Applying the PESO Model: Ulta Beauty

Target Audience

Ulta Beauty offers both mass and prestige cosmetics, fragrances, skin care and hair care products, along

with having salon services. The target audience for Ulta Beauty are women within the 16-25 age range

that have an interest in purchasing makeup, skin care, or hair care products (Smf.business). Females that

fall into that demographic are most likely to have an interest or passion for beauty because of the recent

exposure of the beauty community on social media (Mentionlytics). They are the easier target to attract

from social media because of their active activity on these apps. The products are also available online,

meaning the target audience must be familiar with navigating the internet. The majority of Americans

prefer online shopping than shopping in stores (Finicalholdings).

Central Message

Ulta Beaty offers a variety of beauty, skin and hair products from different brands that promote

possibility to fuel dreams. Ulta Beauty provides a store experience that connects with how beauty lovers

actually shop and it has forever changed the game.

PESO Messaging

PAID: 30 second video reel on Instagram demonstrating 3 sculpting techniques with the Filter

Effect Soft Radiance Concealer from Morphebrushes.

Justification: The 30 second video reel on Instagram is effective because it is a short clip and appealing

with the close-up visuals and entertaining background music. Women of ages 16-25 don’t usually watch
long videos on this app so it connects with their attention span (yumyumvideos). They also enjoy quick

and straight to the point videos so this strategy was the right one.

EARNED: Ulta Beauty sells Kardashian/Jenner products

Justification: Selling Kardashian/Jenner products such as Kim Kardashian’s fragrances and Kylie Jenner

Cosmetics is a win-win because the Kardashian family have a huge influence on the buying trends of

consumers and the target audience are the ones who are powerfully swayed by influencers and

celebrities (Fortune). By these celebrities promoting it on their platforms, it can introduce Ulta Beauty to

many new potential customers.

SHARED: The magazine “Allure” wrote an article announcing the new facial recognition feature

being able to determine a customized skin care routine on the Ulta Beauty app (Allure).

Justification: The magazine “Allure” is already a popular and known magazine and its contribution in

announcing a new and cool feature in the Ulta Beauty app can attract more people to the company.

“Allure” readers can become intrigued and end up trying out the feature by downloading the Ulta Beauty

app which will lead them to skin care products that Ulta Beauty sells that are designed for their type of

skin.

OWNED: A 35-second reel on Instagram showing off the products that are involved in Ulta

Beauty’s Love your Skin event sale

Justification: Instagram reels are the most successful to date; the added feature was better than creating a

whole new app because over 1 billion people use Instagram every month (Targetmarket). The short

video promoting Ulta Beauty’s sale is effective because it provides quick and enough information to
interest the people in taking advantage of the sale. They include the products that are on sale and the

discount percentages for each skin care product. The target audience will watch the video because their

attention span will correlate with the time of the video.

Conclusion: Although all these approaches are slightly different, they all pursue the same goal of

attracting the target audience to Ulta Beauty, whether its in-store or through the Ulta Beauty website. All

strategies work with intriguing potential new customers with different discounts, products, beauty tips

and cool features that can help with determining what products would be personally useful. Each part of

the PESO model contributes to the exposure of the company to women of ages 16-25. The PESO model

works 100% with social media to reach the targeted audience because that age group are the ones who

mostly use social networks (Statista). This application of the PESO strategy allows Ulta Beauty grow

and prosper as one of the largest retailers of the beauty community.

Sources
1) Smf.Business:
https://smf.business.uconn.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/818/2019/04/ULTA.pdf

2) Mentionlytics:
https://www.mentionlytics.com/blog/social-media-insights-and-the-beauty-industry/
#:~:text=The%20beauty%20industry%20relies%20on,no%20signs%20of%20slowing
%20down.

3) Finicalholdings:
https://finicalholdings.com/online-shopping-statistics-and-trends-in-the-usa/
#:~:text=62%25%20of%20Americans%20make%20more,favor%20the%20convenience
%20of%20eCommerce.

4) Yumyumvideos:
https://www.yumyumvideos.com/30-second-explainer-video-learn-to-do-it-right/
#:~:text=30%2Dsecond%20videos%20are%20perfect,long%20videos%20on%20these
%20platforms.

5) Fortune.com:
 https://fortune.com/2018/12/14/ulta-beauty-mary-dillon/

6) Allure:
https://www.allure.com/story/ulta-beauty-app-skin-analysis-review

7) Targetmarket:
https://targetmarket.com/2021/04/instagram-reels-vs-tiktok/#:~:text=The%20most
%20successful%20to%20date,people%20using%20Instagram%20every%20month.

8) Statista:
https://www.statista.com/statistics/471370/us-adults-who-use-social-networks-age/