BETTER
TO EXPANDING
‘BENEFIT-ADVERTISING’ IS
BEAUTY CATEGORIES
KEY
WHEN WE NOTED two new lip- stains introduced by Revlon and Maybelline in the same magazine, we thought that theAdAudit would be
a good springboard for a discussion on how
very savvy marketing companies responded differently in introducing their
versions of CoverGirl’s Lip Stain, the big hit
product launched at the end of 2008—
recession, notwithstanding! These new products have entered the market nearly two
years after CG, much too long a wait (more
on that in a bit). First, a little background.
Significant benefit segmentation of an
existing product category is the No. 2 way
to achieve news-making, successful introductions. The No. 1 way is to create a new
category of business; i.e., Revlon Blush-on,
the primer category and eyelash enhancers.
The more news-making it is, the more that
new product/category needs quick competitive introductions, preferably with“twists,”
for the advertising and the education
process to aid in building a consumer base.
Suzanne Grayson
Grayson Associates
TheBrandAudit and TheAdAudit
are Grayson Associates’ proprietary testing techniques to determine the success potential of new product concepts and execution, and
print advertising—prior to approval. For both new and
existing products and advertising, the audits analyze
their strengths and weaknesses against key competition. TheBrandAudit “keys to success” are based upon
analysis of Product, Positioning, Consumer Appeal,
Competition and Marketing Potential. TheAdAudit
measures Headline, Visual Impact, Copy and Consumer Appeal. TheBrand & AdAudit appears bimonthly. Contact: suzanne@graysonassociates.com
All too often, we see that some companies, notably prestige, are embarrassed to
copy lower-price products, regardless of
their success. Often passed off as a fad or
just unimportant, they miss out on a huge
customer base of satisfied consumers, and
an opportunity to expand their own consumer franchise. And while they dithered,
Bare Escentuals used the No. 2 way to success—segmentation of an existing market—to build its staggering presence and
“create”the minerals market, and along the
way, expand the makeup user base. It was
followed, again too slowly, by a slew of
mass companies—closing the opportunity-door to traditional prestige distribution.
Love ‘Em or Hate ‘Em
But what happens when a large segment of
the population doesn’t really like the product, and one’s own product people and research say that it’s“too dry, too strong, or
too anything?” When products fall into the
love/hate category that should ring the
“great opportunity” gong in your head. A
prime and eternal example is Estée
Lauder’s Youth Dew, which built an empire
with enough people who simply loved it!
Maybe that’s the reason that fragrance sales
are down, fragrances are created via research numbers and not by passionate
“noses.” Remember, both hate and love are
wildly spread by the web. When Revlon introduced ColorStay lipstick in the 1990s it
was hated by many marketing professionals. Despite its success, most every company that tested it discovered that testers
didn’t like it. And you know how ColorStay
re-built that company. The consumers who
loved the wear found ways to offset the
dryness, usually a gloss topcoat. Then, savvy
followers created dual-type packaging to
counter the dryness. All this in the face of
the many who said that mass consumers
will never go for a two-step product. The
message here is throw out conventional/
traditional wisdom; really new benefits
drive consumers—and they are the ones
who build sustainable businesses.
So now we have Revlon Just Bitten Lipstain + Balm ($8.99) and Maybelline Col-orsensational Lipstain ($6.99) versus
CoverGirl Lipstain ($7. 99-8. 99), the product that (No. 2 above) successfully segmented the lip color category with a new
look, and long wear story, supported by a
new delivery system. Without competition,
it has enjoyed its“hit” status, even though
dryness is an issue. Here, glosses also came
to the rescue. Now, as other“majors”finally
enter the market, it behooves them to advance the benefits and expand the category
that is still small—one company does not a
category make. So here come the herds.
But, only Revlon’s product includes a lip
balm in the basic container, and thereby
adds product satisfaction in use, high value,
convenience and a 2-in-1 price! So here’s a
rule to remember: When you are not No. 1
in introduction, include a real competitive,
dissonance-making benefit. And, if the introductory product has some potential
“hate-factors,”fix it when you first enter the
market; increase the benefit factor.
TheAdAudit scores tell most of the
story, but there are some significant plusses
and minuses for discussion. The headline’s
job is to target/excite the audience, and in
the case of a still very new product category,
build/educate the market to its unique benefits. Just stating the name of the product
does not make for great or motivating
headlines! When you are first, intrigue, excite, involve target (need/look) with emotion, and make sure that it’s readable! If you
are a follower, add competitive advantage/
benefit. If you don’t have one or more, (
per-ceivable/promotable), start over.
Although its total score ( 92.03) is excellent, Revlon’s “New Revlon Just Bitten Lipstain + Balm” Headline is the weakest
segment of its audit, especially since its
competitive-advantage balm is barely readable. For Maybelline, it’s just“the name is
