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Visual Strategy Guide
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VISUAL STR ATEGY GUIDE
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Contents Introduction 01—Brand Background History................................................................ 08 Brand Impressions................................................ 14
02—Brand Identity Mission............................................................... 18 Key Words........................................................... 22 Potential.............................................................. 26
03—Personas Target Audience................................................... 30 Outliers,.............................................................. 46
04—Competitors Current Competition........................................... 54 Adjacent Competition.......................................... 56 Aspirational Competition..................................... 58
05—Future Vision Pond's Today........................................................ 62 Pond's Tomorrow................................................. 66 Looking Ahead.................................................... 68
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Introduction
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One of the world’s first skin care brands, Pond’s develops innovative skin care solutions for women to keep skin soft and radiant, so they can take on the world with confidence.
About Pond’s Beginning in 1846, when pharmacist Theron R. Pond developed a healing tea from which hazel extract, Pond’s has over 150 years of experience researching and developing innovative, first-to-market products for healing, protecting, and nurturing radiant skin. There is no doubt that the Pond’s brand has enjoyed success as a market leader at various points throughout its long history. But since the 1950’s, Pond’s has been firmly situated in the middle to lower end of the cosmetic market. Consumer interviews reveal that current brand recognitions is low, and those who do know it perceive it as a product for older women. Of course, at its core, the Pond’s brand is much more than a cosmetic brand reserved for women of a certain age. The primary audience for Pond’s is women of any age
who are interested in keeping their skin feeling soft and looking flawless. Pond’s understands that when women have radiant skin, they look their best, and when they look their best, they are better prepared to take on the world with confidence. With a limited line of affordable products, Pond’s makes it easy to keep skin healthy, so women can focus on the things that really matter in their lives. To realize and revitalize the true potential of this time-tested brand as an expert in innovative skin care, we have developed the redesign strategy laid out in this volume.
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01 Brand Background
1.1–1.2 History + Brand Impressions
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“To introduce our creams we used demonstration jars of cream. These were sent to all our clients for counter use. And to be hygienic we supplied a small silver spoon, to prevent dirty fingers from being pushed into the cream. But you eat with spoons and so the cream soon vanished from the jars. The only complaints we received were not about texture—but about taste. It never occurred to the public to try it on skin. The education of the public to use creams was a slow process, with only press advertising as the instructor.” — J. K. L. Wenham, Managing Director of Pond’s Extract, 1950
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1.1—HISTORY
History The original skin care brand. Pond’s began in 1846, when New York pharmacist Theron R. Pond developed his healing tea of witch hazel extract, which he sold as ‘Golden Treasure,’ later called Pond’s Extract. The product was a cure-all marketed to families under the brand name Pond’s Healing. It was in 1910 that Pond’s Extract, facing competition from other witch hazel products, took the backseat to new beauty creams as Pond’s developed its signature cold cream and vanishing cream. At the time, advertisements gave instructions on how they were to be used because for many women, this was the first time they had a simple skin-care routine they could follow easily at home. The two creams were sold in jars for the home and in tubes for the handbag, so women could easily fit use of the product into their lives. Promoting the products together based on the idea that ‘Every skin needs two creams’, proved a successful strategy and boosted sales to the top of the market by 1920. However, as the burgeoning skin care business expanded, Pond’s began to lose its sales to its higher priced competitors because, as one market researcher noted, “women thought that a higher priced cream must be better.” The brand lacked a sense of exclusivity. Pond’s fought back
with an extensive advertising campaign beginning in 1923, based on testimonials from prominent figures, including Queen Marie of Romania, which did indeed improve sales at the time. As time went one, Pond’s continued to develop skin care products and in 1940 expanded into makeup lines with Pond’s Face Powder and Angel Face products. But by the 1950’s, Pond’s was stuck in the middle to lower sides of the cosmetic market. In 1955, Pond’s combined business with the Chesebrough Manufacturing Company, the makers of Vaseline, as a new strategy to keep the company afloat. This merger proved successful until the mid 1980’s when revenues began to flag, and it was acquired by Unilever in 1986. Soon after, under its new ownership, the Pond’s Institute was opened in an attempt to position the brand as a leading expert in science-based skin care. Yet today, while it retains a devoted cult following, Pond’s still occupies the bottom shelves of drug stores and pharmacies, and far too many consumers are unaware or even dismissive of the brand. This tells us the time is right for a new, more powerful take on the Pond’s identity, so consumers can really see what Pond’s has to offer.
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Pond's Through the Years
Sales slowed as many women thought Pond’s could not be as good as higher priced creams. The brand lacked exclusiveness.
With the wider availability of witch hazel at a lower price, it was time for Pond’s to develop new products.
Pond’s Extract, a witch hazel tea, was invented by pharmacist Theron T. Pond as a medicine.
1846
1910
1886 Pond’s began advertising nationally as Pond’s Healing.
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1914 Now marketing a two-product skin care routing with Pond’s Cold Cream and Vanishing Cream, Pond’s was a lead skin care brand.
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1.1—HISTORY
Pond’s merged with the Chesebrough Manufacturing Company, and Pond’s product’s became widely available at supermarkets across the country.
A testimonial campaign that included an endorsement from Queen Marie of Romania brought Pond’s back to the top of the market.
1923
The opening of The Pond’s Institute for advanced skincare research and diagnostics.
1990
1955
1940 Pond’s adds two new products to its line, called Face Powder and Angel Face.
1960 The Pond’s Tulip logo is developed as a symbol of feminine beauty.
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Brand Impressions Random sample of consumers “I think I’ve heard of it. It sounds familiar.” —Kim
“It’s kind of an old lady brand.” —Alison
"It's been around forever! I think of it as something old ladies use." —Carla
“Sorry, I don’t know what that is.” —Dave
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Pond’s product reviews "My mom uses this and I find that it is one of the most moisturizing creams I've tried. I'd recommend it to anyone." —Christa “My absolute holy grail moisturizer. I’ve used extremely high end moisturizers and nothing can even hold a flame to what this guy packs!” —Bry
Teas & Tonics
“My grandmother would always use this and say it was really good, so I tried it and it is pretty amazing!” —Victoria
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02 Brand Identity
2.1–2.3 Mission + Key Words + Potential
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“Pond’s Extract, first produced in 1846. Most of us remember how tenderly our mothers touched our childish wounds with this healing soothing lotion. Today any physician will tell you it is still the best of household remedies. Get a bottle today, you will be surprised at how often you use it.” —Pond’s advertisement, 1916
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Mission Statement Our mission: distilling solutions for taking care of your body, so you can be your best self. The new mission statement honors Pond's beginnings as a manufacturer of healing pharmaceutical products, as well as their continued efforts to promote healthy skin. We are now reframing Pond's current focus on skin care as just one element of a holistic approach to total body health. With this refreshed mission, Pond's will be able to expand its offerings and provide more types of self-care opportunities, products, and services.
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2.1—MIS SION STATEMENT
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Key Words Three key words that embody the brand's identity, mission, and values.
Healing Pond’s began with a pharmacist and a natural tonic for healing the body and evolved into nourishing skin care, developed with scientific research. "With the opening of the Pond’s Institute in 1990, Pond’s will continue to use their expertise to innovate and create skin care solutions that keep skin clean, radiant and soft." —Ponds, 2018
2.2—KE Y WORDS
Trusted
Fundamental
Pond’s has been around forever, making it a brand you can trust. Pond’s products have been effective for over 100 years.
Pond’s offers a small range of products designed to simplify your beauty routine to the essentials for healthy skin.
"Pond’s is a true heritage brand, and I love that about them. I have fond memories of sitting on the floor in my granny’s bedroom watching her carefully remove the day’s makeup with her beloved Pond’s Cold Cream." —Candice-Lee Kannemeyer, beauty blogger
"Less is more. Simplify your skincare routine with one product that does both: Pond’s Cold Cream Cleanser, a makeup remover and a moisturizer all in one." —Pond’s, 2015
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Potential for Expansion The new Pond's will evolve beyond skin care to become a holistic wellness brand. Pond’s can evolve beyond skin care to offer a variety of solutions to help people look and feel their best. With products and services that fortify the whole body, Pond’s will help you take good care of yourself, so you can take care of everything else in your busy life. The new Pond’s will provide products and services that will streamline your daily self-care routines and appeal to a younger generation while still maintaining the reliability that made them famous.
Also, by becoming a true resource for demystifying skin science and beauty routines, Pond’s can help people truly take control of their well-being. By partnering with other companies and processes that are already part of your daily routine, Pond’s can ensure that the little things you do every day are truly nourishing your body. Pond’s can also offer education opportunities, retreats, and treatments. They might also offer spa services as a way to increase their offerings.
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03 Personas
3.1–3.2 Target Audience + Audience Outliers
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“Pond’s used to appeal to ladies who wore nice, sturdy, comfortable galoshes. It still does. If you think the Pond's customer is a sensible little lady in waterproof galoshes, you're right. Except now, she's 1970 sensible, not 1870 sensible. She's a younger, freer, foxier sensible who calls her galoshes boots. And calls the shots between what's bamboozle and what's basic in today's beauty business.” —Pond’s advertisement, 1970
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Target Audience
The audience for Pond's is health and beauty conscious to varying degrees, values convenience and practicality, and often has a modest budget. We can describe the audience for Pond's with the following personas, example users based on research and interviews. They are composed of data collected from multiple individuals—in this case, interviews with several people for their brand impressions, research into Pond's market demographics, and consumer reviews of Pond's products. Here we include persona profiles of both typical and atypical users. We recognize that people may turn to Pond's for
a variety of reasons—perhaps because they've always used it or because their grandmother always used it, or because it's uncomplicated, or maybe just because the price was right. When we understand who Pond's is for, we can develop better ways to reach them and meet their needs.
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3.1—TARGE T AUDIENCE
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The Working Mother
“Some days, it's all I can do get myself and the kids out of the house with two matching shoes, but I make sure to at least run a comb through my hair.” —Angela Liu Age: 42
Character Traits
Location: Sacramento, CA
She rarely gets a moment alone to herself. Her morning and evening beauty routines are a moment to relax in her hectic life.
Occupation: Middle School Teacher Relationship: Married, two kids Morning Routine: 25 min. Budget for Toiletries: $250/annually Weekly Exercise: 30 min.
She always admired her mother for looking feminine and taking care of her skin even though she was a career woman. She wants to make the same example for her own daughter. As a teacher and mother, she is often stressed out and tired after a day of handling a rowdy classroom, so she likes to have a simple and dependable routine in her home life. Convenience is key when she is shopping, because she does not have a lot of time to spare. She would prefer to spend more time with her family, rather than on errands at the supermarket. She always wears flats because she is on her feet all day, but she will spend a little extra for a pair that looks more attractive to her. She is on her feet all day and considers that exercise, but she aspires to exercise more. She makes it a point to make healthy meals for her family because she sees it as a way of taking good care of them.
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The Retiree
“At my age a compliment on looking far younger is welcome.” —Judy Goldsmith
Age: 65
Character Traits
Location: Sacramento, CA
She always compares prices before making a decision to buy something because as a retiree she is on a fixed income.
Occupation: Nurse, retired Relationship: Married with kids, grandkids Morning Routine: 40 min. Budget for Toiletries: $95/annually Weekly Exercise: 2 hours, walking
She is a bargain hunter and values a product that givers a lot of bang for her buck. Since she spent a lot of time on her feet in her career, she buys shoes for comfort and durability, not style. As a grandmother and former nurse, she has always spent more time looking after others than herself. She wants to stay healthy and youthful so she can keep taking care of her family, so she takes walks regularly for exercise. She is full of advice for her friends and family because she has spent many years giving advice as a nurse. At the end of the day, she relaxes with a bath because it makes her feel refreshed.
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3.1—TARGE T AUDIENCE
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The Sorority Sister
“I can't wait to find my holy grail beauty product.” —Madison Brown
Age: 19
Character Traits
Location: Austin, TX
Being a student on a limited budget makes it difficult to afford high end products, so she just dreams about them.
Occupation: Pharmacology Student Relationship: Single Morning Routine: 55 min. Budget for Toiletries: $70/annually Weekly Exercise: 3 hours, gym
In her spare time she reads fashion and beauty blogs, searching for the next thing to try. She is willing to try any product in case it might be the perfect product for her. Looking good is important to her, so she will always spend a little more on a more attractive product. She was a cheerleader in high school and has always been beautyconscious. She is willing to spend more time on herself if it means looking and feeling better. She and her sorority sisters often trade make-up and beauty tips, and she feels that she has a lot of knowledge to share because she is studying to become a pharmacist. She goes to the gym regularly so she can keep her figure and avoid gaining weight. Her beauty routines are her time to play and have fun, because beauty is her hobby. A long shower followed by a facial is her favorite way to de-stress.
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The Boyfriend
“My girlfriend has really great taste. I just use the same products that she uses.” —Scott Miller
Age: 29
Character Traits
Location: Denver, CO
When shopping, he generally doesn't believe products that cost more are necessarily better. He grew up in a working class family and values substance over style.
Occupation: Restaurant Manager Relationship: In a Relationship Morning Routine: 5 min. Budget For Toiletries: ??/annually Weekly Exercise: 3 hours, weights
He doesn't think a lot about trying new products, because shopping is not important to him. He prefers to buy the same brands that he knows again and again. He is the more passive partner in his relationship because he has a very easygoing personality, so he usually does what his girlfriend wants him to do, even if it means spending a little more. He never thought about his style in the past, but he wants to make more effort to look good for his partner. While he is getting older he is noticing some new signs of aging on his face but less so in his girlfriend who takes more care of her skin. He wants to adopt some of her techniques, but only if it is easy and convenient for him. He is athletic and enjoys exercise. He views working out as more important to his appearance than his clothing or hairstyle. He doesn't like to spend a lot of time on personal grooming because he views it as a chore.
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The Make-up Expert
“When it comes to make-up and skin care, I've seen it all.” —Jessica Fuentes
Age: 34
Character Traits
Location: New York, NY
Living in New York, one of the most expensive cities in the world, she wants to cut costs in her life where she can.
Occupation: Manager, Nordstrom Relationship: Single Morning Routine: 55 min. Budget for Toiletries: $500/annually Weekly Exercise: 1 hour, yoga
As a manager at Nordstrom, she enjoys getting a good deal on high-end products with her store discount and likes to try out new things to see how they work. Having observed many passing makeup and style trends for her job, she has a classic style and sensibility and often buys her favorite products again and again. She considers it part of her career to look put together and she spends time to put on makeup every day for work. She always hears about new products from coworkers and friends because she works in fashion and beauty. After a long day at work, she finds it hard to make time for exercise, even though she knows she should. She tries to go to a yoga class once a week. She sees her beauty routine as necessary and important, but it is something she does because she has to, not because she wants to.
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The First Timer
“I don't even know what to do for my skin. I just want something that works for me.” —Ariel Williams
Age: 14
Character Traits
Location: Oakland, CA
As a young girl, she is not aware of many brands in general. When shopping, she looks for things that she has already heard of on television or from friends.
Occupation: Student Relationship: Single Morning Routine: 20 min. Budget for Toiletries: ??/annually Weekly Exercise: 4 hours, soccer practice
Since she is a relatively inexperienced shopper, she is not aware of costs, but as a student she also doesn't have much money. She is entering high school and wants to fit in, so when shopping for clothing or accessories, appearance is very important. She is especially anxious about her appearance because she is in an awkward stage. She worries what other students will think about her based on her looks. She listens to her friends more than her parents because in her view her parents are deeply uncool. She was always a tomboy growing up and plays sports on the weekends. She is joining the school soccer team and she views exercise as fun. She has to get up very early for school so she doesn't have a lot of time in the morning to spend on her appearance.
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Audience Outliers
Naturally, some people will fall outside of the target audience for Pond's, and these are our audience outliers.
While people may have many reasons for using Pond's, people may also have reasons for not using it. Understanding these personas that fall outside the target audience helps us better define who the brand is meant to serve.
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3.2—AUDIENCE OUTLIERS
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The Lady Who Lunches
“You get what you pay for.” —Sasha Armand
Age: 51
Character Traits
Location: New York, NY
She can afford the most high end products and she believes they work better than lower priced brands.
Occupation: Community Volunteer Relationship: Married, three kids Morning Routine: 65 min. Budget for Toiletries: $1,000/annually Weekly Exercise: 2.5 hours, home gym
She mainly uses products recommended by her personal esthetician because she trusts their judgement and only wants to use the best products available. She grew up in a wealthy family and is unfamiliar with many common brands. As a woman who often attends high society functions she values her appearance and is willing to spend time and money on it. She does not need to work a full time job and only works as a volunteer for pet causes and for her children's school. Because she makes her own schedule she can find time to indulge in her extravagant beauty routine. She works out in her home gym regularly to maintain her figure. She takes pride in her appearance and finds it comforting to spend time taking care of her looks.
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The All Natural
“If it didn't come from the earth, it doesn't belong in my body.” —Josh Schwartz
Age: 29
Character Traits
Location: Portland, ME
He only buys organic groceries and products at the farmers market. He avoids large chain grocery stores.
Occupation: Coffee Barista Relationship: In a Relationship Morning Routine: 5 min. Budget for Toiletries: $5/annually Weekly Exercise: 4 hours, bike commute
Because many corporations don't use environmentally friendly practices, he tries to use as few corporate products as possible. If he can make something himself, he would rather spend the time on that than spend money on buying it because he believes that buying new products is often wasteful. Because human society has negatively impacted the planet, he doesn't believe in many societal and beauty standards. In his spare time he makes furniture from reclaimed wood, because he sees himself as part of the maker movement and he believes in reusing materials whenever possible. He rides his bike wherever he goes for both environmental and for health reasons, and does not own a car. He sometimes makes his own skin care products at home from all natural ingredients. He believes a natural look is best, so he doesn't spend a lot of time on his appearance.
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This audience outlier would not be interested in Pond's today, but may fall into the audience for the new incarnation of Pond's.
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04 Competitors
4.1–4.3 Current Competition + Adjacent Competition + Aspirational Competition
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Current Competition Pond's competes with other skin care brands on the market. The main competition is composed of brands that share shelf space in super markets and drug stores, but a few brands on the slightly higher end are also represented here.
Cetaphil
Cerave
Vaseline
Originally developed by a pharmacist, Cetaphil produce simple skin care products for all skin types.
CeraVe offers affordable, accessible, dermatologist-recommended solutions.
Widely available roducts include plain petroleum jelly and skin creams, soaps, lotions, and cleansers.
Nivea
Aveeno
Neutrogena
Nivea specializes in body products such as tanning oils, shaving creams, shampoo and facial cleanser and toners.
Aveeno uses natural ingredients, dubbed active naturals, for their line of lotions and other affordable skin care products.
Neutrogena carries a wide range of products for the skin and hair.
4.1—CURRENT COMPE TITION
What sets Pond’s apart? Pond's is the original skin company, with 150 years of history researching and advancing the science of skin care. They distill skin care to a line of simple yet effective products at an affordable price.
Olay
Clinique
Olay is a skin care brand that like Pond's is associated with more mature women who want to look younger.
Cinique manufacturer of skin care, cosmetics, and fragrances, usually sold in high end department stores.
Origins
Philosophy
Olay is a skin care brand that like Pond's is associated with more mature women who want to look younger.
Philosophy sells natural skin care products shaped by medical research.
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Adjacent Competition If consumers are not buying skin care products to help them look and feel their best, what else are they buying? Cosmetics, hair products, and health and weight loss brands are the adjacent competitors to a skin care brand like Pond's.
Maybelline
CoverGirl
Tarte
Maybelline is a classic and easily accessible brand in the beauty market.
Another well known beauty brand, CoverGirl products are found in similar markets to Pond's products.
Tarte produces natural make up products that also support healthy skin.
Garnier
Paul Mitchell
Bumble and Bumble
Garnier provides an affordable haircare product found on the same shelves and likely just the next aisle over from Pond's.
Paul Mitchell promises natural haircare ingredients for a slightly higher price.
A higher end haircare line, Bumble and Bumble offers a long line of products to make all hair types look and feel great.
4.2—ADJACENT COMPE TITION
Weight Watchers
SlimFast
By providing a system to simplify weight loss, weight watchers helps people take control of their weight.
A product to help you look and feel better simply by drinking it, Slimfast helps people take care of their bodies, like Pond's.
Nutrisystem
Activia
This meal delivery service promises to make losing weight and looking and feeling better easy for consumers.
A probiotic yogurt to aid digestion promises a simple solution to help consumers feel healthy and happy in their bodies.
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Aspirational Competition The rebranded Pond's will take a holistic approach to whole body wellness, providing convenient, nature-based solutions to help people take care of themselves. Innovative health food, nutrition, and natural body care and beauty brands will be the market competition for Pond's products in the future.
mindbodygreen
Care/Of
Caravan Wellness
An on- and off-line community offering articles, videos, and trainings to help you cultivate a life of greater meaning, connection, fulfillment, and purpose.
Personalized vitamin packs tailored to your needs with transparent sourcing and natural ingredients.
Delivers online classes designed to maximize your daily health, fitness, positivity and productivity.
Well + Good
The Nue Co
Soylent
A blog devoted to the wellness scene, known for journalistic reporting and trend-spotting on healthy living.
Makes organic, food-based supplements that work with your body for overall health and wellness.
Convenient, affordable, and nutritious meal replacement in a bottle.
4.3—ASPIR ATIONAL COMPE TITION
Sakara
Fitbit
Organic meal delivery designed to make your life easier and transform your body.
Helps you to improve your health and fitness goals by tracking your activity, exercise, sleep, weight and more.
Welle Co
Headspace
Plant-based elixirs and dietary supplements designed by leading nutritional doctors to improve gut and overall health.
Online guided meditations, animations, articles and videos meant to improve the health and happiness of the world.
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05 Future Vision
5.1–5.3 Pond's Today + Pond's Tomorrow + Looking Ahead
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“Women always said Pond's was for someone else, someone older, even if they were 55 themselves.” —David Cohen, category director for Chesebrough-Pond's, 1995
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Pond's Today
Wholesome Clean Safe
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Pond's Tomorrow
Nourishing Elemental Pure
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Looking ahead
With our strategy laid out we will next develop a new visual language to effectively express the new Pond's.
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Sources Information
Cosmeticsandskin.com NYTimes.com Unileverusa.com Ponds.com
Photography Unsplash.com Cosmeticsandskin.com
This is a student project and is in no way supported by Pond’s. Student work by Tavi Haberman.
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