Intro to Marketing Final Research Paper

Research paper

The United States has the biggest cosmetics market in the world. In the U.S. the cosmetics industry has a value of nearly $57 billion and provides more than 56,000 jobs. Nearly 1/3 of women won’t leave home without wearing some element of cosmetics and almost half of all women won’t go to work without make up. Further the average woman won’t reveal her make-up free face until about 3 months into a new relationship. Why do America women spend the most money on cosmetics worldwide? I think the answer lies in the marketing.

In Chinese print publications and T.V media the majority of women are featured with no makeup. In American media all the women featured are wearing makeup and the more the better. Makeup application has become an art with hundreds of YouTube channels dedicated to application techniques. Marketing is always centered on feeling confidant and beautiful. Proctor and Gamble, the biggest cosmetics retailer in the U.S., spent $3.94 billion in 2011 on advertising L’Oreal spent $1.34 billion.

L’Oreal is a powerful and well known brand all over the world. They have used their brand recognition and trusted reputation to build a base of loyal customers. To appeal to their loyal customers and to continue to attract new customers, they use education in the form of video tutorials, DIY tips and suggestions that keep people interested.

Another powerful tool that L’Oreal employs is the idea of aspiration. L’Oreal is a major sponsor for such big name events like “Project Runway” and “America’s Next Top Model”. These programs seek to inspire young women by fulfilling their dreams and L’Oreal heavily associates itself with that aspiration.

Probably the most widely used tool among marketers is empowerment. L’Oreal seeks to empower women by increasing their confidence and they claim this will happen by using their products. L’Oreal promotes itself as a source of poise, boldness, and self-confidence. They employ the slogan “Because you’re worth...