Elyse Davison SMP
1. Product
My product is LashBlast Volume Mascara by CoverGirl. This mascara was
designed to volumize every lash with its patent-pending brush. It comes in four different
colors, black, very black, black brown, and brown. This mascara is hypoallergenic and is
suitable for contact wearers. It comes in a sleek orange tube. The standard size 13.1 ml
tube costs around $7 at most drugstores. CoverGirl is also sold at supermarkets and
discount stores such as Target and Walmart. CoverGirl can also be purchased online.
Procter & Gamble was founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble.
Procter and Gamble sells a range of products. Its products fall into two larger categories:
beauty and grooming, and household care. Some popular beauty and grooming brands it
owns are CoverGirl, Herbal Essences, Olay, Crest, and Tampax. A few of its household
care brands are Tide, Febreze, and Bounty. Its CEO is Robert A. McDonald. Procter and
Gamble is part of the New York Stock Exchange and its stock price as of April 30, 2013,
is $77.10. Procter and Gamble’s largest competition in 2012 was Johnson & Johnson.
Procter and Gamble leads its industry with annual sales of $83.68 billion in 2012.
Johnson & Johnson’s annual sales were $67.22 billion. Procter and Gamble is the leading
company in the cosmetic industry.
The United States cosmetic industry is the largest in the world, with of about
$53.7 billion. The cosmetic industry is part of pop-culture. It sponsors things like
magazines and TV shows. Today the cosmetic industry is trying to go green, and become
more natural to meet users’ demands. The cosmetic industry is a growing rapidly because
beauty is such a large part of our society. Makeup makes up $18 billion of the cosmetic
industry.
2. Target Audience
Ashley is a 22-year-old single woman who just graduated from college. Her
parents are going to cut her off soon if she doesn’t find a full-time salaried job. She rents
an apartment with her roommate, Katie, in a big city.
Ashley loves to dress up and go out and party. Ashley will never leave the house
without makeup on, even when she goes to kick boxing or Pilates. She likes to be the first
one noticed when she enters a room. She likes to go shopping; her favorite stores are
Forever 21 and Urban Outfitters. Ashley enjoys a good margarita, or anything that has
vodka in it. Ashley loves to hang out with her friends, but she is always job searching.
3. Product Benefits
LashBlast pumps up volume of the user’s lashes and makes them appear fuller and more
dramatic.
4.
Current Brand Image
LashBlast Volume mascara wants to come off as big and bold. CoverGirl uses
Drew Barrymore to help exemplify this image. By using Drew Barrymore it makes the
brand relatable and fun. Drew Barrymore comes off as a celebrity everyone could be a
friend with, because of her down-to-earth personality and individuality. CoverGirl is a
trusted brand because in all its commercials and ad campaigns use celebrities. Consumers
look up to celebrities, and even want to strive to be like them. Due to this fact consumers
are more likely to buy Covergirl if celebrities are promoting it.
5. Desired Brand Image
CoverGirl wants its mascara’s image to be big and bold. I think it has reached its
desired image. It reinforces this image with commercials about a new larger brush with
bristles farther apart to make the bold lash stand out as the most noticeable feature on
Drew Barrymore’s face.
6. Direct Competitors
CoverGirl’s top three competitors are Maybelline, Revlon, and Rimmel London.
Maybelline is targeted toward women who want to show off their individuality
and creativity. It wants the women who buy its mascara or other beauty products to flaunt
all their beauty inside and out. L’Oreal owns Maybelline. Maybelline uses fashion icons
on its ads. Its slogan is “Maybe she’s born with it, maybe it’s Maybelline.” Maybelline
wants its target audience to feel beautiful after they use its products. Maybelline’s goal is
to enhance its users’ natural beauty.
Another top competitor of CoverGirl is Revlon. Revlon recently turned its brand
image around to a more glamorous one by using beautiful celebrities such as Julianne
Moore, Halle Berry, Eva Mendes, and Emma Stone. By using a wide range of celebrities
this shows Revlon is more versatile, that women of all ages can use its products. It
displays this glamor through seductive commercials showing off all the celebrities’
beauty. Revlon mostly uses gorgeous models and portrays them as goddesses while using
Revlon cosmetics. I think this image strategy could hurt Revlon because the women
buying Revlon products aren’t gorgeous models so it might make consumers shy away
from Revlon if they can’t relate to its ads.
Rimmel London is also sold in the same places CoverGirl is. Rimmel London’s
image is geared to high fashion, and to give its users “the London look.” Rimmel shows
more trendy and edgy makeup ideas on its commercials. It uses high-fashion models to
show that Rimmel cosmetics are used in the fashion world. Rimmel’s image shows that it
wants its users to be distinctive and try out their own style in the fashion and beauty part
of their lives. Rimmel London’s target audiences are people who don’t want to spend a
lot of money on cosmetics. Rimmel’s fashionista image might be a disadvantage because
its buyers also don’t want to spend a lot of money on high-end designer clothing.
7. Indirect Competitors
An indirect competitor of CoverGirl LashBlast mascara is fake eyelashes. Some
women skip mascara altogether and just buy fake eyelashes to make their eyelashes look
perfect. Some mascaras can leave eyelashes looking clumpy and fake eyelashes make
every lash long and separate. Fake eyelashes come in different lengths and colors. The
disadvantages of fake eyelashes are glue on the eyelids and falling off easily. Fake
eyelashes are sold in drugstores, usually in the same aisle as CoverGirl. LashBlast’s
target market would usually only buy fake eyelashes for special occasions.
Recently the FDA has approved an eyelash-growing medicine called Latisse.
Many women hate their thin eyelashes so Latisse is applied to the eyelashes using a small
brush and is supposed to grow lashes in a short period of time. It is given out in a 30-40
day supply. The downside of Latisse is that it costs about $100 and if users don’t keep up
with applying it every day, lashes will become shorter in a few weeks. Also, Latisse has
side effects, which could scare off some women. Latisse is targeted towards older
women, so LashBlast’s target audience probably wouldn’t consider using Latisse.
Eyelash extensions are becoming popular in the younger demographic. These
eyelash extensions last 2-4 weeks. It skips the step of putting on mascara because your
eyelashes already look volumized. The procedure takes an hour, and every few weeks
users can get replacement for lashes that have fallen out. The cost is expensive: it ranges
from $100 to $300. LashBlast’s target audience probably wouldn’t be able to afford
eyelash extensions and wouldn’t want the fakeness of it.
8. Advertising Goal
To associate LashBlast Volume Mascara with bigger and bolder lashes.
9. Strategic Message
You should buy LashBlast Volume Mascara to get dramatic eyes.
10. Features and Benefits
Feature
Benefit
The biggest brush with spread out bristles
Maxes out each lash to thicken and
lengthen them.
Bright orange tube
Easy to find in a makeup bag or purse.
Comes in four colors
Matches various users’ natural coloring.
The size is a circular cylinder tube that is
Fits perfectly in your hand. It makes
long and sleek
putting on mascara easier.
Hypoallergenic
Suitable for contact wearers and won’t
irritate eyes.