St. Ives is giving its entire skin care line a global makeover, as it introduces the Mineral Therapy line, which includes a body wash and moisturizer.
Since the early Eighties, the brand known for its Swiss heritage has been recognized for its natural solutions for skin.
“The brand has always been relevant, but even more so in today’s world due to the natural trend,” said Richard Gerstein, the chief marketing officer of Chicago-based Alberto-Culver who joined the company in April 2005 and was formerly the chief executive officer of P&G’s reflect.com Web site. “We plan on taking the strong position of Swiss natural products and continue to drive business further. This is the first part of a long-term strengthening and revitalization of the brand.”
The makeover comes as the brand’s sales have decelerated in the mass market. St. Ives’ sales dropped 12 percent to $87.2 million across food, drug and mass stores — excluding Wal-Mart — for the 52-week period ended Aug. 13, according to Information Resources Inc.
St. Ives is planning a global rebranding effort, as well. According to Gerstein, as part of that strategy throughout 50 countries, the company has redesigned and repackaged all of its products over the past month, from scrubs and cleansers to lotions and body washes. Product reformulations include updating fragrances in scrubs and lotions “to keep relevant and on trend with women’s fragrances,” said Gerstein. The rebranding initiative will be supported by a strong ad campaign that will include both TV and print advertisements for the new Mineral Therapy body range as well as the new apricot face products. TV advertisements will break near the end of next month, while print advertisements will break in November books.
“The ad campaign will feature a fresh new look for the brand that’s more contemporary and prestigious,” said Gerstein.
Launching next month in about 50,000 U.S. food, drug and mass stores, the Mineral Therapy line offers a body wash and moisturizer. The line is designed to cleanse and rejuvenate the skin by replenishing the skin’s nutrients. The company found that its minerals keep the skin hydrated and moisturized for an extended amount of time. Both the body wash and moisturizer have a suggested retail price of $4.99 for a 13.5-oz. bottle. The company also plans to extend the line over the next year.
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“Mineral Therapy is infused with potassium, which helps bond moisture to the skin while maintaining the right water balance,” said Gerstein. “Women always want better moisture for their skin, and we found that oil-based moisturizers are not working as well. With our heritage, we thought, ‘What is the natural way to offer these benefits for the skin?’ Others are using chemicals to accomplish these benefits, but we’re looking to use natural solutions.”
Although executives wouldn’t comment, industry sources estimate that Mineral Therapy’s two products will bring in between $5 and $10 million in first-year retail sales, with about $5 million to $7 million spent on advertising.