Tresemmé dry shampoo: SWOT analysis and market positioning strategy

Tresemme

SWOT analysis

Tresemme has a number of strengths from which it can build its marketing strategy. The first is that the brand is a family brand, covering a wide range of hair care products (Neff, 2010). What this means is that marketing for any product with this brand will spill over to the dry shampoo product in terms of brand recognition and brand strength. This spillover is most likely why the Tresemme brand is used for the dry shampoo rather than giving that product its own brand. Another strength is that the brand is growing in popularity and market share, having gained in market share for the hair care market altogether (Neff, 2010). The brand had support of $56 million in 2009 (Neff, 2010), and likely has more under Unilever's ownership. The Tresemme brand has good positioning, too, with its "professional affordable" positioning resonating well with its target audience (Neff, 2010).

A strength of the Tresemme dry shampoo product in particular is that it receives its own advertising push from the company, focusing on triggers such as "never hide your hair again" to which the audience relates (Wong, 2010). There is also significant distribution globally for the dry shampoo, presumably leveraging Unilever's distribution capabilities. A Google search for Tresemme dry shampoo reveals hits from countries like India and South Africa where the product is sold. The product's launch has been considered successful (Neff, 2010).

There are some weaknesses that must be overcome in order to effectively market this product. Probably the biggest weakness is the product itself. In general, independent consumer reviews of Tresemme Dry Shampoo have not been favorable, for example on Amazon.com (2013). This reputation appears to contradict prevailing public opinion about Tresemme products in general, but nevertheless consumers who research the product online are likely to be turned off by the negative reviews. Another possible weakness is customer understanding of the product. Dry shampoo is a niche product and while there might be broad awareness of the brand, there is no guarantee that such awareness would extend specifically to the dry shampoo product.

There are significant opportunities, however, if the product can be successfully marketed. Tresemme has been gaining market share on its competitors in general (Neff, 2010) and as Unilever takes the brand mainstream the dry shampoo product can ride those gains. In addition, dry shampoo itself is a growth market. It was worth $46.8 million in the U.S. In 2010, and multiple product launches hint at the increasing importance of this product category (Wong, 2010). Certainly, if the category and brand are both growing, that at least implies strong growth opportunities for Tresemme Fresh Start. Neff (2010) also notes that this industry tends to "anoint" a new leading brand every decade or so, and is now overdue with Pantene entering its third decade of dominance. If Tresemme can become a treat to Pantene in general, the dry shampoo brand would clearly gain benefit from that exposure.

There are threats, however, most notably from competition. With 40 new product launches in the past several years, there are many competitors on the market (Neff, 2010). A visitor to the product's page on Amazon (2013) will see several competing brands, offering an alternative to the poorly-reviewed Tresemme. The other major threat comes from substitutes, which in this case consists of conventional shampoos. Dry shampoo is a niche product, so must always battle the threat of the dominant product in the hair care business, especially since Tresemme also has conventional shampoo.

2.4 Competition

Dry shampoo is a niche product, originally brought to market in the 1960s with a product called Psssst! (Coleman, 2011). Today, Neff (2010) notes that the category has seen over 40 introductions in the past decade. A scan of the category on Amazon reveals several competitors, including known brands in the industry like Dove, Suave, Aveno and Batiste, as well as the original Psssst!. Tresemme Fresh Start is, however, the number one brand in dry shampoo (Communispace, 2013). There are roughly three types of competitors for Tresemme. Direct competitors are those in the dry shampoo space that has similar positioning or price points. Indirect competitors are dry shampoos with dissimilar position or price point, and close substitutes like conventional shampoo with similar positioning.

One way to determine who the most direct competitors are is to check the product page at Amazon. We have established criteria for what a competitor looks like -- similar pricing and positioning -- and if consumers who are looking at Tresemme are also viewing the pages for similar products, that similar product is a competitor we have to beat for that sale. Based on this, Batiste, Suave Keratin, Dove, and Got2b are all competitors. The Suave and Dove products are priced lower, as is Batiste. Got2b is priced higher, as are other competitors like Aveno. The price positioning for Tresemme fits in with its "affordable professional" general brand positioning. Among dry shampoos, Tresemme is priced to convey a professional quality rather than a drug store quality, but yet remains priced between the high end and the mainstream end of the market.

2.3.2 Positioning

The positioning of Tresemme Fresh Start is "professional affordable" (Neff, 2010). This positioning has been established for this product for over a decade. This positioning combines the attribute of "professional," which implies a product superior in quality to the mainstream brands (Dove, VO5, Suave) in the dry shampoo space. Putting forth the impression of superior quality is important to developing the market for this product, as the segment's growth is tied to the development of a 'hipper' image for dry shampoo in general (Wong, 2010). "Affordable" reflects that the product is only priced a few dollars more per container than the mainstream brands, and a few dollars less than the premium dry shampoo brands. By staking this middle ground, Tresemme Fresh Start seeks to appeal to young women in particular, as they value fashionableness but do not necessarily have the disposable income to buy high-end hair care products.

Works Cited:

Amazon.com (2013). Tresemme Fresh Start Waterless Dry Shampoo. Amazon.com. Retrieved April 12, 2013 from http://www.amazon.com/TRESemme-Fresh-Start-Shampoo-Dry/dp/B0037LKIAG

Wong, E. (2010). Dry idea: Alberto Culver pitches waterless shampoo. AdWeek. Retrieved April 12, 2013 from http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/dry-idea-alberto-culver-pitches-waterless-shampoo-107222

Neff, J. (2010). Why tiny Tresemme is rising to top of hair care heap. Advertising Age. Retrieved April 12, 2013 from http://adage.com/article/news/marketing-tiny-tresemme-rising-top-hair-care-heap/145573/