This is an academic project for Sephora. This project examines the cosmetics category and the existing consumer. In-depth interviews, shop-a-longs, and other primary researches were conducted to explore more first-hand consumer insights. Based on all the primary and secondary research, new positioning and brand vision were suggested as a conclusion. The content includes the following: 1. Introduction 2. Research methodology 3. The consumer and the cosmetics category 4. The context – trends affecting the category 5. The consumer and Sephora a. Key findings about Sephora b. Key findings about Sephora's major competitors c. Perceptual map and new positioning 6. Opportunities/issues for Sephora 7. New brand vision statement and rationale 8. New creative brief

1. Christina Guo
Jacqueline Stratton
Jordan Hirsch
Vaishali Rao
Yuri Zheng

2. B R A N D V I S I O NM E T H O D O L O G Y
S E C O N D A R Y
P R I M A R
Y
E X P L O R A T O R
Y
Mintel
MRI
Competitive Analysis
Employee Conversations
Category-Related Blogs
Social Media Exploration
3 Shop-A-Longs
4 IDIs with female Sephora Shoppers
1 IDI with male Sephora shopper

3. B R A N D V I S I O NT A B L E O F C O N T E N T S
B R A N D
Introduction
C O N S U M E R S
P R O B L E M A N A L Y S I S
New Opportunities
B R A N D V I S I O N
C R E A T I V E B R I E F
Methodology: Primary and Secondary Research
Industry: Targets and Trends
Research Findings
Persona

4. B R A N D V I S I O N
- History of Sephora
- Fragrance, Skincare, and Color Cosmetics
- Science of Sephora
- Flash program
- “Classes for Confidence”
- Color IQ
- Play! By Sephora
- Virtual Try On
- Beauty Talk
I N T R O D U C T I O N
Source: Hopp, Byrdie.com
Essaywriters.com

5. B R A N D V I S I O N
Worldwide sales of beauty-related products and services are estimated to be in
excess of $159 billion dollars each year.
B E A U T Y I N D U S T R Y
Source: Wilson, BEAUTY STATS.com

6. B R A N D V I S I O N
- Sustainable, natural and organic products.
- Products targeting the aging population, babies and young children, men, and
family.
- Consumer in-store experience
- Continued Asian Innovation
- Multi-Tasking Products
- At Home Beauty Devices
- Individualism and personalization
- Underlying social trends: sustainability, fast-paced life, convenience, individualism
and personalization.
B E A U T Y I N D U S T R Y T R E N D S

7. B R A N D V I S I O N
Teen Spending Patterns:
- 45% of female between the ages of 15 to 17, and 22% of female between the ages of 12 to
14 spend money on makeup.
- Sample size: 1,344
Time and Skill Level:
- 69% of females spend up to 20 minutes on their beauty routines each day with 43% have
basic skill level.
- Sample size: 1,026
Patterns in Buying Behavior of Beauty Products:
- “I buy certain products from prestige brands and other products from mass brands,” - 63%.
- Sample size: 1,026
B E A U T Y C O S M E T I C P R O D U C T S
Source: Mintel 2014, 2016, Lightspeed

8. T A R G E T C O N S U M E R S

9. T A R G E T C O N S U M E R S
18 - 34 highly-educated female shoppers in urban areas.
HHI: $75,000+
Potential: Asian and Hispanic
Source: MRI 2015, Mintel.com

10. B R A N D V I S I O NC O N S U M E R M E D I A C O N S U M P T I O
N
Source: MRI 2015

11. B R A N D V I S I O NC O N S U M E R S O C I A L M E D I A U S E S
● 48% of Millennials use their smartphones daily.
● Millennials are more likely to multitask across multiple
devices.
The breakdown of millennial social media consumption:
88% 77% 60%
Source: MRI 2015, Mintel.com

12. Source: Mintel- Beauty Retailing January 2016 US
B R A N D V I S I O NC O N S U M E R T R E N D S
Channel Shifting & Mobile
Shopping

13. S E P H O R A
- Exclusive and premium brands
- Exclusive shopping events
- Loyalty program: points redemption, flash
shipping
- Digital presence on social media
S E P H O R A F I N D I N G S

14. S E P H O R A
- One-stop shopping experience
- Professional representatives
“It is a nice place to work.
Heavy competitions are frequently
being done to receive special
gratis.”
S E P H O R A F I N D I N G S
Source: InfoScout

15. ● Product reviews and
ratings
● Product functions: anti-
aging, moisturising
● Price and exclusive
discounts
● Attitudes and Knowledge
of Store Representatives
B R A N D V I S I O NS E P H O R A S H O P P E R S
● Testing is important
- Skin types
- The right colors for
makeups

16. B R A N D V I S I O ND E C I S I O N M A K I N G P R O C E S S
Source of information
- Friend recommendation
- Online reviews and
comments
- Sephora’s favorites and top
sellers.
- Salespeople
- Makeup bloggers and
YouTubers.
Learn about a product/brand
External and Internal
Search
Product Testing/ Purchase
Post
Purchase
Become
loyal
Refer the brand/product to friends

17. B R A N D V I S I O NP E R S O N A
She was born in California.
She is trendy, bold and social. She is an early adopter.
She has a boyfriend and they are celebrating their one year anniversary
next month.
She is very knowledgeable and very experienced about cosmetics,
skincare, manicure, and hair style. She likes to advise her friends about
best and new cosmetics.
She is glued to her phone. She is highly active on social media,
especially Instagram and Facebook.
She reads Cosmopolitan and follows makeup bloggers and YouTubers
worldwide, such as Michelle Phan, Pony.
She loves going out at night. She loves Electronic Dance Music and
goes to Ultra Music Festival every year in Miami.
Arianna
Age: 24
Second-Year Student at
New York University

18. 1. Primary Competitors
- Department stores: M.A.C., La
prairie
- Mass merchandisers(16% market
share): Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy’s,
Ulta
2. Secondary Competitors
- Drug stores (10.3% market
share): CVS, Walgreens
- Grocery stores (5.52% market
B R A N D V I S I O NC O M P E T I T O R S
Source: MRI 2015

19. Strength:
- High end and reputation in the skincare market
and among consumers.
- Exclusive and unique brand image: modernity
and luxury. Has a professional website which
offers personal skin consultations
Weakness:
- Products are expensive and available on
concession counters in selected department
stores and limited spa centers.
- In-store experience is limited (no test sample).
Products could be seen as too expensive.
B R A N D V I S I O N
P R I M A R Y C O M P E T I T O R S
D E P A R T M E N T S T O R E S
Source: Nikita, Skincarereview.com

20. B R A N D V I S I O N
P R I M A R Y C O M P E T I T O R S
D E P A R T M E N T S T O R E S
Strength:
Brand has a strong
brand image and
perceived high quality
products
Weakness:
Selective (high price
for the average
consumer, so the
brand has a smaller
audience)
Source: Chesters, Guardian

21. B R A N D V I S I O N
P R I M A R Y C O M P E T I T O R S
M A S S M E R C H A N D I S E R S
Strength:
Strong brand image
that is incorporated in
American culture
Weakness:
A lot of employee
turnover due to huge
workforce (which
costs the company
money)
Source: NRF Foundation, Wages in the Retail Industry

22. B R A N D V I S I O N
P R I M A R Y C O M P E T I T O R S
M A S S M E R C H A N D I S E R S
Strength:
Diverse portfolio with
20000 products and over
450 brands
Weakness:
Individual companies
have limited market share
Source: Ulta

23. Strength:
- Big quantity of regular(loyal)
customers and multi-channel
platform
- Luxurious brand image because
of high quality products
- Excellent brand heritage and
image,, premium quality
merchandise
Weakness:
- Differences between online and
in-store prices
- High shipping fees in
comparison to competitors
- Brand design selection available
in-store is different from online
due the economic downturn
B R A N D V I S I O N
P R I M A R Y C O M P E T I T O R S
M A S S M E R C H A N D I S E R S
Source: SWOTanalysis24.com

24. B R A N D V I S I O N
S E C O N D A R Y C O M P E T I T O R S
D R U G S T O R E
Strength:
- Over 7,000 CVS stores at
specific pharmacy
locations in over 40 states
of America
- The walk in clinics initiated
by the company has
demographic locations in
almost 25 states with 570
outlet units.
Weakness:
- Customers may find it
frustrating to find that
their product assortment
have changed.
- Product may be
regarded lower quality
compared to higher end
brand.
Source: businesswire.com

25. More
Experience
Less
Experience
More
Exclusiveness
Less
Exclusiveness

26. B R A N D V I S I O N
Original positioning:
Affordable price and high-quality products.
New positioning:
To 18-34 females who are influenced by trends and social influencers, Sephora
is a one-stop shop to satisfy all beauty needs with immersive and enjoyable
experiences.
P O S I T I O N I N G

27. SWOT Analysis of Sephora
Strength
Self – Service; The ability to try and test products; No guess-work anxiety
Tracking Buyer Habits
1. Via website 2. Loyalty cards and programs
Quality products at Affordable Price; Targeted price points for different income
groups
Skilled Workforce
Experienced Business Units
Wide Range of Products; Sephora offers variety in choice, and exclusive brands.
Weakness
Low brand recognition: many not aware of brand or not within their physical
reach.
Ineffective advertising
Source: Thu, Academia.edu
Hagloch, Library
Journal

28. SWOT Analysis of Sephora
Opportunitie
s
Men’s cosmetics: The Independent report with MR Porter claim 300% increase in
sales
Partnership with Social Influencers: Beauty Vloggers on YouTube and Makeup
Bloggers
Increase in Buying Power of Ethnic Groups: Hispanics, Asians, Indians
Technology in Selling: Mobile apps for shopping, Augmented mirrors
Threats
Economic Instability - Makeup, speciality product, is not needed during recessions
Departmental Stores: Bloomingdales, Nordstrom
Specialty Stores: MAC Cosmetics, La Mer, Bath & Body Works, Body Shop
Price of Raw Materials: Harder to maintain low price due to high inflation in raw
Source: Hunt, Academia.edu
Hagloch, Library Journal

29. B R A N D V I S I O N
Core Identity
Brand Soul: A cosmetic store offering over 250 classic and emerging skincare, haircare,
body, fragrance, and makeup brands.
Brand Values: Expertise, Variety, Beauty, Knowledge, Inspiration, Style, Fun
Point of Difference: Ability to try new products, variety in brands, knowledgeable and
friendly employees.
Extended Identity
Personality: Sephora is a 25 year old, recent college grad, who lives and works in New
York City. Though most of her day time is spent at work in a management firm, the night is
when she thrives. She considers herself a leader, not a follower, especially when it comes to
beauty and style. Her phone, filled with social media apps and work emails, is always in her
hand. Her calendar is filled with charity events and white-tie dinners. She loves to shop, to
dine, and to dance, and she loves to post about it.
B R A N D V I S I O N
Source: Halzack, Washington Post.
Hopp, Byrdie.com

30. B R A N D V I S I O N
Brand Positioning: Sephora is edgier and cooler than their competitors. The variety in
products, plus their knowledgeable employees, cater to a consumer without brand loyalty
who is only looking for the best product.
Consumer Relationship
Functional Benefits: Allows consumers to try out makeup brands in a no-pressure situation
and benefits from multiple brands in store.
Emotional Benefits: Anyone can be the beautiful, “It” girl
Consumer/Brand Relationship: An integral part of their everyday beauty routine. The
trustworthy friend they turn to for advice when they need to ask, “does this look good?”
B R A N D V I S I O N
Source: Sharpori, Smart Brief.

31. •What is the background for this assignment?
- To understand the brand and branding of Sephora, the category it belongs to,
current performances and future potentials
•What is the role of communications?
- Re-positioning from affordable, high-quality products to unique, high-quality
experiences
- Effective advertising to increase brand recognition and loyalty to retain
customers
•Who are we talking to?
- 18-34 female shoppers
- Ethnic groups such as Asians, Hispanics with higher disposable income
B R A N D V I S I O NC R E A T I V E B R I E F

32. ● What is the target insight?
Customers recognize and appreciate the free and comfortable environment of Sephora, and value
experience more than brand or price. They also enjoy the freedom to test products.
- “Sephora taps into every little girl’s dream of being able to open up their mom’s makeup bag and just
play.”
- “I can try the unlimited tester by myself, which is much more convenient and less awkward.”
Millennials trust social Vloggers and their decisions are influenced based on the information they receive.
They are also trusting of in-store representatives.
- “I know who I follow and I kind of trust who I follow because we have a similar type of skin...so, when
they share their shopping list, I always willing to try the products that I never use before and
purchase them in store.”
- “I don’t try new things. But maybe if the representatives talk to me and give me information about
what I need according to my specifics I might try.”
B R A N D V I S I O NC R E A T I V E B R I E F

33. ● What is the benefit?
- Sephora offers superior and wider range of products, variety in choice, exclusive brands, quality information,
and enjoyable experiences for everyone.
BRAND SHIFT: What is the shift we are trying to create in the consumer’s mind?
- Current perception of Sephora is that it is a store of quality products at affordable prices, only. We want
them to view Sephora as offering high-quality experience, with innovative technology, better in-store service,
and high-benefit loyalty programs that exceeds their value for money expectations.
From “affordable pricing and high quality products” To “one-stop-shop, no other makeup stores
needed”
● What is the shift idea that will lead to famously effective work?
- To view Sephora not just as a traditional brick-and-mortar store to a more extensive, high-tech, integrated
experience with innovative apps, programs and in-store technology such as Color IQ.
- To offer customized, focused service and give the freedom of DIY experience to customers.
B R A N D V I S I O NC R E A T I V E B R I E F

34. ● Reasons to Believe
- Proven experience in new and inventive technology such as Color IQ, Skin IQ that has been
integrated into in-store shopping
- According to Webby Research Report in 2015, there is an increase in demand and appreciation for
technology and customization by customers.
● Personality
- In-Depth Interview, Sephora as a person: “woman maybe 25 with dark hair, very fashionable.”
- Desired personality: confident, intelligent, trustworthy, and community-oriented.
● Mandatories
- Using ethnic and gender diversity in advertising to show the inclusive nature the brand.
- Moment of zero to reflect the freedom Sephora technology offers to customers, to reflect the
emotional enrichment and connection Sephora as a brand makes with its patrons.
B R A N D V I S I O NC R E A T I V E B R I E F

35. A P P E N D I X

36. 1. How often do you shop at Sephora?
2. What is your average expense when you shop with Sephora?
3. What products do you usually buy in Sephora?
4. How do you decide specific products and brands?
5. Do you usually shop in store or shop online?
6. So when you shop in store, are you always shop alone or shop in a
group?
7. What do you feel about shopping at Sephora?
8. Why do you choose Sephora instead of other department stores or drug
stores? How will you convince your friends to shop at Sephora?
9. Where else do you purchase skincare and makeup products?
10. If you are going to recommend three brands to your friends,
what will be the three brands and why?
11. Do you care about reviews and ratings when you make your
purchase?
12. Do you think bloggers have great influence on you?
13. What do you think about salespeople at Sephora stores?
14. What do you think about your Sephora membership status?
15. Have you ever use Sephora mobile app?
16. Have you received any sample from Sephora? If so, have you
purchased any products because of the samples?
17. Have you seen any of their ads?
18. Words that come to your mind when you think of Sephora.
B R A N D V I S I O NI N T E R V I E W G U I D E L I N E S

37. Shop-a-long Correspondent Profiles
21 year-old female
Marital status: Single
21-year-old female
Marital Status: Single
26-year-old female
Marital status: Married
Occupation: undergraduate
student at Boston University
Occupation: undergraduate
student at Northeastern University
Occupation: junior position in the
banking industry
Shopping goals: brow gel for
friend
Shopping goals: New foundation
because of lost summer tan
Shopping goals: facial cream
Shopping alone/ in group: alone Shopping alone/in group: alone Shopping alone/ in group: Friend
group
Frequency of purchase: Rarely Frequency of Purchase: Multiple
times per Month
Frequency of purchase: Twice
per month
Below-than-average Shopper Heavy Shopper Higher-than-average Shopper

38. 20-year-old female
Marital status: Single
23-year-old male
Marital status: Single
21-year-old female
Marital status: Single
26-year-old female
Marital status: Single
28-year-old female
Marital status: Married
Occupation:
undergraduate student at
Boston University
Occupation: graduate
student at Boston
University
Occupation:
undergraduate student at
Boston University
Occupation: senior
software engineer at
Wayfair
Occupation: Software
Engineer at Qualcomm
Shopping goals: Skincare
and makeup
Shopping goals: Shopping
for friend
Shopping goals:
Foundation, lipstick
Shopping goals: new
foundation and concealer
Shopping goals: mission-
based; makeup
Shopping alone/ in
group: Friend group &
Alone
Shopping alone/ in
group: Friend group
Shopping alone/ in
group: Alone
Shopping alone/ in
group: Friend group
Shopping alone/ in
group: Alone
Frequency of purchase:
Almost every week
Frequency of purchase:
Almost never
Frequency of purchase:
Twice per month
Frequency of purchase:
Once per month
Frequency of purchase:
Once every two months
In-depth-Interview Correspondent
Profiles

39. Bibliography
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http://www.millennialmarketing.com/2015/03/millennials-buying-beauty-sephora-proves-its-all-about-the-experience/
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https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/fashion-blog/2011/oct/24/brief-history-of-mac
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http://essayswriters.com/essays/Analysis/sephora-competitive-analysis.html
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http://www.swotanalysis24.com/swot-s/93829-swot-analysis-saks-fifth-avenue.html
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/business/wp/2015/03/09/the-sephora-effect-how-the-cosmetics-retailer-transformed-the-
beauty-industry/?utm_term=.41eaeedf7805
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http://www.byrdie.com/sephora-facts/
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40. - NRF Foundation. Wages in the Retail Industry. Rep. N.p.: n.p., 2013
https://nrf.com/sites/default/files/Wages%20in%20the%20Retail%20Industry%20REV.pdf
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10.v9m4H1nZTUmfwmIv2SHFOg.0&utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F
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http://www.racked.com/2016/5/26/11674106/buying-beauty-sephora-department
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mintel.com
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http://www.ulta.com/
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http://skincarereview.com/skincare-review-1#!high-end---la-prairie
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Planning
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