Book Report on "Bobbie Brown.Co.Uk"

Book Report 11 pages (3198 words) Sources: 3

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Bobbi Brown Web Site Analysis

Analysis of BobbiBrown.co.uk

This paper is an analysis of the e-business segment of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, specifically their UK website. The topics addressed in this analytical paper are primarily the various marketing and branding strategies employed by this company. As an e-business in a near saturation point market (cosmetics) it is important to understand what companies such as the one analyzed in this paper are doing in order to set themselves apart from their competitors.

The online market for cosmetics is extremely competitive and is a largely price driven system in which countless retailers have developed solely because of their ability to provide name brand products for a fraction of their actual cost. Or off brand products at an even further reduced rate. Especially in the context of a financial crisis, this ability to undercut competitors can be devastating to companies which focus on branding as opposed to discounting. In order for Bobbi Brown to succeed, the brand itself needs to become desirable enough to the general public that consumers are willing to pay the relatively higher price for the product.

Increasingly this marketing has become the domain of interactive multimedia and social networking. When clients purchase Bobbi Brown products it is not necessarily because the item itself is significantly better than a discounted or off brand item. The customer is paying specifically for the prestige and image associated with the company name. As such, it is important that companies focus a great deal of their time and their resources on the successful promotion of their brand as well as the association of their brand with desirable individuals and events.

With the proliferation of internet-based businesses, it is difficult for one individual company to separate itself from the millions of other companies offering similar products or services at competitive prices. It is then down to the unique position of a founder or head of the company to develop an extensive following among the more well-known members of a particular social group or industry which in turn generates interest not only in them but in those ventures to which they attach their name. This fact represents a simplification in the shift which business as a study has undergone during the last 2 or 3 centuries. In years past, simply making a necessary product available within a community was enough to ensure business. As commerce has become multinational and transportation is moving quickly enough to ship even fresh produce around the world in time for it to be sold and consumed, simple production is no longer a guarantee of success. The focus of much business strategy has shifted from production to marketing and developing a substantial relationship with customers the loyalty of whom determines the overall success of the business.

The key to success in these new and decidedly more competitive waters is diversification and multiplicity. A business must have many approaches to spreading their name and their image and many different methods of attracting an ever widening population of potential customers. Strong media campaigns as well as multiple websites all related to the product help ensure that a variety of individuals with differing interests and tastes have access to the products. The diversification also makes it clear to potential customers that the brand is diverse enough to meet their needs no matter what they may be. This focus on ensuring everyone can find something, and that the brand is present in a variety of unique locations means that Bobbi Brown is reaching the largest possible audience of potential customers.

Background:

Bobbi Brown is a company which was started by a make up artist of the same name. The company is the result of her extremely successful career spanning more than two decades. To her credit Bobbi Brown was also able to create a unique line of make up products which individuals who might not be able to book her services as an artist might still be able to enjoy the experience of looking like the who's who of fashion and celebrity personalities.

A large amount of Brown's success is that her direction was completely different from the extreme looks of the 80's. This is vastly important in developing a successful company. Brown was interested also in making a product which appealed to all women, not only those who were able to afford the services of a make up artist or who were likely to wear an acid orange lip color regularly. This bold direction which she took established her as a figure head which pushed her brand into the houses of both magnates and mail clerks.

In 1995 cosmetic giant Estee Lauder purchased the Bobbi Brown make up line but allowed Bobbi to retain her position as CEO. In conjunction with the development of several ranges of brushes, make up lines, and a successful career as a celebrity make up artist, Bobbi Brown is also an author. She has written five books detailing a variety of make up application techniques and has in many people's opinion developed a distinct "look" which helped revolutionize the fashion aesthetic of the 1990's and is still a major force for change in the fashion world now.

Brown's success in large part is attributable to her uncanny ability to self-market as well as determination and a unique perspective on a product which can become passe nearly as quickly as it is stocked. Because she was able to make herself a household name as well as situating herself as both an advocate and educator to her target consumer audience, Bobbi Brown was able to become a highly lucrative brand which commanded a multimillion dollar acquisition price from Estee Lauder.

Internet Marketing:

The online business is focused primarily on educating customers as well as giving them access to the latest releases from the makeup and accessory lines. This is a two fold approach which draws in more visitors to the site because it also attracts people who do not necessarily have the intention of buying Bobbi Brown products but may become more inclined to do so having watched one of their instructional videos. Another tool at the disposal of the company is the connection to related media sources. Magazines, photo shoots, campaigns, fashion shows, and major events have all been associated with Bobbi Brown make up. This indirect marketing reaches virtually every individual who watches television, reads magazines, or goes on the internet.

While the majority of Bobbi Brown customers are women, it is still important to remember that women do not all necessarily receive media information from the same sources. Through generating careers in a number of different fields including; education, entrepreneurship, artist, and advocate the most significant motivating factor compelling potential customers to buy the product is in virtually all forms of media from talk shows, to fashion magazines, to CNN Money and the Wall Street Journal.

Though the production of print material is not specifically germane to a discussion of the Bobbi Brown website, it is essential in the discussion of the Bobbi Brown marketing strategy. By writing books, Bobbi Brown is making her product available and usable to the masses. While she does have a make up artistry school, she also effectively teaches women how to "empower" themselves by simply enhancing their natural beauty.

The specific features of the website itself also make it extremely user friendly without removing the human element of the company which is the primary reason for its success. The website opens with a video featuring the latest campaign which urges women to simply enhance their existing beauty as naturally as possible. Also available on the site are several tutorials, a full listing of all available ranges, accessories and brushes, the story of how Bobbi Brown achieved such success, what is currently happening with Bobbi Brown as well as the company, and a section specifically targeting those customers looking to buy gifts. One rather unique feature of the site is the ability to chat live with a Bobbi Brown makeup artist. This is essentially individualized expert advice available twenty four hours a day. There are also a wide range of exclusive offers and bargains which make the shopping experience appear to be entirely more personalized and valuable. The whole of the website is rich with interactive formatting and uses bright colors and upbeat music to make the experience of visiting the site as pleasant as possible.

Branding:

Within the company, Bobbi is the brand. In order to ensure the continued success of her business, she must as she has done throughout her career keep always in the headlines as a pioneer and an innovator who has the ear of style icon and designer alike. Bobbi is rather adept at this self-marketing and has in the course of her more than twenty year career managed not only to become and remain a big name in the world of fashion and photography, but also in the publishing, and print media industries as well.

The general tone of… READ MORE

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