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In 2016, in the United States alone, the cosmetics industry made an estimated 62.46 billion dollars in revenue (Revenue of the Cosmetic Industry in the U.S. 2002-2016 | Forecast). With a consistent increase in sales in the last several years, the industry has reached continued success even during times of hardship, such as the Great Recession of 2008. The use of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), external campaigns, and thoughtful packaging and ingredients resonates with targeted consumers. This has served as an effective strategy to maintain growth in the industry. Cosmetic companies promote their brand image using these sustainability tactics, but there seems to be a lack of transparency in this unregulated industry. The purpose of this thesis is to determine if the cosmetics industry is a good steward of the sustainability movement. Important terms and concepts relating to the industry will be discussed, then an analysis of sustainability focused cosmetic brands will be provided, which highlights the extent to which these brands engage in activities that promote sustainability. This is followed by an application of findings to a company that could benefit from using such practices. Overall, the analysis of the different brands proved to be shocking and disappointing. This is due to the sheer amount that scored very poorly based on the sustainability criteria developed. The cosmetics industry is too inconsistent and too unregulated to truly act as a good steward for sustainability. Though some companies in the industry succeed, these accomplishments are not consistent across all cosmetic companies. Hence, the cosmetics industry as a good steward for sustainability can only be as strong as its weakest link.
ContributorsMamus, Sydney Wasescha (Author) / Ostrom, Amy (Thesis director) / Kristofferson, Kirk (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
In today’s society we see a strong encouragement of those who put effort into various aspects of their life. Additionally, we also see a strong push towards making oneself more attractive to reap social benefits. However, a paradox exists between effort and attractiveness. In a society that values both effort and attractiveness, why do we see negative reactions to those who put effort into their appearance, and can we make these effects go away? How can cosmetic companies alter those reactions to suit their advertising needs? Through a pretest and a main study we show how consumers react to differing amounts of perceived effort in a cosmetic product, and how we can alter the effect that effort has by priming consumers with the idea of their ‘natural self’ vs. their ‘ideal’ self.
ContributorsDaniels, Michelle Elizabeth (Author) / Samper, Adriana (Thesis director) / Montoya, Detra (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
Within the beauty industry, a common issue that exists is the lack of diversity in product colors that suit consumers of darker-skinned ethnicities. Ethnic diversity in makeup products is often difficult to find, particularly in regard to more affordable brands. Over the years, the makeup and beauty industry has focused their attention on Caucasian females, thus excluding many other races, ethnicities, skin colors, and even genders. Although the lack of diversity in the cosmetics world is often related to people with darker complexions, this issue can affect any individual of any ethnicity or skin tone. This lack of diversity causes a negative psychological impact on individuals and causes people to experience feelings of frustration, anxiety, and exclusion. The purpose and significance of this research is further outlined in Chapter I. To address this issue, I developed an overarching research question: How might I create a custom makeup product that provides value to my audience? In order to answer this overarching question, I conducted research to answer the following areas: (1) Who is my audience? (2) What are my audience's perceptions and attitudes about makeup? (3) What challenges does my audience face when searching for or purchasing makeup? (4) Why does my audience value my product? and (5) What does my audience believe about my product? These questions allowed me to gather an in-depth understanding of the customer, including their tastes, preferences, needs, values, and demographic characteristics. Chapter II is comprised of the literature search which explores four themes: (1) the changing perception of the makeup industry, (2) diversity in makeup, (3) makeup's psychological impact on individuals, and (4) custom makeup & the market. Chapter III describes the research design and process while Chapter IV presents and analyzes the data and findings. The compiled research informed the business plan and influenced the conception and creation of the brand. Based on my qualitative and quantitative research -- which included a literature search, multiple depth interviews, and a survey -- I created Flesh and Bone Cosmetics. Flesh and Bone Cosmetics is an inclusive custom cosmetics brand that addresses the lack of diversity in the makeup industry by offering Liquid Foundation Drops. This product is a highly pigmented range of tints that recolors and adjusts any existing liquid foundation -- this allows individuals to discover their perfect color match at an affordable price range. Chapter V provides recommendations on forming a business model and marketing strategy for Flesh and Bone Cosmetics.
ContributorsCuenca, Sondra Camille (Author) / Gray, Nancy (Thesis director) / Samper, Adriana (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Department of Management and Entrepreneurship (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
This study aimed to extend beyond existing research on the male-grooming industry to examine the reality of marketing an everyday cosmetic product to men. This thesis contains a two-part original research study involving a qualitative, exploratory study (Study 1) clarifying college-aged men's attitudes toward male grooming products and makeup for men; and a quantitative, experimental study (Study 2) created to test theories developed from Study 1. Study 1 discovered a pattern among male participants of citing functional/medicinal qualities of male-grooming products as their justification for purchase. Study 2 tested whether this could be applied to makeup by comparing the effects of two advertisements for male cosmetic products on the likelihood of purchase of the product advertised. The main implications of this research suggest that one way to integrate makeup for men into the mainstream market is to release products in free trials before releasing them for sale, since men in the study were somewhat likely to use a free sample of the product in the test advertisements, but unwilling to purchase it. Additionally, the presence of acne in the participants moderated the effects of the ads such that men without acne were more likely to try a cosmetic product when presented with the medicinal benefits of the product in addition to the appearance-enhancing benefits, rather than appearance-enhancing benefits alone. Overall, men with acne were more willing than men without acne to use the product, regardless of the advertising appeal.
ContributorsGibson, Jessica Lajoie (Author) / Eaton, Kathryn (Thesis director) / Lisjak, Monika (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
“Natural” Personal Care Product and Cosmetic Marketing: An Ideographic Analysis on Product Marketing
Description
The discussion of the word “natural” in product marketing and its power to persuade consumers is not often discussed. Research on consumer behavior surrounding “natural” products is compelling due to the current lack of research on the topic and true meaning of the word. Without any legal guidelines for the marketed use of the word “natural” in the sale of personal care products and cosmetics, consumers’ perceptions of the “naturally” marketed items are subjective. Additionally, brands identify with the word “natural” in different ways, using the word as an ideograph to suggest brand enhancing associations to consumers without legally needing to support these associations.
The following thesis is a creative project that looks at all facets of the “natural” personal care product and cosmetics industry. This includes the origin, history of use, regulations, and consumers’ understanding of the word “natural” in marketing, as well as the identity of the word “natural” as an ideograph. In addition, this project illustrates in-depth analyses of the three major consumer segments of this industry. These analyses uncover each consumer type’s perceived connotations of the word “natural” in personal care product and cosmetics and their characteristics and buying behavior. Lastly, this project features a plan for a digital marketing campaign to showcase this research and incite discussion that raises awareness surrounding the word “natural” in the beauty space.
The following thesis is a creative project that looks at all facets of the “natural” personal care product and cosmetics industry. This includes the origin, history of use, regulations, and consumers’ understanding of the word “natural” in marketing, as well as the identity of the word “natural” as an ideograph. In addition, this project illustrates in-depth analyses of the three major consumer segments of this industry. These analyses uncover each consumer type’s perceived connotations of the word “natural” in personal care product and cosmetics and their characteristics and buying behavior. Lastly, this project features a plan for a digital marketing campaign to showcase this research and incite discussion that raises awareness surrounding the word “natural” in the beauty space.
ContributorsPaulson, Katherine (Author) / Hass, Mark (Thesis director) / Gray, Nancy (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-12
Description
The cosmetic industry has a significant lack of data on sustainability practices. The global market for cosmetics is expected to grow from $288 billion in 2021 to $415 billion in 2028 as more people populate the globe (Cosmetics Market Size, Share, & COVID-19 Impact Analysis, 2022). This research paper analyzes sustainability within the cosmetic industry. Specifically, comparing the practices between The Body Shop and Bath & Body Works. To test the hypothesis that The Body Shop is more sustainable than Bath & Body Works, a case study analysis was conducted to measure the companies’ performance in the environmental, economic, and social sectors. Comparable metrics were selected, and a pairwise comparison was completed to weigh the different metrics. To analyze the results, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used to ensure consistency in metric weights, and a Mann-Whitney U test was used to analyze the sector's final weights. The results verified the hypothesis that The Body Shop was more sustainable than Bath & Body Works. In all, the results support the idea that the cosmetic industry needs stronger regulations and oversight of cosmetic companies’ sustainability impact. One of the most prevalent limitations of this study is the lack of transparency and information from cosmetic companies. Moving forward, it is recommended to use data from multiple years with key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess sustainability performance more accurately.
ContributorsAbraham, Bridget (Author) / Koster, Auriane (Thesis director) / Alcantara, Christiane (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / Watts College of Public Service & Community Solut (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor)
Created2022-05
Description
A deep dive into the cosmetic industry and social media marketing influence. Referencing the changes of social media throughout the years and the importance of using social media platforms to market a product. Includes a Rare Beauty case study to dive into the effects of social media on the cosmetic industry.
ContributorsPara, Olivia (Author) / Eaton, John (Thesis director) / Palmer, James (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor)
Created2023-12