Principles of Marketing: Shampoo Case Study

This report analyzes the marketing strategies of two popular shampoos, Head and Shoulders and Pantene Lady's shampoo. It examines their target market, product/brand strategies, pricing, distribution channels, and promotional tactics. The report also provides recommendations for improving their marketing strategies.

PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING

Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................3
Target market...............................................................................................................................3
Product/Brand..............................................................................................................................4
Price.............................................................................................................................................5
Place.............................................................................................................................................5
Promotion....................................................................................................................................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Marketing principles can be defined as the ideas or principles on which organizations
marketing strategy has been built upon. These principles can be used by various organization
increase brand experience and satisfaction level of consumers. Present report will lay emphasis
on pair of two shampoos. One is head and shoulders shampoo and other is Pantene Lady’s
shampoo. Head and shoulders have 20% market share of overall global market. It consists of
15% of the shampoo market. Pantene lady’s shampoo has 21% market share and they have also
expanded their market share by 3%. Report will lay emphasis on the product and service
strategies followed by both shampoos. It will also provide pricing strategy that has been followed
by them. Assignment will also lay emphasis on the place and promotion tactics of both company.
MAIN BODY
Target market
Head and shoulder shampoo is being engaged in targeting the men and women which are
between the age of 25-35. Company is involved in targeting both type of gender. Firm is
involved in targeting consumers who are earning at-least that much which can satisfy their basic
needs. They are targeting individuals who are living normal life style. The head and shoulder
shampoo is also available in small sachet, so that it can be affordable also by people who have
moderate level of income. This shampoo mainly targets those consumers who are suffering from
problem of dandruff (Baker and Saren, 2016). The main focus of the company is regional
market. They are basically engage in targeting higher middle class people. They target
individuals who are early adopter and are most concerned about their health. Head and shoulder
shampoo target people who are suffering from problem of early scalp. In order to overcome this
problem company is engage in providing the solution at a low cost and high quality. This has
supported firm in growing their market.
Pantene Lady’s shampoo is being involve in targeting mainly the female of age between
twenty to forty. The main aim of shampoo is to provide women with strong and long black hair.
Company is laying focus on women of higher middle class family who are more concerned with
their beauty aspects. Pantene Lady’s shampoo is also providing service to higher upper class
group(Baker and Saren, 2016). It uses psychographic segmentation to target people with a
certain lifestyle and aspiration with respect to hair. Organization is targeting individuals who
have affordable careers. The shampoo provides females with benefits like it completely

nourishes their hair. They are targeting the women of have proactive living and a healthy life
style. Pantene Lady shampoo provides female with long and healthy hair that also makes them
feel confident. So this aspect has also increased the sales of shampoo. Company also positions
itself as the affordable alternative for salon brand. People instead of going to salon can make use
of this shampoo so that their hair naturally looks strong (Bake and Hart, 2016).
Product/Brand
Functional and emotional level- Both the shampoos differ at functional and emotional
level. Like for example Pantene Lady’s shampoo target women who are beauty conscious while
head and shoulders target population who are health conscious.
Levitt Model of Brand- This model will explain the approaches adopted by both head and
shoulder shampoo and Pantene lady’s shampoo.
Shape, packaging and design:
Head and Shoulder shampoo has re-designed its bottle by giving it a shape of Laurie. This
significantly presents its brand value by making a balance in appealing beauty and scientific
nature of product. In contrast Pantene lady’s shampoo has provide a crown shape bottle with a
colourful ring on the upside. This can enhance the experience of users (Macarthy, 2018).
Generic Core goods and service: Head and shoulder shampoo is involved in providing
solutions to the problem like dandruff which is faced by all common men and women. They are
also providing their services in regional market. The shampoo consists of Pyrithione Zinc that is
a s must ingredient for clearing dandruff(Kuwornu, Saqib and Moreno, 2018). In contrast
Pantene Lady’s shampoo has been acted as an oil replacement product for the people who have a
continuous urge for oiling their hair. Company is involved in providing sulphate free shampoo,
so that the hair of females become naturally strong and black.
Expected product and service: It has been analysed that Head and shoulder shampoo is
involved in analysing the hair problems that are being faced by people who are living in lower
region, so they are planning to come up with an ultimate solution to solve their problem.
Company is also thinking of providing the conditioner at more affordable prices so that they can
be purchased by more number of people. In contrast Pantene Lady’s shampoo is expected to also
come up with a face wash that can be provided to women who are facing problem of facing
pimple because of dandruff (Key and Czaplewski, 2017).

Potential product and service: Head and shoulder shampoo in order to hold the customer
are providing them with service at low prices and high quality. They are also delivering the
shampoo in sachet, which can also increase the sale and purchased by most of the consumer
(Datta, Ailawadi and Van Heerde, 2017). In contrast Pantene’s lady shampoo is being involved
in keeping a hold on female customers. They are involved in providing them with black and long
hair by giving them high quality shampoo.
Aaker’s Brand Personality Framework:
Head and shoulder shampoo suits those people who really follows healthy life style and
have to overcome with problem of Dandruff while Pantene Lady’s shampoo is best suited for
females who have affordable careers and more beauty conscious.
Price
There has been various competitive pricing strategy that can be adopted by both the companies
like for example differential, skimming pricing. But the Head shoulder shampoo and Pantene
Lady shampoo has been engage in following these pricing strategy.
Head and shoulder pricing strategy Pantene’s lady shampoo pricing strategy
Head and shoulder shampoo is being involved
in following penetrating pricing strategy in
which the prices are set initially low and then
when the market is being set they increase
range of price (Liu and Chou, 2016). It helps in
increasing the customer base and also supports
firm in attracting more consumers. This has
also supported company in selling out large
amount of products and services.
Pantene’s lady shampoo is being involved in
following the differential pricing strategy. In
this they keep the price of products similar or
at higher level to their competitors. This
supports them in attracting more female
consumers. It creates loyal customers.
Place
Head and shoulders has large channel of distribution. Companies products and services are
firstly distributed to wholesalers then to retailers. They also provide their shampoo to super
markets (Ferrell and Speh, 2017). Firm also reach out local market, hyper market and small
shops. The shampoo has maximised distribution as it can be afforded by lower middle class
people. This product is available at various stores and can be easily accessible by consumers.
This depicts the brand value that no other branch has matched its level of sales, as the product is

available at so many stores. By being available at all the stores such as super market and hyper
market, the company has also gain competitive advantage.
Pantene Lady’s shampoo is following the old age channel where they contact wholesalers
and retailers for selling out the product. They have maximised their distribution because they are
only targeting females of higher middle class family. They also deal in selling their products
online (Zhang and Wang, 2019). Shampoo is being sold at various places like China, France,
Australia, India, United Kingdom and many more. The Pantene female shampoo is easily
available at various super markets. It is only accessible by females with affordable income. This
has supported them in creating their customer base.
Promotion
Head and Shoulders shampoo is making use of various promotional techniques like for
example they are advertising their shampoo on newspaper, television, radio and other channels.
They are also doing celebrity endorsement so that the sales of their shampoo increases. By
advertising with help of print media and television the firm is reaching out large number of
consumers (Cacciolatti and Lee, 2016). They are also advertising the sachet that is being
provided by them. By advertising on television company is also able to target the rural
population and regional market. This has also increased the profitability of goods and increased
the brand value of company.
Pantene Lady’s shampoo is making use of promotional methods like advertising through
social media channels like for example Facebook, Instagram, Twitter. They have also created
their website in which company is engaged in solving out the queries and problems that has
being faced by consumers (Morgan and et.al., 2019). They are also advertising the shampoo by
making use of celebrity endorsement. Like they are using various female entrepreneurs in the
advertisement to reach out female consumers. In this they are also giving social message with the
help of female entrepreneurs. So this has supported company in showing out its brand value.
CONCLUSION
From the above study it has been summarised that both companies are working at different
functional and emotional level. It has also been analysed in report that Head and shoulders
shampoo has been involved in providing the solution to problem of scalp and dandruff to both
men and women. Report analysed that Pantene Lady’s shampoo has been involved in giving long

and black hair to only females. Report has analysed that Head and shoulders has been involved
in targeting lower level middle class while Pantene Lady’s shampoo is targeting women who
have affordable lifestyle.
RECOMMENDATION
Both the shampoos should engage in making use of advancing techniques to increase the
sale like for example they can make use of online channels to take feedback from their
consumers. They can also involve in creating public relation so that sales of products increases.

REFERENCES
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