Ponds Soft and Smooth Face Wash - PowerPoint Presentation Example

Pond’s Soft and Smooth face wash Brief This write up comes as a marketing plan for the launch of Pond’s Soft and Smooth face wash. The task at hand was to come up with the marketing plan for the launch of a new product or service. I chose Pond’s as the company to launch the new product from based on a few reasons. Two of the main reasons were as follows: The company, popular in certain market segments for its beauty and cosmetic products, didn’t have any face washes in its portfolio. So the marketing plan is not only relevant, but current with the market as it is. The price range at which we are offering the product is in line with the means of the market. It also enables us to compare the offering with other products already in the market. This write includes facets such as description of the product, price points, competition, internal and external evaluations of strengths and weaknesses, launch timeline, strategy etc. Synopsis After thorough research and creative rallying, I’ve decided to launch the very first face wash brand in the Pond’s portfolio. Certain attributes of the product such as foam based composition, safe and mild formula, ergonomic packaging etc. perch it right up there with high quality face washes. However, the local manufacturing and packaging means the brand has a pricing advantage. Many facets of the marketing plan such as the pricing advantage are detailed below, including strategic analysis of competitors, internal and external strength, weaknesses along with opportunities and strengths etc. promotional plan, marketing mix, competitive advantage and launch strategy. PRODUCT DESCRIPTION AND ATTRIBUTES Pond’s ‘Soft and Smooth’ is a deep cleansing, exfoliating face wash which is not only gentle to sensitive skin, but very thorough in cleaning out dirt and oil from every pore on your face. Soft and Smooth guarantees to leave you feeling fresh and cheerful. Foam based The face wash is foam based, which means no more slimy residue on your face as opposed to conventional face washes, and a cleaner, softer and fresher wash. Unscented Soft and Smooth looks after those with allergies. Many customers complain of overly strong scents which lead to an allergy attack including teary eyes, sneezing and in some cases a runny nose. Easy pump Packaging The convenient easy pump packaging allows the user to simply push the top of the container and get your face wash instead of flipping a cap, pouring it out and capping the bottle again with soapy hands. Dermatologically sound This face wash is suitable for every skin type, excluding exceptions of course, because of its mild and high quality ingredients and composition . MARKET SEGMENTATION Soft and Smooth is targeted towards the middle class SEC B segment of the Karachi population. This includes school girls, professionals as well as homemakers aged between 14 and 40 year olds. PRODUCT LAUNCH TIMELINE ­­­­Soft and Smooth is set for a spring launch(towards the end of February), whereby there will be a soft launch in many popular malls followed by a full blown dominating presence as the main launch on shelves in supermarkets and departmental stores around summer(beginning of May). BRAND SWOT ANALYSIS, Strengths Attractive price point, ideal unitary SKU (200ml), more value for money (as other face washes of the same nature cost extra), local manufacturing Weaknesses Low brand awareness, hesitation of first time customers, big competitors, perception issues. Opportunity Capture the SEC B market with a low priced product packed and produced indigenously giving buyers a sense of patriotism of sorts. This segment doesn’t currently have foam based face washes, so this has a first mover’s advantage. Threats Buyer aversion towards locally produced skin care/ cosmetics. Perception of the brand being inferior to other products in the market because this offers so much more, for so much less! Internal factor evaluation: STRENGTHS Attractive price point Ideal Unitary SKU Value for Money Local manufacturing and packaging WEIGHT 0.20 0.10 0.10 0.15 RATE 4 4 4 4 SCORE 0.80 0.40 0.40 0.60 WEAKNESSES Low Brand awareness Hesitation of first time customers Big competitors Heavy activation costs Perception of inferior quality 0.15 0.10 0.05 0.05 0.10 1 1 2 2 2 0.15 0.10 0.10 0.10 0.20 TOTAL 1.0 2.85 The internal factors evaluation shows a judgmental score of 2.85 out of 4, which shows a fair bit of promise for the product launch. BRAND COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS Main competitors: 1. Clean & Clear Morning Burst Cleanser  2. Neutrogena Deep Clean Facial Cleanser 3. Olay Gentle Foaming Face Wash with Aloe Vera Soft and Smooth Neutrogena Clean and Clear CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS WEIGHT RATE SCORE RATE SCORE RATE SCORE MARKET SHARE 0.10 1 0.10 3.5 0.35 3 0.30 PRODUCT QUALITY 0.20 3 0.60 3.5 0.70 3.25 0.65 CUSTOMER LOYALTY 0.10 1 0.10 4 0.40 3 0.30 PRICE 0.20 4 0.80 2 0.40 3 0.60 ADVERTISING 0.10 1.5 0.15 2 0.20 1 0.10 VALUE ADDITION 0.15 3 0.45 2 0.30 2 0.30 GOODWILL 0.15 3 0.45 3 0.45 2 0.30 TOTAL 1.0 2.65 2.80 2.55 Competitive Profile Matrix POSITIONING WITH CURRENT COMPANY OFFERINGS, Smooth and Soft face wash will be the solitary face wash related product offering in the company’s portfolio of products. However, given ample time and growth, the company plans on expanding its line of face wash with more special purpose face washes instead of a one-for-all product. PROMOTION PLAN The promotion plan entails a first time customers’ discount of 30% if purchased in the soft launch activity zone. The product will be showcased at the basement of two prominent malls in the metropolis along with banners, decoration, flash mob, gift hampers and other awareness-creating activities. PRICING STRATEGY The competitors chosen offer the same benefits of our Smooth and Soft face wash, and lie more or less in the same price bracket (slightly on the higher side though). The comparison has been conducted against the same SKU, which is 200ml of packaged face wash. The Clean & Clear Morning Burst Cleanser costs consumers an average of $4-$5, the Neutrogena Deep Clean Facial Cleanser $6, and the Olay Gentle Foaming Face Wash with Aloe Vera $4. Our Soft and Smooth face wash will cost $3.25. LAUNCH STRATEGY The launch will take a multi-tier approach. Spring will usher in awareness activities as part of the ‘soft launch’, where a hired brand activation company would be responsible for showcasing the product in different shopping malls and busy shopping districts through exhibitions, kiosks, and various other endorsed awareness-creating activation methods. The actual grand launch will entail aggressive retailing with retailers being pushed to exhibit the product on the most visible shelves in their supermarkets/ departmental stores paired with television adverts which run a time check on a couple of prominent channels for a week. This is a high-expenditure, but analysts within the company expect considerable pay back through brand recognition, awareness and perception building. Read More