2014

M


K
Do you know that within your power lies every step you ever
dreamed of stepping, and within your power lies every joy
youve ever dreamed of seeing? Within yourself lies everything
you ever dreamed of being.
-Mary Kay Ash
2 1
3-4 Table of Contents
5-6 Executive Summary

7-10 Situation Analysis
11-12 Research
13-14 SWOT
15-16 Positioning Statement
17-18 Competitor Media
19-20 Print campaign
21 TV Spot
22 Digital Creative
23-24 Social Media Strategy
25 Promotion
26 PR
27-28 Media Plan
29 Media Tactics
30 Budget
31-32 Evaluation
33-34 Credits
Table
of
contents
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3
Executive Summary
Everyone knows that social rule - once your parents start do-
ing something, it immediately loses its coolness and
appeal. Once this is applied to products, they can lose all
credibility with the child generation.
For Mary Kay, the most stubborn issue is its image and associations.
Instead of concentrating whole-heartedly on the products, we want
the advertising and promotions to function as a restructuring in the
consumers mind.
We want them to see Mary Kay appear in media they have attach-
ments to, so they can better relate to the brand as a whole. The
makeup is high quality, but what we really want to do is even out
this playing feld. To do this, we will bring the positioning of Mary Kay
up to par with competitor makeup brands, then provide the advan-
tage of superior convenience.
Our choices for media had to be made very carefully. Much of
the younger audience feels that Mary Kay is antiquated and
old-fashioned and wont understand their wants and needs.
By pinpointing their favorite sites, magazines, and shows to
advertise on, we have a great shot at changing the younger
consumers mind.
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Situation Analysis
The US FDA defnes cosmetics as
proucts which are intended to be ap-
plied to the human body for cleansing,
beautifying, promoting attractiveness,
or altering the appearance without
affecting the bodys structure or func-
tions.
A recent study on Mint.com revealed
that in the average womans lifetime,
she will spend $3,770 on mascara,
$2,750 on eye shadow and $1,780 on
lipstick.
The global cosmetics industry is
separated into separate categories,
the largest being skincare, which ac-
counts for nearly 34% of the market
globally as of 2012.
The United States is the most demand-
ing market in the world for cosmetics,
with an estimated total revenue of
about $54.89 billion USD yearly.
The leading beauty cosmetic company
in the United States in 2011 was Procter
& Gamble, making up 14.2 percent of
the market.
Although dipping slightly, generating
only 29.5 billion U.S. dollars in net sales
as compared to 29.9 billion U.S. dollars
the year before, the company contin-
ued to be the leading beauty cosmetic
company during the 2012 fscal year.
The cosmetic industry seems to be con-
tinuously developing, now more than
ever with the advent of internet com-
panies. About 7.2 billion U.S. dollars was
generated by online shops and mail-or-
der household sales in 2010.
Cosmetic sales are estimated to con-
tinue to grow in both the United States
and other global markets, as many
consumers feel that beauty products
help in achieving social and economic
goals.
INSIGHT: Cosmetics are
temporary fx-its. They alter your
appearance without any
commitment to fx insecurities. They
are a tool of self-expression, which can
change depending on the person, their
short-term and long-term goals, and
their stages in life.
7
When moving forward, it is often help-
ful to remember the past. At the age of
45, looked over for promotions for being
a woman, and losing her husband to a
heart attack, Mary Kay Ash was a prime
description of downtrodden.
But instead of letting it break her down,
she borrowed $5000 from her son and
used it to start her eponymous cosmetics
company at a Dallas storefront. While her
company became iconic and successful,
Mary Kay stuck true to her founding princi-
ples of encouraging women to advance
by helping others succeed.
The story behind Mary Kay is a signifcant
and inspiring one, but it has been lost in
the noise over the decades. Now when
Mary Kay is mentioned to the younger
generations, the main words that come to
mind are scam, old, and matronly.
As huge of a travesty as this perception is,
there is so much opportunity that comes
with fxing it.
8
The vast majority of Mary Kay
users are located in suburb
and metro areas located in the
southern and Midwest regions
of the United States, according
to MRI+ and additional
sources. The greatest sales
potential lies in these areas and
shows us where to allocate
media dollars.
Geography
Current Users
Purchase Cycle
Seasonality
MRI data shows that most women spend less
than $100 on makeup products a year. A big
part of the purchase cycle depends on the
availability of the IBC (Independent Beauty
Consultant). This is what makes the Mary Kay
unique all together. Mary Kay ploys what is
called the party plan in, which events are
hosted at a customers home to
demonstrate and sell the product. This could
be seen as an advantage based off of the
establishment of a good rapport and but it
could also be seen as a negative because:
1) The product is not available immediately.
2) Our target market (women ages 18-25) see
this sales method as antiquated.
Mary Kay inc. does not disclose detailed
sales information to the public. However,
looking at the Annual Reports of some of
its closest competitors - Ulta, Avon, and
Sephora - and the known sales patterns of
beauty products as a whole reveals that a
sales and revenue increase usually occurs
during the fourth quarter due to holidays.
Therefore, allocating an increase in
advertising to the fourth quarter of the
year will likely yield additional proft.
To fnd out who is currently using Mary Kay
products, we organized information from
MRI+, researched multiple articles online,
and reached out to friends, family, and
acquaintances to see what sorts of wom-
en they knew with connections to Mary
Kay.
The information we gathered painted the
average user of Mary Kay to be a woman
either in the 18-54 age group or the 25-
54 age group (there was a skew to each
one). She has been married at some
point, but likely isnt now. She has at least
one child, who is probably between the
ages of 6 and 17, and she is a business
professional with a HHI anywhere from
under $20,000 to $50,000.
Creative Requirements
All advertisements should target the correct audience (18-25 years old) using an sophisticated and appealing design aesthetic.
The creative designs should have information to drive the audience to fnd more info about Mary Kay products and means of
acquiring them. They should include the website address and the information on other promotional programs. Finally, a stream-
lined app for tablets and mobile devices is vital to reach the target market.
Situation Analysis
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Market Profiles
Katy is a 23 year old college graduate.
Shes excited about her frst grown-up
job, but shes far from her ultimate goal.
Currently, she shares a modest apart-
ment with her roommate Claire, with
whom she watches E! Network over din-
ner most weeknights. Katy can feel lonely
being single, but she has other things on
her mind. She strives to be the best Katy
she can be, which means looking her
best, working her hardest, and living life
to the fullest while pursuing her dream to
be the president of a presegious compa-
ny. Currently and for now are at the
top of her most used phrases, consider-
ing she is always working towards bigger
and brighter goals.
Ashley is a 24 year old living in the sub-
urbs with her husband James and 3-year-
old Jack. She fts the typical role of a
stay-at-home mom, keeping up with the
house and errands while cycling through
playtime and meals with Jack. The high-
light of her day is having a glass of wine
over a TV show with her husband at night.
Her husband makes enough to cover
the mortgage and car payments and still
live comfortably, but neither he nor his
wife have much spare time to spend the
leftover money on anything aside from
near-sighted necessities. Ashley strives to
fulfl her dream to be an exceptional wife
and mother, doing everything she can for
their family and looking beautiful doing it.
Blair is a 20 year old sophomore at a large
state school, meeting her goals of graduat-
ing to earn a degree and work at her dream
job. She lives in a dorm and spends most of
her time going to classes, studying, and going
out with friends. The closest shopping center
is about a half hour off of campus, and Blair
doesn't have the time to lose her parking
space. She makes most of her purchases from
behind her laptop, swapping between online
storefronts and Hulu. After being around other
girls all the time in the dorm, Blair has realized
how much work most of them put into their
appearance. While she prides herself in be-
ing unique and standing apart, she does try
to keep a closer eye on her beauty routine to
make sure her appearance is up to par with
her fellow classmates.
Business Woman College Student Family Starter
Tey all value convenience.
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Research
Goal: To convince women 18-25 to use Mary Kay Cosmetics instead of Avon, Maybelline, MAC, and
other competitors because Mary Kay revolves around you.
Objective
To gather information relating to how
consumers make purchase decisions in
the cosmetic category.

Strategies
One-on-one interviews quantitative
interviews with the target audience.
Information from these fndings has
provided insight for a qualitative
study. We will be conducting more
interviews and focus groups to back
up claims.
Method
Research has been conducted using face-to-
face interviews with members of the target
audience who were found shopping in
competitor locals and through social media such
as Facebook, Twitter, and beauty forums.

The research was conducted throughout the frst
two weeks of October.
To date, a total of 22 one-to-one interviews has
been completed. The members of the target
audience were frst asked a series of questions
to determine whether they ft the target
audience criteria.
Summary of Findings
The majority of the target audience does not have brand loyalty
towards cosmetics. They will choose whatever brand fts their
wants and needs.

They want variety in their products.

They want products to cater to their individual
needs and not just for the masses.

E.g. A 21-year-old woman with sensitive skin wants
an oil-free foundation, while a 19-year-old woman
with dry skin wants a moisturizing foundation.
Convenience is Important.
All of the target market members said they would consider
purchasing Mary Kay if it were available through other outlets,
such as where they purchased other cosmetics.
Value is Relevant.
The majority of the target market said they would pay a little
extra for a certain product if they felt it was worth the money.
Popular Opinion is Valued
If they found that their peers used Mary Kay, they would be likely
to try and use it as well.
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12
SW
OT
The quality of the brands products is trusted.
The purchase experience is more personal.
The brand is highly recognized.
Beauty consultants are highly knowledgeable
of their products.
Beauty consultants deliver directly to the
consumer.
The customer is able to directly contact their
consultant.
There are opportunities for advancement
through the company for beauty consultants.
Beauty consultants can set their own schedule.
Mary Kay has an established fan base, which
considers the products to be of high quality.
The brand is seen as matronly.
Consumers are wary of the brands direct selling.
Consumers often fnd it a hassle to contact an
IBC.
Customers do not know where to fnd or how to
contact an IBC.
The brand has a high dependence on direct selling.
There is high competition among existing IBCs.
Some products may not be readily available with
an IBC.
The companys positioning is scattered.
The company has a lack of exposure in mass
media.
Mary Kay does not have any physical locations for
convenience of target market.
An IBC knows your personal likes and preferences.
Younger IBCs can appeal to a younger market.
Their distribution process is more convienient.
Rebranding strategy will help appeal to a younger
demographic.
The use of social media appeals to a younger
demographic.
Researching their target demographics lifestyle
helps build strategy.
Their current advertising is not as invasive as others.
The desired target market is willing to experiment
with new brands.
There is a recent demand in online shopping.
Competitiors advertisements receive more
exposure.
Competitors have advantages in convenience.
The competitors products are sold where the
demographic makes common purchases.
Competitors products can be bought on im
pulse.
Their current fan base is mostly out of the desired
target market range.
There is a lot of competition entering their desired
target market.
Strengths Weaknesses
Opportunities Threats
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Competitor Media
From the makeup aisles in drugstores to the
specialty beauty stores, competition in the
cosmetics market is widespread. Since so many
of these brands have established their place
with plentiful advertising and opportune place-
ment in stores, it is vital that Mary Kay get up
to speed with advertising and social media to
compete.
Competing makeup brands have permeated
almost every medium with their ad messages,
appearing in almost every magazine, popular
TV channels, and many websites. Most of these
competitors focus on product benefts and
high expectations of beauty, a common decision that
results in very similar and redundant advertising. They
market this way since their products are both inexpen-
sive and easily found, often making them impulse pur-
chases.
Since Mary Kay products are not readily available
at the local supermarket or cosmetic counter, the
brands presence in the media must be distributed in
accordance with its strengths. While many of our com-
petitors have the advantage of convenient selling lo-
cations, Mary Kay has a larger advantage in its unique
ability to personally communicate with its customers.
Todays cosmetic advertisements lack diversity and
creativity. The target audience is overwhelmed with
the same unrealistic and imperson images, so there is
great opportunity for Mary Kay by advertising a genu-
ine and fresh peronality with a personal touch.
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17
Creative
20 19
Mary Kay Fierce
Digital Creative
Creative
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TV Spot Storyboard
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Social Media Strategy
For this campaign especially,
social media is a vital resource.
Its the new-age web that
connects everyone on multiple
platforms, and this is exactly
where Mary Kay should ft in.
Through social media, we have
the ability to get women to feel
more at ease and familiar with
the brand, connect customers,
and invite them to use of their
biggest resources in the shop-
ping experience: each other.
We will invite dream pursuers
to talk about their experiences
with Mary Kay products, fea-
tures, and the unique buying
process itself, whichever side
of it they are on. They can fnd
out more about the app, get
product recommendations
and advice from like-minded
women, and gain a better un-
derstanding of how Mary Kay
works.
The social media platforms we want to
focus most on building our presence in are
Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. We choose
these because they have many frequent
users within our target market, have a far
reach due to relatively lax privacy settings,
and are still seen as fresh and sophisticated
by dream pursuers.
Here is a photo of our knockout IBC Karen
from Houston, rocking her smoky eye look with
the Mary Kay Cream Eye Color in Violet Storm.
#KnockoutShoutout #MaryKay
Found your Mary Kay product that you CANT live
without? Share your discovery, or fnd out what
youre missing! #MaryKayNEED
Check out our state-of-the-art app where you
can register your wish-list for a chance to win an
entire new makeup wardrobe! #MaryKayWANT
Christmas on Pinterest: Pin a board with all of your
Mary Kay wishes for a chance to be gifted your
entire wishlist.
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Appeal to New IBCs:
To try to attract new IBCs, we
decided that less is more.
Advertising for IBCs makes It
seem like an unwanted
position that Mary Kay is
desperate to fll. The last thing
Mary Kay needs is to seem
desperate. We came to the
conclusion that the best way
to appeal to potential IBCs in
the target audience is to
attract a larger following
through social media.
Current IBCs will be
encouraged to reach out to
each other through social
media for needed products
and tips; this transparency
would help them and also be
fantastic for Mary Kays im-
age. Once women see that
Mary Kay is popular and gain-
ing revenue, they will seek out
the IBC position on their own.
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PUBLIC RELATIONS
Media Relations::
We will send press releases for all new product introductions, promotions, and events. We will post
these on the website, and also encourage beauty blogs and other younger news outlets to relay the
announcements.
Consumer Relations:
Complimentary Mary Kay products will be sent to beauty bloggers to review. This will gain some posi-
tive attention for Mary Kay from their followers. In addition, the appreciation for the free products and
recognition by the blogger will spur some brand loyalty from their viewers who look up to them.
We would also like to appoint a professional makeup artist who is knowledgeable about the brand
to be the Mary Kay authority. This way, they can give input in as an expert in beauty articles and
spread awareness about the new Mary Kay. They could also do Mary Kay makeup for runway shows
or other media-followed events to gain more exposure and respect for the brand.
PROMOTIONS
We will focus the promotion on getting the product into
the target markets hands in the form of samples, so
the product can then sell itself. The samples would be
handed out in locations where you can fnd the desired
target audience.
Not only will samples be physically distributed, but we
will also rely on the help of social media to promote
events and contests for Mary Kay consumers.
Competitions and Promotions:
Phone App Promotion:
Once users have flled out the questionnaire on the
app, they will have a voucher for a free sample kit.
These will include samples or minis of products that
would match the users specifc description and prefer-
ences.
Social Media Competitions:
Users can enter to win a complete new makeup ward-
robe by Mary Kay. The audience can compete by
uploading their favorite Mary Kay products and how
they use them, and win by getting the highest number
of likes or re-pins on their posts. They will use Pinterest
and Instagram.
Phone App:
We want to redesign the smartphone app to focus on connect-
ing the users to other Mary Kay consumers. We would do this by
having frst time users enter their physical description, such as skin
tone (light, medium, dark), skin concerns (acne, dryness, aging),
and eye color. Then they will complete a quick quiz using imag-
es to determine their personal tastes.
For example, one page may show a model matching their phys-
ical description wearing a different makeup look (natural, color-
ful, fashionable, sultry) in each of four images, then ask the user
to choose which image is closest to their typical makeup look.
After the initial assessments, users will be recommended certain
products and shown other users on the app who have similar
physical descriptions. Through this, the user will be able to fnd
relevant reviews and recommendations for different products.
For example, Shirley, age 22, might try the TimeWise Lumi-
nous-Wear Liquid Foundation in Ivory 1 after reading the stellar
review for it by Jessica, age 20, who has the same skin tone and
skin concerns. The app will encourage users to upload pictures
of themselves wearing the products and include them in their
product reviews. The app will also have a feature that uses their
zip code to locate their local IBCs and show their descriptions.
All of the community focus in the app will help to draw the awk-
wardness out of Mary Kays reliance on interaction. Making so-
cial connections through Mary Kay helpful, fun, and comfortable
will make the idea of direct buying much more comfortable.
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25
MEDIA PLAN
The Main Goals:
Reach as many women in our target audience as
possible in an impactful and unexpected way.
Connect to young dream chasers through social
media and get them talking about Mary Kay.
Drive traffc to the company website and spur Mary Kay
app downloads.
Portray a fresh and appealing new image and
personality for Mary Kay to the target audience.
28 27
The media to advertise on has to be selected very carefully for Mary Kay to develop the desired image. All of
the media choices must be sophisticated, well-followed, and trusted by our target audience. To further adhere
to a new image and brand personality, the ads will all remain simple, engaging, and light-hearted. The main
feel we want to relay is that Mary Kay is youthful, friendly, and new again. Our call to action on all outlets will
be to download the Mary Kay app to see exactly how much more Mary Kay has to offer through its unique
social connection.
TELEVISION:
E! Entertainment, CBS, and BRAVO all have shows that our target audience watches. On
each of these channels, we will place 15 second commericals that cohere to our print
campaign and encourage viewers to download the Mary Kay app.
If we purchase Mary Kay spots with these three programs we will hit the highest number of
viewers within our target audience of W18 25.
PRINT:
We decided to include print media in their advertising campaign because of its quality
reproduction and audience segmentation. Cosmopolitan fts the bill for everything we are looking for in
media: its modern, popular, and respected. The iconic magazines readership also happens to share the
demographic profle and mean age of 22 with our target market. While advertising in Cosmopolitan is a
far cry from cheap, its circulation rate makes it worth the investment, considering it is read by 2,900,000
people and has a higher circulation rate than the most popular television shows.
Media Tactics
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Budget
TV AD COST:
E! Entertainment:
$204,806 per spot. For a 5
commercial schedule, it will cost...
$1.2 million.
CBS:
$210,064.00 per spot. For a 5
commercial schedule, it will cost...
$1.5 million.
BRAVO:
$165,857.00 per spot. For a 5
commercial schedule, it will cost...
$830,000.
$2.9 Million Total
PRINT AD COST:
Cosmopolitan:
$222,400 for a four color,
full-page advertisement.
For the campaign to run in
Cosmopolitan for 12 months,
it will cost...
$2.68 Million Total
DIGITAL AD COST:
Youtube:
The TV commercial as an intro
ad to beauty video blogs.
Banner ads:
A modifed version of the print
campaign as a banner ad on
beauty blogs such as...
-Beautydepartment.com
-Beautylish.com
-Outblush.com
$4.4 Million Total
DIGITAL:
For digital media, we want to place our ads within online destinations that our target audience go to for
advice and authority on beauty. The sites that we felt were a good match for Mary Kay include Lauren
Conrads blog, Beautydepartment.com, and similar beauty tip blogs, as well as YouTube. YouTube is home
to a staggering amount of active beauty bloggers, many of which have loyal followings. The association
with a familiar personality gives Mary Kay a friendly warmth to counter its less fattering conceptions.
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Evaluation
The campaign goals are not heavily numerical.
While the ads speak to Mary Kays quality and unique
convenience, the main purpose of the ad campaign
is to essentially revamp the brand image and make an
investment in the brands future by connecting with the
younger audience. Taking into account the more ab-
stract nature of our goals, we have come up with a few
ways to measure the campaigns effectiveness.
These fall under two categories:
Quantitative and qualitative.
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For quantitative evaluation, we will measure the number of
people in the target audience reached. To do this, we will
count the number of followers Mary Kays social media ac-
counts have gained, the increase in visitors to the Mary Kay
website, and the number of Mary Kay app downloads. These
fgures will help to show the size of the audience that the cam-
paign impacted.
For qualitative evaluation, we will get a glimpse into the
target audiences mind. This research will rely on changes in
consumer reviews, audience participation on Mary Kay me-
dia outlets, and surveys. By seeing what theyre thinking and
saying about the brand, we will gain an understanding of
how Mary Kays image has improved through the campaign
and how it will continue to change through word-of-mouth.
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is:
Edna K. Navarro
Rozheen Zebari
Nick Taylor
Vincent Varela
Rachel Moomaw
President
Account Planner
Creative Director
Art Director
Media Strategist and Copywriter
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