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!