Melissa Nevolis
PM 107 Cluster
April 18, 2011
Ad Analysis
Who is the ad targeted at?
This ad comes from the April 2011 issue of Cosmopolitan. It is a female based product
that can be targeted to a wide array of ages. A rough estimate of ages could begin around
the age of 13, when many girls are most likely starting to experiment with makeup and
continue to an older generation of women in their 50s and 60s, who have continued to
wear makeup. However, due to the price and the availability of the product, it is more
likely that late teens and young adults are the major target. This brand name, Make Up
For Ever, is a pricey investment and is more likely geared towards middle class to upper
class women who are interested in having a flawless looking face. This makeup product
is different from other products because it has a high definition aspect to it. This could
help gear the product towards women who are in the spotlight, take many pictures, or like
to have a makeup they can use for special occasions. It is stated in the ad that it is
available at Sephora so it can be targeted towards women who tend to shop at this
location.
Need, Want or Demand?
This product satisfies a want because it is not a necessary product that everyone needs
and due to the price of the product, is not a demand. Since it is on the higher end of the
pricing scale of foundation, it is not a necessary item that everyone needs. Anyone could
easily go to a drug store like CVS or Walgreens, and purchase a foundation that is six or
seven dollars and may not work as well as this Make Up For Ever foundation, but still
serves the purpose of what makeup is used for.
Value product will offer the customer
It is stated on the ad that this image has not been retouched by professional programs and
what you see on the ad is exactly what you will get when you use the product. However,
if the ad is closely critiqued, it will be obvious to see that this actress has other makeup
products on such as mascara, lipstick and blush that is enhancing the value of the
foundation. The foundation itself is not making the actress look exactly like she looks in
the picture. Also, this actress is already made famous by her good looks and noticeably
exceptional complexion that many average women do not have. The value of this product
is a biased view of how this foundation will work for an average consumer.
The Product/Market Expansion Grid
This ad for Make Up For Ever falls on the Product Development section of the expansion
grid. Being a customer of the Make Up For Ever brand, the HD collection just launched
this year and is a new revolutionary idea that is quite new to the makeup industry. Make
Up Forever has been sold at Sephora for a very long time and there are loyal customers at
Sephora who may have purchased their previous formulas of foundations. If these
customers were happy with the products they have previously used from the company,
they may be more likely to return and to try new products the company is marketing.
This company is trying to sell its new product to current customers. Due to the pricing of
the product and the concept of marketing, it costs more money for companies to look for
new customers than to keep their current and older customers.
Products Market Position
A market position can be defined as the way in which the target market perceives the
product in comparison to competitors’ brands. This ad does not fit this exact definition,
but is possible to apply to this ad. It does not say anywhere that they are better than any
other competitor’s products. However, it does explicitly say that this is the first
unretouched makeup ad that a company has used. That statement alone can show how
this company can compare to competitors’. They were the first company to implement
this idea of not digitally retouching their picture by letting the makeup speak for itself.
The target market could see this as being something no other company has done. Also, it
is one of the few high definition foundations that are available on the market and the
target market may want to try this product. Also, it is stated that it is sold at Sephora and
if the target markets were customers at Sephora, they may compare their makeup to other
drugstores’ makeup.
Marketing Mix
PRODUCT
This section of the marketing mix includes the design and packaging, and the physical
features of the product. This ad does not convey this idea of the marketing mix very well
because the ad focuses more on the quality of the product inside the bottle, not the bottle
itself. When looking at the packaging, it is a very generic foundation container that would
not stick out if put next to a drugstore foundation. The main emphasis of this product is
that the HD formula works so well that if you were taking a picture with an everyday
camera, your complexion would look just as good as if you were to digitally retouch the
picture.
PRICE
The price is an important part of the likelihood of individuals purchasing the product.
Again, being a consumer of this brand, this foundation runs around $45 -$50 dollars a
bottle, which is an outrageous amount to spend for an everyday makeup routine. It has
never been on sale in Sephora and will probably never go on sale. This product is of good
quality and exclusively sold at Sephora, which is a store where many of the top brands do
not go on sale. The price of this product is consistent, expensive, and unreasonable for
everyday use.
PROMOTION
This product is being promoted through the use of a magazine that is read by women who
may be looking for new products to buy to help to improve their image. This company is
trying to inform consumers that they are proud of the ad that has not been retouched and
that they have so much confidence in their product that they do not feel the need to
digitally retouch their product. This section of the marketing mix seems to be well
covered in this ad.
PLACE
The place of the marketing mix is where the product is available for the customer at the
desired time and location. This product clearly states on its ad that it sells at Sephora
stores. However, this may not be the best thing for the company to state in its ads. Many
people may not regularly shop at this store or they may not have one near them. This
leaves the consumers to have to order online and many people would not do this with
makeup products. The experience of a makeup store is for the consumer to walk in and be
able to try the product on their skin and be able to match colors to their skin tone. This ad
may deter consumers from buying their product since it clearly states that Sephora is
where you must buy it.
Macroenvironment Issues
This ad seems to only address one macroenvironment issue. It acknowledges the
technological forces that could make their product desired. Since it is the first
unretouched makeup ad, they are showing how the technology of the way they made their
product has eliminated the need for retouching. Technology is improving the way that
companies can create formulas of foundations for high definition use.
Effectiveness
If a possible consumer of this product were to closely view this ad, it would most likely
be viewed as ineffective. The ad states that the ad has not been retouched, but there is no
way that one can really know if they are being true to their word. This may just be a
marketing ploy they are implementing so their product sells. Also, the company used a
key element of marketing by using someone famous to represent their product. This will
make consumers more likely to buy the product if they like the celebrity that is marketing
the product. Also, it is easy to see that the celebrity in this ad has other enhancers on her
face that can help her to look even better. It must also be taken into account that average
consumers who are buying this product do not have professional makeup artists to do
their makeup. The makeup could be flawless, but if an individual does not know how to
apply it, they will not get the same results that are shown by professional makeup artists
who worked on in this ad. This ad is intriguing and unique in the fact that it supposedly
has never been retouched. However, it is ineffective and unrealistic.