IE 5211 NEW PRODUCT MANAGEMENT

HOMEWORK #2

“GEMBA STUDY FOR LIP STICKS”

SUBMITTED BY

MANISHANKAR RAMPRASAD

MATRIC NO: A0065745X

GEMBA STUDY OF WHY WOMEN USE LIP STICK:

A Gemba study was decided to be conducted to understand the changing needs of end
users of lip stick. Going to the Gemba is nothing but visiting the customers at there place
and interviewing them. Observation is also an important technique in Gemba Study. A
team of three women was organised. The ages of the three women were 25, 35, and 50.
The women who is aged 25(Teenage) is from the Media Industry and the Women who is
aged 35 is a working professional and the third women is a house wife.

Main Objectives of the Study:

*Capture the voice of the customers

*Develop products that match the latest trends.
*Time to market in a shorter span of time.
*To gain insights in to the attributes that influences the consumption behaviour
surrounding it
* To focus on the purchase behaviour of women who use lip stick and the customs of
using lip stick as a grooming aid.

Focussing on the target segments:

We decide to focus on the end users, as it perceived that this is were the biggest
improvements in our understanding would come. The target segments are drawn
according to the different benefits customers expect from our products. The benefits
included increasing the confidence level, attracting opposite sex and have a younger
appearance. By the use of the correlation matrix the top customer segments were
choosed.

Gemba study:

The gemba study was done at many places in the city which included shopping malls,
work places, Media Places, Theatres etc. Results from a mall intercept survey of 300
female lipstick users are presented with particular emphasis on self-perceptions of
lipstick and grooming habits using this product. Results indicate that women wear
lipstick today more for reasons of self-esteem and confidence than as a sexual
allurement as previous literature would suggest. Lipstick is a significant vehicle through
which women can transform themselves through the image they
Present to the world. Despite these feelings, society still maintains strict codes of
conduct in applying and using the product.

Young girls strive to achieve an impossible likeness to the slim beautiful model image
depicted frequently within the mass media. Studies have demonstrated that
People who are perceived as more beautiful tend to have better careers, earn more
money and have a higher social status than less attractive people. Lipstick is an integral
part of the appearance many women strive to attain.

Initially Many interviews were conducted with women who were known to be lipstick
users and aged between 20 – 40 years. The primary aim of the interviews was to
investigate women’s perceptions and feelings surrounding lipstick, and to gain ideas and
insights into the aspects that may influence their use of the product. All interviews were
conducted at similar times in each location to minimise bias from consumers’ different
shopping patterns. The study used a structured undisguised questionnaire with a variety
of itemised rating scales such as Likert and semantic differential, along with a selection
of open-ended questions to elicit more descriptive responses when necessary. The
measurement instrument covered of a range of topics such as respondent’s purchase
behaviour attributes of lipstick, impact of colour, self-perception, grooming rituals, brand
equity and demographic details. The questionnaire was administered face to face and
took on average 15 minutes to complete.Interviewers’ were trained to ensure continuity
and accuracy of the data captured.

Data from the 300 questionnaires was entered into package to do the statistical analysis.
In exploring shopping patterns for lipstick purchases, lipsticks were seldom the specific
purpose for shopping, 90% of the sample indicated that they would ‘rarely’ to ‘never’ go
to buy a lipstick. The most frequent purchaser of lipstick was the 26 – 30 age categories
who indicated that they would purchase 6 or more lipsticks a Year. The main reasons
given by respondents for purchasing lipstick were for a special occasion and as a
replacement for an existing (used) stick. A further people commented on buying a new
lipstick because they ‘needed a change’ and this response was selected just as often
despite frequency of purchase. It would appear that for these respondents lipstick was a
key vehicle in helping them transform their image from one presentation to another.

Lipstick was considered an important part of most respondents’ daily grooming routines
with over 50% of the sample responding that they would wear lipstick 6 or more days a
week. A further amount of participants replied that they would wear lipstick 1 –2 days a
week and purely for social reasons. Of the days that respondents wore lipstick, women
most frequently applied their lipstick between 3 to 4 times a days. In investigating how
lipstick makes women feel a variety of attributes (derived from the qualitative
interviews) were included on the questionnaire to determine the influence that lipstick
may have on different individuals’ perception. The results suggest that wearing lipstick
for the purpose of attracting the opposite sex is not as high as wearing it for self-esteem
and confidence. Indeed, these respondents’ perceptions would indicate that lipstick
today is considered as part of the Normal image presented to the world and an integral
part of what makes a normal face.

Some of the other attributes measured to help determine the impact lipstick had on self-
perception included ‘pretty’, ‘complete’, ‘attractive’, ‘tarty’, ‘common’, ‘overdressed’,
‘sexy’, ‘presentable’, and ‘acceptable’. Whilst undoubtedly women may still
subconsciously wear lipstick for the purpose of attracting the opposite sex, results from
this study would indicate that factors of self-esteem rated significantly higher. Lipstick is
no longer seen as tarty, common or a symbol relegated to the ‘fast women’ of the past.
This study would suggest that lipstick has today gained an accepted place in our society
and that the reasons behind women’s use of this product are linked more to self-esteem
and status within society than for sexual allurement. This has significant marketing
implications for cosmetic companies who presently advertise their products based on the
link between beauty and sexual attraction, for in

Conjunction to this a whole new range of reasons pertaining to self-esteem are also
driving the products consumption
CONCLUSION:

Lipstick is perceived by women as an important component in their daily grooming ritual

and is considered by many as a necessary addition to their faces in order to feel
presentable, comfortable and more confident. Considering the wide acceptance by
society of lipstick as part of the daily image women show to the world, it seems
interesting that this artefact is not given more frequently as a gift. Consequently, the
researchers believe that there may be an opportunity for future lipstick promotions
targeted in the area of gift giving, and that the 26- 30 year age category being the most
frequent purchaser of lipstick may be a good place to start. Ideally further research
needs to determine if this grooming tool is considered too personal to be given in this
manner and the acceptance of it as a gift-line.

Finally, but most importantly, is the unique opportunity that lipstick offers as a vehicle
for women to transform their image. This factor can be used to successfully market
lipstick as a product that can transform a woman into what she wants to be. More
specifically, this will include all the positive self-perception attributes that lipstick offer
such as confidence, feeling well-groomed and high self-esteem. The potential in utilising
marketing messages that tap these attributes may have considerable reach and financial
reward for the organisations using them.