How to market cosmetics company

1. How to Market Cosmetics
Effective marketing of cosmetics requires focusing on a specific audience.
Breaking into the cosmetics industry is not easy. Bringing a new cosmetic item to
market requires not just developing and manufacturing a great product, it also requires
marketing the product. And according to some, this last step is actually the most
difficult part of the process. Marketing nonessential luxury items like cosmetics not
only requires you to make the public aware of your new product, but also to convince
them that your product is superior to other similar cosmetic items.
Step 1
Determine your target market. This step really should've been considered even
before you developed the product, all the way back in the initial business plan. It's
essential for a small cosmetics company with a limited marketing budget to focus on a
specific market segment. Specifically defining your market is the only way a smaller
cosmetics company can effectively compete against larger companies with multi-million
rupees advertising budgets. For example, if your product is an all-natural,
organic wrinkle-reducing cream, then your target market might be socially progressive
women over 40.
Step 2
Giving away free samples always builds good will, and if it's truly a good
product, a significant percentage of samplers will become purchasers.

2. Step 3
Design your product packaging around your target market. Product packaging is
a huge part of marketing. Most consumers are visually oriented, and people tend to
recognize colors, shapes and patterns more quickly than they understand words. It's
been proven time and time again that unique, eye-catching product packaging is an
essential part of a highly successful product. If you're not an artistic type, consider
working with a professional designer to get some ideas on a novel product container or
a company logo that will catch the attention of consumers.
Step 4
Decide on your initial distribution channels. Choosing the right distribution
channels for your cosmetic product is critical. Here again you should focus on your
target market. You'll very likely want to set up a company website both for marketing
purposes and as a distribution channel. Other distribution channels to consider include
spas, hair salons, manicure and pedicure shops, health food stores and dermatologist's
offices. Don't spread yourself too thin, at least at first. Just focus on the two or three
distribution channels that are the best fits for your product, like nail polish at
manicure/pedicure businesses.
Step 5
Create a high-quality business website. Having a presence on the Internet is
pretty much a must these days, especially for a niche market such as a specialized
cosmetic product. It's almost always worth it to pay for a few extra bells and whistles on
your website. Consumers today expect to see attractive graphics and a professional user
friendly site, and if they don't, many won't even bother to read about the product, never
mind buy it.
Step 6
Focus your advertising. Unless you have a very large marketing budget, it's
important to keep your advertising focused on your target market(s). While print ads
don't reach the same number of consumers as they did a decade ago, print ads in the
right publications can be effective for higher-end products including cosmetics.
Consider placing ads in luxury magazines such as "Unish-Kuri" "Femina" and
"Sarita." Carefully targeted Internet advertising gives you a good bang for your buck,
and depending on your budget you can even consider radio spots or FM.