Marketing Report: Competitor Analysis of The Body Shop

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of The Body Shop's marketing and communication strategies. It begins with an introduction outlining the brand's history and purpose, followed by an examination of customer needs, wants, and demands. The report then delves into the marketing en...Read More

Marketing and
Communications Course 1

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1: NEEDS, WANTS AND DEMANDS .............................................................................1
a.) Discussing importance of Body shop and needs, wants and demand of customers..........1
b.) Identifying the marketing concept that could company adopts.......................................2
TASK 2: MARKETING ENVIRONMENT ...................................................................................3
a.) Analyzing marketing environment....................................................................................3
Social and Environmental factors. .........................................................................................3
c.) Competitor analysis...........................................................................................................4
d.) Competitor analysis of the Body shop in the UK.............................................................4
e.) Findings of the competitor analysis...................................................................................6
TASK 3: MARKETING MIX ........................................................................................................6
a.) Identifying the company Marketing Mix concept.............................................................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES ...............................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Marketing communication is a fundamental and complex part of a company. As
per defined by different authors and sources communication in marketing is very essential for the
company attain objectives and goals. It is the broad concept which has mainly two objectives one
is to create new demand preference for product and another one is to shorten the sales cycle.
Present study is based on marketing communication strategies followed in Body Shop. The study
is based on case study to explore the new marketing events and strategies to get over from the
high competition. It is the large British international brand in cosmetic sector. They started their
career in 1976 by selling just only 25 products. They started their career from very small level by
selling natural and organic cosmetic products to the buyers.
In 2006, Anita dick sold the Body Shop to cosmetics big company L'Oreal at price of
£652m. After this contract again L'Oreal sold the company again to Natural for £880m. This is
one and first amongst the company who prohibit testing on animals to avoid chemical testing on
its body by the fair beauty commission. (Andrews and Shimp, 2017). Now company has more
than 300 products with more 3000 stores in 66 countries. Body shop has about 22,000 employees
working for its sustainability and profit making process.
Purpose
Marketing communication is the most crucial process in the marketing function that helps
to expand the company goodwill and long term process. The main purpose of this study is to
obtain new strategies and approaches to target global or local customers through best market
communication strategies (Armstrong and et.al., 2014). The main purpose of study is to
understand customer needs and wants according to demand goals.
TASK 1: NEEDS, WANTS AND DEMANDS
a.) Discussing importance of Body shop and needs, wants and demand of customers.
Needs and demands are the basic concept and most crucial concept for marketing
principles. It is the complex process to identify the customer needs and wants in order to make
sure best advantageous performance. In present scenario company is focused on the
differentiating its products on the basis of creativeness. Besides, Body Shop aim at identifying
product needs on the basis of their customer’s demands (Balmer, 2017).
Needs
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Needs is the another essential element to identify the human nature. Human needs are
divided into several manners. Such as physical needs for food, clothing, warmth and safety.
Social needs belong to affection whereas individual needs for knowledge and self-expression.
Every women or men needs good and healthy skin tone, for which the individuals invest lot on
the beauty and cosmetic products.
Wants
Wants are the form human needs which are shaped according to lifestyle and
environment. Women's always wants to look perfect and smart in front of everyone (Calter,
2017). Therefore, body shop offers organic products that consist less chemical and more
hygienic and herbal products.
Demand
Demand is the combination of needs and wants created by buyers. Marketing efforts of
companies always needs to be perfect and in terms of attaining goals and meeting demands of
customers. Moreover, customers are always attracted towards the natural products. Company
also make sure about the customer demand on the basis of current market trends. Demand is the
factor who set the supply outputs.
b.) Identifying the marketing concept that could company adopts.
Marketing orientation
The concept of marketing always bring differentiation in products and goals of firm. In
terms of present business world, customers are the king of market (Marketing Concepts And
Orientations, 2018). The main purpose of marketing orientation is to promote the company
products with the best promotional activities. (Carayannis, Sindakis and Walter, 2015).
Production orientation
The focus of the company is to reduce the cost of production over profit. A business
should have oriented or generated mass structure or strategies to reduce cost of production and
maximize profit revenue. Body shop could also adopt this production orientation strategy in
order to enhance the product efficiency and productivity level.
Sales orientation
The focus of the sales orientation is just to maximize the sales profit and also to attract
number of customers towards the product and services. However, sales manager could also adopt
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some promotional activities to enhance their sales process and leading charges. It is the high kind
of business approach of making good profit or the good focus on customers.
Market orientation
Market oriented companies are majorly focused on identifying need of their potential
customers. Marketing process endeavours to understand customer requirements and wants to
attract the number of customers (Fernandez and et.al., 2015).
Product orientation
Product orientation believes on producing the best product and services for the customers
to ensure productive growth of firm. In product orientation process. Body shop adopts the
strategy of superior products to attract the worldwide buyers.
TASK 2: MARKETING ENVIRONMENT
a.) Analysing marketing environment.
Business marketing environment is of two different types that is external and internal.
External environment specifies factors that affect business indirectly such as political, social,
technological, economical or legal. On the other hand, internal environment consist those factors
that affect business directly such as customers, suppliers, employees, stakeholders, etc. (Horner
and Swarbrooke, 2016). Body shop considers stability of both all internal and external factors
and to make the best possible action plan for the profitability of company. . For example, Body
shop is highly get affected from social factors through which the firm undergo low customer
approach and increasing competition.
Impact of environment on the organization is enormous and challenging to deal with. It is
essential for the company to measure the market environment changes for managing stability in
internal environment. Another factor that influence functioning of Body shop is fluctuating taxes
rates (Lee and et.al., 2015). This affect budget plans, funding supply department, production and
sales of
company.)
Social and Environmental factors.
Social Factor
Lifestyle of customers are constantly changing as per the new trends and demand of the
market. Beauty industry is generally facing high competition in the market with high branded
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companies which implements unique promotional plans to attain customer loyalty. Due to
changing lifestyle and increasing awareness customers have become more conscious about skin
products (Malhotra, 2015). Body shop needs to maintained a good image in front of the best
leading markets and makes the better transformation as per the customer needs. Also, in order to
enhance the social image company also needs to provide good hygienic products to the society.
Environmental factor
Company generally perform marketing functions in to identify the market situations and
other resources that company could adopt for their customers. Environmental factors are the
another driving forces that affect the business functions in order to meet the needs of customer
(Pearson, 2016). Environmental factors are challenging that affect the business through many
kinds such as government policy changes etc. In 1998, animal protection committee has banned
the testing on animals of beauty products.
Environmental challenges affect the cosmetic or beauty industry. Another example,
droughts and uncertain situations brings climatic change can influence the suppliers as well.
c.) Competitor analysis
Body shop is the one and only company which is ethical brand in the market with more
than 3,000 stores in 66 countries and selling more than 300 products (Perez, Green and Schaefer,
2018). The main aim of the company is to produce skin healthy products with great quality. By
producing friendly and natural products. The main competitors of the company worldwide are
Yves Rocher, Lush and Weleda, L'Occitane. These brands are also focusing on the organic
ingredients in order to protect environment. More other companies are more concern and
challenging about the quality and prices accordingly. Body shop owns wide range of products
such as bath and body, skin care, fragrances, make up and men line products.
L'Occitane : it is the another international retailer of body, face, fragrances and home
products. It is the competitor of Body shop in term of its cosmetic products. Some of its products
are highly popular and effective for skin such as skin oil from wild rosemary and lavender which
they sold at open air markets.
d.) Competitor analysis of the Body shop in the UK.
Competitors analysis table
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Factors Strength Weaknes
ses
Competitor
A (Alliance
Boots
GmbH)
Competitor
B (Bath &
Body
Works,
LLC)
Competitor C
(Sephora
USA, Inc.)
Body shop
Price Company
sustain
their best
opportuni
ty and
goals.
Prices are
too
different
and high
if
compare
to other
brand.
They manage
their prices
on the basis
of customer
preference
(Perez, Green
and Schaefer,
2018).
It offers
diverse
prices of
products and
services as
per the
demand of
the product
and
customers.
Self-owned and
very
indicatively
designed.
Sephora
manage prices
strategy with
the help of
competitive
pricing
strategies.
Body shop
carrying the
premium
prices on the
basis of its
premium
luxurious
products.
Quality Quality of
the
company’
s products
is
plagiarize
d.
Company
needs to
focus on
the
quality of
the
products
(Piercy
2014).
Alliance
maintained
their quality
of products
as per the
customer
need.
As per the
other
competitors
it has low
quality of
products.
They manage
their quality at
high level.
They
maintained the
high quality of
natural
products.
Stores Store is
the place
where
customer
can easily
Store or
company
location is
also
become
It is located
in Bern,
Switzerland
and
operational
They are
spread
across UK.
It has self-
owned stores
which are
indicatively
designed.
They have
more than
3000 stores
across 66
countries.
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reach to
the
products.
the
weakness
es for the
company
if they
cannot
approach
number of
high
customers
.
headquarters
in
Nottingham
and
Weybridge
and United
Kingdom.
Benefits Benefits
of the
strength
will make
company
more
profitable
and
effective.
Company
with
having
low offers
and
benefits
could also
face low
customer
attraction.
It focuses on
better
connectivity
with
customers
(Fernandez
and et.al.,
2015).
It focuses on
attracting
number of
customers.
It focuses on
consumer
satisfaction
They provide
different
benefits and
faculties to
their
customers.
Such as
seasonal sales,
discount etc.
e.) Findings of the competitor analysis
On the basis of above analysis it has been determined that there is high competition level
in beauty industry. Alliance Boots GMBH is the another cosmetic company that provides
contract of manufacturing services to pharmaceutical industry. They focus on strength,
weaknesses, opportunities for improvement.
Bath body works has one low or successful promotions of natural care products with
inefficient supply chain.
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TASK 3: MARKETING MIX
a.) Identifying the company Marketing Mix concept
i. Product and service offering
Body shop is the multinational brand which has more than 1200 products with one more
core element that is eco-friendly and natural products. It provides wide variety of product and
services. Such as they offering products according to skin texture or product also based on
customers age, younger generation and matured people. Several products are offered to protect
the skin tone, blackheads, spots, hydrate peel, balance tenement tone, protect skin, radiant body
covering, sun protection and nourished eyes, etc.
ii. Pricing strategies
Company’s 2018 profit revenue was recorded as1.4 billion US dollar. The main purpose
of the company is to target women from cosmopolitan cities and urban regions who are more
conscious about their health and skin. They offer their products at high prices for customised
products and at premium cost (Carayannis, Sindakis and Walter, 2015).
iii. Place strategy.
The body shop is the company who provides its product and services in more than three
thousands and forty-nine places. They also covered the area of Belgium, Canada, France, Italy,
Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Romania, India, Hungry, Portugal, Finland and
Bangladesh (Calter, 2017).
CONCLUSION
From the basis of above discussion, it can be concluded that, market communication is
the most crucial process which helps the firm to meet the needs of the customers as well as of
the company. Present study is based on the case study of Body Shop which is the well-known
brand of natural cosmetic products (Armstrong and et.al., 2014). Study explained the different
concept of marketing and also competitors analysis to derive position in the market. Report also
explained the macro and micro environment and their possible consequences. Study also
introduced the company’s marketing mix in order to explain market e position of Body Shop.
Besides, the report identified the marketing orientation concept that body shop adopts.
Moreover, report will be explain the macro environment factors that could impact environment
of company. After, analysing the factors report has also identifying the marketing mix to make
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more facts or strategies for the company benefits. Moreover, the main purpose of the study
specified that the marketing concept is the most essential thought for the organisation.
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