Fair & Lovely – the Beauty and Skin Care Industries
Case study: Fair & Lovely[pic 1]The Beauty and Skin care industries have witnessed a turning point at the end of the 20th century with the introduction of the concept of fairness creams. Created by Hindustan Unilever Ltd in 1975, Fair & Lovely was the first product claiming to have a lightning effect on the skin.This case study is about the incredible success that has known Fair & Lovely among Indian women as it gave them hope that they will achieve the fair skin they were craving, which means becoming beautiful, getting the man and the job they wanted.Although, the commercials promoting the product had a very strong racist connotation and did not seem to stand for the liberation of Indian women from the demeaning perception they have of themselves.To what extent has Hindustan Lever Ltd exploited the cultural preference of fair skin in India to launch an unethical promotional campaign that portrayed light skin superiority and gender inequality?AnalysisAs all women in India share a common need which is achieving a lighter skin tone, Hindustan Lever Ltd used a mass marketing strategy, and made sure that the ads and commercials were everywhere, that it was nearly impossible to escape them.
Three step Market Matching Strategy:Segmentation:The company used a Geographic segmentation as the population in India lives under a high temperature which causes their skin tone to get darker. They also used a demographic segmentation .In fact, the company focused on the age, gender, and ethnicity of the population. It is more interested in female teenagers and young women with a darker skin tone.Targeting:The company chose as its target market, middle and Upper Class, young Indian women who are still looking for a man and a job.Positioning:Fair & Lovely positioned itself as a Super Brand, created to make Indian Women beautiful and happy by lightning their skin. The positioning of the brand evolved with the evolvement of the consumer. It reflected exactly what the consumer wanted and needed.The majority of Indian women had well reacted to Fair & Lovely as it promised to give them the fair skin they wanted which directly means becoming socially accepted and recognized. According to the commercials used to promote the product, a lighter skin color can boost a woman’s self esteem and help her build the confidence she always wanted (ego-protective). The product Fair & Lovely would make dark skinned women beautiful so that they can get married and make their fathers proud (Value-expressive).