Ch. 11 - Developing and Managing Products

Pantene Pro V continuous to grow, by developing new product lines which leads to increased revenues and profits with a variety of strategies used. Pantene always introduces new product lines to meet all hair types’ needs, in order to stay true to their mission statement, making beautiful hair that shines for every hair type. On Pantene Pro-V website (http://www.pantene.com/en-US/hair-science/pages/home-hair-lab.aspx) you can find your hair type and find the product that is right for you.

The scientist at Pantene spend an enormous amount of time brainstorming on unlimited ways to vary their product by conducting research to create new products for all hair solutions. They work directly with product design technologists with the goal of creating the best possible products, based on the needs of both women and men. The goal is to achieve beautiful hair and keep it looking its glorious best. In 2009, to increase customer satisfaction, Proctor & Gamble began developing a new formula for its Pantene hair care line using extensive scientific research. Their new Pro-Vitamin complex was introduced which catered to all hair types including; Colour Therapy, Hydrating Curls, Daily Moisture Renewal, Extra Straight, Pro-V Expressions and Frizz Defense. Each sub-range features a shampoo, conditioner and specific styling products to help care for a particular hair condition. Appealing to such diverse groups is just one of the aspects that sets the competitive advantage edge and separates Pantene from its competitors. 

 

Chap 16-Promotional Planning for Competitive Advantage.

Pantene Pro-V products have always completed the company objective, giving consumers beautiful hair that shines; however, the role of promotion is for them to maintain their competitive advantage through promotional planning. The main feature promoted by the Pantene Pro-V company is their high quality products. To get these products moving off the shelves in the market, the company uses mass communication strategies, which make it difficult for the company to track the effectiveness of their promotions, since their promotional strategies include magazine and television ads. However, through the use of social media, as their website provides consumers with a money-back guarantee, they can track claims of unsatisfied consumers. This secondary form of mass communication helps them gain a sustainable competitive advantage because it allows them to know which products are being responded to negatively. This promotional message helps carry on competitive and perceived advantages against competitors, as the company utilizes persuasion to stimulate sales.

Ch. 10 - Product Concepts

Pantene Pro-V is a favorable, tangible good that a person can acquire today through a means of exchange in today’s market. The product has several different features, as it can come in various different sizes, styles, and options. Pantene Pro-V products are business and consumer products, as salons and other businesses use them to operate their business, while they are also purchased to satisfy an individual’s personal wants. Pantene Pro-V products are also convenience products that need very little shopping effort to find. Pantene’s product mix is made of five product lines, which is made up of shampoos, conditioners, 2-in-1’s (shampoo/conditioner), hair styling products, and hair treatments.

Pantene Pro-V’s product line depth varies for each of their products. For instance, the shampoo product line depth consists of 30 different shampoos. The conditioner product line includes 31 different conditioners. The 2-in-1-product line depth has 16 different shampoo and conditioner blends to choose from. There are also 11 hair styling products, like gel, balm, hairspray, and mousse, which are sometimes in combination. Finally, there are 16 hair treatments, in the hair treatment product line. Since Pantene Pro-V produces so many products within each product line, they are able to further reduce manufacturing costs by utilizing it across vast product line depths.

Ch. 18 - Sales Promotion and Personal Selling

Pantene Rebate

     Recently, Pantene has begun a new promotional offer for customers. From March 24^th, 2013 until April 15^th, 2013, Pantene is offering consumers that spend $20 on their new Pantene Expert Collection a $10 rebate. Rebates are similar to coupons, in that they help clients save money. The major difference in the ability to affect consumer behavior is that a coupon offers instant savings, while rebates allow them to offer price cuts to consumers directly. While this may not be a direct savings, it is almost half off of the price, which consumers can take advantage of with every individual purchase of $20 dollars, so long as rebates are postmarked before April 15^th, 2013. This stimulates consumers and generates a great amount of consumer interest, as consumers can save up to 50% with this offer. The best part about all of this, is that Pantene is promoting the product abroad their own website, which can also help them reduce the cost of promoting it somewhere else.

Ch. 17 Advertising & Public Relations

The Effects of Advertising

 

Advertising affects consumers by informing them with information about products and services that influence consumer behavior, attitudes, and their purchasing ability. A form of advertising being used by Pantene Pro-V to influence consumers is called product advertising. Since Pantene Pro-V is currently in the growth phase of its life cycle, the goal of its competitive advertising is to influence demand against other products entering the market. Pantene Pro-V focuses on building consumer recall of the brand name, and creating a favorable attitude toward their products. Their advertising strategy is also organized around "creating beautiful hair that shines", and appeals to the health and admiration of consumers. Executing their "message", of making beautiful hair, is how the company grabs the attention of consumers long enough to influence their behavior, attitude, and purchase ability. The company is then able to use mediums like television and magazines, to execute this message. Using an image/mood execution style and a demonstration is very persuasive and informative of how effective their product is. However, on television, the product can be easier to promote through endorsement, using a form of testimonial from a spokesperson to hold a greater sense of value to consumer interest.

 

Spokesman/Image Execution Style

Shay Mitchell is an actress that has became a Pantene Pro-V spokesperson for one of Pantene Pro-V's new product collections. Mitchell is appearing in a new print advertising campaign, donning three youthful looks. She will be modeling side braids, full-body volume, and beautiful shine. As a role model, Mitchell will influence young women by representing the Pantene Pro-V brand, while reaching her younger fans. This incorporates a couple of the common execution styles for advertising, such as the spokesperson/testimonial and image/mood styles, in an effort to make reaching young women with product information more effective.

Advertising Appeals

Pantene Pro-V focuses their advertising strategy around “creating beautiful hair that shines”, while using specific executional styles of advertising their message such as admiration, health, and environmental consciousness. The admiration approach comes from a group of common advertising appeals. One example of how Pantene Pro-V uses the admiration approach was when they had their integrated marketing campaign on the Doctor OZ show, with Oprah Winfrey. The press release was made to notify the public on the “Go Red” campaign, creating environmental consciousness in women’s health. For every red bottle sold, $1 is donated to support women’s heart health. By Proctor & Gamble’s using such an iconic figure to promote their campaign, shows effective media decision-making. This is considered a popular and effective style of advertising.

Media Advertising

Pantene Pro V spent over 400K advertising for this campaign. The company used mediums like television, magazines, and outdoor media to execute this message. Since, Pantene is very good at avoiding advertising clutter and have effective media planning strategies through all their advertisements and promotions they were able to succeed once again in sales grossing over $2 million dollars in this campaign.