The Homa Files

Excerpt from WSJ “Beauty Game: Being Viewed as Natural” September 10, 2008 

Proving that your brand is more authentic than the competition’s is always difficult for marketers.

For the increasingly crowded category of “natural” beauty products, that task is particularly challenging. That’s why Burt’s Bees, owned by Clorox Co., and a handful of other brands that try to minimize their use of synthetic ingredients have developed a certification process by which they can officially claim their right to call their products “natural.”

In August, Burt’s Bees products…began hitting store shelves affixed with a Natural Products Association seal. The sticker promises that at least 95% of ingredients are natural or derived from natural sources, that they have no “potential suspected human health risks” and that development processes haven’t significantly altered the effect of the natural ingredients, among other criteria.

Mike Indursky, Burt’s Bees’ marketing chief, led the brand’s involvement in the certification…Below, he discusses shoppers’ confusion with natural products..

WSJ: Why does Burt’s Bees need its naturalness certified?

Mr. Indursky: …97% of women told us they want some sort of regulation. We felt we had a responsibility to explain to people what natural is, and what natural isn’t, so they can make the most informed choice. We worked with the Natural Products Association and our competitors to develop the criteria.

WSJ: Since the standards are devised by the participating companies rather than a government agency, isn’t there a risk that this seal could be perceived as even more marketing hype?

Mr. Indursky: That would be risky if it weren’t for the National Product Association’s leadership over it, and their use of third-party certifiers. The brands have no inclusion over the certification process.

WSJ: As a marketer, how do you balance your brand’s natural stance with your parent-company’s brand, which is synonymous with bleach?

Mr. Indursky: There’s nothing to balance. Burt’s Bees is doing what it has always done, regardless of Clorox owning us. Clorox has been a fantastic supporter of ours, and our levels of sustainability and natural ingredients have only increased since we’ve been acquired.

Edit by SAC

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Savvy consumers are likely to be skeptical of companies that create their own certification programs.  One also has to wonder if consumers recognize the stark differences between brand ideologies within a company such as Clorox.  Unilever has received criticism for the opposing ideologies of two of its brands, Axe deodorant spray and Dove.  Clorox also owns “Green Works,” a line of environmentally friendly cleaning products. Both Burt’s Bees and Green Works offer brand promises of green and natural, while the Clorox namesake represents bleach, chemicals and environmental harm. 

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Full article:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122099934231816811.html?mod=todays_us_marketplace

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This entry was posted on September 17, 2008 at 7:16 am and is filed under Mktg - Brands, Mktg - Product & Innovation. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.