Top 10 consumer product categories that generate the most brand loyalty.
Women covet their beauty brands. Of the 10 products listed here, four are in personal care. Female shoppers have a penchant for buying brand-name cosmetics, which translates to all beauty products, too, said Britt Beemer, chairman and founder of America’s Research Group. The survey of 1,264 women who are primary household decision-makers also revealed that brand names matter even when it comes to daily sundries such as coffee or laundry product purchases. But why isn’t apparel higher on the list? “Women are frustrated with apparel design today,” said Beemer. “Ten years ago, 48.6 percent of women told us that they shop when they’re down in the dumps. Today, it’s 23 percent.” So much for retail therapy.
1. Bath Soap
Percentage of women who said they’re “very loyal” to a brand: 37.8
Traditionally, women are drawn to old soap favorites such as Dove and Ivory. But a growing market for handmade or scented soaps also is taking hold. Oprah Winfrey’s personal favorite: Davies Gate cinnamon stick soap, which uses organic ingredients. Scented soaps are also popular, such as those fragranced with lemon or lavender. Take the English beauty goods purveyor Caswell-Massey, which infuses its soaps with scents ranging from pink grapefruit to lilac to cucumber.
2. Health and beauty aids
Percentage: 35.2
Mint tea shower gel or pomegranate body polish anyone? Many new beauty products now are tailored to specific customers, explained Beemer. Then there’s the boom in antiaging skin care products. L’Oréal recently signed Diane Keaton as the face of its Paris Age Perfect Pro-Calcium skin care line that launched this summer. And Jane Fonda also inked a deal to promote L’Oréal’s Age Perfect Pro-Calcium treatment line. For products aimed at younger women, Christy Turlington recently rejoined Maybelline to advertise its Instant Age Rewind Cream Foundation.
3. Hair products
Percentage: 35.1
Sarah Jessica Parker helped make hair coloring fun and fashionable. And recently, Garnier signed up another sexy actress — Danna Garcia — to appeal to the booming Hispanic market. As a hair care brand in the making, Jessica Simpson is making waves with a new line of hair extensions. Her company, called HairDo, is likely to become a future brand.
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4. Soft Drinks
Percentage: 32.9
Pop diva Mariah Carey recently hooked up with Pepsi to create new music for its Cool Tones downloads. Pepsi is no stranger to using fashionable females such as Beyoncé Knowles, Gwen Stefani and Britney Spears in its ads. On the other soda front, Coke has begun stocking stores overseas with a smaller can that’s minimally designed to appeal to women in their 20s who are on the go.
5. Mayonnaise
Percentage: 31.4
In a small niche, big brands such as Kraft and Hellmann’s rule. Thus, brand choice here is important because taste varies dramatically between mayonnaise makers, said Beemer. Hellmann’s keeps tweaking its formula with even more new ingredients, such as canola oil or lime juice, as well as light and reduced-fat versions for health-conscious women.
6. Laundry products
Percentage: 30.6
Sexy laundry detergent? Well, to Victoria’s Secret, yes. Its Lavish Laundry Detergent is advertised in its stores along with its lingerie. Not to be outdone, Tide, which has 42 percent of the detergent category, remade its ad campaigns combining music and fun with a new theme called “Tide Knows Fabric Best” by showing women getting whistles from their boyfriends while wearing sexy — and very clean — outfits.
7. Hand and body lotion
Percentage: 29.9
Self-tanning lotions are the new brand stars. Olay brought its Complete Touch of Sun Daily UV Facial Moisturizer to stores in April. And Jergens’ Natural Glow moisturizer was a sellout when it first appeared. Sales of tinted hand and body lotions reached $42 million in 2005, versus just $5 million in 2004, according to WWD. Also lotions with organic ingredients, such as those made by Kiss My Face and Jason, are heading out of health food stores and into CVS and Wal-Mart, spawning new mass brands.
8. Over-the-counter medicines/pain relievers
Percentage: 29.3
By developing women-only products, the drug industry wins over converts. For example, Bayer has its aspirin plus calcium. And Johnson & Johnson has a form of its best-selling Tylenol just for women. This year, Rita Moreno signed on with Johnson & Johnson for its “Healthy From the Heart” campaign, which encourages women to find out more about heart disease.
9. Coffee
Percentage: 28.1
Starbucks is the ultimate brand model here. Some 63 percent of all women named it as their favorite coffee shop, versus 53 percent of all men. Why? In a word: ambience. Starbucks has many homey attributes that women prize, such as convenience, cozy details and deep sofas. When women are there, they drink specialty coffees such as lattes, cappuccinos and espressos, rather than plain old java.
10. Shoes
Percentage: 27.9
Nobody brands product better than celebrities. Shoe lover-cum-diva Mariah Carey has worn silver Manolo Blahnik sandals. Blahnik’s high heels and pointed toes have spawned shoe trends all over the country. And Pat Benatar and Cheyenne Kimball have teamed up to help celebrate Candie’s 25th anniversary with a reissue of its vintage collection that includes gold dress shoes. When shopping for shoes, style and fit matter, said Beemer.
Source: America’s research group, based in Charlotte, n.C. Compiled february 2006.