Marketing Research

Principles of marketing management; The Body Shop

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Table of Contents INTRODUCTION 3 THE BODY SHOP –BRAND AND BRAND CHARACTERISTICS 4 ANALYSIS OF 4 PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING AND THE BODY SHOP 5 CONCLUSION 7 References 8

MARKETING MANAGEMENT

Setting up a business might not be a challenge; the real challenge comes in keeping the business running for as long as possible. Companies run through selling their products, services and ideas. Although marketing traditionally meant promotion and selling, marketing management is broad and entails all the processes of pricing, promoting as well as the entire chain of distribution of a product or a service (Boone & Kurtz, 1998). A company must therefore develop ideas and strategies by which their products are introduced into the market and promoted. Through different marketing strategies, companies are able to develop an identity; such unique qualities are called a brand. (Calder and Reagan 2001) defines a brand as a combination of corporate behavior and values, the technical functionality and quality of products and the intangible promise the company instils in their products for customers. Popular brands include coke- cold drink and Xerox- photocopy. Strong brands address customer’s preferences and needs in a mesmerising manner. Through brands, companies are able to appeal to the psychology of the public.

THE BODY SHOP - COMPANY’S PROFILE

The Body Shop international plc. has a humble beginning that traces back to 1976 in Brighton. Inspired by the need to care for her daughters and the desire to understand how different cultures used different natural ingredients to care for their skin, Anita Roddick opened a store which she named ‘‘The Body Shop’’ to sell more than 20 skin care and hair care products. Nearly 20 years later, it opened more than 1000 branches in Mexico. The company currently operates in over 50 countries. The company sells quality skin care products through more than 2000 company’s owned outlets globally. The company’s products are also sold by their licenced partners.

The Body Shop’s success in business is largely attributed to a strong brand that the company created. It has established a unique brand that differentiates it from other cosmetic brands. The body Shop is popular for moral practices. The company has been associated with environmentally friendly practices that are reflected in their values. The company is also keen on their package and merchandise practices; they use refillable packs as well as recyclable papers. Effective packaging does not only reduce the cost of their products but also reinforces their values as a company. In addition to environmentally friendly package, the company is keen on the outlook of their shops and the information displayed on their outlets. The brand is known for its captivating words displayed on their shops for instance; Immaculate, effervescent and educative. The company was acquired by global beauty group L’Oreal in 2006. According to a report by brand consultancy, the company has experienced improved income and retained its position as the most trustworthy cosmetic brand. Through branding, the company has been able to sustain its competitive advantage, gain new market and improve customer satisfaction.

Through adoption of a unique ethical value, the company has become one of the best cosmetic brands of all time (Mathew, 1999)

As mentioned earlier, The Body Shop has created a brand particularly due to its unique ethical values. The company emphasizes on its core values that is integrated across all its critical operations.

The brand is highly associated with environmentally friendly practices. They manufacture their products purely from natural ingredients. The company enjoys the legacy of its founder Anita Roddick- an environmentalist and naturalist.

Characteristics of The Body Shop brand include; supporting fair trade through fair trade practices. The company believes that honesty is key in customer satisfaction. Activating individual’s self-esteem; the company offers quality products suitable for all types of skin. Defending human rights and charity work through the media and their outlets. The company is against animal testing unlike other cosmetic brands, the company offers natural products. Protection of the planet through using natural substances to manufacture their products is yet another core value that the brand emphasizes. It also uses environmentally friendly packaging.

The market mix includes the product, promotion, price and distribution.

Product – Environmental conservation has gained popularity and most people are now environmentally conscious than never before. A significant number of people have shifted their preference towards consuming green products. The Body Shop products have appealed to environmentally -conscious individuals. Consumption of environmentally friendly products have been a cornerstone of most environmental campaigns hence by manufacturing and selling natural products, The Body Shop continues to create a new customer base. Since environmental conservation is a global issue, the brand targets every potential customer irrespective of their geographical location, culture or class. The company sells more than 400 types of cosmetic products hence creating a pool of products for customers to choose from depending on their preferences. Their products are made from natural fruits, vegetables and herbs. Instructions and guidelines are clearly defined on their products. Apart from body care products, they sell perfumes and sundry products.

Price – one of the key factors that have enabled the company’s sustainable competitive advantage is pricing (Nimer, 1975). The company manufactures products that are affordable to most of its customers. Additionally, the company offers its green products at premium prices. This price can be achieved through taking advantage of the green products demand or to reflect higher cost of environmentally and quality products. However, the company is keen to offer a price that is competitive.

Promotion – the company’s method of promotion is aimed at achieving three goals; creating awareness about the company and their product, to inform the public that a new environmentally friendly product exist as well as to inform the public of the benefits and advantages of quality products that are environmentally friendly. The company do not believe in false promotion neither do they bring insecurities to their customers by controversial adverts. The company has not focused on promotions; they inform the public about their products through their website.

Distribution- strategic distribution channel is key to every company. Distribution channel consist of packaging, shipping from the point of manufacture to consumers. The Body Shop’s distribution channel is established between partners, licenced wholesalers, distributors and retailers. This distribution channel enables the company to recycle their package.

This paper has examined the concept of branding; features associated to a company e.g. logo, name and product management. Successful businesses have one thing in common; they have accumulated high revenues due to strong brand. A powerful brand gives a company competitive advantage. Additionally, it increases sales while at the same time improves customer loyalty. The paper has also looked at The Body Shop in relation to the four principle of marketing management.

Calder, Bobby J. and Steven J. Reagan (2001), “Brand Design,” in Kellogg on Marketing, Dawn Iacobucci, ed. New York: John Wiley, 58-73

Boon & Kurtz (1998). Contemporary Marketing Wired; Cengage Learning, 0030241936.