this pioneering laboratory.
We found out more from Nicolas de La Hosseraye.
AA MAG: What are the current challenges you face, in terms of the uncertainty caused by the pandemic?
Nicolas de La Hosseraye: Rallying my team around a group project, working on Merz’s values, which can be summarised as follows: the responsible choice. The responsible choice both for doctors and for patients, concerning products that guarantee safety and efficacy over the long term. Today, Merz products are rejuvenating and beautifying three generations of patients. The newcomers are aged 18-24 and they know the most about the products, and the eldest are those over 65, who are the “shyest”.
Our challenge is to continue anticipating the requirements of our three generations of patients and pass the message on to our partner doctors that by choosing Merz products they are making a responsible choice for the long term.
AA MAG: The pandemic has changed French people’s habits and has created new behaviours. Figures show that medical aesthetics is doing well and that Merz is one of the front-runners. Why do you think this is?
N. d. L. H.: The pandemic has made us realise the importance of health – including skin health, which has been adversely affected by mask-wearing – as well as self-image, since our non-verbal communication is now very limited. French people have realised the importance of skin quality, both in terms of aesthetic appearance and also health and prevention. We have entered the era of Slow Beauty, which prioritises quality and investing in oneself.
AA MAG: Have you noticed any emerging trends and behaviours, and do you think they will last? Or, conversely, have medical aesthetics consumers reacted on impulse?
N. d. L. H.: We are seeing quite clear trends come to light, which makes us think that they will become established in the sector, which has developed greatly over the last year. Before, the time it took for a new patient to have their first aesthetic medicine treatment was twelve months on average, but it has now been shortened to 7 months, which partly explains the sector’s exponential growth. The use of digital media has also contributed to this expansion, with two new factors: Zoom meetings and the fact that people spend all day looking at themselves and their flaws, and, at the same time, solution finding. The pandemic has brought us patients who are much younger, while those over 60 have not all come back for their treatments, but we are expecting them to do so in the near future. At Merz Aesthetics, we believe that we need to take care of our patients’ individual needs. Age differences are of course important, but so are lifestyles, desires, and of course ethnic origins, which ties in with our philosophy of personalising our treatments.
AA MAG: Merz Aesthetic France is celebrating its 10th anniversary. What aspects would you like to continue and what have been the main highlights?
N. d. L. H.: Professionals are very stringent about the safety of the products, their efficacy and their added value. We see doctors as our partners and this is why our ambition is not to be the largest laboratory, but the one that pays the most attention to doctors, and that is what we want to continue doing. They can all count on us, I am adamant about that. We want to be receptive to all one-to-one training requests, to share our knowledge and injection techniques. Merz products have a good reputation in more than 50 countries, including where the French Touch originated, and this is because Merz offers a wide range of products. We recommend tailoring the treatments to the patients and do so in close collaboration with expert doctors.
AA MAG: Merz Aesthetics are launching a new eye-catching and highly original campaign aimed at both women and men, with inspiring messages that focus on emotions and character, as opposed to products and results. What is the message you want to transmit?
N. d. L. H.: We want to continue to be as close as possible to patients. This is why we used real women patients as models in some of our campaigns. This new campaign – “My Attitude” – aims to broadcast the message that being yourself is amazing! Do not try to look like someone else, but rather be the best version of yourself, do not be afraid to show your emotions and who you really are. And this is where aesthetic medicine represents real progress. The products and experts allow us to enhance, in a visible yet natural way, each person’s beauty, correct their flaws and inverse the signs of aging. And since every personality is intense, complex, we have chosen lively, bright colours.
Over the last few years, the variable that has most changed in our sector is the clientele. Our patient list has diversified, they are much better informed and much more demanding over the long term. With this campaign, we want to recognise these facts and join forces with our expert doctors to continue fulfilling the requirements of our changing society. We want to provide people with ways to express their unique character with confidence, by helping them to look better, feel better and live better.
