NIVEA – The World’s Greatest Skincare Brand
NIVEA is a truly extraordinary brand. Produced by the Beiersdorf Company, it originated in Germany in 1911 as the world’s first cosmetic skincare product, with its name taken from the Latin word “nivius” meaning “snow white." Today it represents the world’s largest skincare brand in a market where hundreds of brands vie for attention. For years, NIVEA was synonymous with Nivea Creme, a brand which many of its customers came to know during childhood. In many cases, the visual (color and packaging) and physical (feel and smell) attributes of the product have lead to a complex emotional bond between customers and the brand. In fact, consumers are convinced that NIVEA is a local brand in many countries.

Today the NIVEA name is on far more than that familiar blue tub. The 1990s were a period of phenomenal growth as a “one product wonder” was successfully extended into a number of different product categories under the umbrella brand. The NIVEA FOR MEN range, for example, was the first mass-market brand to target facial care toward a male audience. Recent growth has also been achieved through rapid global expansion into developing markets, such as China and Eastern Europe, together with expanding market share in established markets. The result has been a quadrupling of sales in the last fifteen years. NIVEA’s strength is based on continuity and innovation, where its unique universal values of “gentleness,” “protection” and “quality” have allowed it to take its place amongst the best known and well-loved brands worldwide.