Helena Rubinstein - e-pica

Helena Rubinstein
Relaunching the Brand in the States
Presented by:
Patricia Sabena
QRCA President ‘95 - ‘98
Patricia Sabena Qualitative Research Services SINCE 1965

Why contemporize
a brand’s equity?
Brands become old-fashioned or tired
because they:
• have a brand name that sounds “out” or
outdated
• cut back or cut out advertising and
promotion spending
• lack meaningful product news or point of
difference

Why contemporize
a brand’s equity?
Brands become old-fashioned or tired
because they:
• have a brand name that sounds “out” or
outdated
• cut back or cut out advertising and
promotion spending
• lack meaningful product news or point of
difference

...or because they:
Why contemporize
a brand’s equity?
• lose touch with their own users or category users
• fail to modernize packaging style, colors, graphics
• get lost in influx of new entries that seem more
relevant
• do not launch line extensions or launch too many

Who was Helena Rubinstein?
Born in Poland in 1870
Emigrated to Melbourne, Australia by the age of
18
Started a skin care business with 12 jars of
cream
Expanded her business to London and Paris
Became a millionaire by the age of 30
Married at age 34, had two sons by age 39
Divorced, married the true love of her life at age
57

Who was Helena Rubinstein?
She was...
• a self-taught chemist
• an inveterate traveler
• a color visionary
• a pioneer entrepreneur
• a patron of the arts

What happened to
the Helena Rubinstein brand?
Her cosmetics company continued after
her death
Was expanded and updated in Europe
and Japan
Remained a significant presence in
these markets
However, tougher and increasing
competition in U.S.
Discontinued Helena Rubinstein in the
States in 1985

What happened to
the Helena Rubinstein brand?
Acquired in 1988 by French company, L’Oreal,
which also owns Lancome, Maybelline, Redken
Commanded to be relaunched as trend-setting
upscale brand in the States by late 1990’s
One impetus, the new look given the brand in
1996 in Europe and Japan
By Carlos, a master colorist whose avant-garde
makeup palettes and ad campaigns
Offered apparent opportunities to reposition the
brand toward a younger target audience

What role did
qualitative research play?
Between 1996 and 1998, focus groups
explored:
• the strengths and liabilities of any residual
Helena Rubinstein brand equity
• reactions to disclosure of the brand’s
ongoing presence in Europe and Japan
• the strengths and liabilities of the existing
HR European product lines and packages

What role did qualitative
research play?
Focus groups also explored:
• the strengths and weaknesses of
repositioning concepts and ad themes
• the potential appeal of the new HR skin
care products and new HR makeup
colors by Carlos
• the role of specialty store or spa
marketing of the relaunched Helena
Rubinstein brand

Who were
the focus group respondents?
Upscale buyers of
specialty store skin
care and makeup:
• Young women 20 to 39
• Older women 40 to 55
In leading-edge skin
care and makeup
markets:
• Manhattan, New York
• Los Angeles, California
• Dallas, Texas

What were recollections of the
Helena Rubinstein brand?
Recollections of the Helena Rubinstein
brand were explored during focus
groups through:
• Mindmapping
Recollections of the Helena Rubinstein
brand personality were explored during
focus groups through:
• Psychodrawing

What were perceptions of the
brand personality?
Among older women, the brand was personified as:
• 30 to 83 years of age, median age of 55
• married or widowed with grown children
• homemaker or retired with $100,000 income
• matronly names (Gladys, Bess, Irene, Mabel)
• housedress, polyester pants suit, fur stole, pearls
• holding cookie sheet, iron, shopping bag
• fussy, sedate, conservative, demanding, proper
• playing cards, gardening, volunteering, manicures

What were perceptions of the
brand personality?
Among young women, the brand was
personified as:
• 30 to 65 years of age, median age of 47
• married with grown children or grandchildren
• homemaker or realtor with $150,000 income
• matronly names (Maude, Goldie, Edna, Mildred)
• evening gown, sequined sweat clothes
• champagne, poodle, checkbook, car keys
• authoritarian, perfectionist, elegant, flamboyant
• lunching, gambling, shopping too much

What were perceptions of the
brand personality?
Younger and older women drew her saying:
“I’ll meet you at the club after I pick up my new bracelet.”
“Darling, it’s so good to see you at this charity event.”
“Paris, like the finer things in life, is my favorite destination.”
“I’m late for a manicure, the caterers are lost, my maid is sick.”
“Of course, I’d be glad to host the bridge group, dear.”
“Always wear white gloves and remember to go to church.”

What were feelings about the
brand personality?
Younger and older women disassociated
themselves from this image, saying:
• “She’s too old; it’s a different generation.”
• “It’s our mothers, our grandmothers.”
• “She’s so traditional and conservative.”
• “She’s not a nineties woman.”
• “I don’t relate to her.”
• “She’s not the person I want to be.”
• “She’s too thin, too tan and too fake.”

What were reactions to HR
in Europe and Japan?
Informed that the Helena Rubinstein brand still
exists in Europe and Japan, younger and older
U.S. respondents voiced “surprise” or “shock,”
and then reasoned:
• Europeans and Asians like to buy American things
• Europeans and Asians may think the brand is European
• Europeans and Asians value tradition, the established
• U.S. values youth, change, newness, innovation, trend

What were reactions to the
prospective U.S. relaunch?
Shown the current European Helena
Rubinstein products and advertisements,
the focus group respondents appeared
mostly unimpressed.
Informed about the prospective relaunch
of the Helena Rubinstein brand in the
States, many younger and older women
questioned with skepticism “what point of
difference” would make consumers switch.

How was
the relaunch explored?
Subsequent focus groups in September
1997 explored potential relaunch themes
or points of difference, including:
• Facts and portraits of Helena Rubinstein
at earlier stages of her life
• Innovative Helena Rubinstein skin care
products recently introduced in Europe
• Exposure to Carlos, the new HR master
colorist, and his “Spirits” ads
• In-session experimentation with the new
“Spirits” makeup colors by Carlos

What were findings about
using Helena?
Yes, Helena Rubinstein appeared young, elegant
And, she also looked determined and accomplished
But she wasn’t considered classic in a timeless sense
Facts about her history locked her into dated periods
Even younger portraits suggested narrow age ranges
She was not an icon of contemporary womanhood
Rather she should be downplayed in the HR relaunch
Most meaningful was that she was “a color visionary”

What were reactions to
the latest HR products?
Shown the latest Helena Rubinstein vitaminbased
skin care products--especially Force C,
and Power A--focus group respondents admitted
these appeared to be new and impressive.
However, because of their fear of facial
breakouts, it also seemed apparent that these
consumers needed professional cosmetologist
assistance to feel brave enough to try these new
substances on their skin.

What were reactions to
Carlos and “Spirits”?
Focus on Carlos, as HR’s master
colorist, certainly seemed to have the
potential to add drama and interest to
the brand in the States.
However, some of his “Spirits”
imagery felt a bit “weird” to the U.S.
consumer, with some of it perceived
to be scary or disturbing.

What were reactions to Carlos’
makeup colors?
Innovative and creative, wild and unconventional?
Or too unconventional and impractical for real life!
• lime green or purple lipsticks
• blue or orange loose powders
• gold or eggplant mascaras
• black or glitter nail colors
Once they tried on the makeup during the focus
groups, however, many women found the colors
to be more flattering on the face than expected.

What was the prospective
competitive set?
By 1998, the prospective competitive set for a
Helena Rubinstein launch was increasingly
crowded and fiercely competitive.
There was a plethora of department store,
specialty store, spa and salon brands, not
even counting the aggressive competition
from mass market brands.
For example, quadragrid perceptual mapping of
the upscale competitive set indicated more
than 20 successful competitors.

Department & Specialty
Store Brands
Bobbi Brown
Trish McEvoy
Prescriptives
Chanel
Estee Lauder
Elizabeth Arden
Younger Women
M.A.C.
Laura Mercer
Kiehl's
Clarins
La Prairie
Orlane
Erno Laszlo
Origins
Older Women
Bliss
Aveda
Frederic Fekkai
Mario Badescu
Spa & Salon Brands

What was the motivation
for the HR spa?
It became apparent that the Helena
Rubinstein brand needed a spa or salon
center in New York City as a newsmaking
showcase for relaunching its skin
care and makeup in the States.
This would create fashionable publicity
and word-of-mouth recommendations
about the brand to help it reinvent itself in
the mind of U.S. consumers.

What was the profile
for the HR spa?
Further qualitative research among
New York spa-goers revealed that the
Helena Rubinstein spa needed a
downtown Manhattan space to be:
• quiet, clean, nurturing, pampering
• attractive, fun, convenient, safe
• comfortable, educational, stress relief

What was the profile
for the HR spa?
Ideally, this spa would feature:
• friendly reservationists and receptionists
• enticing treatment menu and gift packages
• room-to-room escort, no abandonment
• careful inquiries about personal sensibilities
• expert and memorable massage services
• outstanding manicures and pedicures

What was the profile
for the HR spa?
Ideally, this spa would feature:
• private and serene dressing areas
• lush bathrobes and hygienic slippers
• soothing or refreshing beverages
• choice of background music tapes
• tipping envelopes or no-tipping policy
• product explanation without sales pressure
• optional partial or full complimentary makeup

The HR Beauty Gallery
opened on May 1, 1999!
After much site research and architectural
design efforts, The HR Beauty Gallery opened
at 135 Spring Street in trendy SoHo Manhattan.
It was written up in Vogue, Business Week,
Harper’s Bazaar, Allure, InStyle and New York
magazines.
Well-known movie and music stars--such as
Gwyneth Paltrow and Carly Simon--have
become frequent clients.

How was the product line
edited for the U.S. audience?
By the time of the HR relaunch, the
Carlos “Cinderella” line was the brand’s
latest seasonal signature makeup.
Because of the more business-minded
and conservative tastes of some of the
upscale consumers expected to frequent
The HR Beauty Gallery, the HR line was
expanded for the States to include a full
range of practical-to-funky colors.

How was HR positioned
for the U.S. audience?
However, the target was defined as
20- to 30-year-old women who want
wild colors and innovative skin-care
products.
The positioning theme, developed
during qualitative research, focused
on “everyday visionary beauty,” as the
best of Helena Rubinstein’s legacy.

How was HR communicated to
the spa clientele?
In addition, an in-spa promotional piece
--a Skin Care Geography Board--was
developed through exposure and
refinement during focus groups in order
to educate American consumers about
HR’s various skin care products as:
• “long-term investments”
• “daily vitamin boosts”
• “instant gratifications”

What have been
the strategic outcomes?
The brand relaunched with an updated
HR logo and without Helena’s portraits or
legend, but with her penchant for
“everyday visionary beauty.”
Some of the European products needed
to be adapted to U.S. sensibilities. In
particular, the avant-garde Carlos color
palette needed to be broadened to offer
more day wear for upscale U.S. business
and professional women.

What have been
the strategic outcomes?
A trendy New York spa location was the best
way to showcase and contemporise the brand
by giving it new news and credibility. Media
publicity, and toll-free telephone ordering, would
ultimately generate public demand.
Education and demonstration were keys to
promoting the brand to the U.S. customer, and
spa services would include facial and body skin
care, as well as complimentary HR makeup
demonstrations by HR beauty stylists.

How is this relevant to you?
This qualitative research provides a template for
contemporizing other tired or outdated brands:
• What internal or external factors have
caused the brand to fall behind?
• What is happening in the competitive set
that impacts the brand?
• What can be retained or renewed from the
existing brand equity?
• What is needed in order to rejuvenate the
brand’s image and appeal?

Contemporizing Brand Equity
Relaunching the HR Brand in the States