TASK 1

3/9/2020 - 17/9/2020
Joanna Chen Ki-Ying (005543), BAD2019071
Branding, Positioning and Identity ADV200
Task 1: Breaking Down The Brand

3/9/2020 - Task is given

On the day this task was given, we (Loh Phui Mun, Lee Jia Ying, Sheryl Si, Adrian Chua, Nik Adlina and I) divided the task into parts. I took the part of researching the Brand Positioning and Target Audience and my groupmates divided the rest among themselves. 

4/9/2020 - Initial research of MAC Cosmetics brand

3.1 Why this brand and not the competition? 

According to Bhasin (2019), MAC Cosmetics is popular for its range of mineral-based makeup, which is better for the skin since it doesn't clog pores and cause breakouts, and have better coverage (The Face Place, 2017). 

(Bhasin, 2019)

It is not mentioned in other websites and the mineral-based range is not limited to MAC Cosmetics only as Sephora also has a mineral-based range, hence it does not seem necessary to include in the final research document. It also seems unlikely that MAC users might know about the mineral-based cosmetics line and the benefit of it to consider, but more research needs to be done on that. 

5/9/2020 - More research was done

3.2 Target Market

Most websites mentioned that MAC Cosmetics consumers were either young women or women between the ages of 18 to 50 years old. Since the products were considered to be more on the expensive side, it seemed that there were a few different groups of target audiences that could be identified. 

The primary target audience would be the young adults and adults between 23 - 30 years old, as it seems that they would be the ones who are able to afford the high-end MAC products and would more likely be interested in individuality and experimenting with makeup looks.

The secondary target audience would be working women between the ages of 31 - 50 years old as MAC Cosmetics is a high-end brand with a large range of colours and shades that can suit the user's skin tone and is suitable for the workplace.

The tertiary target audience would be those who fall under the category of their mission statement "All Races, All Sexes, All Ages". This includes males and people who are older than 50 or younger than 18.

All three of the target audience groups are those in the upper-middle to high-income bracket who live in the urban area as MAC Cosmetics is usually found in shopping malls.

3.3 Competitors

Most websites considered Maybelline, Revlon and Lakme to be MAC's competitors.

(MBA Skool Team, 2020)

(Bhasin, 2019)

Clinique and L'Oreal seem like MAC's direct competitors in terms of their target audience as Clinique and MAC products are unisex while L'Oreal has a wide range of products at an affordable price. [Update 11/9/2020: During the initial research, Revlon and Lakmé was neglected however upon more research, the two brands have a large following on social media on their Facebook site.]

NARS Cosmetics can also be considered as a competitor because of how they positioned themselves as "bold" and focuses on products having "rich, intense shades".

(NARS Cosmetics)

(NARS Cosmetics)

7/9/2020 - Psychographics and Behavioural segmentation

MAC Cosmetics places an emphasis on their bold and vibrant colours and looks, which shows there's a market for those who are interested in trying new things, being creative with their looks and finding something that will show their individuality. MAC Cosmetics is also known for being trendy, hence the users are those who keep up with trends.

MAC Cosmetics products are considered to be high-end, hence the users are probably loyal to the brand if they were to re-purchasing and replenish their makeup. Since MAC Cosmetics are known for using celebrities and influencers such as Madonna, Patrick Starr and Rihanna, their target audience are those who keep up with the trends and are influenced by social media influencers.

9/9/2020 - More research

Noted some difference in the information found regarding Target Audience. While a group member found that the target audience was 18-25-year-old women, another member found that MAC targeted women of the age 23-50 years old. From there, we noticed that there was multiple target audience and we categorised them into different groups. 

Summarising information from the shared Google Document to the individual assignment document. 

10/9/2020 - Presentation and consultation feedback

More research needs to be done as to whether MAC was the first to come up with vibrant, bold colours. Also need to find out the percentage of the main target audience since although MAC products are for All Ages, All Sexes, All Races", there is a main target audience that MAC needs to satisfy. The behavioural segmentation isn't about loyalty but more of the customer's purchasing habits.

11/9/2020 - Primary research and competition update

Went to the MAC Cosmetics store at One Utama to take pictures and ask the employees some questions about the brand. Also took a quick look at the Sephora and Clinique stores to look at their range of makeup.

Google Drive link to images

At a glance, it seems like the information that we found online were accurate. However, the Sephora website sells MAC products but the physical store did not. This could be due to the placement of the stores as the MAC Cosmetics store was situated beside the Sephora store. This also strengthens the idea that the two brands are competitors.

Upon more research, Lakmé exists in Malaysia and both Lakmé and Revlon have a big following online. These two brands are sold in drugstores such as Guardian and Watsons in Malaysia. 

Current competitors that we've identified are Sephora, Clinique, L'Oreal, NARS, Lakmé and Revlon, however, we might need to re-evaluate which ones are MAC Cosmetics' direct competitors.

13/9/2020 - Identifying competitors

We've come to the conclusion that MAC Cosmetics' direct competitors areSephora, NARS and Revlon.

17/9/2020 - Full TASK 1

Embedded below references

REFERENCES

Bhasin, H. (2019). SWOT analysis of MAC Cosmetics - MAC SWOT analysis. [Online]. 2019. Marketing91. Available from: https://www.marketing91.com/swot-analysis-of-mac-cosmetics/. [Accessed: 4 September 2020].

MBA Skool Team (2020). MAC Cosmetics SWOT Analysis | Top MAC Cosmetics Competitors, STP & USP | Detailed SWOT Analysis of Brands | MBA Skool-Study.Learn.Share.. [Online]. 2020. Marketing91. Available from: https://www.mbaskool.com/brandguide/lifestyle-and-retail/12949-mac-cosmetics.html. [Accessed: 5 September 2020].

L'Oréal (2020). Color Riche Free The Nudes 307 No Diktat​ - Make Up | Lips | Lipstick - L'Oreal Paris Malaysia. [Online]. 2020. Lorealparis.com.my. Available from: https://www.lorealparis.com.my/products/makeup/lips/lipstick/color-riche-free-the-nudes-307-no-diktat/. [Accessed: 11 September 2020].

L'Oréal Paris(2020). L'Oréal Paris Infallible Up to 24HR Fresh Wear Foundation Swatches. [Online]. 2020. Lorealparisusa.com. Available from: https://www.lorealparisusa.com/beauty-magazine/makeup/face-makeup/fresh-wear-foundation-swatches.aspx. [Accessed: 11 September 2020].

NARS Cosmetics (n.d.). Lipstick | NARS Cosmetics. [Online]. Narscosmetics.com. Available from: https://www.narscosmetics.com/USA/schiap-lipstick/0607845029731.html?bvstate=pg%3A4%2Fct%3Ar&bvroute=Reviews%2FshowHelpfulCritical. [Accessed: 11 September 2020].

The Face Place (2017). 5 pros and cons of mineral makeup. [Online]. 2017. Thefaceplace.co.nz. Available from: https://www.thefaceplace.co.nz/blog/newsletter/5-pros-and-cons-of-mineral-makeup/#:~:text=Mineral%20makeup%20doesn't%20clog,opposed%20to%20a%20'shine'. [Accessed: 4 September 2020].