Irish Spring Brand & Product Innovation

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Alleen Avendano, Arl engber, Lrln ShlnLaku, !ake 8yrnes & Melllsa Woodma
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Asked Lo develop a new body-wash for lrlsh Sprlng's, we developed a concepL LhaL
remalns conslsLenL wlLh lrlsh Sprlng's currenL brand lmage whlle relnvlgoraLlng Lhe
brand. 1hls reporL lncludes prlmary and secondary markeL research, compeLlLlve
analysls, producL and brand lnnovaLlon, and promoLlonal sLraLegles.
A Natural Progression


The project to rebrand and market a new Irish Spring product line has been a journey for our team. We
started with many different ideas, and, after much deliberation, narrowed it down to our favorite, which
we called the Man Cave.

After doing some market research we found that our target consumers believed that the idea was too
similar to the marketing strategy of Old Spice. After some discussion on the root essence of the Man
Cave idea, we decided to change tracks and came up with a new concept for Irish Spring called No-
Nonsense. It is a product for a man who does not need to validate his masculinity with an overly
sexualized body wash. No-Nonsense was not the idea we had originally intended on presenting, but
we feel it is a natural progression from the essence of what our Man Cave idea was centered around
a man who doesnt mess around; he is already confident and wants to get in, get out, and get clean.
With our slogan Get in, Get out, Get clean, we plan to convey our message of what a real mans
shower experience is all about.




Introducing !"#!"$%&$%& by Irish Spring

Get in. Get out. Get Clean.


The No-Nonsense line by Irish Spring includes a body wash and a shaving cream/face wash two-in-
one. The unique selling proposition for this new line is the idea that it caters to the no-nonsense man
who does not want more than a couple of products in his shower at once. This concept is also a stark
contrast to the current body wash products in todays marketplace, such as Axe and Old Spices use of
sexual appeals. Considering the over-the-top marketing campaigns both of these brands have recently
launched, a simple no-nonsense product will appeal to the man who doesnt believe he needs a body
wash to get lucky. He is already confident in the man he is.

Competition



The main competitors are Axe, Old Spice, and Dove+Men. Axe by Unilever is positioned as a
masculine brand for younger men who want to get the girl. Unilevers Dove Men+Care is a brand that
has positioned itself as a specialized body wash for all skin types. Their primary claim is that their body
wash is a masculine product based on the science of skin care. Lastly, Old Spice, owned by Procter &
Gamble, has the unique selling proposition of using a variety of exotic scents in addition to their classic
line of products that carry a loyal following.

Target Market
This new product is based upon the target
individual Jack presented by Colgate
Palmolive for the new Irish Spring body wash.
Jack is a 24 year old, single, working-
professional who lives in Chicago making
roughly $55,000 a year. He is committed to his
work and his future as a lawyer, but always
makes time to work out and hang out with his
friends. On weekends he can be found golfing,
playing pool at a friends house, and drinking
Dos Equis, as these are his mains AIOs.


Jack was raised on the idea that you should stick to quality brands and is drawn to no-frills products that
make his life easier. While value and quality are his two major considerations, he enjoys products with
simple aesthetics that fit well with his no-nonsense lifestyle. He used to identify with Old Spice, but has
recently found himself deterred by the abundance of that products options and over-the-top
commercials. He is looking for a simple body wash to get him clean and on his way. Jack is already
confident in his masculinity and does not need body wash to get lucky; he makes his own luck.

Jack will be drawn to Irish Springs No-Nonsense message because he identifies with the concept that
men who are masculine and self-confident dont need an over-the-top body wash to attract women. He
understands that no amount of money can ever buy a magic potion to help him get lucky; Jack already
has the confidence he needs. He simply wants a quality brand product that gets him clean. He will be
enticed by this product because it caters to the determinant attributes he looks for in a body wash. He is
drawn to the value provided by the price and convenience of the line, as well as the simple aesthetics of
the products design. Lastly, he will be drawn to Irish Spring because it is an established brand known
for its simple message and fresh smells.


Market Research
In our research we asked product usage questions and found that 81% of our respondents typically
spend 10-15 minutes in the bathroom each morning, including showering. This research supports our
product idea that our target market doesnt want to spend a lot of time in the shower. Body wash is not
necessarily in consumer's consideration set and is not a product that men will put a lot of effort into
when they buy it. Our research also indicated 62% would only drive 1-2 miles to buy body wash. This
information tells us that we need to be able to supply Irish Spring in many retailers because our target
market will only be willing to travel a very short distance to purchase it.

In order to test our ideas with our target market we created an online survey using Qualtrics. All of the
polled individuals were males, aged 20-30. The pool of questions was mixed between open ended and
multiple choice. The variance of question types provided us with a wider range of information that
ultimately allowed us to test the reaction of our consumers to our original concept of: Man Cave. One
of the most insightful questions we asked read:
Does this product have a unique position in
comparison to other current brands of male body
wash? In response, one man identified that the concept
of non-sexualizaiton was unique, as: it evokes
manliness and looking at the "inner man" rather than
how to get lucky with girls (Axe) or get noticed by
girls (Old Spice). While reading the open ended
responses of our survey, we realized that our target
market saw the over- exaggerated idea of
adding extra manly touches to a guys shower as too over the top for the no-nonsense man we were
trying to target. We also came to realize that the man cave concept was working more as a
marketing campaign tailored to Old Spice rather than a line of new body wash for Irish Spring. Seeing
these limitations of our original idea, we were able to peel back all the unnecessary layers we had
added and streamline our no-nonsense product line.

Due to Irish Springs small market share within the current body-wash market, rebranding will be
easier, as consumer perceptions of the brand are weak in this particular product category. However,
due to strong overall brand awareness, people still perceive Irish Spring as a classic male brand with
an authentic scent. This leaves Irish Spring in a perfect position to capitalize on an already strong
brand concept as classic, simple and manly by reinvigorating the brand with a new product.
Marketing Strategy
In terms of marketing strategy, we have a
few recommendations we think would be
best for the overall sales of this product.

According to our survey, the average price
that our respondents would be willing to
pay for this body wash is around $4.49. We
feel, however, that the best price for this
body wash should be $3.50. We settled on
this price because it is less expensive than
the competitors, but not so cheap that
consumers will view it as detracting from its
brand equity. We also think it would be best
to hold off on the in-store sales of Irish Spring. We want to strive to keep the price relatively
consistent in each of our markets. This allows men to walk into any location where Irish Spring is sold
and not be shocked by a price difference resulting in fewer brand-switchers.

When it comes to locations where we believe No-
Nonsense should be sold, our recommendations
include: Target, Walmart, CVS, and Walgreens.
The premise for this decision comes from research
stating, the Male Isle... cater[s to] mens get-in
and get-out shopping mindset. (Veiders, 2011)
We would also like to sell No-Nonsense at Costco
but packaged as a box set including the body wash
and the face wash/shave gel two-in-one. Also,
women frequent these stores and are often the
decision maker for household goods, therefore this
is a strategic place to reach both the target market
and other influential decision makers within this
particular product category.

In order to invigorate our target consumer into trying our
new product we will start out with in store point of purchase
marketing. The promotional display on the right would be
positioned as an isle end display aimed at grabbing
consumers attention visually, as the display would be made
of real wood. While this strategy would have significant
overhead costs, considering that Irish Spring is saving
money by not purchasing televised ads or national print
campaigns, it is reasonable to allocate money towards in-
store displays, especially considering that some studies
have found that up to 70 percent of purchase decisions are
made in the store. (Belch, 2011). We also want to sell No-
Nonsense body wash on store shelves with an on-package
sample of the shaving cream/face wash. This will entice our
consumers to try both the new Irish Spring body wash and
the shaving cream/face wash. Irish Spring has historically been positioned as a value brand. Keeping
this in mind, we still want to appeal to the price conscientious consumer therefore we will be offering
an in-store coupon that will be tied-in with a point of purchase display.

Another promotional strategy we devised
centers around social media. Jack and
the target demographic are young and
tech savvy, and are therefore likely to be
reached through and influenced by via
social media. Our social media strategy
includes (but is not limited to) a meme
campaign centered around strategic
spokespeople. As spokespeople for No-
Nonsense, Clint Eastwood, Liam
Neeson, and Bear Grylls are a perfect
aspirational reference group for our
target consumer. Encouraging the
consumer to interact with the brand directly will ultimately engage people with the brand and the
concept of No-Nonsense, ultimately spreading awareness. Social media utilized for this campaign
will include: Facebook page, Twitter profile, Youtube channel, Instagram, an


Lastly, we would also like to promote
Irish Spring at events like mud-runs,
Celtic festivals, and Highland games
across America. These events appeal to
Jack, as he is an active man who is
confident and enjoys accomplishment,
therefore having a presence would
reinforce the new brand concept. Also,
mud-runs provide a strategic opportunity
to provide men with a cleaning solution
when theyre dirty. Promotional samples
should be given out at these events.

















Summary
Given our competitive analysis and primary and secondary research, we believe that No-nonsense
by Irish Spring has the potential to gain a strategic brand position and ultimately innovate the male
body-wash market.





References

A. Baer and V. Tsaklangos, personal communication, February 12, 2012
Belch, G. & Belch, M. (2011). Advertising and Promotion: An Integrated Marketing
Communications Perspective. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Veiders, C. (2011, January 3). MALE PROWESS. Supermarket News, 59(1). Retrieved from
http://bi.galegroup.com.libproxy.sdsu.edu/essentials/article/GALE%7CA245783813/a65394f
ddf07da3424c3f65967739592?u=csusd