Ch.4 The Marketing Environment

                Just like any other company, Maybelline must carefully assess and study the external environment in order to create a strategic and successful marketing mix (Product, Place, Promotion, and Price). There are many factors of the external environment, factors that are always changing with the times, and to which companies must quickly adapt. These factors include values, trends, social media, demographics, and the economy, among other factors. It is important to know your target market, and what it is that they like, want, need, and the things they do in their everyday lives. Although Maybelline makes products for older women, their target market includes young women between the ages of 16-25. When targeting people of this age group in today’s society, social media is vital. Maybelline has recognized the need to be active on social media and has done a great job at targeting its consumers through social media outlets. Maybelline has nearly 4 Million Likes on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/maybelline), over 100,000 followers on twitter (https://twitter.com/Maybelline). Maybelline’s success on social media is greatly due to their extensive interaction with consumers. Maybelline posts to their social networks daily, with many posts that ask for opinions on different topics, offer sweepstakes, introduce new products, and make announcements. For example, today, one of their posts asked both Twitter and Facebook users to respond to a true or false statement: “I feel naked without mascara on”. The post received positive feedback with about 7,000 likes, over 1,000 comments, and 52 shares on Facebook alone.

           Another very important factor of the external marketing environment is the understanding of demographics. In knowing one’s target market, a company must be mindful of who exactly lies within that target market. Maybelline’s target market (young women between the ages of 16-25), includes women of all backgrounds: African American, White, Hispanic, and Asian. Therefore Maybelline must make products for each of these groups, use appropriate marketing techniques, and be aware of each of their wants and needs. If Maybelline FIT ME only had foundation shades for light-skinned women, they would be losing a large portion of their target market. One way in which they market to all of these ethnic groups is by including women of all backgrounds, and all shades in their advertisements. The race of the models companies use in advertisements may seem like a miniscule detail. However, consumers take notice in this detail. When consumers see diversity in a company’s advertisements, they are less likely to “identify” signs of discrimination, and more likely to feel as if they are being appropriately represented, and feel important to the company.

            Products and their respective advertisements such as the following may make consumers feel as though Maybelline has something to offer for all women:  

 

 

 

Maybe She's Born With It. Maybe Its Maybelline!

Ch. 3 Ethics and Social Responsibility

There are many challenges that come along with any business. Ethics and social responsibility is one of these challenges that can determine the success of a business, and the image that it portrays to the public. To be ethical and socially responsible, a company must find ways to demonstrate and comply with the pyramid of corporate social responsibility. The pyramid includes philanthropic, ethical, legal, and economic responsibilities. Maybelline has certainly met the economic responsibility by being one of the top cosmetic brands and achieving great profits throughout its history. Maybelline has also made efforts to be ethically responsible. One of these attempts includes not testing their products on animals. Prior to 1989, Maybelline used animal testing to ensure the safety of their products. Technological advancements allowed Maybelline to start testing their products on reconstructed skin models and computer modeling.       (http://www.maybelline.com/Beauty-Advisor.aspx ).  Maybelline has also made various efforts to give back to its consumers and the community. Maybelline teamed up with PEOPLE and Essence magazines, in search of ten women who have made a difference in their communities through education. The ten honorees were granted $10,000 each to give to their chosen educational program or institution. They were also featured in PEOPLE and Essence magazines along with a picture and their story. ( http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/maybelline-new-york-honors-women-who-empower-through-education-58580687.html ).

Like many other companies, Maybelline has seen itself in trouble over ethical issues.  In 2011, the Advertising Standards Authority in Great Britain banned a Maybelline advertisement for using “post-production techniques” to enhance the model’s appearance, and exaggerate the effects of the product. 

(http://www.tomandlorenzo.com/2011/07/lancome-and-maybelline-ads-banned.html ).  A year ago, three women filed a lawsuit against Maybelline for false advertisement. Maybelline claimed in advertisements that the lipsticks in question, could last up to 10 to 14 hours and that the lipsticks “stayed vibrant and shiny, yet transparent, and won’t fade”. The women who sued Maybelline, claimed that this was false advertisement, and the products did not live up their expectations.                ( http://www.insidecounsel.com/2012/09/24/maybellines-long-lasting-lipstick-under-scrutiny ).

Here is the advertisement that was banned by the Advertising Standards Authority: 

Ch. 2 Strategic Planning for Competitive Advantage

In order for any business or brand to thrive, it must have a competitive advantage over its competition. A competitive advantage is a set of characteristics a company possesses which give them an advantage in their prospective or current markets. Maybelline has certain competitive advantages that persuade customers to purchase their products over those of competing cosmetic brands.

         One of these advantages is the cost advantage, which gives some companies a lead over others by better pricing strategies. Maybelline’s products are inexpensive and affordable for the everyday consumer. Maybelline’s products are used by makeup professionals worldwide for models and celebrities in magazines, music videos, ad campaigns, and especially fashion shows. Maybelline is also known for being the official sponsor of New York Fashion Week. Their worldwide popularity with other well known companies, celebrities, and media sources would make anyone assume that Maybelline products would be expensive, but Maybelline is actually super affordable. Personally, I don’t like to spend a fortune on cosmetics, when I really don’t need much makeup anyway. That is why I choose to buy from Maybelline rather than its competitors; there is a wide selection of products for me to choose from at very reasonable prices. FIT ME is very affordable compared to similar products from other companies. For example, FIT ME’s Foundation costs $7.99. Revlon’s PhotoReady Foundation costs $11.19, Sephora’s MakeUp Forever Foundation costs $42, and MAC’s Studio Fix Foundation costs $27. Although all of these brands have competitive advantages of their own which allow them to sell their products for high prices, Maybelline FIT ME provides excellent quality, a variety of shades from Porcelain to Mocha, and a natural-looking matte finish that some foundations still seek to accomplish.

         Maybelline also has a Product Differentiation Competitive Advantage. As a Maybelline consumer, I find it very helpful how Maybelline products are displayed through the use of various graphics, guides, and point of purchase displays. For example, as I was browsing through the beauty aisle of Rite Aid today, I noticed that above all the different types of mascara, there was a guide, which showed a line up of images of what each type of mascara has to offer. It clearly displayed which mascara gave lashes the most volume, the one with the most length, as well as which ones look more minimal than the others. Customers are most likely to buy a product that they know the benefits of through images, rather than buying a product that they have to take a guess on. Maybelline also has a Product Differentiation Competitive Advantage due to the great quality of their products. Convenient pricing alone cannot convince customers to purchase your product. Value and quality are very important factors to the sale of a product as well. Maybelline has a great consistency in the quality of their products. Having a good reputation in the perception of your target market brings new customers, and keeps loyal customers buying your products. As a new collection or makeup line, FIT ME relies on these loyal customers to try their new products. Without a reputation for being consistent in the quality of its products, Maybelline would have more trouble selling new products such as the FIT ME makeup line.

Maybe She's Born With It. Maybe It's Maybelline!

Ch. 1 Brief History and Mission Statement

Maybelline which is now a billion-dollar cosmetic brand, started out as a small family-owned business nearly a century ago in Chicago. A chemist named Thomas Williams wanted to create a product for his sister Maybel, who had the desire of attracting a man. Thomas added carbon dust to petroleum jelly which resulted in a lash and brow enhancing product. The first product released by Maybelline in 1915 was the Cake Mascara, which was, according to Maybelline, the first modern eye cosmetic for everyday use. Maybelline was also the first cosmetic company to advertise on the radio. Today, their products are used worldwide both on the runway and off, by women all over the world.

Maybelline New York has yet again released another cosmetic line, called Fit Me, which offers a natural looking and fresh alternative to most blemish-concealing and "skin-perfecting" products. Fit Me features foundation, concealer, pressed powder, bronzer, and blush, all in a large selection of shades from light to dark to match anyone's skin tone flawlessly. Fit me is not meant to change or cover your natural skin; instead it is meant to enhance the beauty you have and to give your skin a natural and fresh glow. As the Maybelline slogan says, Maybe She's Born With It. Maybe It's Maybelline!