Ponds moisturizer marketing plan and target consumer segments

¶ … Ponds Moisturizer: Marketing plan

What product or service category would you prefer? Why?

The product category I have selected for my marketing plan is Ponds. Ponds is a well-known brand of cold cream and other beauty products. It has strong brand recognition and a longstanding history as a brand. I selected this product because of the trusted reputation of the brand and its relatively reasonable price. Given the uncertainty of the current economy, many consumers are apt to cut back on purchases of high-end cosmetics. However, they are unlikely to eschew buying facial moisturizers entirely, given the emphasis on youth and beauty within American culture. Ponds moisturizes constitute an 'affordable luxury' for most consumers: they are not the cheapest brand of drugstore moisturizes, but nor are they so prohibitively costly a consumer would feel guilty buying them, even if on a budget.

Q2.Describe two segments that are highly involved with this product or service.

Ponds users could best be classified into two segments. The first are 'traditionalists,' or people who have always used Ponds and whose mothers always used Ponds. They like the stability and consistency conveyed by the image of the product. Given their loyal nature as users, they are likely to be satisfied by the way the product looks, smells, and feels. They are highly resistant to change. They are unlikely to switch brands, but also would not be happy with radical alterations in the appearance of either the bottle or the product itself. They are price-sensitive, given their failure to purchase department store brands for many years.

The second are 'all natural' consumers, who want a product with minimal ingredients. Ponds has something of a 'natural' cache because it has been around for so long, and emphasizes its effectiveness as a product, rather than fancy 'add-ins' that interfere with the simplicity of its image. These consumers are more apt to be swayed by competitors with products that advertise all-natural ingredients, although they like Ponds' simplicity, and also its price, compared with more expensive all-natural brands. They are, however, less price-sensitive than their 'traditionalist' counterparts.

Q3. What 3 competing brands do you think currently fulfills these needs best?

Cetaphil moisturizing lotion

This product is another drugstore-brand moisturizer which is well-known for its cheapness; all-natural image; and its long history as a brand (a name recommended to mothers by grandmothers to children and by mothers). (Top 8 moisturizers by Consumer Reports, 2012, QVC).

Aveeno Active Naturals Daily Moisturizing Lotion

Aveeno is a drugstore brand with a relatively low price point that stresses its lack of chemicals and all-natural image (Top 8 moisturizers by Consumer Reports, 2012, QVC).

Gold Bond Ultimate Healing Skin Therapy Lotion (with aloe)

Gold Bond has a less 'feminine' image than Ponds, and is used by both women and men for its highly moisturizing properties. It is advertised as being particularly good for raw, chapped skin injured by the elements and is also positioned at a relatively low price point.

Q4. Create a means-end chain for the brand

Concrete attributes

Ponds moisturizer is a white, mild-smelling lotion that is easily absorbed by the skin and comes in a small, round bottle that can be conveniently stored in a medicine chest.

Abstract attributes

Putting Ponds moisturizer on the face makes a consumer feel good about herself. It makes her feel as if she is fighting the negative effects of aging.

Functional benefits

Using Ponds reduces the appearance of fine lines, makes the skin feel softer and less irritated by the elements, and can also make the removal of makeup easier.

Psycho-social implication

Using Ponds makes a consumer feel more attractive, feminine, and conveys an overall sense of well-being. It makes the consumer feel as if she is making herself beautiful without spending a great deal of money. It also enables the consumer to remove her makeup, which is supposed to be 'good for the skin.

Instrumental values

Using Ponds immediately gives the consumer a sense of well-being, makes the skin appear softer momentarily, and also cleans the face.

Instrumental values

Cetaphil reduces fine lines and relieves chapped skin for people with aging or dry skin. It does so at minimal cost and with few added fragrances or other irritants.

Terminal values

Improved skin tone.

Aveeno

Concrete attributes

Aveeno moisturizer is a moisturizer which has no artificial ingredients and is designed to improve the appearance and feeling of dry skin.

Abstract attributes

Aveeno markets itself as an 'all natural' product. Consumers who buy Aveeno feel good because they are purchasing an 'all natural' brand at a drugstore price, versus more expensive organic moisturizers.

Functional benefits

Relieving dry, chapped, and aging skin at minimal cost.

Psycho-social implication

A sense of not relying upon industrialized chemicals for beauty and a sense of being an 'all natural' beauty.

Instrumental values

Improved skin tone and appearance in the short-term, relief from chapped and dry skin.

Terminal values

Overall improved health of skin.

Q3. 2 Market facts that influence product form (positive or negative) - implications

There has been an increased interest in 'all natural' products and organic beauty products. While Ponds is a relatively minimalist product, the fact it is not marketed with specifically trendy ingredients like essential oils or organic ingredients could prove problematic (Biggest beauty trends of 2013, 2013, MSN).

Lower-end beauty consumers are more concerned about the 'healthy' nature of their beauty products, which could prove to be a plus for Ponds (Biggest beauty trends of 2013, 2013, MSN).

Reference

Biggest beauty trends of 2013. (2013). MSN. Retrieved:

http://living.msn.com/style-beauty/makeup-skin-care-hair-tips/biggest-beauty-trends-of-2013-plus-five-trends-that-we-hope-go-away-in-2013#12

Top 8 moisturizers by Consumer Reports. (2012). QVC. Retrieved:

http://community.qvc.com/forums/Beauty-Banter/topic/223354/top-8-moisturizers-by-consumer-reports.aspx