Marketing Communications

CASE 7 243

Table 7.9 Brand image of Biotherm in Spain

Strengths Weaknesses

z Image/value z Eau Naturelle Bienfaisante (more sea-water) at the heart

of life → Freshness, Cleanliness, Health, Physical and

psychological effects Research: confidence, scientific

z What about origins – of the

water – of the brand?

z Product offer z Simple and serious offering

z Enhancement of Make-up offer

z ‘Mission’ for hydration + refreshing, regenerating and

relaxing actions

z Good value for money

z Lack of substance (Well-being,

health)

z A d s z Attractive colour (Celluli-choc, Hair Resource)

z Central role of regenerating water

z Agua! Too much water, pale, lack of

consistency

z Target z Woman aged 30–40, natural, spontaneous, sporty

Bohemian (20–30) and non-conformist (ut.Clinique)

z Women are too smooth, disincarnate,

not convivial enough, lack seduction

z Lack of assertion

Table 7.10 Brand image of Biotherm in France

Strengths Weaknesses

z Image/value z Natural, simplicity, freshness, dynamism, healthy z Lack of seduction, feminity, sensuality

z Product offer z Strong water, tonifying, hydrating, freshness, relaxing

z Natural ingredients

z Lack of status for younger

z Too pharmaceutical

z A d s z More selective; more modern z Lack of dream

z Lack of sensoriality

z Target z More young people: 25–35 z Not fashion

for younger consumers, and the product has too ‘phar-

maceutical’ a feel. Consumers in all three countries agree

that the advertisements for Biotherm lack life, emotion,

dynamism, dream and sensoriality.

Men and body care

In a 2003 study, Publicis investigated which taboos had

disappeared from the masculine mind the years before, and

what significant new behavioural patterns appeared to have

emerged; in other words, what were the new ways in which

men could be addressed? Four key points of communication

were identified. They are summarised in Figure 7.9. Almost

half of the men today like the idea of having a masculine

and feminine side, especially young men. The result is a

‘blurring’ of behaviour: muscles and health, but also youth,

perfection and facial beauty are important. There is a growing

trend among men to care for their appearance and to care

about themselves. Skin care is considered to be at the

crossroads of physical hygiene and the desire to seduce.

Being authentic, good-looking and seductive is increasingly

important. A large proportion of men want to have more

free time to take care of themselves. And sport, along with

gay culture, is one of the main points of attention of the

New Man. But the ‘eternal man’ remains eternal. Values

such as being in control, strong, ambitious, forceful, and full

of authority are still positively valued, and preferred to a

man who is passive, hesitating and lost in dreams.

Biotherm Homme

The skin and skin treatment of men and women are funda-

mentally different in a number of ways. Men have between

6000 and 25 000 facial hairs, much more than women.

Typically, men spend 3000 hours of their lives shav ing (i.e.

140 days). A man’s skin is more oily and more susceptible

to acne, and is 16% to 20% thicker than a woman’s skin,

and therefore less fragile. On the other hand, a man’s skin

tends to age more rapidly, and wrinkles appear more quickly.

Therefore, there is a need for a skin care product especially

designed for men. Additionally, the aforementioned evolu-

tion in men’s attitude towards body care signals a market

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