Maybelline is a makeup brand that was first identified by Tom Lyle Williams in 1915. The product came about after Williams spotted his sister using Vaseline mixed with coal ash to make her eyelashes appear darker and he immediately thought of making a make-up product out of it (Phillips 21). He managed to locally manufacture the product and named it after his sister who was called Maybel, which he combined with Vaseline to come up with the product name Maybelline, that later took the market by storm as they recorded huge sales both locally and internationally. After accumulating revenues from the sales, the company ventured into manufacturing modern cosmetics like eye-shadow make-up called Maybelline Cake Mascara that was a unique product and the first one of its kind in the market. They made use of movie stars and celebrities of the time like Sarah Michelle Gellar, Fasha Reiy and Jessica White to market and promote their products.
Their advertising slogan that was adopted in the early 1990s was, “Maybe She’s Born With It. Maybe It’s Maybelline” (DeNavarre 37). The Maybelline Company has scaled heights in the industry from a small mail-order catalogue business to a global cosmetic industry that now produces a wide range of eye and facial products. Maybelline cosmetic products are manufactured using a mixture of stearate soap, zinc oxide, tartrazine used mainly for lipstick products, Iron oxide or carminic acid that produces a strong red color and is obtained from cochineal insects, sunscreen agents, rehydration agents, seed oil and refined petroleum among other ingredients that made it appear oily and scented.
It was now more appealing and promising than the earlier versions that had foul smell and unrefined texture. Research has show that most cosmetics contain high concentrations of toxins and harmful chemical ingredients that may result in skin irritation, acnes or cancer. Unfortunately, food and drug administration (FDA) who are concerned with certifying product safety before releasing to the consumers have very little control over the ingredients the cosmetic firms use when manufacturing their products. Some of the harmful chemicals include formaldehyde, coal tar and hydroxyl acids that are carcinogenic and may cause cancer hence such components should not be used and if used then should be in very minimal quantities (Phillips 99).
The working thesis for this particular essay is, “the role of advertisement in promoting Maybelline cosmetics” and from this thesis various aspects of product advertisement have been exemplified. Tom Lyle promoted his cosmetic products by packaging them in golden casings and placed advertisements on magazines like the Deliniator and the Pictorial Review magazines to gain publicity and attract more clients (DeNavarre 48). He made use of convincing words and eye catching pictorials to catch their attention. Advertising for Maybelline, he claimed that the product softens and moisturizes the eyelids and eyelashes. It also makes the hair have a deeper color and promote its faster growth. He also made use of affirming words like Maybelline is a genuine, natural, safe and authentic product that has been used by millions of women in the cosmetic industry for over a decade with perfect results and no side effects whatsoever.
These strategies worked the magic of creating a reputable image for the product and convincing many women and beauty pageants to use them. Marketing strategy is a layout plan by an organization to promote the sale of its products and attain substantial publicity among its target customers. It basically entails examining the market situation and the competitors and analyzing the target market before settling on the most effective distribution channel. Identifying an appropriate marketing channel is critical as it determines how the products will get to the target consumers. Some of the marketing strategies documented by Wilber Alberts in his Journal on, Marketing Strategic Models included pricing strategy, product differentiation, SWOT analysis concept, branding, internet marke