Introduction
The Body Shop International is a multinational firm that specializes in cosmetics and body fashion. Anita Roddick established the company in the year 1976. Shampoos, bath products, soaps, and other beauty-related accessories are the company’s core focus. All of the company’s products are made completely of natural materials and are prepared in accordance with ethical guidelines that prohibit animal testing of cosmetics.
The Body Shop was created with a unique business strategy in mind, in which the company’s sole purpose was to maximize profits while also attempting to embrace socially responsible values inside the organization in order to gain market share in the sector (Chun, 2016; Isaak, 2016). The Body Shop also used creative promotional strategies, such as filling the pavement with potpourri, which led to the company hanging into potpourri.
Marketing’s main goal is to establish a long-term relationship with the client. A positive customer-organization connection will almost certainly result in sales (Rangswami et al., 2020). As a result, a strong marketing plan makes use of all available resources to guarantee that it reaches the intended audience (Hartman and Beck-Dudley, 2019). Young folks will most likely be the key target group. These are the millennials and Generation Y, who spend most of their time on social media and online.
The Body Shop marketing relies severely on social media promotional campaigns to reach its target and potential audiences. The commercial is intended to persuade millennials and GenY to utilize items (Fromm and Read, 2018). Marketing allows a company to compete effectively in the marketplace. Depending on the platform used to generate the brand and product name, the advertising costs might be considerable. In today’s world, any industry has a large number of enterprises, and overseas corporations are increasingly entering the local market (Permatasari and Dhewanto, 2013). The marketing department wants to use a strategy to persuade customers that its goods are better than those of rivals (Wycherley, 2015). The marketing team must comprehend the nature of the industry as well as its rivals in order to develop better methods to combat rivalry (Bettiol et al., 2017; Rangswami et al., 2020). In order to compete, the Body Shop will need to enhance its delivery system and build brand loyalty.
From a marketing standpoint, the founders’ decision to develop the Body Shop franchise was one of the strategic decisions that contributed to the company’s early success. They initiated a significant sale, introducing a focus on segmentation, positioning, targeting, and developing a suitable brand image through effective marketing, including commercials and adverts (Hartman and Beck-Dudley, 2019; Hasan, 2017). For example, the firm employed demographic segmentation to target largely women’s items; however, men’s products have since been included. The company’s success has been attributed to the market segmentation based on different jobs such as working people, teenagers, and housewives.
The market positioning was well-considered by the management since consumers were looking forward to keeping a healthy lifestyle by using organic products on their skin. By utilizing 100% organic and natural elements such as sugarcane, seaweed, honey, and Aloe Vera, among others, the firm was strategically positioned to address such needs (Wycherley, 2015). Putting environmental considerations first, along with ongoing efforts against animal testing of beauty items, created a distinctive positioning approach for the company’s overall market success.
Many marketing and strategy publications reference the body shop as an excellent example of a socially and ecologically responsible firm. The Body Shop defends its use of non-natural substances by claiming that they are alternatives for items that cause animal suffering or that natural components are too expensive to transport. The current examination of The Body Shop case has several implications for green marketers that are more practical in nature (Lee, Goh and Noor, 2019). The main question asks whether product-focused marketing can ever be fully consistent with environmentalist principles.
The examination of the three organizational virtues of excellence, honesty, and judgment is based on existing literature. The first organizational virtue, excellence, sprang to prominence when Peters and Waterman’s (1982) best-run firms focused on it. Excellence refers to a principle of commitment beyond profit and investment. A certain sense of fairness, a meritocracy, in which merit excellence is rewarded in the marketplace, says the contemporary emphasis on excellence. The American Marketing Association’s Code of Ethics and the customer “bill of rights” convey the second organizational virtue, integrity (Skinner, 1994). Additionally, one of the most challenging difficulties that marketing researchers face is preserving study integrity (Hunt et al., 1984). Integrity, on the other hand, is more than just honesty; it also includes traits like loyalty and trustworthiness.
Each individual and each group has its own personality. This “connection” in a corporate community has been defined as a conglomerate with personality conflicts, opposing goals, and approaches. These ethically fleshed-out organizational values are typical for the majority of the Body Shop’s promotional campaigns, as well as the market positioning (Conlin, 1994; Goodpaster, 1991). The first personal virtue, honesty, is simply stating the truth. The product category that is available from cosmetics, which is regarded as a vanity product, offers an interesting conundrum for this virtue.
This means that they are used for other reasons, such as the desire for beauty and the young. In terms of virtue, the question is how psychological beauty relates to the formation and maintenance of successful societies. Personality conflicts, conflicting goals, and techniques show that to the extent that one’s conviction in “looking well” aids execution of duties, moderation is crucial to this problem (Percy and Rossier, 1992). Cosmetics may be useful to communities because of their appearance and relationships with others.
However, the corporation was accused of exploitation and deceit after selling items containing non-renewable petrochemicals and compounds that had been tested on animals at some time. Anita and Gordon Roddick reacted by disputing the allegations and challenging the investigative reporter’s intentions and reporting procedures (Hartman and Beck-Dudley, 2019). They stated that the public misinterpreted the company’s animal testing policy, which states that products tested on animals for five years, not forever, should not be used.
Marketing Strategy for Skincare Brands for Gen Z Chinese Men
Young Chinese men aged 18 to 26, who have progressively more disposable cash, are becoming the new driving force for the male beauty industry, as the advent of the Little Fresh Meat celebrity obsession and K-pop stars have challenged established norms of male attractiveness. The term Little Fresh Meat signifies, in this context, a young, attractive-looking man, often not tied directly to the more traditional masculine ideal (Heagan, 2021). According to data by consulting company Euromonitor International, the mainland male skincare and cosmetics products market is estimated to reach 1.9 billion yuan in 2019, growing twice as fast as the worldwide cosmetics industry.
Despite the continuous instances of social pressure, overall, the prejudice against male skincare and male beauty products becomes less and less severe. According to research issued in April by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, young men are starting to develop skincare habits earlier than their elders (Zheng, 2020). Some Chinese high school students have even started using basic facial cleansing product lines, and as they get older, their skincare routine becomes more complex, and by the time they enter university or the workforce, using various types of skincare products to improve their skin condition is becoming the standard practice.
In early December, a tape of a tiny child applauding a man in full make-up on an Omegle video (where strangers play Chatroulette) in English became viral on Weibo. The hashtag #LittleBoyFirstSeeMenWearingMakeup (##) became popular. Furthermore, the majority of netizens believed that China should be more inclusive of demonstrating its support. The remarks reflect a shift in popular opinion in China towards male grooming (Gambetti et al., 2019). Young Chinese consumers have grown more free about expressing themselves, which has shown in an increasing acceptance of skincare and cosmetics use, thanks to the growth of well-preened Little Fresh Meat idols and evolving gender norms.
Recommendations on Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning
Implementing production into a new market is a complex process that requires applying various tactics and strategies. One of the market analysis strategies is the segmentation model, which includes segmenting, targeting, and positioning (STP). This approach is vital for adapting to market conditions and for the start of a successful sale. It is a process in which the product’s target audience is analyzed, and the customers are segmented according to several characteristics.
The first part of the model, namely segmentation, includes the process of defining the market and the selection and application of the bases necessary for segmentation. Further, it involves the creation of profiles: specific patterns of the target audience, visualization of which will contribute to the most accurate determination. Targeting identifies and analyzes the most profitable parties at the segmentation stage. Finally, positioning involves analyzing the results of the two previous phases, and one may determine the most effective positioning models for a particular business.
In the current case of the Body Shop’s production implementation, one may determine some recommendations to successfully enter the new market. The marketing mix theory includes the productservice, price, promotion, and distribution (Paley, 2019). Thus, the first recommendation involves identifying the target audience of the market. In this case, it includes young men, most often bloggers or famous personalities, for whom it is important to keep an eye on their appearance. According to the STP model, it will constitute the main profile of the Body Shop audience. Recommendation on targeting involves appropriate advertisement of the production, namely to cover the profile (social media, Instagram, YouTube). Finally, positioning should help to ensure the target audience of the effectiveness of production: thus, it is also connected with the previous recommendation.
Nevertheless, the question of societal stereotypes is far from being successfully resolved, generating additional challenges for marketers. More’manly’ portrayals of males develop, particularly through patriotic action movies symbolizing China’s superpower, as national pride rises, driven by China’s effective management of the Covid-19 problem. In 2018, patriotism may have reignited the debate against males wearing make-up or earrings, named Sissy Pants by China’s powerful state media Xinhua (Corbin, 2021). With this circumstance in mind, the recent financial success of this section of the cosmetic industry becomes even more impressive and may be summed up as such:
Both domestic and international brands of skincare and cosmetic products are not hesitating to take advantage of the trend. The male cosmetics business in China has expanded at a 7.7% annual pace over the last four years, with sales expected to reach 16.7 billion yuan in 2020 (Hall, 2021). This stark growth has attracted international attention, with Korean Trade Association advising them to target this increasing consumer market by releasing products that target oily skin, huge pores, dull complexions, and acne scars. Males aged 18 to 25, who account for 59.5 percent of overall consumption, are the most popular consumers of cosmetics, followed by those aged 26 to 30, who account for 21.3 percent of the market.
Brands and investments will follow consumer trends wherever they go. Since the debut of Boy de Chanel — a landmark in male beauty — in 2018, global companies have taken significant advances in altering China’s male beauty standard. According to Reuters, ten new Chinese male beauty products will launch in 2020. Macroeconomic reports also reflect a rise in optimism. According to Euromonitor, the Chinese male beauty industry grew at a 13.5 percent annual pace from 2016 to 2019, considerably above the world average of 5.8 percent. Cainiao (Alibaba’s logistics arm) prepared 3,000 percent more male beauty items than the previous year for this year’s Double 11 Shopping Festival.
According to Euromonitor, the Chinese male skincare and make-up industry grew at a 13.5 percent annual pace from 2016 to 2019, greatly above the world average of 5.8 percent. Male skincare goods sold well on Taobao and Tmall during the 2019 Double 11 shopping extravaganza. Nonetheless, both COVID-19 clearly reduced skincare and make-up sales, although skincare sales rebounded far more quickly.
Customer Persona
Given the current pace of technology development and the degree of popularity of gadgets, one may notice how it affects generations. Thus, the Gen Z customers (people born from 1997s to 2012s), or the digital persons, have some peculiarities. People of this generation actively use smartphones, tablets, and other gadgets. It allows them to quickly and seamlessly reach a wider audience when talking about bloggers. Additionally, this generation is constantly in eye contact with each other using video messages or broadcasts. All this formulates the importance of their appearance, which is one of the main reasons for the development of the cosmetics industry.
Considering the STP model and the Gen Z customers’ features, one may determine the Customer Persona of the Body Shop production. According to the segmentation, the most promising target audience is young men who actively monitor their appearance. These can be representatives of show business or bloggers, singers, and actors. Moreover, today there is an increase in the amount of demand for face and skincare production (Zhang, 2020). Thereby, one may create the Customer Persona model, which involves information about The Body Shop’s audience profile.
Thus, the Customer Persona would include a young male, around 16-29 years old, sometimes older. In most cases, one will take part in media events, such as concerts, video filming, and streaming. It is important for a person to look attractive, and judgments about male beauty without make-up are outdated for the customer. Such conclusions can be drawn from secondary research, which showed that the philosophy of male beauty is changing dramatically.
A few years ago, the beauty business was thought to be predominantly, if not exclusively, a female-dominated sector. However, the tides in China’s beauty business have begun to reverse in recent years. Chinese males have become more conscious about their looks and have a greater need for cosmetics. “In the past, guys would never pay $26 on an eye cream. But today it’s completely accepted,” adds David Beckham, Biotherm Homme’s worldwide spokesman (Jiang, 2021). To this end, a wide range of beauty businesses, from global conglomerates like L’Oréal to local mass brands, are focusing increasingly on marketing methods aimed at Chinese male beauty customers. The graph below illustrates the state fluctuation in the reported use of substances while correlating the findings with the pre-given factors of temper and physical attraction.
Recommendations
Table 1. Recommendations on implementing the production
Domestic and international firms share some similar ground when it comes to marketing tactics for male consumers, such as making an attempt to extend across numerous activities and platforms. Foreign brands, on the other hand, employ more co-branding and sponsorship than Chinese beauty businesses (Samizadeh and Wu, 2018). All six brands on the above list use KOL marketing and e-commerce as common strategies. Three international companies, L’Oréal, Nivea, and LAB SERIES, are all participating in co-branding and/or sponsorships with major video games like WeFire, Glory of Kings, and League of Legends, whereas GF is the only Chinese company with a similar sponsorship approach.
The popularity and diverse product line of L’Oréal Men Expert are its benefits. Many Chinese customers trust the brand because it has a solid knowledge of youthful Chinese lives. To begin with, the company offers a vast selection of items, ranging from skincare to hair styling. Its goods have well-recognized impacts according to consumers’ posts on social media sites Weibo and Red (Prakashyadav, G. and Rai, 2017). Second, it makes an effort to attract customers through innovative design and packaging.
Furthermore, since 2009, L’Oréal has worked closely with a number of Chinese millennial and generation-z celebrities to develop their brand image among Chinese male beauty customers. Daniel Wu, the first Chinese ambassador for L’Oréal Men Expert, was introduced in 2009. His sponsored product, “Hydra Energetic,” immediately became the brand’s yearly top seller. L’Oréal Men Expert has worked with a number of young Chinese celebrities since then (Ethan Juan in 2012, Jing Boran in 2015, Kris Wu in 2017, Lu Han in 2018, and Zhu Yilong in 2019). L’Oréal Men Expert will introduce Jackson Wang as their newest worldwide spokesman in February 2020. His admirers reacted positively to the news, with the statement garnering 100,000 likes on Weibo.
Customer Journey Mapping
Customer Journey Mapping is an essential part of the production implementation. This process involves identifying the phases of customers’ product purchasing, from the initial (motivation) to the final one (payment). Visualization of the purchasing product is vital since it contributes to the detailed determination of ways to improve sales. For instance, if one determines that one of these phases’ indicators is lower than the normal index, one will be able to improve the situation easily. It is formulated by the possibility of one to determine the development strategies depending on deficient points straightly.
Detailed Customer Journey Map
In the current case of the Body Shop company, one may determine the detailed customer journey map, which would apply the online shopping. Moreover, it will imply proposed recommendations, given the audience’s profile and the modern technologies. It is important to consider all the factors that would directly or obliquely affect the customer’s motivation to obtain information about the company. Thereby, the detailed customer journey map would involve the following phases.
Motivation is the initial phase that launches all the mechanisms of the purchasing process. Website searching constitutes one of the most important phases since one needs to engage the customer to click on the current website. In this regard, one needs to implement appropriate advertisements in social media, considering the current audience’s profile. Furthermore, the customer would evaluate the product and decide which formulates one more essential phase. In case all customer’s needs were met, the final phase (payment) would finish the purchasing process. Considering proposed recommendations, the website searching phase should be followed by customer engagement by the advertisement in social media.
Marketing to Clients with Numerous Hobbies
One of the primary drivers of the Chinese beauty business is the desire of young customers. Male beauty products have primarily been consumed by Chinese guys aged 20 to 30. As a result, several men’s beauty businesses strive to cater to their specific demands, such as young guys who prefer to stay up late, sports lovers, or readers (Chiu et al., 2019; Ho et al., 2020). For example, young guys who like to stay up late are more likely to spend more money on cosmetic items to maintain healthy skin (Liu et al., 2021). As a result, cosmetic companies would develop a specialized product line to address skin issues caused by staying up late.
Social Media Marketing
Chinese customers are accustomed to seeking advice from friends and family on social media before making a purchase, as well as writing comments afterward. As a result, social media platforms are becoming increasingly important for firms to receive consumer feedback (Khan et al., 2017). Beauty firms have begun to pay more attention to their social media influence in order to improve engagement with consumers based on their comments and to acquire a better knowledge of their demographics, consumption levels, and SKU preferences.
The Evolution of the Male Consumers’ View on Beauty Products
According to an Air Paris analysis on Chinese male beauty customers, a 2015 poll on Weibo found that 31% of male consumers were “very opposed” to the use of beauty goods, while just 29% were “strongly agreed.” After three years, however, the number of “strongly agreed” had risen to 69 percent, while the percentage of “strongly opposed” had dropped to less than 10%. Men’s beauty companies have an opportunity to make excellent use of their impact on Chinese male beauty customers since social features and shareable characters make social e-commerce friendlier for beauty firms. Brands may benefit from a strong grasp of male customers’ interests and culture zones in order to reach Chinese male beauty consumers more effectively (Risman, 2018). Sponsorships in cultural zones such as sports, e-sports, and literary young can boost brand recognition by increasing brand interaction with target customers.
Chinese Male Beauty products as Romantic Gifts
Aside from Chinese male beauty customers, Chinese women should not be overlooked as a potential market. “Gifts for boyfriends” is usually a topic of conversation on the Internet, and beauty goods are a present popular category. Women frequently consider a high-end brand gift box or items with excellent packaging to be a nice choice for their male partners among all the beauty products (Peng, 2021). Because many men say they don’t know how to buy skincare items on their own, they typically consider skincare product sets to be nice gifts. Male skincare kits consistently sell well on T-mall: a Chinese online retail platform.
One thing to keep in mind when marketing to mainland consumers is that, as discovered by the HK Trade Development Council during an interview with mainland skincare and cosmetics agents, mainland consumers have different perceptions of skincare and cosmetics brands in different countries or regions. Consumers feel that Swiss companies focus on medical beauty, American brands tend to make their product formulas more sophisticated, and Japanese goods have whitening effects that are more suited to Asian complexion. The conversation on brand reputation is therefore ongoing, particularly as more and more adjacent firms join in on a debate. Evidently, the younger generation of Chinese men holds different values on grooming and even cosmetics, but in the end, they are unlikely to resist the crushing weight of responsibilities and solitude.
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