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Strategic Message Planner: The Ordinary

Advertising Goal
To educate consumers of the beauty industry that The Ordinary is transparent, simplistic, and
affordable.

Client: Key Facts

1. The Ordinary is a skincare company that is a part of an umbrella of brands owned by
DECIEM- the abnormal skincare company.
2. The Ordinary products are manufactured in Canada and products are created by their
advanced team of biochemists and material chemists.
3. “The Ordinary is clinical formulations with integrity”. The brand holds true to this
statement by creating clean and honest products.
4. According to Cosmopolitan, out of 23 skincare products, The Ordinary has been named
as number five on the list of award-winning products.
5. Glamour has awarded their 2020 beauty awards to several of The Ordinary’s products
and have been named “affordable” and “worth your money”.
6. The company was founded by Brandon Truaxe in 2013. He was a computer scientist and
cosmetics entrepreneur who was passionate about transforming the beauty industry to be
honest and transparent.
7. The DECEIM company is on track to make $330 million in sales.

Product: Key Features

What Is the Product?
1. The Ordinary is a skincare and beauty company.
2. All products are free of parabens, sulfates, mineral oil, methylchloroisothiazolinone,
methylisothiazolinone, animal oils, coal tar dyes, mercury, oxybenzone, and formaldehyde.
3. The brand does not test on animals, nor pay others to do so. All formulas are vegan and cruelty-
free.
4. The Ordinary currently sells 52 products ranging from hair and skincare to cosmetics.
5. All products range from $5 to $20 a piece.

What Is the Purpose of the Product?

1. The purpose of The Ordinary products is to “fight innovation stagnancy in the industry” and
promote functional beauty at honorable prices.
2. Instead of combining ingredients, The Ordinary uses high concentrations of single active
ingredients which allows for a more precise skincare approach.

What is the Product Made of?

1. The Ordinary products are formulated with few active ingredients. Each product targets a
different skin concern.
2. The ingredients that can be found are oils, retinoids, acids, vitamins, peptides, and SPF.
3. All products are made without nuts, gluten, and alcohol.
4. The brand packaging is known for its minimalistic design and resemblance to lab equipment. All
packaging uses pharmaceutical labels and is made with neutral colors like white, black, and grey.
Most of the products are packaged in glass bottles which can be recycled and reused.
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Who and What Made and Distributed the Product?

1. Brandon Truaxe is the founder of the DECIEM company that houses several brands including
The Ordinary.
2. Each product is carefully created and packaged. The packaging includes glass bottles with y s for
an easy and sanitary application. The Ordinary also uses plastic tubes to package certain formulas
that are too thick for a pipette.
3. The glass bottle packaging allows consumers to see the product inside which contributes to the
honesty and transparency of the company. The pipette applicator allows for the product to be
applied without cross-contaminating the germs on our hands into the product.
4. The Ordinary originated in Canada, but has since expanded their reach by being available at
multiple online stores. Sephora and Ulta Beauty are known for keeping these products in stock.

Target Audience: Demographics and Psychographics

The target audience for this ad is men and women aged 13-30 who are educated and passionate
about skincare. The beauty of this product line is that anyone can use them. However, the
younger population would get more exposure to this advertisement through their use of social
media and online platforms. This target audience also includes those who might have skin
conditions that they are trying to treat.

According to the National Institutes of Health, 80 percent of people aged 11-30 are more likely
to have acne breakouts. Therefore, teenagers and young adults are going to be affected the most
by this ad. Although acne is the most common skin concern, there are many other conditions that
people seek to treat through quality skincare products. For example, some skin conditions The
Ordinary products can help treat are eczema, dermatitis, and rosacea.

Skincare products can be expensive, especially if someone is trying to maintain skin conditions
or achieve a certain look. That is why this advertisement will appeal to teens and young adults
who are looking for good quality products under $20.

The Ordinary products can only be found online which means that those who are familiar with
social media and all other outlets will be most likely to purchase a product. This target audience
relies on social media for entertainment and learning of current events. For example, this
audience mostly uses platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Youtube and
Pinterest. According to Pew Research, 69 percent of US adults use Facebook and 35 percent of
US teenagers rate Instagram as their favorite social networking site. Additionally, 75 percent of
18-24-year old’s use Instagram.

Members of this target audience are purchasing products with the intent to improve their skin
overall. This target audience probably has previous experience with skincare products and knows
what products they should try next. Members of this target audience also know that everybody’s
skin is different and what works for others might not work for them.

Product Benefits
1. The Ordinary provides good quality formulas for a fraction of the price: You can satisfy
your skin’s needs without breaking the bank.
2. There are many products to choose from including hair care and cosmetics: all products
come with simple instructions and tell you exactly what is inside.
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3. You will gain confidence in yourself when you achieve your desired goals: You will also
feel good about supporting a business that is cruelty-free.

Direct Competitors and Brand Images

Direct competitors are skincare and cosmetic companies.
1. The Inkey List
o This competitor also focuses on creating products that are centered on single-
ingredient formulas. These products are also set at affordable prices, very similar
to The Ordinary.
o This product line does not offer near as many options as The Ordinary, and has
significantly less product reviews. Each of The Inkey List products are about $1
more than its competitors at The Ordinary.
o The Ordinary’s glass bottle and dropper also makes for a better delivery system
compared to The Inkey List’s squirt bottle system.
2. Revolution Skincare
o This cosmetic and skincare line prides itself on also creating vegan and cruelty-
free products. However, their products are known to be less effective and not
worth the money.
o This competitor does not offer as many options as The Ordinary and is not easily
available to US customers as it is a London based company.
o The target audience is not as aware of this brand in terms of skincare, as this
competitor focuses on makeup products.
3. Garden of Wisdom Skincare
o This product line is a competitor because they also provide simple ingredient
formulas that are cruelty-free and affordable. This brand has been around for over
10 years and was founded in Arizona.
o Although this brand has been successful, they have not gained as much popularity
as The Ordinary has in just 7 years.
o The target audience has also given more negative reviews of these products
compared to The Ordinary.
o Although some of these products are slightly cheaper than The Ordinary, their
products do not have the same level of high concentrations- resulting in less
effective results.

Indirect Competitors and Brand Images

1. Prescriptions provided by Dermatologists
o The target audience seeks this type of service for immediate results and skincare
education. After visiting a dermatologist, the target audience might be more
knowledgeable on skincare and know what products they should and should not
purchase from stores. This could either take customers away from our products or
encourage them to advance their skincare routines with our products.
o Visiting the dermatologist to get prescriptions to treat skin conditions can be
helpful, but also expensive in the long-run.
o According to the American Academy of Dermatology, about 5.1 million people
sought out medical treatment for acne in 2013.
2. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle
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o The target audience believes this method will provide the best results and be the
most cost-effective. Although eating right and exercising is beneficial for people
in general, improving skin conditions might need more effort than this.
o Everybody is different and our bodies respond differently to things. This might
not be enough for people who need to use certain ingredients to fix their skin.

Product Brand Image

 Current brand image: The target audience believes that The Ordinary is innovative and
affordable but confusing to consumers who are not knowledgeable about skincare.
 Desired brand image: The Ordinary provides cost-effective skincare products that are
good for you and the environment.
 Brand image challenge: The target audience does not know what the product names mean
and may question if it something they really need.

Strategic Message: The Promise

Target audience, you should buy this product because you will save money and improve your
skin with simple, good quality products.

Supporting Evidence: The Proof

1. Founder of The Ordinary, Brandon Truaxe, created this brand with one thing in mind- to
redesign the beauty industry and transform it to a scientific approach using single-
ingredient formulas.
2. The Ordinary products are formulated without parabens, sulfates, phthalates, and alcohol.
3. All products are vegan and cruelty-free and packaged in recyclable materials.
4. The Ordinary offers 52 products that target skin and hair concerns as well as satisfy
cosmetic desires.
5. The Ordinary products are easily accessible in the US and are all under $20.