gen+ research book by brittany cohen

GEN GEN

ANALYZING CONSUMER PRODUCTS AND INDUSTRY STANDARDS

Printed for Robert Rabinovitz, Associate Professor Research and Development Advanced Methods BBA, Design and Management Program Parsons The New School for Design Spring 2012 New York, New York

Made by Generation Plus

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION 1 DISCOVER 7 RESEARCH 17 PLAN 61 CREATE 77 IMPLEMENT 91 EVALUATE 97 EVOLVE 101 APPENDIX 107

G E N E R AT I O N P L U S

GEN+ Team

SOCIAL MEDIA + SOCIAL IMPACT + SOCIAL GOOD Technological advances across various communication platforms has lead to increased dialogue about the social issues impacting our world today. Social injustices are no longer secluded just to the area where they are occurring, and therefore much more prevalent in our everyday life. No matter your age or background, the constant bombardment of problems in our society can be overwhelming. We were tasked with identifying one important social cause, which we felt strongly for, and by conducting thorough direct and indirect research, through organization of facts and personal accounts on the topic, were able to create an implementation plan to help raise awareness of the issue and prevent future injustices from occurring. Through Social Media, such as various news platforms and online websites, we identified a topic. We discovered the Social Impact through research and case studies, and designed a campaign to increase Social Good in our society.

EISHA ABDEL-GHANY Eisha was born in Orlando, Florida in 1991. Her love for graphic design lead her to pursue an education in design and management. Gaining so much knowledge and perspective after her first year, Eisha learned the power of good design and of the social implications that may be associated therein. Eisha believes that even the smallest efforts can help make the world a better place, but it takes patience, awareness, and activism. Working at Generation Plus helps put her beliefs to action.

BRITTANY COHEN

OCTAVIA MTTENHEIMER

ALEXANDRIA SALKED

I was born in Boston, Ma in 1991. Although I consider myself a conscious buyer, after researching into consumer products and the whole industry around it, I realized just how many chemicals I was subjecting myself to, and used our research to make positive changes in my own personal care routine. I was responsible for conducting the surveys, rebranding, and marketing implementation.

I was born 1989 in Frankfurt, Germany. After spending 2 years in Paris I decided to come to New York to gain more experience in life and learn about corporate America. As a Design Manager I am very much interested in Project Management and its organization. As a healthy person in general and as a European citizen my standards for consumer products are much higher then what I have experienced in the US and am very keen on improving these standards to promote a more healthy lifestyle.

Born in Ontario, Canada in 1990, Alexandria moved to New York City to attend The New School majoring in Design and Management. My interest in beauty and cosmetics was inspired by my internship at a publication where I worked in the beauty department. After learning about several new organic skin-care lines and helping editors conduct research for articles focused on the effects of chemicals on skin, Gen+ has provided an outlet to explore and raise awareness of the need for safe cosmetics. 2

About GEN+ Brand Mission

Brand Iconography

Generation Plus (GEN+) is made up of designers, thinkers, and innovators of the 21st century. We as an agency embody forward thinking through our beliefs, methods, and practices. Forward thinking is only possible by looking back at the past. Reflecting on historical and contemporary events

and innovations, we analyze the social implications associated with them and how they affect our world today. With evolution, comes deteration and we try to preserve and sustain what has been lost by working with companies and organizations to promote happier and healthy living globally.

GEN GEN

Generation Plus usually goes by the name GEN+ because when shorter, is and easier to visually see, say, and remember. We like people to recognize and remember us, especially in what we hope to promote! We use the + symbol to represent positive change as well as the procreation of upcoming generations.

Brand Drivers

progressive

evolution

solutions

sustainable

positive

generation

basic

When coming up with our brand name, we thought of key words that best describe what we stand for. These are our brand drivers. The name Generation Plus (Gen+) was chosen because we want to our name to promote positive, and better living for future generations.

healthy

Design Process The Design Process is the description of how we work as a team. Each step refers to a certain work phase. Most of the time they are based on each other and do not overlap, however exceptions can be made, sometimes might even be necessary to fulfill the project at all

2 Discover

START Evolve

Research

Evaluate

Plan

Implement

Create

Discover

Every idea starts with discovering something unknown. This can happen everywhere and anytime. It can happen while you are already searching for inspiration or completely random when you least expect it. It is important to notice and remember it.

Discover 9

Ideation

11 Summary of Themes 13 Selection Process 15 Problem Statement

IDEATION

What Affects Us? The beginning of our Ideation process started with all Team members gathering together and talking about things that affect us or come across our way. We started of with all kind of themes from all kind of areas, specifically for the US as well as international topics.

SUMMARY OF THEMES

Narrowing Down After assembling all kind of information and News, we came together and discussed the themes presented. Each team member picked their favorite three topics. We then consolidated the picked themes and discovered that all of them could be integrated into one Mind Map with the overall Team the Echo-Boomers, our Generation.

We proceeded to discuss the themes shown in the Mind Map to the right hand. Obviously we had to go even further. After assessing all the different fields, we all agreed to focus our research from now on the “Chemicals in Our Lives.”

Internet Social Media

Mobile Devices

Facebook & other forms of online exchange

Social Life Politics & Globalization

Acceptance of Homosexuality & Races

Technology

Change In Our Generation: The Echo-Boomers

Processed Foods Chemicals in our lives

Lifestlye

Lack of phyiscal activity

SELECTION PROCESS

Criteria Used Choosing a theme for a new project is a highly important step. While it is possible to alter the theme a little during the research phase, the overall position should stay the same. You have to be very clear why and what you chose it in the beginning to be economically efficient. Being aware of the exact reasoning and criteria that lead to your decision is also crucial as only then you will be able to formulate a great and defendable problem statement. Criteria we realized are important to as are: Relation to the human body Relation to our current location New York Relation to our personal interests and everyday life Relation to our urge to discover/ bring up and discuss new topics Relation to ourselves as individuals as well as members of a generation

Impact

Personal Interest

Human Body Local Connection Relation to ourselves Relation to us as a Team

Echo-Boomers

Time

Modern Problems

PROBLEM STATEMENT

Issues Today Technological advances in the consumer products and food-processing industries, couples with our societies increasingly fast-paced lifestyle, has lead to a flood of new chemicals being introduced into our daily lives. Although there is a plethora of research available pointing to the hazards of exposure to these chemicals, little is being done to educate the public on these toxins, or stop the use of the proven dangerous ones. The public has a right to know what they are consuming, and there is a need to present this information more clearly to the buyers, as well as commitment to increase legal standards and guidelines when introducing new chemicals into the market.

1 21

Research

You want to research this to you unknown theme thoroughly. The research is necessary to identify the gaps and opportunities or to see if you can get inspiration from existing solutions. What kind of data exists, can you make any comparisons, are solutions existing?

Research 19 Background & History 21 Facts & Statistics 31 Regulation 41 Case Studies 49 Personas

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BACKGROUND AND HISTORY

The Emergence of Chemicals Sixty years ago there were only a few synthetic chemicals (laboratory-made compounds that do not exist in nature) that had been invented. One of the first instances of the impact of toxic chemicals on human and environmental health was in the 1920’s when lead was put in gasoline because it was found to make engines run more smoothly. Shortly after it was discovered that even in small doses, lead can cause brain damage in children who are incredibly susceptible. The explosion of modern chemistry began in the era of the military build up during the late 1930’s and 1940’s. The main reason for the creation of synthetic chemicals was for the sake of convenience. Labor-saving chemical compounds helped to make life easier.

U.S. Chemical Production, 1947 - 2007 Production index (100 = year 2002) 120 100 80 60 40 20 0

1945

1955

1965

1975

1985

1995

2005

Average Sperm Count, 1930 - 1990 Sperm density (106/mL) 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0

1930

1940

1950

1960

1970

1980

1990

More than 54 million chemical sequences have been identified in the 60 years since the end of World War 2. More than 85,000 synthetic compounds have been commercially developed and released into the environment.

Consumer products are a major source of exposure. Adolescents are widely exposed to hormone-disrupting chemicals found in cosmetics as their reproductive systems mature.

The chemical deluge also means that every generation of human beings is now more polluted than the last. Two of the most worrying aspects of the effects of toxic chemicals are biomagnification and health impacts on the young, who are most vulnerable.

Workers are often exposed to elevated levels of dangerous chemicals. One study found that women plastics workers more frequently sought treatment for infertility than the general population.

FACTS & STATISTICS

Daily Cosmetic Usage by Age Group and Gender Infant

Children & Adolescents

Adult Woman

Adult Man

on average, uses up to

products daily

containing up to

unique ingredients

238 unique ingredients

168

Chemical Exposure During Pregnancy During pregnancy, both mother and developing child face variable health risks. They may be exposed to harsh chemicals like teratogenic chemicals known to cause birth defects or in some cases, death. The term teratogenic is given to natural and synthetic chemicals that are able to disturb the growth and development of an embryo or fetus. Fetal vulnerability is dramatically greater than for adults on a pound to pound basis. There are three ways a pregnant woman can be exposed to teratogen. The ways they can enter the body are through inhalation, ingestion, and skin absorption.

FACTS & STATISTICS

In a study,newborns were found to be contaminated with over 200 chemicals or pollutants through the study of umbilical cord blood (Randomly selected from 204 hospitals in 2004).

nd:

ou rs f

e rch a e es at r

187

Carcinogens

208

Cause Birth Defects

217

Nuerotoxins

One in Every Thirty Babies Born Have Birth Defects

Increasing Percentage of Babies Born with Birth Defects 22.1% 15.1%

1970

1997 24

FACTS & STATISTICS

AVERAGE NUMBER OF PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS USED EACH DAY

10.05

Toothpaste and deodorant

ranked highest on the list of cosmetics used on a daily basis

Product Usage In 2011, The Portland State University Survey Research Lab conducted a web survey of female undergraduate students on their use of personal care products, on behalf of the Metro Regional Government and the Oregon Environmental Council.

U.S. Researchers identified 10,500 industrial chemicals

used in cosmetic

NEVER 8.4% ALWAYS 23.5%

ingredients

OFTEN, 23.5%

RARELY 17.5%

SOMETIMES 27.1%

Frequency of Reading Ingredient Lists on Personal Care Products Prior to Purchase

FACTS & STATISTICS

Fragrances The National Academy of Sciences reports that 95% of the chemicals used in fragrances today are synthetic compounds derived from petroleum, including known toxins that can cause cancer, birth defects, central nervous system disorders, asthma and allergic reactions.

Approximately 100,000 newer chemicals are in commercial use that didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t used to be in our air. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In just 26 seconds after any exposure to chemicals, they can be found in every organ of the body. Fragrance secrecy is legal due to a giant loophole in the Federal Fair Packaging and Labeling Act of 1973, which requires

companies to list cosmetics ingredients on the product labels but explicitly exempts fragrance. While you may like the smell, fragrances can harm you and others around you because they contain many of the same toxins as in cigarette smoke, including solvents like benzene, toluene and formaldehyde

The term fragrance is used on perfume bottles to disguise the potential plethora of harmful chemicals that give the fragrance its signature scent

Chemicals of Concern

Health Concerns

Cocoaminde Dea Ethanol Propylene Glycol Limonene Benzaldehyde Flouride Sodium Lauryl Sulfate Acetone Methylene Chloride Terpineol

Hormone disruption Allergies Increased risk of cancer Asthma Effects on developing fetus Obesity Reproductive toxicity Thyroid Problems

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FACTS & STATISTICS

American Eagle Seventy Seven Chanel Coco Britney Spears Curious Giorgio Armani Di Gio (for men) Old Spice After Hours Body Spray (for men) Quicksilver (for men) Calvin Klein Eternity (for men) Bath & Body Works Japanese Cherry Blossom Calvin Klein Eternity (for women) Halle by Halle Berry Hannah Montana Secret Celebrity Victoriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Secret Dream Angel Wish Abercrombie & Fitch Fierce (for men) Jennifer Lopez J. Lo Glow Axe Body Spray For Men- Shock Clinique Happy Perfume Spray Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue

24 18 17 17 16 16 15

11 11

13 13 13

14 14

10 9 7

Are You at Risk? A study conducted by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) and the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics found popular products containing 14 chemicals on average. Of the chemicals listed on labels, 19% have not been assessed for safety. Of the secret chemicals found in fragrances, 66% have not been assessed for safety

Opinions About Personal Care Products

84% 9.3% 8.4%

Of survey participants believe personal care product labels should be required to list all the ingredients

Personal care products are adequately regulated by the government

As the number of products used increases, participants are less likely to agree:

Feel that they know all they need to know about the ingredients in the personal care products they use.

That they are knowledgeable about the personal care products they use Agree that there are health risks associated with using personal care products 30

REGULATION: FDA

The FDA The US Cosmetic industry is watched by the FDA. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) oversees products related to food, drugs, medical devices, vaccines, blood and biologics, animal and veterinary, radiation-emitting products, tobacco, and cosmetics. FDA’s authority is based on two laws the FD&C Act (Food, Drug an Cosmetic Act) and the FPLA (Fair Packaging and Labeling Act). The role of the FDA as a regulatory organization has been greatly criticise for its vaguely defined duties, it’s industry-friendly behavior and for it’s weak juristic power. These points that are under criticism will be further discussed in this chapter.

What Does the FDA Actually Do? The FDA can inspect cosmetics manufacturers and their facilities, handle violations of the FD&C Act and the FPLA, handle customer complaints, and can conduct tests on cosmetics of concern. What is criticized here becomes more clear when looking more closely into who exactly the FDA can control and how their activities are performed. Frankly, the cosmetics industry is uncontrolled! Neither control nor testing is done holistically and the handling of complaints is hard as they normally do not reach the FDA.

can and does inspect cosmetic â&#x20AC;&#x153; FDA manufacturing facilities to assure cosmetic product safety and determine whether cosmetics are adulterated or misbranded under the FD&C Act or FPLA

â&#x20AC;? 32

REGULATION: FDA

FD&C Act The FD&C Act is one of the two legislations empowering the FDA. It prohibits the marketing of adulterated or misbranded cosmetics in interstate commerce. The product is considered to be adultered if:

“

It has been prepared, packed, or held under unsanitary conditions whereby it may have become contaminated with filth, whereby it may have been rendered injurious to health

”

“

It bears or contains any poisonous or deleterious substance which may render it injurious to users under the conditions of use prescribed in the labeling thereof, or under conditions of use as are customary and usual” [with an exception made for hair dyes]

”

FDA Regulatory Possibilities The FDA needs to consult the Department of Justice as well as the Federal District Court if they want to take and official action. They cannot act on their own authority.

“

FDA is not authorized to require recalls of cosmetics but does monitor companies that conduct a product recall and may request a product recall if the firm is not willing to remove dangerous products from the market without FDA’s written request

”

REGULATION: FDA

Testing When Necessary The FDA neither tests any products themselves, nor are they working together with other agencies or institutions pursuing a wholistic research process. Unfortunately the FDA does not even recommend any independent testing laboratories, they fully rely on the data handed in by the industry.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

The agency does not function as a private testing laboratory, and in order to avoid even the perception of conflict of interest, does not recommend private laboratories to consumers or manufacturers for sample analysis. Testing laboratories are listed in your telephone directory

â&#x20AC;?

Cosmetics Industry Controls the Market As the FDA doesn’t have their own jurisdictional grounds, as they are not conducting any kind of systematic testing and as the companies don’t need to report anything at all back to the FDA- like consumer complaints, side effects etc., we can conclude that the industry regulates itself. The FDA has neither the authority nor the power or motivation to control the industry in any kind of way.

“

Recalls of cosmetics are voluntary actions taken by manufacturers or distributors to remove from the marketplace products that represent a hazard or gross deception, or that are somehow defective

”

REGULATION: CIR

The Cosmetic Industry Review In the absence of government authority, the safety of personal care product ingredients is evaluated through a voluntary industry program known as the Cosmetic Industry Review (CIR) process. It was established in 1976 by the Personal Care Products Council (PCPC) and supported by the FDA. The CIR is still funded today by the PCPC. It is important to note that companies in the industry are free to follow or ignore any advice provided by the CIR as it is only a voluntary program. The ineffectiveness of control in the industry is shown when considering that for more than 30 years the CIR have only managed to review about 11 percent of all cosmetic ingredients; in other words, 1,400 ingredients out of an estimated 1,2500 ingredients used in personal care products (an estimate way below what independent databases like Skin Deep estimate).

In the 30 years since its creation, the CIR has evaluated fewer than 20 percent of the more than 12,500 ingredients used in cosmetics meaning that the vast majority have not been assessed for safety by the FDA, CIR or any other body

The Personal Care Products Council

REGULATION: CIR

Ineffectiveness of Regulation Since their existence, the CIR has reported only 11 ingredients as unsafe. They have given recommendations regarding reduction of use in products but consequently doesn’t make an impact on the industry as recommendations are rarely taken. The ineffectiveness of regulation and authority of the cosmetics industry can be highlighted by the fact that these two regulating organizations are contradictory. The FDA has banned nine completely different products than the ones criticized by the CIR.

The ignorance of the CIR and the cosmetics industry is evident when the State of California passed a law requiring the industry to notify the state whenever ingredients linked to cancer or birth defects are used. The comment of the CIR was: “The [CIR] is very disappointed that the governor signed the damaging and redundant legislation.” The industry’s Washington based lobbying arm said in a statement, “cosmetics and personal care products are already completely safe and well regulated under state and federal law.”

CASE STUDIES

Brazilian Blowout

ABSTRACT Over the past two years, the FDA has received over 47 complaints of dangerous reactions from both the salon workers and their clients who have used Brazilian style straightening treatments, such as the popular Brazilian Blowout brand. Some of the injuries reported include: hair loss, vomiting, blisters, sore throat, dizziness, difficulty breathing, bloody nose, rashes, chest pain, and burning of the eyes, throat, and lungs. Scientist linked these symptoms to the

high levels of formaldehyde found in the product, a known human carcinogen. Even though both the producing company and the FDA knew this information, Brazilian Blowouts products have stayed on the market. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Board, the regulatory force in the personal care industry, recommends products contain no more than .2 percent formaldehyde, but this is a voluntary recommendation, and not enforceable.

Canada, France, and other countries have actively banned Brazilian Blowout, but it is still available for sale in the United States. The FDA does not have the authority to issue a recall, and can only issue a voluntary recall for cosmetics products. The European Union has banned more than 1,100 chemicals for use in cosmetics, while the United States has banned just 11.

INSIGHTS The FDA has little to no power in the cosmetics industry, and it is clear the industry cannot efficiently self regulate. Government interference is vital in this case, to keep the public safe from the immoral choice of Brazilian Blowout to continue to sell a dangerous product on the market. The US Government and the FDA should take cues from neighboring countries and the European Union on what chemicals and products should be taken off the shelves.

PROS

CONS

The truth of the product is finally revealed to the public

Takes several peoples complaints to make action start to happen

The European Union and other international countries have taken proactive steps to ban dangerous ingredients, like those found in Brazilian Blowout

Product is still available on the market today FDA doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have the right to get involved in the circulation of dangerous products The salon care companies have openly lied about their ingredients and been unethical about their business choices 42

CASE STUDIES

Breast Cancer Risk: Vietnamese Nail Salon Workers

ABSTRACT Breast cancer has emerged as the number one cancer among Vietnamese women in California, and Vietnamese workers operate 80% of nails salons in the state. Although advocate groups have pushed to eliminated suspected carcinogens from nail care products, little has been done to honor their request, and therefore this funded

research was necessary to unveil the hazardous environments of nail salons. Focus groups were made and studied of 200 Vietnamese nail salon workers in Alameda country, where face to face surveys were conducted, along with informational sessions taught by doctors and health care professionals, in order to educate these workers on the safety threats they face.

The research found that many of the workers were dealing with health issues such as skin and eye irritation, breathing difficulties, and headaches. The study concluded that further research would be necessary, but links to toxic nail care products and poor health of these workers could be made.

INSIGHTS Salon workers are exposed to hazardous working conditions without being educated about the possible dangers. Efforts to increase standards and protect the workers have failed so far. Further Research needs to be conducted to give the demand for better conditions more impact. Furthermore the Salons should step up and take preventive measures.

PROS

CONS

Tests are being done to prove the dangers

Interesting links between breast cancer and nail salon workers

Workers are being exposed to the possibility of dangers in their work place

Even though research is being done, little is being concluded, and taken further into consideration

Advocate groups are trying to eliminate carcinogens from nail products

Many workers have socioeconomic roadblocks to working in safer environments

CASE STUDIES

The Disappearing Male

ABSTRACT The last few decades have seen steady and dramatic increases in the incidence of boys and young men suffering from genital deformities, low sperm count, sperm abnormalities and testicular cancer. At the same time, boys are now far more at risk of suffering from ADHD, autism, Tourette syndrome, cerebral palsy, and dyslexia. The Disappearing Male takes a close and disturbing look at what many doctors and researchers now suspect are responsible for many of these problems: a class of common chemicals that are ubiquitous in our world. Found in everything from shampoo, sunglasses, meat and dairy products, carpet, cosmetics and baby bottles, they are called “hormone mimicking or “endocrine disrupting” chemicals and they may be starting to damage the most basic building blocks of human development. Man made chemicals interfere with male sexual development.

INSIGHTS There are more than 20 heavily industrialized nations where the birth of baby boys has declined every year for the past 30 years - amounting to 3 million fewer baby boys.

CONS College-age boys now produce half the amount of sperm than their fathers and 85% is abnormal It has become increasingly difficult to recruit sperm donors Standards for what has been considered abnormal/infertile has drastically come down from 60% to 10%. The number of boys born with penis abnormalities and genital defects has increased by 200% in the past two decades

CASE STUDIES

Campaign for Safe Cosmetics It was started out of the reason that Europe has banned more then 1,100 chemicals from use in personal care products whereas the US only managed to ban 11. This lead all kinds of environmental, health, and justice organizations to unite and launch the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics.

ABSTRACT: ‘The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is a coalition effort launched in 2004 to protect the health of consumers and workers by securing the corporate, regulatory and legislative reforms necessary to eliminate dangerous chemicals from cosmetics and personal care products.’

INSIGHTS Campaign for Safe Cosmetics’ criteria for evaluating cosmetics: Comply with the European Union’s Cosmetics Directive, widely considered the current global gold standard of cosmetics safety regulation

Their mission is to raise the bar for product safety and grow demand for personal care products that are free of harmful chemicals. In order to do so, it is most important to raise US standards compared to those of the EU.

Disclose all ingredients, including ingredients in ‘fragrance,’ which in the United States can be claimed as ‘trade secrets,’ even when they contain hormone disrupters, carcinogens and other harmful chemicals

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics works with more than 150 endorsing organizations, thousands of grassroots supporters. They also work with companies that have signed the Compact of Safe Cosmetics, a voluntary pledge of safety and transparency of which 1,500 companies have signed since its creation in 2004 by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics.

Publish and regularly update product information in EWG’s Skin Deep cosmetics database Comply with any additional ingredient prohibitions and restrictions under the Compact and substitute ingredients of concern with safer alternatives

PROS Global release of The Story of Cosmetics, a 7 minute film hosted by Annie Leonard explaining toxic problems within cosmetics Creating the world’s largest searchable cosmetics safety database, Skin Deep Educate millions of people about the use of toxic chemicals in products Successfully pressuring mainstream companies to reduce or remove phthalates from their products Getting more than 1,500 companies to sign the Compact for Safe Cosmetics, a pledge to replace harmful chemicals with safe alternatives

CONS Forcing major nail polish brands to reformulate their products to remove the three most toxic chemicals (formaldehyde, toluene and dibutyl phthalate)

Have not reached a critical mass of the public or the market

Working with the natural and organic products industry to raise the bar for cosmetics safety and sustainability

Need to promote their “Champion” companies better, so people know which companies they could buy instead of the usual ones

Launching a nationwide speaking and book tour for Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry by co-founder Stacy Malkan Driving public support for the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2011

They have not reached the retailers effectively

Website is not user-friendly Skin Deep, is not being efficiently implemented They do not have enough effective media They are in their 8th year however managed to create only 3 videos and 11 ads all together 48

PERSONAS

Meet Martha: Age 30 Martha is nine months pregnant with her first child and is carefully planning and preparing for the birth of her baby girl. She has been cautious about the foods she eats and her daily activities in order to ensure a healthy and happy baby. Since the news of her pregnancy, Martha has purchased several parenting books and attends weekly prenatal classes with her husband. Along with morning yoga classes, Martha has adjusted her daily cosmetics routine to incorporate more lotions to relieve typical pregnancy problems including itchy skin and has also been using hand sanitizer throughout the day to ward off any harmful germs. Martha has switched to a new night cream in order to help with the acne that has surfaced as a result of her pregnancy, and has been cautious about the foods she eats during nightly cravings. Her daily cosmetics routine can be seen on the next page.

1 55

PERSONAS: MARTHA

PARABENS: PROPYLPARABEN

NITROSAMINES

TRICLOSAN

PURPOSE: Used to prevent the growth of microbes in cosmetic products

PURPOSE: The inadvertent creation of this carcinogenic compound can add a whole new challenge for consumers reading labels for safety, since nitrosamines do not appear on a label, and the precursor building blocks are not clearly noted.

PURPOSE: Kill bacteria and fungus and prevent odors

HARMS: Parabens are linked to cancer, endocrine disruption, reproductive toxicity, immunotoxicity, neurotoxicity and skin irritation. Since parabens are used to kill bacteria in water-based solutions, they inherently have some toxicity to cells. disrupt hormone function, an effect that is linked to increased risk of breast cancer and

HARMS: Studies have linked nitrosamines to developmental or reproductive toxicity, immunotoxicity, neurotoxicity and systemic toxicity. It is known to cause cancer and birth defects

HARMS: There is evidence that triclosan is an endocrine disrupter and impacts thyroid function and thyroid homeostasis. One recent study found that triclosan had an effect on thyroid hormone concentrations, and another showed that triclosan interacted with androgen and estrogen hormone receptors

Shower Ge l

SHOWER GEL

MASCARA

ANTIBACTERIAL SOAP

SYNTHETIC MUSKS

ALUMINUM

TITANIUM

PURPOSE: Added as scents to cosmetics

PURPOSE: Preservative

PURPOSE: Pigment

HARMS: There is evidence that exposure to synthetic musks can have hormone disrupting effects and increase the proliferation of estrogen-responsive human breast cancer cells and linked to liver toxicity. Due to the ubiquity of these chemicals, synthetic musks are pervasive in people’s bodies—even in newborns. Environmental Working Group tests of umbilical cord blood found 7 out of 10 babies had been born with tonalide and/or galaxolide in their blood

HARMS: Anaemia, osteomalacia (brittle or soft bones), glucose intolerance, and cardiac arrest in humans, Aluminum has been shown to build up in the brain and contribute to Alzheimer’s and other brain disorders

HARMS: Carcinogen, increase risk of breast cancer, Alzheimer’s disease

HAND LOTION

NASAL SPRAY

NIGHT CREAM

PM 52

PERSONAS

Meet Amber: Age 16 Amber typically starts her day with a healthy breakfast before having a shower and getting ready for the day. In the shower, she uses her favorite shampoo to tame her frizzy hair and her strawberry-scented body wash. She lathers on almond butter to moisturize her skin and finishes off her morning routine with a peach lipstick and some nude eye shadow to face the day. In order to avoid getting sick she often washes her hands throughout the day at school. After school she goes over to her friend Brittanyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s house to watch television and paint their toenails in the newest shades of pink. She goes home for dinner with her family, finishes her homework, and then takes her dog for a walk. Before bed she loves to have a bubble bath and then wash her face with the acne face wash that her mom bought her from the local pharmacy. Her daily cosmetics routine can be seen on the next page.

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PERSONAS: AMBER

LEAD

BUTYLATED HYDROXYANISOLE

TALC

PURPOSE: Naturally gives red dyes their hue

PURPOSE: Antioxidant/preservative

HARMS: Lead is a highly toxic heavy metal, which stays in your system and can cause immense damage. Lead is associated with a range of neurological problems, blood disorders, depression, as well as behavior and learning disabilities in children. An FDA study found that all 20 of the lipsticks they tested to contain lead contaminant however long-term exposure is linked to DNA damage

HARMS: Carcinogen and teratogen. May cause dermatitis, rashes, asthma attacks and breathing problems, fatigue, liver stress, and allergic reaction. They also contribute to the development of tumors and cancer, as well as be toxic to the nervous system and liver

HARMS: Talc is known to act as a human carcinogen and has been directly linked to ovarian cancer. Talc can act similarly to asbestos when inhaled and may lead to the formation of lung tumor

LIPSTICK

EYE SHADOW

SOAP

PURPOSE: Absorb moisture and provide a hint of sparkle

FORMALDAHYDE PURPOSE: Preservative HARMS: Negative skin reactions, a carcinogen and irritant to the respiratory system and skin, causes dizziness, headaches, chest pain and weakens the immune system. it is a carcinogen (a substance capable of causing cancer), also used for indoor air pollutants

NAIL POLISH

TRIETHANOLAMINE

ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL

PURPOSE: Emulsifiers, foaming agents, and PH balancers

PURPOSE: Used in face toners, lotions, creams, cleansers, acne treatments

HARMS: Anaemia, kidney degeneration, and nerve damage to the brain and spinal cord. Lifelong use of these chemical-containing products clearly poses avoidable cancer risks to consumers, particularly babies and young children

HARMS: A very drying and irritating solvent and dehydrator that strips the skinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s natural acid mantle, making it more vulnerable to bacteria, moulds and viruses. It may also promote brown spots and premature aging of skin

BUBBLE BATH

ACNE TREATMENT

PM 56

PERSONAS

Meet Mark: Age 25 Mark rolls out of bed at 8:15 AM after hitting the snooze button twice on his alarm. He runs to the bathroom and tries to shave his scruff as fast as possible without any nicks, before jumping in the shower and scrubbing himself clean with his favorite body wash. He brushes his teeth and runs out the door to make it to work for 9:00 AM. After work ends at 5:00 PM, he goes to the gym where he lifts weights and jogs on the treadmill for an hour. He has a quick shower at the gym where he uses the shampoo and body wash provided. He goes home to get ready before meeting up with friends for dinner and drinks at a local bar, but before heading out for the night he sprays himself with his signature cologne and swishes mouthwash to freshen his breath. He quickly runs a dollop of smoothing gel through his hair and is ready to go. His daily cosmetics routine can be seen on the next page.

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PERSONAS: MARK

TRICLOSAN

DIETHANOLAMINE

PURPOSE: Antimicrobial, linked to the increase in antibiotic-resistant ‘super bugs’

PURPOSE: Provides a rich lather and consistency

HARMS: Immune system assault, a potent disrupter of thyroid function. Low thyroid levels, or subclinical hypothyroidism, is an established risk factor in cases of infertility, miscarriages and foetal development problems, as well as a potential cause of IQ deficits, developmental delays, and in severe cases, cretinism. Drinking mouthwash containing alcohol and fluoride is a major source of poisoning amongst children

HARMS: DEA by itself is not harmful but while sitting on the stores shelves or in your cabinet at home, DEA can react with other ingredients in the cosmetic formula to form an extremely potent carcinogen called nitrosodiethanolamine (NDEA). NDEA is readily absorbed through the skin and has been linked with stomach, esophagus, liver and bladder cancers

PHTHALATES PURPOSE: Plasticizers HARMS: Birth defects, early puberty in girls, sperm damage, feminization of baby boys, and infertility—a growing number of studies link phthalates to reproductive problems in men and boys. Studies have Shown phthalates to damage the liver, kidneys, lungs and reproductive systems

Shampoo

TOOTHPASTE

SHAVING CREAM

SHAMPOO

POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL PURPOSE: Surfactants, cleansing agents, emulsifiers, skin conditioners, and humectants HARMS: Interferes with the skinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s natural moisture balance, causing an increase in ageing and leaving the skin vulnerable to bacteria. May also lead to cancer of the liver and nasal tumors (animal tests), as well as systemic cancer (skin painting tests)

BODY WASH

SODIUM FLOURIDE PURPOSE: Defense against tooth decay HARMS: By-product of aluminum manufacturing, can also be found in rat poisons and industrial pesticides. According to the Akron Regional Poison Center, ingesting 1/10 of an ounce of fluoride can kill a 100 lb. adult. Ingesting even a small amount of sodium fluoride may cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea

MOUTH WASH

FRAGRANCES PURPOSE: Just one perfume can contain more than 500 chemicals (fragrances) HARMS: Dizziness, skin irritation and hyper-pigmentation, carcinogen, highly neuron-toxic. Irritating to the eyes, nose and throat. Can trigger an asthmatic reaction in otherwise healthy people

FACE WASH

PM 60

Plan Plan

During the plan process, you evaluate the research, you define the gaps and the opportunities, you create the design brief, you explain your further intentions and prepare everyone to transfer smoothly to the next step. This step will give you a layout of what is to come, basically defining the exact project.

Plan

63 Summary of Research 67 Plan for Intervention 69 Campaign for Safe Cosmetics

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SUMMARY OF RESEARCH

Summary of Research After our research phase we had a good overview over the industry as well as the market including both sides, buyer, and seller. We as Gen+ are taken special interest in the change in our generations and how our lifestyles are laid out. Therefore we have great interest in supporting everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s health and intact everyday routines. The amount of gaps, dangers and possibilities we found puts us in front of a major project and task. We take this as great chance and a project worth working on. We have high motivations to fulfill every goal we set ourselves regarding this project in the personal care industry. The most notable interventions we thought are necessary are listed to the right.

Interventions Necessary All chemicals used in personal care products must be known and identified to at least one state authority The consumers must be educated and made aware of potential harmful ingredients Materials that have high risks of causing allergies or other health issues must be declared and warned of Vulnerable groups must be protected (children, pregnant women, handicap,etc.) Independent testing organizations and facilities must be founded/supported to give an objective evaluation the consumer can trust Official certificates, giving a guideline for safe products should be created The industry must be given an incentive to want better solutions The development must be closely watched and reported on

SUMMARY OF RESEARCH

Goals Following the necessary interventions we concluded our goals. Generally seen we can divide them into two kind of goals

Passive Goals

Active Goals

We want to provide better protection for people by improving ingredients used in personal care products and by improving the Federal Regulations of the United States. This will end in safer products through prohibition of unsafe or not thoroughly tested chemicals. Further on, independent organizations that have no conflict of interest with the industry like the FDA currently has, can gain more power and fame. This will liberalize the market guiding it towards safer products.

We want to promote healthy lifestyles and turn newly achieved knowledge in habitual behavior. By educating the public about potential dangers, affects, and shopping alternatives we believe we can actively change the buyers behavior. This will conclude in a higher demand in safer products which will lead the market in a right direction.

Intervention Scope We as Gen+ believe in the right but also in the power of consumers. As the industry is not going to change on by itself we need to give it an incentive to change. To do that we need to remember only one simple economical rule: the demand defines the offer. As we do not have much influence on the offer we must direct our efforts towards the demand side. But how can we take influence on the market? How do we achieve the changes in demand? We believe by taking pre-purchase measures such as informing and educating people. When the consumers are made aware of the possible dangers and are

educated at the same time about simple, better solutions their instinct will be to change their shopping behavior towards the better solution. If they realize that the changes we are suggesting are easy to fulfill they will then stick to them. Only preventive measures can fulfill all these tasks which is why we chose to stick to them. Gen+ measures for safe cosmetics will include such things as awareness posters, brochures, educational videos, publications of bad examples, shopping guides and public discussion or speeches directly aimed at the target markets.

PLAN FOR INTERVENTION

Intervention Plan

Why Prevention?

Once we summed up our research phase we wanted to make a statement of what exactly our strategic intentions and goals are regarding the improvement of personal care products. We decided to focus on preventive measures.

We chose to take preventive measures, as these are the most effective interventions regarding consumer products in general. Related to our specific goals, we agree that prevention is the most important part of our campaign. Only preventive measures can guarantee that we reach the consumer before he buys the product. Only if we inform the consumer before the purchase we will be able to direct their purchase and increase the application of safe cosmetics.

the market and then create pressure on the industry. Preventive measures include increasing the safety of products, informing and educating people about possible dangers and therefore giving them the opportunity to change their behavior regarding shopping and usage habits.

Further on, we fear that once the product is bought it will be used till it is finished. As this might take a certain amount of time and the impact of our campaign might have faded during that time, it is highly important to guide shoppers towards right away to the right decision before they buy a product.

Following this, only through preventive measures we might change shopping habits, therefore change the market and therefore create pressure on the industry. Preventive measures include increasing the safety of products, informing and educating people about possible dangers and therefore giving them the opportunity to change their behavior regarding shopping and usage habits. Generation+ measures for safe cosmetics will include such things as awareness posters, brochures, educational videos, publications of bad examples, shopping guides and public discussion or speeches directly aimed at the target markets

PREVENTION Prevention is defined as the action of stopping something from happening or arising. In light of this, we hope to increase the promotion of health by the individual and the community, and includes identifying departures from good health and intervening to correct them or to minimize their effects. The prevention of toxic exposures is concerned with preventing chemicals of synthetic or natural origin from reaching people in amounts or at rates that exceed human tolerance to them.

CAMPAIGN FOR SAFE COSMETICS

Campaign for Safe Cosmetics Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is a strong force working towards the goals, described in the page before. At nearly every step we took during our research process we came across their campaign, which caused us to look further into their mission. We realized that their company addressed the same problems and gaps we found in our research. The quality of their work was very high, their research was done thoroughly and their engagement was impressive. Even more, their scope, their intentions were exactly what we thought was crucial to protect us as consumers regarding personal care products. They have already all the necessary research work and gained the knowledge necessary to be considered a serious organization, which could safe us a lot of work. Because of these reasons we decided we will work together with The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. There are however a few things which we believe have kept them from being as successful as necessary to change the industry.

List of Improvements Safe Cosmetics has not yet fully reached an important target market, the consumer They have not reached the retailers effectively The design of their campaign is not effective and the web page is neither in terms of design nor hierarchy well done User friendliness doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t exist in their whole concept (no certificates on products, no brands named, etc.) They need to promote their â&#x20AC;&#x153;Championâ&#x20AC;? companies better, so people know which companies they could buy instead of the usual ones Skin Deep, an innovative application for discovering hazardous chemicals found in everyday products, is not being efficiently implemented. It needs to be more accessible to the public

How We Can Help The campaign for Safe Cosmetics has not targeted the consumer market as much as they should. They lack the marketing and social media tools needed to successfully communicate their message to the new and incoming generation of consumers. We, Gen+, will use our public relations and branding expertise to recreate a more exciting and accessible Campaign for Safe Cosmetics image. This will include an updated Website, iPhone Application and social media pages, advertisement strategies, and implementation of online media educational campaigns aimed towards the newest generation of technology savvy consumers. Our innovative marketing implementation plan can help The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics extensive research and powerful facts reach an influential target market, and gain proper support to stop the injustices and legal corruptions happening in the cosmetics industry today.

Their visuals are not engaging They do not have enough effective videos They are in their 8th year however managed to create only 3 videos and 11 ads all together

CAMPAIGN FOR SAFE COSMETICS

Please circle Y or N to the following questions: 1.

Do you consider yourself a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;health consciousâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; person? Y/N

Do you use all-natural or organic products? Y/N

Are ingredients important to you when choosing a personal care product? Y/N

Are you concerned with the amount of chemicals found in our products today? Y/N

Do you keep up to date with latest product/health news? Y/N

Are you familiar with the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics? Y/N

Have you ever used the website Skin Deep? Y/N

Have you ever had an adverse effect to a product you were using? Y/N

Survey To exactly identify the problems The Campaign for Cosmetics had so far we conducted a research. A poll of 80 college students, male and female, was taken to research awareness of the Campaign For Safe Cosmetics. The participants were chosen at random, through online post and Eemail blasts, and in person surveys were also conducted.

Analysis As demonstrated by the conclusive results, on average, this generation is not familiar with Campaign for Safe Cosmetics or the website Skin Deep, although they consider themselves health conscious and are concerned with the amount of chemicals found in their products. This proves there is a major marketing gap with this campaign, and it must be filled in order to continue making progress.

The fact that the majority of people polled donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t use all natural ingredients, or consider ingredients when making a purchase, and few keep up to date with any health or beauty news, is telling that this generation is under informed about the breakthroughs being made. Public presence and more aggressive marketing campaigns is key to reaching this target market and impacting their buying decisions and participation with the campaign. 72

CAMPAIGN FOR SAFE COSMETICS

Opportunity with Safe Cosmetics First of all, the consumer has the right to the information. Without being aware of what is going on, no one is going to be able to protect him or herself, especially when pregnant mothers or young people are being affected here. Without the right information at the right time, preventive measures cannot be taken, which is not only endangering ourselves but also morally wrong. We believe that by creating campaigns that engage the public on a much higher

level, Safe Cosmetics could greatly benefit.

This will result in increased safety of personal care products.

Through these campaigns we will be able to inform the target market about the problem. Hence, the shopping behaviors would change. This would consequentially cause the industry to change their production processes. It would give them the incentive, just out of economical and competitive reasons, to change their ingredients.

The impact of a increased awareness would also be tremendous on the political side. No politicians will openly admit not to support their voterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s health. If the market reacts as we hope, the politicians will be strengthened and have an easier standing when discussing with the lobby.

Skin Deep By joining forces with the innovative Skin Deep application, Safe Cosmetics will be able to expand its technological marketing campaigns, by offering more user-friendly options for safer consuming. The name, Safe Cosmetics, will also be changed to Skin Deep, to make this collaboration official, and also encourage participation from a wider variety of consumers, including both genders. Organizing and affirming the voices for Safe Cosmetics is the only way that we can actually overcome the multi-billion dollar cosmetics industry.

CAMPAIGN FOR SAFE COSMETICS

Why Safe Cosmetics Should Work with Us We, Gen+, believe that we can be of great help for Safe Cosmetics to accomplish the aforementioned goals. Not only can we improve their visual aspects and improve the quality of their work so far, but we also have the insight necessary to penetrate into their target market. Young consumers are the prime market for the personal care products and we have the marketing techniques to gain direct access to it. We are sure that we can create an advertisement campaign for them that will inform enough people to make an impact on the consumer behavior. This could include all kind of

strategies, such as guerilla marketing, educational campaigns, and posters, to name a few. Their knowledge and our skills could cause major changes in a multi-billion dollar industry, could initiate new laws and acts, and last but not least, improve everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s health and the safety standards of consumer products in general. Because of all these reasons and the perfect fit of our two companies, we decided to work together with Safe Cosmetics to ensure that the necessary interventions are taken.

System Map

Create

The creation process involves the actual creative work. The creation of the color schemes, the advertisement, the posters and any other visualization or other channels you need to reach your goals.

Create 79 Skin Deep Campaign 81 Media Platforms 85 Print Advertisements 89 Information Cards

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SKIN DEEP CAMPAIGN

Repositioning Campaign for Safe Cosmetics As laid out in the Plan Section we will re-brand and reposition The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. These are our general Goals regarding our creative work:

Simplify Access to Information Consumers should easily be able to access information about dangers of ingredients; only if the information is easy to reach and easily consumable the people will be willing to use it. This means we need to create intelligent visuals that communicate effectively and quickly our message,including short but entertaining video clips, publication of known negative cases, redesigning the hierarchy on the safe cosmetics web page and offer mobile access to a shopping guide.

Increase the Visual Appearance

Improve Integration in Everyday Life

As mentioned above we saw great potential for improving the visuals offered to far by The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. We want to make the overall theme more appealing and therefore make the campaign a pleasurable experience.

Only if guidance and information is accessible during shopping it is convenient enough to make someone change their habits.

This means changing the colors, the hierarchy and the quality of the web page, the videos and their advertisement campaigns.

This means creating an Application which can be accessed during shopping. It will be a combination of Safe Cosmeticâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Champions List (a list of safe consumer products companies) and the product rating web page Skin Deep. Further on we will create a small paper card listing the most dangerous chemicals.

MEDIA PLATFORMS

New Website Design Campaign for Safe Cosmetics website was cluttered and visually uninviting to its online visitors. The color palette and logo were very feminine and therefore not inclusive of both genders. The tabs at the top of the page were cluttered, and the page was not formatted properly to the screen. Social media is not promoted correctly, and the Twitter and Facebook feeds are hidden at the bottom of the page. Skin Deeps page is poorly promoted, and looks more like an advertisement than a helpful application. Overall, the website lacks the sleek, professional look that the youth has become accustomed to seeing on the Internet, and needs an updated look.

Old Design

New Features • Tabs are more organized • Prominent Revolving facts about hazardous chemicals • New, gender neutral color palate • Smoother interface and graphics • Easier to find social media • Clear collaboration with Skin Deep • Scrolling campaign advertisements

New Design

MEDIA PLATFORMS

Smart Phone Application The Smartphone App will help us pursue the goal of making the information more accessible. Also it will increase the chances of actually affecting the consumersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; behavior. It will refer to the Database of Skin Deep, giving access to the rating of all kind of products on the market. Further on, it will tell you which chemicals in the product are especially dangerous. To make the shopping even more convenient, the Application will give alternative products of other brands, that received a better rating. You will be able to access in general information about the chemicals and what effects they have on the body. Finally the champion companies will be listed, giving you an indicator, which brands are supported.

Skin Deep

PRINT ADVERTISEMENTS

Repositioning Campaign for Safe Cosmetics The print advertisements were created with the intention of raising awareness of the chemicals that can be found in personal care products. In order to effectively get the message across and grab the attention of viewers, we made a conscious decision to utilize bold graphics and type that would instantly portray the advisory. The print advertisement on the right is specifically targeted towards women, especially those who wear lipstick. The

advertisement incorporates facts about lead in lipstick and the risks involved with the chemical once it enters the bloodstream. We wanted to ensure that our advertisements were edgy and witty in order to have the most impact on viewers to initiate action. The reach of social media is vast and free, therefore we wanted to make sure to display our Facebook, Twitter, and website information that can be easily accessed using the Smartphone or code. The ads would be strategically placed in magazines and Billboards in major cities.

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PRINT ADVERTISEMENTS

Repositioning Campaign for Safe Cosmetics When creating the advertisement to the right, we considered the best possible way to captivate viewers and ensure that people would take notice while instantly understanding the message of dangers associated with cosmetics. We took the popular phrase, â&#x20AC;&#x153;beauty is skin deepâ&#x20AC;? and used it as our theme here to reinforce the message that people need to inform themselves of the ingredients that are in the products they are applying to their precious skin. By superimposing a skull behind the face of a beautiful model getting made up, we are trying to tell people to educate themselves about the personal care products they use and the potential risks involved.

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INFORMATIVE CAMPAIGN

Shopping Tips Card This card will be distributed in the size of a normal credit card. It is going to be coated in plastic so it does not wear of over time. It is meant to be for the people who do not possess a Smartphone or for people who want an even quicker way to get advise. The shopping card will be able to tell you which chemicals you should absolutely avoid and the side effects or hazards of these ingredients. Also it will warn you of certain products. This card can be, looking into the future, updated in different versions and therefore stay on time. It is meant to be carried in your wallet. It will be available and distributed in masses and in as many places as possible. We have especially in mind drug stores, universities and schools, in hospitals or maybe birth centers.

Front

Back 90

Implement

This is the actual distribution process of your creative work. The time, location and persons are defined, all the intentions stated in the plan phase are pursued.

Implement 93 Distribution Strategies

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DISTRIBUTION STRATEGIES

Target Audience Our target is mainly female as they still built the major part of the market. Especially we try to reach young adults, 16-28 years old. We feel that our campaigns will be heard most in this age range. Also they are not only one of the biggest buyer groups they are also building up the future market and therefore can have an immense influence on the suppliers product lines. Further on we specifically target pregnant women. As Fetus and Babies count as specially vulnerable groups, we take special interest in their safety. Through the umbilical cord as well as other membranes they will absorb the ingested chemicals but have in contrast to the mother no chance to break the chemicals down. The two Personas Martha and Amber presented in the research section would be a perfect example for the target audience we try to reach.

Timing As the need for safer consumer products is there during every season we do not necessarily need to specify when we distribute or show our campaign materials. However, we chose to create the most intensive part in our time line during late Spring beginning of Summer. During this time of the year people linger outdoors, they care more about their looks and therefore will use as well as purchase more personal care products. It is furthermore a great time to warn before the use of certain products such as sun cream or hair dye. The campaign can be adjusted towards the seasons, focusing on certain product. 94

DISTRIBUTION STRATEGIES

Location The locations we identified that will most probable help us to reach our target audience are of course the places, where those people are regularly, where they are not in a hurry, open to receive information and generally expecting influence fro their environment. The Locations we specifically identified are hospitals-especially birth stations, gynecologists, high schools or universities or in stores themselves. To reach a broader audience though and to make everyone familiar with the campaign, those places would not have enough impact. Therefore we would also locate our advertisement on popular places, where many people cross by in short periods of time. These locations include places like bus stops, the subway and billboards.

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102

Evaluate

This step must be repeated several times and must be done as long as the project is running. You are evaluating honestly how you are performing regarding the goal and time and effort put into the project.

Evaluate 99 SWOT Analysis

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SWOT ANALYSIS

Assessment As mentioned in the Design Process Description this part is there to evaluate your performance to date. This must be done repeatedly until the project is ended. It is especially to realize weaknesses of your project quickly enough to keep them from turning into a thread and to recognize Opportunities quickly enough so you can turn them into your strengths. This SWOT analysis gives a short overview of the evaluation we are giving our project in it very beginning.

SWOT Analysis

Strengths All our arguments are based on facts and therefore must be taken seriously The project is supported by many other NGOs (Cancer foundation, EWG etc.) The Collaboration with many different parties will give us more political power and impact People from all kind of professional fields are involved, creating a unique pool of different skills, professions, knowledge, market insight and customer relation As young people are highly affected by the topic and can relate themselves to it and therefore are easier to be interested in it In general it is a topic that involves everyone and therefore deserves attention and news coverage by all kind of media

Weaknesses

Opportunities

Threats

Real changes in the industry and regulatory systems will It will take a long time due to legal processes

We can increase the standards for Personal Care/ Cosmetic industry

The measures that we are taking are not effective / not the right ones to accomplish our goals

It might be hard to prove our success or prove that we are actually helping and the project is worth to be continued due to several factors (i.e. time, measurement techniques etc.) We are facing a long existing lobby that at the moment has much more power and influence than we have The Advertisement market for beauty products is huge and has strong partners, which makes it hard to get enough attention or value

We can therefore increase overall health standards We can not only make people aware but also change their shopping behavior causing an extra pressure on the sellers We can severly reduce Allergies, Cancer and many other modern illnesses We would promote a more careful usage of chemicals in general Technological advances and research into safer consumer products can be pushed (i.e. develop substitutes) We can educate young people in general about their consumer habits and what they need to watch out for

The project becomes to expensive over time and before it could actually help. The cost of alternative solutions for the industry are too high Political, commercial and financial interest of other parties might jeopardize our project Companies could abuse the campaign and simply claim that their product is natural, while we currently have no resources to prove otherwise People might not adapt to our suggested changes We might implement our tools at the wrong time and wrong place

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106

Evolve

Take the results you gained from the evaluation and see if modifications are necessary. Then implement those modifications you developed after the assessment. Further on, if your project should be terminated, see if you can use what you learned for further projects

Evolve 103 Industry Analysis 105 Further Steps

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INDUSTRY ANALYSIS

Recent Changes Besides all criticism we are glad to see in the last six months major changes in the attitude of the CTF. Slowly the industry seems to become aware that the criticism will not end in the foreseeable future. In March 2012 the CTFA even started discussing the improvement and update of the legal requirements and regulations by the FDA. Lezlee Westine, President and CEO of the Personal Care Products Council says:

“

Personal Care Products Council urges congress to modernize cosmetic laws, strengthen FDA regulatory. … The existing system for regulating our industry is overdue for a makeover… The time has come for us to advocate for additional safeguards as science and technology evolve

”

This is a very positive statement it does however not explicitly state how to improve. However we could find another positive statement which gives us real hope and believes into the industry’s willingness to change. Peter Barton Hutt, the former chief counsel for the FDA and longtime Harvard law lecturer on the current legal and regulatory system, has something similar to say:

“

The basic statutory provisions that govern FDA regulatory authority over cosmetics today were put in place in 1938. Despite the fact the FDA has repeatedly stated that cosmetics are the safest products they regulate it is a fact that the increasing global nature of the industry creates a desire to bring FDA’s statutory authority up to date

”

In total there were some real efforts made. The PCPC even suggested some provisions to the Congress to improve the legislative systems. They are listed below.

Enacting into law the existing FDA voluntary programs for registration of manufacturing establishments and listing of cosmetic products and their ingredients Requiring submission of reports on adverse reactions that are serious and unexpected Mandating FDA regulations establishing Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) for cosmetics Establishing programs to require FDA to review and determine the safety of cosmetic ingredients and constituents along with strong FDA enforcement Requiring FDA review of all CIR determinations on cosmetic ingredient safety and either accept or reject those determinations FDA establishment of a national cosmetic regulatory databank for use by other state authorities and the public An unambiguous Congressional determination that, as modernized, the revised statute will apply uniformly across the country

While all these events sound very promising, we must keep up the pressure on the industry and the government. While the current plans of the PCPC are discussed in the offices, we need to inform the consumer right now, to guarantee improvement as quickly as possible! We believe that everyone has the right of information about the products used. We will try to give this information as quickly as possible and keep on spreading the knowledge. Also we see the possibility of taking further steps and evolve the whole program. One thing we are watching closely is the use of other products used in your home like cleaners, scents as well as products that are ingested in our systems. Going even further we, Gen+, do not only promote the health of humans but also of the planet. We are interested in promoting a healthy planet in general. On the next page we will analyze a case study, where a completely different project was successfully taken to the next level. This is a perfect example, from which we can learn and interpret it in a way suitable to Skin Deep.

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FURTHER STEPS

Promo Case Study Abstract In 2010, The National Chicken Council had a small budgeted, inadequate website with little to no social media presence, or gateway to reach out to its audience. They needed to revamp their image, and redesigning their website was just the beginning. They began a full-fledged online campaign, reaching out to their consumers using low cost but intriguing Facebook ads, and utilized other media outreach sites to gain a larger twitter and social media fan base. With the buzz about their website growing on the Internet, the NCC implemented interactive contest and challenges onto their website, and used videos and polls to increase viewer interaction. Their most successful endeavor was creating video contests, where participants would submit their answers to weekly questions posed by the company.

Insights Used received answers to make their site and products better, and an increased interaction between the creators of the videos and fans of the site Boosted Internet presence significantly and gave them a larger media presence to promote their product The success of the campaign was owed to their four main base points, including a great concept, huge prize money, sharing options such as allowing video and online posts, and proper communication between the audience and the company to promote respect and make the viewers really feel like they were contributing to the campaign

Pros Increased media outreach Promoted audience participation Fairly cheap ad campaigning Redesigned website for easier navigating

Cons Money spent on prize money Social media outreach is hard to measure in monetary value

Continuing Online Outreach Once Skin Deeps public profile has increased due to our marketing strategies, online user interactions will need to increase on the website. Using Eat Chickenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s successful online media turn around as a case study, we know that taking full advantage of social media broadcasting is not only proven effective, but comparatively cheap. Skin Deep will have a page dedicated to their online following, and fostering a community where users can connect with both each other, and campaign managers. Forums will be posted for further peer discussions into trending topics. There will be interactive contests and giveaways every week, where participants can win prizes including certified health care products from promoted companies, and organic spa treatments from partnering services. This added advertising will be good incentive for companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s to toughen up their policies on using hazardous chemicals, so they too can be involved in this great project. This web page platform page is a great place to broadcast updating news about the success of the campaign, as well as post new media, such as videos and show clips. Peoples involvement online will lead to greater public knowledge of the campaign, and therefore will increase public safety and social good for all.

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Appendix Images 16 22

http://photo-bugs.com/eye-make-up/trendy-eye-make-up.php/at tachment/makeup-your-eyes http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/illustration/immune-systemsstock-graphic/128604185

26 28

http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/woman-looking-at-makeup-near-display-case-high-res-stock-photography/200182487-006 37

http://www.cir-safety.org/

http://nomoredirtylooks.com/tag/pcpc/

http://www.phsneb.org/health_services/environ_health_promo/ asthma.html http://familydoctors.blogspot.com/2012/01/cancer-cells-hd-photoscollection.html

http://stangzine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Lipstick.jpgs

http://www.personalcarecouncil.org/ 39

http://www.bureauveritas.com/wps/wcm/connect/bv_com/ group/home/about-us/our-business/our-business-consumer-products/our+services/services/chemical+management

http://orchestroscopy.blogspot.com/2011/01/substances-that-maybe-harmful-to-your.html

http://www.cir-safety.org/sites/default/files/U-unsafe%202-022012%20final.pdf

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/symptoms-of-thyroid-problemsthyroid-disease-symptoms.html

http://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/default.htm

http://www.lesmills.com/westcoast/clubs-and-facilities/news-item. aspx?e=ehImrqqOtXg~

http://www.brazilianblowout.com/BAA/

http://millikandaily.com/tag/allergic-reaction/

http://safecosmetics.org/ 43

http://newamericamedia.org/2010/07/sf-tries-a-new-tack-in-protect ing-nail-salon-workers-going-green.php

http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/girlmance-royalty-freeimage/134433515

http://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/default.htm

http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/scientist-conducting-anexperiment-royalty-free-image/79334310

http://naturalskinhealth.com/blog/

http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm049070. htm

http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/illustration/hollow-businessmanat-desk-in-meeting-room-royalty-free-illustration/200241445-001

http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/two-reserch-scientiststesting-cream-on-hand-royalty-free-image/88235643

http://www.ctvxww.com/nvren/768/

http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/male-hands-receivingmanicure-royalty-free-image/89974918

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=414347298686&set=a.4 38949548686.245772.91637663686&type=3&theater

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150664254458687&s et=a.10150605591838687.404275.91637663686&type=3&theater

http://urgentcaremanagementmonthly.com/success-store/urgentcare-marketing-consulting/

http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5500/signUp.jsp?signup_page_ KEY=2416

http://www.eveandersson.com/photo-display/large/brazil/sao-paulonatura-factory-5.html

http://www.flickr.com/photos/foeaction/3672218273/sizes/o/in/photostream/

http://www.justthegoods.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/logocamp-for-safe-cosmetics-high-res.jpg

http://www.goodlifer.com/2010/08/the-story-of-cosmetics-whatsyours/

http://chemistscorner.com/a-cosmetic-chemists-guide-to-ingredient-l ists/ http://www.care2.com/greenliving/6-surprising-places-formaldehydehides.html

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tpUhuBAKqdc/TkIFZrNH8DI/ AAAAAAAAAIk/ZYOU7ZZFllo/s1600/ewg-skin-deep-260x260.jpg 79

http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/couple-using-laptop-dur ing-breakfast-royalty-free-image/103919684

http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/female-using-pda-royaltyfree-image/117895102

http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/natural-cosmetics-royaltyfree-image/89024477 http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/natural-beauty-vs-makeup-mask-high-res-stock-photography/102133017

http://www.safecosmeticsaustralia.com.au/

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1268754/The-great-cosmet ics-Are-sell-dates-protect-health-make-buy-more.html

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=97782878686&set=a.43 8949548686.245772.91637663686&type=3&theater

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150636377043687&s et=a.253418158686.140502.91637663686&type=3&theater

http://www.amazon.com/Apple-MacBook-MC723LL-15-4-InchVERSION/dp/B0017HSZWK 81

http://safecosmetics.org/

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/cell-phones/telenav-gps-coming-toverizon-iphone-4-for-just-22year/5415

http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/woman-at-the-beachapplying-sunscreen-royalty-free-image/138537925

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http://www.facebook.com/chickenrecipe

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=91642653686&set=a.91 642513686.85773.91637663686&type=3&theater

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Appendix Research 33...............................................................

36............................................................... 37............................................................... 41...............................................................

42............................................................... 43............................................................... 44............................................................... 72............................................................... 79...............................................................

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http://www.newstrick.com/2009/11/hair-dye-causing-allergic-reaction.html http://www.phsneb.org/health_services/environ_health_promo/asthma.html http://familydoctors.blogspot.com/2012/01/cancer-cells-hd-photos-collection.html http://orchestroscopy.blogspot.com/2011/01/substances-that-may-be-harmful-to-your.html http://www.buzzle.com/articles/symptoms-of-thyroid-problems-thyroid-disease-symptoms.html http://www.lesmills.com/westcoast/clubs-and-facilities/news-item.aspx?e=ehImrqqOtXg~ http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gpAJfiL5LAs/TeevjtZJzVI/AAAAAAAAAAs/4SIIQmxx4r8/s1600/U_S_-FOODAND-DRUG.jpg http://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/default.htm http://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/ucm074162.htm http://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/ucm074162.htm http://stangzine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Lipstick.jpg http://safecosmetics.org/downloads/Brazilian-Blowout-case-study_May2011.pdf http://www.womensvoices.org/making-products-safe/safe-cosmetics-salons/safe-cosmetics-act/ http://cbcrp.org.127.seekdotnet.com/research/PageGrant.asp?grant_id=4042

http://www.searo.who.int/linkfiles/publications_and_documents_prevention_guidelines.pdf http://www.justthegoods.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/logo-camp-for-safe-cosmetics-high-res.jpg http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tpUhuBAKqdc/TkIFZrNH8DI/AAAAAAAAAIk/ZYOU7ZZFllo/s1600/ewg-skindeep-260x260.jpg http://www.slideshare.net/SocialFulcrum/case-study-national-chicken-council

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