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.