Developing a Global Vision

Although Essie polish started off in Las Vegas as just 12 colors, Essie brand polish is now sold in over 250,000 European, Far East, North and South American, African, Middle Eastern and Australian beauty salons and stores, across 95 countries. The polish is advertised globally as sophisticated and edgy. It is available online, and can be shipped worldwide to any salon, spa, or household; or around the world it is sold in various drugstores, department stores, and spas. Yes the classy brand is popular everywhere, it is most popular in the United States, Canada, Australia, and South America. Global sales of the polish were about $358 million in 2011, and will increase 0.9% at the end of 2012. 

       In order to adapt to the culture of each country, Essie Company does research and surveys to find which countries should be marketed to certain colors. While marketing to South America, Essie advertises her many different shades of red, because the surveys proved that more people in those countries prefer red shades polish to any others. When marketing to Australia, Essie makes sure to advertise her oranges, and pinks, seeing as those are the colors of preference for that particular country. 

            Essie brand polish does not sell as well globally as it does in the United States. Reason being perhaps is because Essie Company shows particular interest in the changing seasons and trends of the U.S. and not nearly as much to the trends of the other countries. Essie bring in majority of its revenue from the United States.

The Marketing Environment

         Although Essie products are desirable by women of all ages, the true target market of the company are women ages 17-34. As well as the age, Essie is also targeting to women who are fashion and health conscious, and women who are well educated working professionals. Their signature for the target market, is that they are a classy and sophisticated, while still maintaining that bold sexy look when needed. I am included in the target market that Essie is marketing towards, and from my choice of nail polish brands, i know they have the right strategy. When i walk into a salon the Essie polish always catches my eye. Either if i need a bold color such as my favorite deep dark sinister red, "Wicked", for a fun week end with friends, or a classy color such as the pale pink "Ballet Slippers", for a sophisticated event, Essie has the color I need. The quality of the polish is excellent, and remains unchipped for about a week, which is just what a girl my age needs for my hectic lifestyle. The target market Essie is selling to is the perfect one, because all women aged 17-34 also will either need a bold or classy color of a polish of excellent quality.

         Environmental management is a very important concept to Essie. in a social aspect, the colors that are in style are constantly changing, and Essie prepares itself for that by creating a new line of colors, with every new season.

 However, one factor that Essie does not factor in as much is the economic factor. Essie polish, priced at eight dollars a bottle, may be expensive to some consumers in the lower class. It is possible to find the products a bit cheaper, but only if you are willing to go to whole sale stores, or already used polish bottles. Many consumers such as myself believe that eight dollars for a bottle of fashion forward polish is a good investment, however when in the store buying polish, some people may rather pick up the bottle that is two dollars, rather than eight.

          Essie constantly wants to know the changing tastes of its consumers to be able to make the best products. Essie sends out various surveys, has many in depth interviews, as well as holds focus groups with the consumers.

         To keep up with the Consumer Product Safety Commission, Essies products are tested over a dozen times before being placed on the market. In 2010 Essie was sold to the company L'oreal, who now tests the products on animals. 

Ethics and Social Responsibilty

What makes a company moral? are there certain guidlines that each company must follow in order to be considered "ethical"? A code of ethics, which is a guideline for each company to follow in order to help them make better decisions. Essies code of ethics includes many different aspects. One of their many is have a concern for the environment. The company is aware that nail polish is not something that is easily able to make environmental freindly. As many of us know, the global warming scare has become an over whelming concern the past couple of years. None of us want to harm the environment, and it is a concern that needs to be shared even more across the wolrd. Because of this, Essie came out with a color nail polish in honor of the "Go Green" movement. "Going Incognito", is a green shade of polish which is meant to be specifically for the environment. 10% of each bottle bought goes directly to the organization Our Earth, in the hopes to bettering our environment. Also, each Essie customer is encouraged to recycle the glass bottles that the polish is sold in. With these small efforts, hopefully our environment will become a safe and clean place soon enough.

Strategic Planning for Competitive Advantage

               When walking into a salon, what is it that will make the consumer choose the Essie brand of nail polish over its many competitors such as O.P.I., and China Glaze? Each season as we all know, the magazines come out with some new hip trend and/or style; and so does Essie. Inspired by different fashion trends at the time, each and every season Essie comes out with a new color line, all called fun quirky names such as "Cocktail Bling," "French Affair," and even "Its in the Bag." With these funky names, as well as colors that match the latest trends, who wouldn't want to choose an Essie color? 

              Essie has created itself to be an authentic brand, while still keeping their products affordable. Not only does Essie sell over 200 different colors of polish, the brand has expanded to sell their own company polish remover, nail accessories, nail treatments, spa products, and even lip gloss.  

             Not only does Essie give its polish the funky names that gets customers excited, while flipping through the pages of magazines such as Seventeen, and InStyle,often you will find bright colorful adds, with exciting catch phrases on it, making the Essie company stick in your mind even once the magazine is closed. 

Consumers have reported that the Essie advertisements have given the company the reputation of having individuality, confidence, and sophistication. 

                         

                                "Essie is a luxury brand that blends the fashionable with the functional"

The History of Essie

         Sephora, Macy's, Target, and Rite Aid are all carriers of the number one nail polish company across the world known as "Essie." The Essie manicure is now capital in over 250,000 European, Far East, North and South American, African, Middle Eastern and Australian salons and stores, beyond 95 countries. Although extremely successful now, each company has its beginning. And just how did this company begin? was it all a plan for making money? was it the want for fame and honor? Yes those reason do seem plausible, but in truth it was all stemmed from a woman's frustration with the lack of color in beauty salons.

        Essie began by creating a 12 color collection. Once created, she brought her new line to salons in Las Vegas, and there it became a wild success. Through out the next few days Essie had received dozens of phone calls from salons who were impressed by her ability to create classy, yet fashionable shades, to meet the needs of the glamorous working women. The yield was so abundant for these 12 shades, Essie almost had no other choice but to extend her pallet. Thus creating the complete Essie line today which includes over 200 colors, making her yearly estimated sales at 3.5 billion.

         The key to success in Essie's understanding is the knowledge that women have two separate needs when it comes to their nail color-"there are times in every woman's activity for elegance, and times for added daring, fun colors."