Sometimes I think companies just overkill. Burt’s Bees is planning to spend an “undisclosed sum” on a marketing campaign geared towards increasing usage of its lip balms. Baldwin, their agency of record, has introduced a series of TV commercials. These commercials are followed by print ads to promote their expanded line of flavors. As far as I’m concerned, Burt cold just mail me a sample and put their money where my mouth is.
According to Mintel, a consumer research company, the use of lip balm decreases steadily with age. They have found that 72% of women age 18-24 use lip balm. This is in contrast to 45% of women age 65+. As I reviewed the research, there did not seem to be any information on the age 24-64 group. I take this personally, since I fall into that age range and use lip balm religiously. I guess I fall somewhere between the 45% and 72% usage.
Tad Kittredge, associate marketing director of Burt’s Bees, explained that consumers tended to buy multiple lip balms. He said that typically women buy more than four lip balms per year. Then, they “scatter them” around the house. Consequently, there is a tube by the bed, one in the bathroom, one at work and one in a purse.
Flavors for Different Market Segments
Burt’s Bees now offers 11 flavors, 8 of them being introduced with this new campaign. By regularly introducing more flavors, Burt’s Bees hopes that consumers will keep even more on hand. They say this is “for the sake of variety”. Of course, truth be told, I have to buy more than 4 anyway. This is because in addition to scattering them through the house and office, I tend to leave them in my jeans pockets. As a result, I often end up throwing them in the wash where they just dissolve into nothingness.
From a marketing perspective, I am curious as to the percentage of lip balm users in the 24-64 age range, which was omitted from the research I saw. Was it because they use lipstick instead of lip balm? Does this group favor color rather than flavor?
Worse, when I was doing some research for this blog, I read an article about “beezing” where teenagers are putting the lip balm on their eyelids to supposedly increase the sensation of being high or drunk. Where do kids come up with this stuff?
Bottom line, if I were Burt, I’d be direct mailing a sample of their newest lip balm flavors to members of the 50-64 age group. If I was concerned about the drop in lip balm usage as women get older, I’d make sure that they get reminded about the wonderful moisturizing feel that Burt’s Bees can provide. Mail me a sample. Certainly this would give me a taste of what’s new.
