The following is a marketing plan for a suggested new product for the popular skincare brand, Kate McLeod. This plan was developed as a marketing exercise for graduate school and is not affiliated with Kate McLeod. All information was gathered through online research. Part 1 of the marketing plan includes sections outlining the suggested new product, the value proposition of this product, a summary of the company, as well as direct and indirect competitors to the company.
The Product
The product being presented is The Crown Stone, a luxurious hair oil to soothe and restore the scalp, protect strands during everyday styling, and help support hair growth. This is an entirely new product for the brand, building on the recent additions to the bath line, including The Pebble Stone and Shower Oil (Shop All, Kate McLeod, n.d.). The Crown Stone is a solid hair oil with a clean scent that nourishes and invigorates the scalp and leaves hair feeling light and moisturized. The hair oil is applied either by rubbing directly on the scalp and hair or indirectly by rubbing between hands and then working through scalp and hair with fingers. With this stone, Kate McLeod will nourish and smooth customer’s skin from tip to toe through each step of personal care – deepening reach into bath and shower care, skincare, and haircare categories with thoughtful, sustainable luxury.
Value Proposition
Kate McLeod sticks to “simple ingredients for moisturizing results you can see and feel” (About Us, n.d.). The customers for this brand are looking for products with natural ingredients that deliver a luxurious experience to nourish, smooth, and moisturize each area of their skin. With the Body Stone, Kate McLeod “created the product you didn’t know you needed and now cannot live without” (Carlson, 2022). This is done by delivering quality yet “unexpected” products in “the body care and skincare category” (Carlson, 2022).
The Crown Stone is no exception. This solid hair oil bar is easy to apply and will seamlessly be incorporated into customers’ haircare and hair styling routines while providing deep benefits to their scalp and the health of their hair (only with a new way to apply hair oil). Additionally, The Crown Stone does all this using truly eco-friendly ingredients, eco-friendly production and manufacturing processes, and zero plastic for consumers, all while being made in New York’s Hudson Valley. Kate McLeod provides products customers can feel good about purchasing while knowing they will get top-of-the-line, luxury products. Kate McLeod customers desire sustainability without sacrifice.
The Kate McLeod customer desires the same benefits whether located in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, or elsewhere. It can be tempting to provide different messaging for different countries for “maximum local advantage” (Creative Commons, 2012). However, since Kate McLeod customers have the means to travel, it is important that if they encounter these products in international retailers, they are presented with familiar messaging. Maintaining the same messaging worldwide will prevent Kate McLeod customers from being “confused by the different messages in different parts of the world” (Creative Commons, 2012) which will be important as the brand continues to scale. To better appeal to international audiences, Kate McLeod will be sure to partner with regional retailers that align with the brand’s values and quality standards (Stockists, n.d.).
The Company
Kate McLeod was started by one founder of the same name. Kate was a pastry chef who suffered from dry skin. She leveraged her knowledge in the kitchen to experiment with cocoa butter to make a solid moisturizer that “glides on like silk – without the sticky wax, preservatives, synthetics, or stabilizers traditionally used to make lotion bars” (About Us, n.d.). The Body Stone delivers two main benefits to consumers: it provides a luxurious and nourishing natural moisturizer while tackling “the biggest culprits of waste in the beauty industry” (About Us, n.d.), namely water consumption and plastic packaging (About Us, n.d.). Kate McLeod’s products are the result of years of testing to perfect the recipes, giving customers sustainable products without sacrificing quality or results.
The innovative, sustainable product lines encompass solid lotion bars priced between $38 and $45; solid bath and shower oils priced at $48; solid face moisturizers priced at $68; skincare sets priced between $30 and $136; and accessories including a dry brush, a gua sha, a body mitt, bags, and various canisters and dishes priced between $12 and $80 (Shop All, Kate McLeod, n.d.). As stated on the Kate McLeod website: “Our mission. We make safe, effective products that bring intentioned moments of care and everyday magic to people’s lives.” (About Us, n.d.). The brand is consumer facing and products are sold directly to customers from the Kate McLeod website or are available at partner websites and local retailers.
Competitors and Collaborators
Kate McLeod created a space entirely its own. Because of the brand’s positioning, there is not another sustainable luxury skin nourishing brand on the market with Kate McLeod’s market share. The direct competitors to the brand have similar brand values while selling comparable products at the same price points. This section will analyze the direct and indirect competitors for the brand and the direct competitor for The Crown Stone, starting with the indirect competitors. The indirect competitors sell comparable products in overlapping categories.
An indirect competitor for Kate McLeod is Bite Toothpaste Bits, which makes zero waste toiletry items. The company started with solid toothpaste bits sold in a glass jar. From there, it expanded to offer additional toiletry items including a solid lotion bar. The Body Balm Solid Moisturizer retails for $28. This initial investment includes a $12 gold Refillable Case. The Body Balm Refills are inserted into the Refillable Case. The Body Balm is applied to skin from “hands to toe” (Body Balm Solid Moisturizer, n.d.) like a deodorant. The Body Balm is comparable to the Kate McLeod stones in that it is made without water or “any harsh preservatives or parabens” (Body Balm Solid Moisturizer, n.d.). However, Kate McLeod uses high-quality fractionated coconut oil as a stabilizer while the Body Balm the less quality and cheaper ingredient, hydrogenated castor oil. The target consumers of the two brands are not the same. Both consumers of Bite Toothpaste Bits and Kate McLeod are environmentally conscious, but Bite Toothpaste Bit customers are more focused on the purchasing price than the quality of the products and are willing to sacrifice on the manufacturing process and the quality of the ingredients to achieve a low price. Finally, Bite Toothpaste Bits is positioned as an affordable, environmentally friendly toiletry brand while Kate McLeod is positioned as a luxury skincare brand.
The next indirect competitor is Ethique. Ethique specializes in plastic-free toiletry products. The core products of the brand are solid shampoo, conditioner, and body wash bars that are manufactured with biodegradable ingredients and packaged without plastics. The brand has branched out to solid lotion bars, solid skincare bars, a solid laundry stain remover bar, solid pet wash bars, and concentrates that include core product line products and household cleansers. The concentrates are sold in solid form and are dissolved in hot water. These can be poured into reusable bottles by the consumer. The Ethique Body Moisturizer bar retails at $13 and is packaged in “a handy plastic-free compostable tube” (Body Moisturizers, n.d.). Ethique prioritizes packaging waste by using compostable paper and sustainably produced, biodegradable ingredients. Ethique is positioned as an affordable, sustainable household products brand while Kate McLeod is positioned as a luxury skincare brand. Ethique consumers are concerned about their household budget and would like a one-stop-shop for plastic-free household cleaners as well as toiletry items, which are not the same goals as Kate McLeod customers.
The final indirect competitor of Kate McLeod is a direct competitor to Bite Toothpaste Bits. Pretty Frank is a natural toiletry brand that specializes in deodorant, called Primal Pit Paste. Pretty Frank has expanded to deodorizing body powders, body lotion, lip moisturizers, and oral care products such as Tough Teeth Mineral Tooth Powder. Unlike Bite Toothpaste Bits, Pretty Frank is not plastic-free. Instead, Pretty Frank features “ingredients you can actually pronounce” (Lotion Bar, n.d.). A specific ingredient that Pretty Frank does not use is petroleum, stating “it’s not worth it” (Lotion Bar, n.d.). The Natural Lotion Bar is packaged in eco-friendly, plastic-free packaging and has similar claims to the Bite Toothpaste Bits Body Balm Solid Moisturizer: “No petroleum. No parabens. No synthetics” (Lotion Bar, n.d.). It is also waterless, like the Kate McLeod stones (Lotion Bar, n.d.). The Pretty Frank Lotion Bar retails for $15. Pretty Frank is positioned as an affordable, natural toiletry brand, which is different than Kate McLeod’s positioning as a luxury skincare brand. The customers for each of these brands have different goals and expectations of product ingredients, packaging, and application experience.
Linear Beauty is a direct competitor to Kate McLeod, though it does not yet have the market share of the brand. The brand has a small range of products that are in-line with Kate McLeod’s product line at the same price points. The Linear Beaty Cocoa Lotion Bar XL retails for $32 and has an optional Lotion Bar Vessel for $30, which houses the Lotion Bar XL. The Linear Beauty Lotion Bar XL is made with only five ingredients and is designed for use “all over the body” (Cocoa Lotion Bar XL, n.d.). The Lotion Bar XL features a flat side to apply on “larger areas” (Cocoa Lotion Bar XL, n.d.) and a round side for “smaller areas” (Cocoa Lotion Bar XL, n.d.) such as the lips or hands (Cocoa Lotion Bar XL, n.d.). The brand has a similar focus as Kate McLeod’s on quality, natural ingredients that provide a luxurious experience without sacrificing results at a comparable price point. The rest of the product line includes Tremella Toning Mist, Baobab Face Oil, Turmeric and Oatmeal Soap, Cocoa Lotion Bar Mini, Shea Body Butter, Organic French Terry Washcloth, Natural Sea Wool Sponge, and Dopp Kit with retail prices between $10 and $42 (Shop, n.d.). Both Kate McLeod and Linear Beauty are positioned as luxury skincare brands and the customer is the same for both brands. Linear Beauty does not offer a liquid or solid hair oil.
None of the product offerings from the direct or indirect competitors include a scalp care product or a hair oil product. Gisou is a haircare brand and is not currently a direct competitor to the Kate McLeod brand, though Gisou will be when The Crown Stone is introduced. Gisou’s core product is the Honey Infused Hair Oil, retailing at $87 for a 3.4 oz glass bottle (Shop All, Gisou, n.d.). Gisou features a deep product line for all aspects of haircare, including Hair Perfume Pocket Size, Hair Oil Travel Size, Leave-In Conditioner, Hydrating Cleanse and Care Set, Hair Oil Mini, Face Oil, Heat Protecting Spray, Beauty Balm, Polishing Primer, Conditioner, Hair Mask, Double Honey Duo, Body Oil, Hair Mask Travel Size, Texturing Wave Spray, Scalp Treatment, Conditioner Mini, The Essentials Set, Mirsalehi Honey Scented Candle, Lip Oil, Prep and Prime Pack, Wash and Go Combo, Travel Size Series, The Soak and Scent Set, The Propolis Triplet, Hair Wash Mini, Honey Power Pack, Smooth and Shine Set6, Hair Wash, The Honey Rescue, Deep Treatment Duo, The Super Shower Trio, The Pre-Styler Set, The Glow and Scent Set, Double Honey Oil Duo, The Final Touch Set, Iconic Oils Set, and Iconic Oils Travel Size (Shop All, Gisou, n.d.). These products retail from between $13 to $130 (Shop All, Gisou, n.d.). While Gisou is not plastic-free, the brand states it is a “complete haircare and styling line made with honey and propolis, sustainably sourced from the Mirsalehi Bee Garden” (Shop All, n.d.). The positioning of Gisou as a luxury haircare brand is like the positioning of Kate McLeod as a luxury skincare brand, with customers who most likely shop both brands. The Crown Stone will compete directly with Gisou’s Honey Infused Hair Oil both online and in-store at retail partners.
References
About Us. (n.d.). Kate McLeod. Retrieved from https://www.katemcleod.com/pages/about
Body Balm Solid Moisturizer. (n.d.). Bite Toothpaste Bits. Retrieved from https://bitetoothpastebits.com/products/body-balm-subscription
Body Moisturizers. (n.d.). Ethique. Retrieved from https://ethique.com/collections/body-moisturise
Cocoa Lotion Bar XL. (n.d.). Linear Beauty. Retrieved from https://linearbeauty.com/shop/cocoa-lotion-bar-xl
Creative Commons. (2012). In Global Strategy: Vol. Adaptation or Aggregation: The Value Proposition Globalization Matrix. https://2012books.lardbucket.org/books/global-strategy/s08-02-adaptation-or-aggregation-the-.html
Hair Balm: Coconut Primrose. (2015, July). Chagrin Valley Soap and Salve. https://www.chagrinvalleysoapandsalve.com/products/hair-balm-coconut-primrose.
Kate McLeod [@katemcleod]. (2023, March). @skincarestandar’s favorite part of her morning routine: the Soothe Face Stone [hand emoji][star emoji] [Video]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cp0LYymgaEB/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Lotion Bar. (n.d.). Pretty Frank. Retrieved from https://pretty-frank.com/products/lotion-bar
Shop. (n.d.). Linear Beauty. Retrieved from https://linearbeauty.com/shop
Shop All. (n.d.). Gisou. Accessed from https://us.gisou.com/collections/shop-all
Shop All. (n.d.). Kate McLeod. Retrieved from https://www.katemcleod.com/collections/all
Stockists. (n.d.). Kate McLeod. Retrieved from https://www.katemcleod.com/pages/stockists