Week ten: Product Concepts

Products sold by Smashbox are known as consumer products (a product bought to satisfy an individuals personal wants). 

Smashbox Cosmetics are categorized as shopping products (a product that requires comparison shopping because it is usually more expensive than a convenience product and is found in fewer stores). Besides online, Smashbox products are only sold in few stores such as ULTA, Sephora, Nordstroms, etc. Indeed, their products are pricier than convenient store makeup like Cover girl/Loreal, so it is crucial for the consumer to do research and compare different brands instead of making an instant purchase/decision. So when purchasing Smashbox products people willingly invest effort into this process to get the desired benefits!

Smashbox is such a thriving company because they sell a good variety of products! Naturally they carry more than one product line (a group of closely related product items). Such as; makeup, body products, brushes/tools, palettes/kits, travel products, etc. Within the different lines Smashbox offers tons of unique product items (a specific version of a product that can be designated as a distinct offering among an organization’s products). Some examples of product items from the different product lines:

makeup- camera ready full coverage foundation SPF 15

body- artificial light luminizing lotion

brushes/tools- fan brush #22

palettes/kits- softbox eye shadow palette

travel- brow tech to go

Smashbox has a huge product line depth (the number of product items in a product line). By increasing the depth of their product lines, it attracts consumers/customers with different preferences. They offer many choices and have a wide product mix (the number of product lines an organization offers). 

Example: They offer primers with bronzing, anti-shine, targeted pore and line, SPF 15 and Dermaxyl, color correcting, travel size, and more! 

Sure the abundance of choices are awesome but can be challenging for people like me who are incredibly indecisive!!! :p Smashbox really tries to satisfy all their customers needs and they sure do a hell of a good job by providing us with endless amounts of products.

“Branding is the main tool marketers use to distinguish their products from the competition’s.”

Smashbox of course is the brand name (that part of a brand that can be spoken, including letters, words, and numbers) of the company. They are marked under one brand (a name, term, symbol, design, or combination thereof that identifies a seller’s products and differentiates them from competitors’ products). Smashbox is a brand that is well-known and has excellent quality products. They experience repeat sales from the same customers because they know just how to satisfy them and keep them coming back for more. I feel that Smashbox has brand loyalty (consistence preference for one brand over all others), because like I said before, they are a known brand that has reliable and substantial products.

Besides holding contents together and protecting goods, packaging is also a container for promoting a product and making it easier and safer to use. Smashbox packaging serves many great functions. Example: protects products, promotes products, facilitates the storage, use, and convenience, and also facilitates recycling and reduces environmental damage.

Protects/contains products- of course the most obvious function of packaging is to contain and protect the product. Makeup is constantly handled so its important that they have sturdy packaging to prevent spillage and breakage. Smashbox spends time making sure all their packaging is durable and dependable!

Promoting products- Besides identifying the brand, listing ingredients, specifying features, and give directions, packaging differentiates a product from others. Packages use designs, colors, shapes, and materials to alter consumers’ perceptions and buying choices. The truth is people really do judge a book by its cover, so Smashbox makes sure to create packaging that is easy on the eyes and that stands out from its competitors! 

Facilitating storage, use, and convenience- Obviously we (consumers) seek items that are easy to handle, open and re close. No matter what size or shape Smashboxs’ packages are light weight, totally convenient, and easy to use!

Facilitating recycling and reducing environmental damage- There are many packaging issues these days, one of them being compatibility with the environment. However, Smashbox has managed to remain earth-friendly while creating brilliantly attractive and chic packaging! All their packaging is recyclable and is made using Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) Certified paper and soy inks. They certainly do care about the environment!