L'Oreal Meeting November 19th

L’Oreal Meeting
November 19th (Izzy, Katie, Erin)

Key Points Discussed

• Looking at adverts aimed at men and picking out key words that are used frequently. Why are these words used? Why do they attract the consumer? Meaning behind them/connotations etc. We could create a visual map of the most popular words used to market to men.

• When analysing adverts consider the ‘Ego boost’ mentality. Look at how adverts are used to make man feel good and feel like ‘the man’. Words and phrases such as ‘BANG’ and ‘You own it, live it’ etc (When considering the salon experience must think about that mentality and the way men like to feel like they own the room. How can this be translated into the grooming industry?)

• Look at all hair brands that exist within L’Oreal (male and female) and analyse them.

• During the focus group we could show men different types of adverts and ask them which ones do they think they are supposed to buy into? Which ones are targeted at them? (Will be interesting to see which ones they are attracted to)

• Research the ‘Evolution of the modern man’. Collect information relating to the development of the modern man through ‘lad culture’, metrosexual, ‘silver fox’ all these different phrases and the men that represent them. (Will come in handy when we segment the target consumer into more specific categories and we can identify different trends within the male personality type) We could maybe create a visual timeline which would document the evolution of the modern man and what that means for L’Oreal?

• What is the motivation for going to a salon? Convenience? Adverts drawing you in? Know you are going to get good service? Educational/Consultation purposes? To switch off/relax? Before a night out? Need to get more consumer insight in this area and think of innovative ways that we can do this.

• Professional. When marketing the L’Oreal Professionnel products and treatments in salons we could think of it from a perspective of marketing to the consumer as ‘The Professional’. This would promote the brand as developed for the more sophisticated consumer who knows more about grooming and needs a higher standard of product to use. Could appeal to the older man who is more established in his career/life and feels like a pro so wants to use professional products.

• How do men speak to each other when women are not present? Looking at how men interact with each other might help us establish the most effective methods of marketing and how the L’Oreal Professionnel brand can interact with the consumer on a personal level. To start with we can research online forums (IMDB, Sports forums etc), Collect the page from More magazine ‘Men overheard’, Listen in bars/restaurants? (Perhaps organise an afternoon to do a covert mission to a bar and listen in to male conversation)

• Look at influential men used in advertising. Who do men admire? Apart from actors/sportsmen who else in the media could we use to promote the brand. Think professional to Professionnel. (Use of Business men? Millionaires, Genius) A more intelligent approach to finding the face of the brand? In line with the idea that the consumer for this brand is a cut above the rest.

• Need to really establish the brand DNA. Cool/Understated/Premium? What does the brand mean? Perhaps develop a brand essence model and really get under the skin of the brand.

• Consider the methods used by last years L’Oreal group when fitting a male cosmetics product into a male lifestyle they chose ‘pens’ an everyday object that fits into male life. How can WE fit salons into the male lifestyle? How can they become part of a weekly routine? Alongside going to the gym and going to football training.. Once a week they go to a salon. Is this possible? How can we integrate the salon experience into everyday life?

• Consider example from ‘The only way is Essex’ Kirk having a shower, getting dressed etc then going BACK to the salon and having his hair styled for a night out. Is there a trend here? Do men want more information on how to look good? Women are taught from a young age by mothers, magazines etc how to be beautiful. Men are only taught how to shave. How can salons help men to maximise their appearance? Which products can do this?

• In terms of THEORY consider the leaders/adopters? Who do we need to target that are going to start a male grooming trend that others will follow? Look at the Essex Boy. Is this a leader? Go on an ‘Essex Night Out’ and get research on how those types of men think and their grooming habits and what attracts them to looking good and visiting salons.

• Look at Macro and Micro trends in the market e.g Mad Men, Brad Pitts beard, Recession, World Cup etc

• Collect information and create a timeline of men’s hair trends and the external factors that effect these. E.g Politics, Society, Recession War etc. thinking do men have more military style short back and sides hair cuts during war times than in a financial boom where men might have more elaborate or longer hair styles as a reflection of wealth and taste.

• Create a ‘hair journal’ of before and after photos of men visiting a salon. Take a photo before they go in to the salon and interview the male on what they hope to get out of the experience, what they want from their haircut, how do they feel etc? Then after the hair cut take another photo and interview him about the experience. Positives and Negatives? Are you pleased with the hair cut? What did you like about the salon? How did you feel during the haircut? What would you change about the experience? (Matt has said he will do this as he needs a haircut this week!)

• Look at male beauty/grooming brands that have associated themselves with very masculine activities. For example Nivea using the world cup or army for their campaigns. Is this sort of marketing effective and why? Does it allow men to justify using grooming products if they are associated with something very masculine? Use Mintel research to back up this area of thinking. Is this something that L’Oreal Professionel Homme could do?

• Think about translating the male bar/vip table experience of a nightclub into a salon experience. The feeling of exclusivity, waitress service/host, complimentary drinks etc (Could tie in to the getting ready for a night out mentality) But mainly thinking about privacy, respect, cut above the rest type attitude of a VIP table and incorporating that into an effective salon experience.

• We need to research Technology and Sciences. Services that men want and how we can use innovations in technology to provide men with this. Thinking about how you can take new technologies within treatments and products and within online/digital and incorporate this into a desirable salon experience for the new male. How can we be innovative when thinking about technology in salons? (E.g something like permanent makeup but for men)

• We need to consider how the L’Oreal Professionnel brand can be communicated across a wide variety of salons. (All very well coming up with exclusive treatments, technologies and marketing but its not going to have the same effect in Peppers Nottingham as it will in The Refinery in Harrods.) Should there be some sort of exclusivity in terms of the status of a ‘Loreal Salon’ what does that mean? Should there be a hierarchy of salons? Should it only be available in certain salons on the condition that they stock the WHOLE range and not just part of it? How can we promote that ‘Professional’ ‘Expert’ image across a wide range of different levels of salons? If this cant be done how can you reduce limitations in this area.




For Tuesday

• Go and buy L’Oreal products all together in the morning.
• While we are buying the products scope out the key competitors and pick out 6 of the main ones that we think are the largest threat to L’Oreal Professionnel.
• Collect adverts from competitors and ones aimed at men (Wide variety of products/brands)
• Create a competitor chart together in the afternoon that covers the USP, Mission Statement, Brand essence etc of our 6 KEY competitors.
• Try and organise a meeting with Gillian for Monday or Tuesday in order to talk through our ideas as we are missing the tutorial on Thurs.
• Plan what we are going to do for the focus group. In the meantime all try and think of things we can do to get relevant info at the focus group and then Tues we will put all our ideas together and come up with an effective structure.
• Need to really get inside the head of a man. What do they want? How do they want to feel? What makes them feel good?