Marketing Essay Sample about Revlon Company

Revlon is an American Company that has its headquarters in New York City of the United States of America. Revlon specializes in skin care products, cosmetics, and fragrance. In a broader perspective, the company deals in beauty and personal care products. Revlon was founded in 1932 by Charles Revson, Joseph, and Charles Lachman. The company has its shares quoted in the New York Stock exchange market. Revlon Company is in the Cosmetics, personal care, fragrances and skin care industry. In the financial year 2016, the company had revenues of $2.334 billion. The company also had an operating income of $0.138 billion. Revlon had 7,800 employees by the end of 2017. Revlon revenues had grown to 207 billion dollars by the end of the first quarter of 2017 financial year.

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Revlon Inc. is a multinational company that deals with the manufacture of beauty and personal care products. The company also markets these products to over 100 locations worldwide through its distribution channels. The products the company deals with include hair color, skin care products, beauty tools, deodorants, fragrances, and grooming products for men. Revlon runs its business through the consumer, professional, and Elizabeth Arden segments. Consumer segment is made up of those products that Revlon manufactures and sells locally within the United States, in the international markets through the company's mass retail channel in the US. It also includes selling products through the departmental stores outside the US. On the other hand, the professional segment deals in products that are sold primarily to hair and nail distributors. The main products in the professional segment are hair treatments, nail polishes, and enhancements. The leading brands in the consumer segment are Revlon, Pure Ice and Almay (Hosseinpour & Cai 2016).

Revlon has established itself as a multinational company with many international locations in the Middle East and Africa, United Kingdom, France, Dubai, Australia, Canada, Mexico and several locations in the vast country of USA.

The Economic, Legal/political and competitive factors affecting Revlon in the domestic market

Revlon is a company that manufactures markets and sells products largely in the domestic market in the United States of America. An analysis of the economic environment shows a lot of volatility in the last few years in the USA market. The economy of the USA has been growing at a very slow rate. For instance, in the fiscal year 2016, the Gross Domestic growth (GDP) was at 1.6%. This was the lowest recorded GDP growth rate since 2011. There was a lot of speculation and optimism that the GDP would have grown to between 4-5%. The rate at which the economy grows has a direct impact on the performance of a business. The dismal performance in the GDP of the USA where Revlon has highly invested affected Revlon's net sales and projected profits. Another significant factor in the economic environment is the consumer spending habits. Since the election of Trump as US president, there has been a lot of uncertainty, and this has lowered spending habits of consumers. This in the end effects Revlon's business and its overall performance.

Revlon is also operating domestically in a hostile political climate. A vast majority of people residing in the United States of America were not contented with the election of Trump as president. There were several demonstrations and this stalled the economy and Revlon business at large. There are also the legal requirements that Revlon must comply with the domestic market of USA. Being a public company, Revlon should publish books of accounts and declare profits as well as pay corporation tax. There is also a requirement on corporate social responsibility and environmental protection.

Revlon Company does not operate in isolation. There is stiff competition in the industry. The Estee Lauder Companies, which have their headquarters in New York City, is a major threat to the market share for Revlon. Estee Company also manufactures and markets skin care and hair care products that are distributed worldwide. This, therefore, poses a threat to Revlon and eats into Revlon's market share and overall revenues.

Revlon Company entering China market.China is one of the fastest growing economies and is offering business opportunities to many international markets. China has a conducive business atmosphere as the economy is a fast-growing year in year out. The consumer's purchasing power is increasing significantly due to increased wealth. The employment cost is quite low in China which means reduces expenses for companies running a business in China. China demographic trends are also increasing; the consumer incomes are growing as well as consumer spending habits changing and an open business environment are favorable for external companies. The decreased sales in the US market will work well for Revlon in China where the opportunities are plenty.

A look at the social and cultural factors reveals a country that is huge with a diverse population that is over 1.6 billion. China's culture is very collectivistic while the economy is highly decentralized. There are different languages in China, different business etiquettes and negotiation skills that form part of the Chinese culture. But in the last few tears, the cultural patterns are shifting towards the western cultural patterns. There is a common belief in China that western culture comes with some prestige, so Revlon coming into the Chinese market will work well in China.

When it comes t the technological environment, China is a country that has advanced technologically as well as in internet infrastructure. There is a wide internet connection across a big part of the country. This has eased internet access to a large group of the population especially those in the densely populated areas. It will be very critical for Revlon to join China market that is highly advanced technologically.

The rapid population growth of China has made it among the largest economies in the world. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) had grown significantly from 2013 when GDP was 7.4%. This will work out well for Revlon. On the legal environment, China has formulated laws that protect domestic industries. But this does not put off industries from other countries. Revlon will be able to enter Chinese market but operate within the China laws.

On the competitive environment, Revlon will face stiff competition from the already established cosmetics and body care product manufacturers and distributors in China. There are manufacturers of color cosmetics, deodorants, and perfumes. These are also the primary products for Revlon which mean competition will be stiff. The physical infrastructure in the transport system is well developed. China has invested heavily in road networks that cut across the major cities and along the coastal areas. The rural areas of China depend on non-mechanized transport means to connect to major cities like Shanghai.

China is a country where products for sale have to pass through a series of distributors before they reach the final consumers. The manufacturers determine the choice of distributors in a channel and the agents. There are domestic distributors who form the majority. There are also foreign distributors and agents, wholesalers and retailers who enable consumers in the rural settings to acquire the products.

SWOT analysis for one of the International markets where Revlon operates

Revlon strengths include offering products that are of high quality and diversified. There is also high innovation in manufacturing products that conform to the changing market needs and demands. Revlon also has a high retail presence in France market. When it comes to overall manufacturing, marketing, and selling expenses, Revlon has very low overhead costs. On weaknesses, there are new players and new brands in the market. Turnovers that are based on predictions also are a weakness to Revlon. On opportunities, the company has a large portfolio for reaching more markets in France. There is also the wide range of products and the infrastructural development that offer Revlon an opportunity to grow more. The threats are the many companies that are offering direct competition to Revlon products in France. There is also the threat of laws that are aimed at protecting domestic industries in France that means Revlon being an American company will be negatively affected (Hunter et al., 2015).

The Marketing mix of Revlon

Revlon has employed its innovation strategy to develop products in its marketing mix that cut across the beauty sector. There is a wide range of products that offer customers a wide range of choice and collections. For instance, there are products designed for the eyes that include crayons, pencil and kajal liner. There are those designed for lip care that includes lip gloss and lips gross. There is also the gold series, love series, and men collections. These diverse products are available in beauty parlors and other retail outlets.

On pricing, Revlon offers its products competitively in the cosmetics industry. The prices offered for Revlon products are well aligned to the market served to keep competitors at bay. This does not tamper in any way on the quality of products manufactured and offered for sale (Titus 2018).

Regarding place, Revlon has been able to offer its products to over 100 countries worldwide. The US market is the largest as over 50% of Revlon product sales come from the US market. Revlon has adopted a strategy of selling its products through retail stores and merchandising outlets. On the global market, leading chemists, salons, pharmacies and drug stores act as outlets for Revlon products. There are also distribution channels through Revlon subsidiaries in many parts of the world.

On promotion, Revlon uses several advertising media that include television sets, banners, brochures, the billboards, and booklets. Revlon also uses celebrity advertising, i.e., the use of American actress and singer Ciara in promoting Revlon products. Trade shows, fairs, and exhibitions, as well as festivals, have been used to promote Revlon products.

In a nutshell, Revlon Company has been in the cosmetics industry for many years. The company has a wide range of products that it offers to customers for skin care and beauty in many locations in the world. Revlon has been able to capture the world market through its well-strategized marketing mix. Revlon has many divisions which are catering for the three main segments of Consumer, Professional and Elizabeth Arden. Revlon has been able to open doors in over 100 countries with the US market being the largest.

References

Titus, P. A. (2018). Exploring creative marketing thought: Divergent ideation processes and outcomes. Psychology & Marketing, 35(3), 237-248.

Hosseinpour, D., & Cai, H. (2016). U.S. Patent Application No. 14/323,462.

Hunter, M., Bhola, R., Yappert, M. C., Borchman, D., & Gerlach, D. (2015). Pilot study of the influence of eyeliner cosmetics on the molecular structure of human meibum. Ophthalmic research, 53(3), 131-135.