• The New York Times, Friday, January 19, 2007 1:45 PM

While not abandoning its older customers, the cosmetics industry is fashioning a new marketing strategy designed to reach a younger market, that knows a dab of toothpaste will take care of a pimple.

To reach this elusive market, which is less likely than their mothers to shop in department stores and cosmetic counters within, marketers are moving away from print and onto TV shows and Web sites aimed at a younger audience. For example, until 2006, Clinique had devoted 90% of its ad budget to print. This year, print gets less than half.

Meanwhile, Avon is putting out new products that appeal to a younger generation's focus on design and performance. This year, it plans to roll out a multiproduct compact that can be personalized. "This generation personalizes its cellphone rings and computer screens, so it makes sense to let it customize its cosmetics," says Avon. "The freedom to mix and match is just more important to young women than it was to their mothers."

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