In 1984, Burt’s Bees was founded in Maine when Roxanne Quimby and Burt Shavitz, a local beekeeper, teamed up to start selling candles made from the beeswax. Sales skyrocketed to $20,000 in the first year. The infamous Burt’s Bees Lip Balm was created in 1991 and the company expanded to include solely health care products in 1993. Roxanne has always placed an emphasis on preserving nature and she used profits to buy tracts of forest land in northern Maine, preserving them from development. This purchase also marked the beginning of a strong relationship with The Nature Conservancy. In 2009, Burt’s Bees celebrated their 25th year and they have maintained their all-natural mantra.
Simply, we strive to make people’s lives better every day — naturally.
The Burt Behind the Bees
How is Burt’s Unique?
Burt’s Bees is currently one of the only products on the market selling almost 100% all natural shampoo. Many hair care products claim to contain all natural ingredients, but many are no where near 98% chemical-free. As research continues to find that certain chemicals can actually be harmful, many people are becoming more concerned with the ingredients of their beauty care products. Burt’s Bees is also dedicated to promoting green initiatives and sustainability efforts in producing and packaging.
Brand Persona
Burt is laid-back and down to earth. Ever optimistic and innovative, Burt is always looking for new ways to improve and be as natural as possible. Burt embraces his natural style.
BRAND VOICE
- Down to Earth
- Confident
- Optimistic
- Natural
- Laid-back
- Casual
- Caring
- Progressive
How is Burt's Doing?
Strengths
-
- Extremely loyal following
- Transparent with consumers
- Strong & trusted brand name
- Committed to environment & economy
- Large market share for their lip balms
- Sales have increased
- Resonates strongly with women
Weaknesses
-
- The price is expensive for mainstream beauty consumers
- Brand awareness is low
- They have not done much advertising for their shampoo line
- Perceived as feminine brand by men
Opportunities
-
- Online Advertising
- Product Expansion
- Online Retailers are always emerging to create new marketing channels
- Potential to become more interactive with target market
- There are many markets emerging abroad
Threats
-
- Green products are on the rise so there is an increase in competition
- Competitors have stronger brand recognition and interactions with consumers
- Challenges from government, politics, taxes and organic labeling regulation
- Many mainstream beauty labels make false claims calling themselves “natural”
Who Needs the Message?
95
Female
Most consumers are females between 18-24 years old
75
Educated
Well-educated and seek out information to make decisions
65
Practical
Wants functionality, quality and value in purchased products
60
Idealist
Motivated by ideals: Value knowledge and responsibility
45
Healthy
Active lifestyles with a focus on green living
80
Progressive
Open to consider new ideas and social concepts
Industry Trends
9.6
Percent increase in global organic personal care market prediction for 2012-2018
23
Billion in sales in 2012 of natural personal care products, up 15%
Brand Awareness Comparison
Media Mix
Burt’s Bees has recently started to increase their print advertising for beauty. Print ads will be run in several mainstream beauty magazines such as Allure and Glamour.
Packaging
The current packaging is made of plastic and does not feel organic. To update the bottles, a golden amber recycled plastic will be used with natural cork stoppers.
Promotions
To increase brand awareness, items like combs/brushes with the campaign headline engraved on the handles will be given out at promotional events.
Digital
Burt’s Bees does not do much digital advertising for their hair care collection. Therefore, banner ads will be placed in digital magazines and beauty websites.
Non-traditional
Burt’s Bees had success with unique billboard advertising for their skincare line so the campaign will also use billboards and greenscape tactics.
Mobile
To increase brand loyalty and build lasting relations with consumers, Burt’s Bees will be introducing a hair care and style app for its target market.
What's the Big Idea?
Appeal to both the “Green Girl” who already purchases Burt’s Bees products and may not know about the hair care collection and the “Vanity Lady” who typically does not purchase all-natural products (or at least does not purchase them for their all-natural qualities). A campaign that highlights the beauty benefits of using Burt’s Bees hair products would appeal to both of the target audiences, as well as increasing brand awareness in the hair care industry.