Team academic project · Spring 2025

Project Overview

For this team project, we explored a new men’s skincare line for Estée Lauder. We aimed to find a growth opportunity in the beauty market and build a marketing proposal that played to the brand’s strengths.

My main focus was market and competitor analysis. I assessed Estée Lauder’s position, developed the brand’s positioning, and defined buyer personas. I also helped turn our research into a product concept based on men’s skincare needs and daily habits.

The Challenge

The proposal had to show why customers would pick Estée Lauder in a market already filled with well-known skincare and grooming brands. It also needed to set the concept apart from other premium brands.

The central question was: “How can Estée Lauder extend its premium skincare positioning to a male audience with a clear and relevant reason to buy?”

What I Did

· Analyzed beauty-market trends to identify opportunities in men’s skincare

· Evaluated Estée Lauder’s market position, brand strengths, and barriers to growth

· Compared competitors’ target audiences, products, and positioning

· Assessed portfolio overlap to define a distinct role for the proposed line

· Developed buyer personas based on lifestyle, skincare needs, and purchase motivations

The Approach

We began by looking at the market, focusing on trends like men’s growing interest in personal care, the importance of sustainability, and how social media affects beauty purchases.

Next, our team compared Estée Lauder with brands like Sisley Paris, Shiseido, Tom Ford, and La Mer to see how the new line could fit within the company’s portfolio.

Creating buyer personas helped us define the audience more clearly. We included profiles from established professionals to younger, trend-focused consumers, showing their different lifestyles, skincare interests, and buying priorities.

These insights shaped our proposed positioning: premium skincare that makes a daily routine simple and easy to follow.

Results

· Completed a structured assessment of the market opportunity and Estée Lauder’s position

· Identified competitive differences across premium skincare brands

· Examined potential overlap with brands in the company’s existing portfolio

· Developed a positioning statement for the proposed men’s skincare line

· Helped connect customer needs with a six-product concept and its intended benefits

Key Takeaway

A well-known brand helps, but any new product line still needs a clear reason for customers to choose it. Market analysis, competitor comparisons, and buyer personas can help clarify why customers should choose a product.

What I’d Improve

I would focus on one main audience segment and confirm their needs through interviews or a survey. I would also test our proposed positioning against competitors, looking at how much people are willing to pay and what makes our offer stand out.