Secret of Vaseline Intensive Rescue Moisture Locking Creams Popularity in the UK - Research Paper Example

TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 3 Macro-environmental Factors 3 Political 3 Economical 4 Social 4 Technological 4 Micro-environmental Factors 4 Resources 4 Competencies 5 Key Competition 5 CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR THEORY 7 Values, Attitudes and Behaviours of Consumers in this Group 7 Theoretical Implications 8 Decision Making and Information Processing 9 Decision Process Stage 10 Information Input 10 Information Processing 11 Variable Influence the Decision Process 11 Consumer Segmentation 13 MARKET RESEARCH 14 Key Market Research Objectives 14 Ethical Considerations 14 Critical Analysis of Secondary Data 15 Primary Market Research 15 Survey 15 Cost of Primary Market Research 16 CONCLUSION 17 BIBLIOGRAPHY 18 Appendix 19 INTRODUCTION The product that has been selected for the analysis is the Vaseline Intensive Rescue Moisture Locking Cream which has been introduced to relive and soothe the dry skin. The cream can be applied over the entire body especially on dry patches. The product is clinically proven and very popular among the women in UK. The manufacturer of this product is Vaseline® which has been acquired by Unilever in 1987 and today its products are available in more than 60 countries of the world (Vaseline). In this report, the consumer behaviour analysis has been done by studying the behaviour of women in UK towards Vaseline Intensive Rescue Moisture Locking Cream. Before applying the theoretical models and concepts of consumer behaviour, the environmental analysis has been done. The macro-environmental factors have been studied to highlight the impact of political, economical, social and technological trends on the product. In the micro-environmental analysis, the resources, market channels, competencies and competition have been discussed. In the next section, the concepts of consumer behaviour have been used to study the behaviour of the consumers towards the selected product. Finally market research has been done to study the demand of product in the market. Macro-environmental Factors Political Government of UK significant influences the operations of skincare product manufacturers. Mintel (2009) report shows that regulations of UK government restrict the manufacturers of skincare products to advertise their products to children and they are asked to use other techniques to reach their target market. Since, today children are more exposed to online and viral marketing; therefore, following government legislation has become difficult for companies. Economical Among the girls of age group between 11 and 19, 9.9 percent had dry skin in 2006, 9.3 percent had dry skin in 2007 and 10.6 percent had dry skin in 2008 (Mintel, 2009), which means that dry skin population is growing in the UK. Social Youth population in UK is open to new ideas and ready to try new products (Mintel, 2009) Knowledge and awareness of women on skincare products is increasing because of increasing online forums and social networking websites Technological The increasing influence of digital media on consumers and increasing importance of social networking sites show the importance of technology and its influence for the skincare product manufacturers Companies are highly focusing on online forums on their websites to enrich the customers with the knowledge on their products (Mintel, 2009) Technological developments in skincare products is increasing such as skin surgeries, cosmetic surgeries etc. Micro-environmental Factors Resources The major resources of the company that makes its product competitive in the market include the strong market positioning of Vaseline®, the fast absorbing cream formula that has been invented through a huge research and development and presence of Vaseline® in the market for more than a century. Competencies The company offers a huge product range of daily skin care products. The company does not claim to offer quick fixes through its products rather it claims that using the skin care products like Vaseline Locking Cream on regular basis can ensure a healthy activity in the daily routine. In this way, claiming what it actually offers has helped the Vaseline Intensive Rescue Moisture Locking Cream to establish a strong demand in the UK market. Worldwide presence of the products of Vaseline® and their recognition as the market-leading products is another competency of the company. In other words, the company has been able to establish a strong presence in the world’s skin care industry. The strong brand name and image which the company has developed in the international market is another resource for the company. Moreover, the expansion of the company to various world economies reflects the strong financial health of the company. Key Competition The Appendix II shows that significant number of launches has been made by companies in the body care products in the year 2006-2008 in UK. The report of Mintel (March 2009) shows that in the product positioning of 2008, in the category of Moisturising creams 71 percent increase in products has been seen in 2008. The report shows how much competition Vaseline intensive rescue locking cream is facing in the UK market. The major competing products with Vaseline intensive research locking cream in the UK market include Johnson’s Dreamy Skin Body Cream, The Body Shop Raspberry Body Butter and Tesco Finest Ginger, Vanilla & Pink Pepper Body Lotion. These brands usually compete with Vaseline intensive rescue locking cream by offering multi-functionality in their products whereas, Vaseline only offers a moisturising action for the dry skin. CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR THEORY Values, Attitudes and Behaviours of Consumers in this Group Women are always conscious about their beauty and skin. One of the evidences is the availability of a range of body and skin care products in the market. Consumer behaviour is everything which the consumer show when they interact with their environment like thought, feeling, motivation and action (University of Pretoria). Therefore, in the case of women the values, which insist the women to look for such products, the attitude towards the specific brand or product and overall thought, feeling or action is the behaviour of the women. Women value skin care and because of increasing branded and high quality products in the market, their attitudes towards such products are changing. Therefore, because of the changing women behaviour and their attitudes towards such products companies are launching more and more such products. The VLS Framework has been used to describe the behaviours of the consumers in this group and their preferences for purchasing the Vaseline intensive locking cream. Figure: Standardised Method of Classifying Consumers by Value Sets Source: UK Sagepub In the UK female consumer market of age group between 18 and 34, there are women which are motivated by ‘Achievement’. These are the women who consider the behaviour of the members of their reference group to either accept or reject the product. For example, in a group of friends, if three of the girls have dry skin and one gets favourable results after using Vaseline intensive cream, the other can get motivated. The second group of females is the one which are motivated by ideals such as they set a quality criterion. For example, the existing customers of Vaseline if considers it as a quality brand would prefer using Vaseline intensive reaction locking cream. The third group of females is those which make purchasing decisions because of self-expression and they usually make choices based on their emotional level and personal challenge. For example, to look good in winters, a woman may prefer to try a new product to get experience. Theoretical Implications The attitudes, values and behaviours of consumers towards the product have been studied in consideration to the theory of Fishbein and Ajzen. The attitudes of consumers using Vaseline locking cream are dynamic because their attitudes are learned and affected by experience and education. For example, through educating how Vaseline locking cream formula can moisturise the dry skin, company has been able to attract consumers in UK. When the attitude of consumers is influenced through increasing their knowledge on the product, their behaviours towards the product also change. The theory also suggests that link between attitude and behaviour is multitier. The women’s behaviour to buy Vaseline locking cream can be predicted from their intentions. The intentions of these women can be predicted from their attitude toward the behaviour and from their perceptions of what other people think they should do. For example, if women perceive that most of the other people think that dry skin women should use the locking cream of Vaseline, then such perceptions can predict the intentions of these women. Attitude of women is a function of how they perceive the outcome of the action will be received by others such as if a college girl plans to buy a moisturising cream, she may think the impact of this cream on other college girls and her attitude will be influenced by the other users. Figure: Fishbein-Ajzen Theory of Reasoned Action Source: UK Sagepub Decision Making and Information Processing The EKB Model of consumer behaviour has been selected to study the consumers’ behaviour in this group. Decision Process Stage The companies rely on decision process stage of the consumers to understand the behaviour of their consumers and to influence their decisions. The following tables show the stages which a woman can come across when she buys a skin care cream. Problem Recognition The arrival of winters is further contributing to the dryness of skin Search The woman looks for the different kinds of creams available in the UK market Evaluation of Alternative Evaluates the creams based on different variables such as brand name, ingredients, experiences of others, prices etc. Purchase The woman selects the best choice after evaluation Outcome If the purchasing decision is right, the woman will get a positive outcome Information Input In order to search and evaluate the alternatives, information input stage is very crucial. The information is usually provided by the company such as the website of the company offers information to the people with dry skin. In addition, consumers can also explore other sources to access information. Vaseline intensive rescue locking cream provides detailed information and guidance to its customers both through its websites and other promotional media. Most of the consumers look into the websites when it comes to purchase a skin care product. The following diagram is the webpage available on the website of the company and it shows how the moisturising formula of the cream can help to reduce dryness. The webpage has a graph on which the customer can go and place the point based on the nature of dry skin and how frequently she feels that her skin gets dry. Therefore, by educating the people and by offering them a more personalised way to treat their skin, the Vaseline intensive rescue locking cream has penetrated into the UK market. Source: Vaseline Website Information Processing For how long the women are exposed to the ads of Vaseline intensive rescue cream, to what extent they got attracted by the ads of the company, what they perceive after watching the ads and information on product, to what extent they rely on the brand etc are the major factors (only during the information processing) that influence the purchasing behaviour of women. Variable Influence the Decision Process Various other variables can also influence the decision process of women towards Vaseline intensive rescue cream. Such as the Individual characteristics like motivation, personal values, personality and lifestyle of women. For example, a working woman who is exposed to the dry weather conditions daily will be more likely to purchase this cream as compared to a house lady. The social influences such as cultural reference group and family can also influence the decision process of women such as a celebrity with dry skin using Vaseline cream can directly motivate women to buy this product. Moreover, situation influence such as consumer financial condition, shelf positioning etc can also impact the decision process of women. Black Box Model of Consumer Behaviour The black box model of Kotler has been selected to study the consumer behaviour of this group. Actually this model shows the impact of different external stimuli on the women’s mind (black box). The marketing mix of Vaseline intensive rescue locking cream has a strong influence on the women in UK. The feature of the product, ‘moisturiser for the dry skin’, is the major appealing factor for the dry skin women. Although the price of the product may not be as influential as other stimuli when it comes to branded skin care products, however, price does have great importance because it needs to match the worth of the product. The availability of Vaseline cream thorough the UK is another factor which can insist the women to opt for this product. The promotion of the product such as through ads, word-of-mouth, and celebrity endorsement may also influence the attitude of the women towards the product. Moreover, the demographics like changing social patterns; environmental conditions etc also influence the black box of women. The internal influences such as knowledge of the women on Vaseline cream, early experiences of women with other products of Vaseline etc and the experience of women at each step of decision-making process are involved in transformation of women’s black box and may result in the purchase of the product. Figure: Black Box of Consumers Consumer Segmentation Vaseline intensive rescue locking cream is targeting the female market which falls in the age group of 18-34 years. However, for the segmentation of consumers for the chosen consumer market demographics segmentation strategy can be chosen. The demographic segmentation segments the consumer groups based on demographic variables such as education, age, gender, income, occupation etc (Kurtz, MacKenzie and Snow, 2009, pp.126). The three main variables will include the gender, age and nature of skin of the target market. The targeted gender is female group, the age group is 18-34 years and the nature of skin of the targeted segment is dry skin. The target market is significantly large and profitable segment. According to Mintel (March 2009) report, the women between the age 25 and 34 are the primary users of the body care products because they are more conscious about their appearance and their population is expected to grow by 10.9 percent from 2008-2013. In order to understand what should be the key strategies of the companies to target this customer group and how the customers in this group behave, the market research has been done in the following section. MARKET RESEARCH Key Market Research Objectives Vaseline® has positioned Vaseline intensive rescue locking cream as “Dry Skin Can Fight Back”. The company has launched the product based on its functional performance. However, since the lifestyle of the women in UK is changing therefore, the consumer purchasing behavior is also changing. In consideration to the changing consumer behavior, after analysing the consumer behaviour of women in the UK market towards the selected product, the need of primary research has been felt. Following are the key market research objectives: To determine the actual consumer behaviour of the target market of Vaseline intensive rescue locking cream To determine the factors which influence the consumer purchasing behaviour of this group To determine the impact of changing external influences, such as increasing access of consumers to information, on consumer purchasing behaviour of this group To determine the strategies which company can adopt to increase the penetration of the cream in UK market Ethical Considerations Some ethical concerns that have been raised while conducting this market research are as follows: The sample size for this market research is too small to represent the female market of 18-34 age group, therefore, this market research findings do not find implications at large scale The information taken from the participants is only for academic use and not for the personal use of the company and it has been conveyed to participants to avoid any ethical concern The socially acceptable and self-interest based answers of the participants in this research study could raise concerns for the company which was not fair with the company but it has been already declared that this report is solely for academic purpose Critical Analysis of Secondary Data The trends in sales of moisturisers show that sales of moisturisers have declined in 2008 as compared to sales in 2006 (Appendix III). The sales trend show that unlike moisturisers, sales of anti-cellulites, tanning moisturisers, hand care products and foot care products are increasing. It actually shows the changing behaviour of the women towards the body care products. With the increasing awareness among the women towards body care products in terms of their performance as anti-aging creams and tanning moisturisers, the sales trends have changed. Actually demand of moisturisers is increasing more if they offer the attributed like firming, light tanning and anti-ageing etc. Primary Market Research Survey Personal Information: The first technique that has been used to conduct primary research is survey. A questionnaire (Appendix I) has been developed which was distributed among 50 women belonging to different fields of life. The demographics of the participants show that all 50 women fall in the age groups of 18-28 years and 29-38 years. Since Vaseline intensive locking cream targets the female of 18-34 therefore, women of this age group were selected for the survey. Out of 50 women, 34 were students, 8 were working women and 8 were housewives or non-working. Total 19 women had normal skin, 17 dry skin, 11 combination skin and 3 sensitive skin. All of the participants use moisturizing cream once or twice a day. Product Purchasing: When asked how they come to know about skin care products it was found that 76 percent of the women go online to search for the skin care products, 22 percent rely on recommendation of skin specialist or beautician, 10 percent purchase products through printed ads and 64 percent are influenced by TV commercials. 24 percent of women responded that brand name is the most important factor when it comes to buy skin care products. Moreover, 28 considered perceived quality, 34 considered ingredients and 7 considered word-of-mouth as most important factors whereas, none of the participant considered price as important. All of the participants consider price as the least important factor when it comes to buy skin care products. 86 percent of participants consider multi-functionality of moisturizers as the major reason of buying a moisturizer, whereas, remaining 14 percent selected other options. When asked the extent to which information search influence the purchasing decision, 92 percent of the participants strongly agreed and 8 percent agreed. When asked to what extent the participants consider that it is the responsibility of the company to educate consumers in purchasing, 38 percent strongly agreed, 30 percent agreed, 24 percent disagreed and 8 percent strongly disagreed. Finally, the participants were asked about the time duration for which they wait for the outcome of the product and 86 percent responded ‘immediately’ and 14 percent said ‘within a week’. Cost of Primary Market Research The primary research has been conducted at very small scale and very small costs have been incurred in conducting this research. For example, in the conduct of survey, the only cost involved was the internet connection cost as the survey was distributed via email to the selected participants. Therefore, the cost of market research is negligible. Findings Consumers are looking for moisturisers which could provide multi-functionality rather than one solution to a skin problem In the case of skin care products, customers are more conscious about the quality and brand name rather than price Information search and learning through experience play a very significant role in influencing the decision making process of consumers Therefore, based on the findings of the research, it is recommended to the company that quality and functional performance are the most important factors for the customers, therefore, to increase the penetration of product in UK market, making the women aware of the ingredients, quality and action of product is very important. CONCLUSION Based on the above analysis, it can be concluded that Vaseline intensive rescue locking cream is a popular cream among the women in the UK. The analysis shows that the product has got popularity over the other products because the product has been promoted based on its functional performance. Company has given sufficient knowledge on how the moisturising formula can control the skin dryness. After analysing the women behaviour process, the market research on the product shows that for such kinds of progress in-depth information, awareness, features of products and quality are important factors. Therefore, based on the research it has been recommended to the company that it should continue its current strategy to influence the purchasing decisions of the consumers. BIBLIOGRAPHY Kurtz, L. D., MacKenzie, F. H., and Snow, K., 2009. Contemporary Marketing. 2nd Edition. Cengage Learning. pp.126 UK Sagepub. Consumer Behaviour Theory. [Online] Available at: http://www.uk.sagepub.com/upm-data/17521_Chapter_5.pdf [Accessed on 27 December 2010] University of Pretoria. Consumer Behaviour Theory. [Online] Available at: http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/submitted/etd-10312005-164120/unrestricted/02chapter2.pdf [Accessed on 27 December 2010] Vaseline, n.d. History of Vaseline. [Online] Available at: http://www.vaseline.co.uk/Carousel.aspx?Path=Consumer/AboutUs/History#stage4 [Accessed on 26 December 2010] References for mintel? Appendix Appendix I - Questionnaire 1. Age 18-28 ( ) 29-38 ( ) 39-48 ( ) 49 and above ( ) 2. Profession Student ( ) Professional ( ) Housewife/Non-Working ( ) 3. Skin Type 1)Dry ( ) 2)Greasy ( ) 3)Combination ( ) 4)Normal ( ) 5)Sensitive ( ) 4. How frequently you use a moisturising cream? 1)Once a day ( ) 2)twice a day ( ) 3)many times a week ( ) 4)irregularly ( ) 5)Never ( ) 5. How do you search a skin care product (like moisturiser)? (tick one or more) 1)Magazines ( ) 2)TV Commercials ( ) 3)Skin Specialist/Beauticians ( ) 4)Newspaper/Printed Ads ( ) 5)Online ( ) 6. Which factor you consider is the most important while purchasing a skin care product? 1)Brand name ( ) 2)Perceived Quality ( ) 3)Ingredients ( ) 4)Word-of-Mouth ( ) 5)Price( ) 7. Which factor you consider is the least important while purchasing a skin care product? 1)Brand name ( ) 2)Quality ( ) 3)Ingredients ( ) 4)Word-of-Mouth ( ) 5)Price( ) 8. What functional attributes do you see in moisturisers? 1)Reduce Dryness ( ) 2)Firmness ( ) 3)Anti-aging ( ) 4)Light tanning ( ) 5)Multi-functionality( ) 9. List factors based on their importance (1 to 7, 1 most important and 7 least important) Brand name ( ) Quality ( ) Ingredients ( ) Word-of-Mouth ( ) Price ( ) Convenience ( ) Popularity ( ) 10. To what extent do you feel information search is important to influence your purchasing decision? 1)Strongly Agree ( ) 2)Agree ( ) 3)Neutral( ) 4)Disagree ( ) 5)Strongly Disagree( ) 11. To what extent do you think, it is the responsibility of companies to educate the consumers in product purchasing? 1)Strongly Agree ( ) 2)Agree ( ) 3)Neutral( ) 4)Disagree ( ) 5)Strongly Disagree( ) 12. For how long you think you can wait for the outcomes of the product? 1)Immediately ( ) 2)After a day ( ) 3)Within week( ) 4)Within a month( ) 5)Within few months( ) Appendix II: Innovation in Body Care products by Company, 2006-08 2006 2007 2008 % % % Branded 72 Branded 83 Branded 77 - Estée Lauder 5 - L'Oréal 3 - Estée Lauder 3 - L'Oréal 5 - Johnson & Johnson 2 - L'Oréal 3 - Original Additions 3 - Estée Lauder 2 - L'Occitane 2 - Sothys 3 - First Lady 2 - Burt's Bees 2 - Dancohr 2 - L'Occitane 2 - Crabtree & Evelyn 2 - Other 56 - Other 71 - Other 64 Own-label 28 Own-label 17 Own-label 23 - Avon 13 - Avon 4 - Alliance Boots 5 - Oriflame 5 - L'Oréal (The Body Shop) 3 - Oriflame 5 - Alliance Boots 5 - Alliance Boots 3 - Avon 4 - Superdrug 2 - Oriflame 3 - L'Oréal (The Body Shop) 3 - Tesco 2 - Superdrug 1 - Superdrug 1 - Other 1 - Other 3 - Other 6 SOURCE: Minte Appendix III: Retail value sales of body care, by segment, 2006-08 2006 2007 2008 (est) % change £m % £m % £m % 2006-08 Bodycare 230 80 235 80 236 79 +2.6 - moisturisers 125 44 124 42 123 41 -1.6 - anti-cellulite and firming 54 18 55 19 56 19 +3.7 - tanning moisturisers 32 11 37 13 38 13 +18.8 - exfoliants 10 4 10 3 10 3 Nc - other treatments 9 3 9 3 9 3 Nc Hand care 37 13 38 13 39 13 +5.4 Footcare 20 7 21 7 22 7 +10.0 Total 287 100 294 100 297 100 +3.5 Source: Mintel Read More