Suave

• On Twitter and Instagram, Suave describes its hair care line as products that have produced "salon-quality results since 1937." Its background picture on Twitter features a multicultural family, implying that its hair care products can be used by anyone.
• Suave has a more interactive and family-oriented approach on Facebook. It describes its Facebook page as a "fun, family-friendly community, where people can share their passion for Suave, and where Suave can reveal secrets and insider tips to unlocking top beauty topics." The brand also responds to most comments on this platform.

• Suave hardly ever uses hashtags to market its hair care products on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. In the few 2019 posts it used hashtags, its most used hashtags were #SuaveBeliever on Facebook alone and #SuavePartner on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
• Suave mirrors its posts across all social media platforms. On Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, Suave features people it calls partners. These partners are social media influencers, hair stylists, and celebrities the brand works it. Some examples are Jenny Cho, Naturally Temi, and Yusef Williams.  

• A lot of its posts on Facebook and Twitter feature families and children. It partnered with Marvel Entertainment for its kids hair care product line. Posts about this partnership was a main theme on its social media platforms in 2019.

Garnier Fructis

• Garnier Fructis only has a US Twitter and Instagram account. It does not have a US Facebook account. While the company has a global Facebook account, it has not updated this account since 2015.
• On Instagram, it encourages its hair care customers to "share the love by tagging #GarnierGirls & #GarnierGuys!" It mentions that these posts will be reposted on its website or Instagram. On Twitter, it urges its hair care users to show their "#GarnierGirl style for a chance to be featured!" 

• Garnier Fructis uses a lot of hashtags for its hair care products on Twitter and Instagram. Its most used hashtags for its hair care products on Twitter are #haircare, #sleekittobelieveit, and #sleekshot. It uses these hashtags on almost all posts about its hair products on Twitter.
• On Instagram, its most used hashtags are #sleek, #hair, and #shampoo. These are used in a lot of its posts related to hair care on the platform.

Herbal Essences

Tone & Messaging

• On Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, Herbal Essences uses a warm, inviting, and professional tone to market its hair care products.
• On Twitter, it mentions that "Herbal Essences does beautiful things for your hair and your head." On Instagram, it highlights its sustainable approach, including the fact that its hair products are "PETA Cruelty Free" and "approved by Botanicals." On Facebook, it outlines its history and mentions that its hair products are for "hair that is undone, natural looking and free, like the women who choose it."

Key Hashtags

• In 2019, Herbal Essences' most used hashtags for its hair care products on Facebook were #BeCrueltyFree and #HerbalEssencesxKew. The Be Cruelty Free hashtag was used in posts about the company being endorsed as a PETA cruelty-free brand. The Herbal Essences x Kew hashtag was used in posts about a documentary it worked on with Kew Gardens. The documentary highlighted how scientists at Herbal Essences are working to "unlock the full potential of botanicals." 
• On Twitter, its most used hashtags for its hair care products in 2019 were #HerbalEssences, #PlantPowerInEveryShower, and #Haircare. These hashtags were used in almost 50% of its tweets.
• In 2019, the company's most used hashtags for its hair care products on Instagram were #HerbalEssences, #BotanicalShampoo, and #PlantPowerInEveryShower. 

Pantene

Tone & Messaging

• Pantene uses an accepting and informal tone to advertise its hair care products on its US Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
• On Facebook, it makes it clear that its vision is to empower men and women from all walks of life through its shampoos and conditioners. It mentions that its mission is to "see what SHE can do." 
• On Instagram, it uses a friendlier tone and claims that its main aim is to help customers have a great hair day. It also encourages direct messages for help and personalized recommendation via this platform.
• Pantene's tone and messaging on Twitter is similar to that of its Instagram page. Its use of emojis in its bio and tweets indicate a more friendly and lighthearted tone. It responds to almost all questions or inquiries it is tagged in on this platform.

Key Hashtags

• Pantene does not use a lot of hashtags on Twitter. Its most used hashtag in 2019 was #beautifulLGBTQ, the title of a campaign it introduced a few months ago. The campaign highlighted how important it considers its LGBTQ customers.
• In 2019, Its most used hashtags on Facebook were #PowerToTransform and #BeautifuLGBTQ. The Power to Transform hashtag is part of its mission to empower women through shiny hair.
• Pantene's hashtags on Instagram are specific to its posts. For example, it uses #newproduct for a product it is just introducing to the public and #mousse for a picture of its latest hair care mousse. However, #haircare has been used in a few posts and can be considered its most popular hashtag in 2019.

L'Oreal USA

• L'Oreal USA targets women through its social media marketing. This explains why it maintains a very colorful and bright feed on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. On Facebook, it describes itself as a global beauty brand that is set out to "inspire each and every woman to embrace her own unique beauty and reinforce her sense of self-worth." 
• On Twitter, the brand encourages people to follow for "all things hair, makeup, skin care & more." L'Oreal's bio on Instagram is "the people, the products, the innovation... we are everything that makes #lifeatloreal beautiful." 

• L'Oreal tailors each hashtag to the post itself. Some of its most used hashtags related to hair care on Facebook and Instagram are #Elnett and #Elvive. Elnett is a hair spray product by the company, while Elvive is a hair oil that the company advertises frequently. On Twitter, its most used hashtag related to hair care is #HairColoroftheYear.

• A lot of L'Oreal's posts pay homage to women in one way or the other. It recently introduced the Women of Worth program to recognize the achievements of women who embody its brand spirit. A major theme in its 2019 posts on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook is this program.
• In April 2019, it welcomed Céline Dion as a new spokeswoman for its hair care line. This was widely celebrated on its Facebook and Twitter. In 2019, L'Oreal partnered with minorities for a lot of its hair care social media marketing.

• On Facebook, Dove makes it clear that it is "committed to help all women realise their personal beauty potential by creating products that deliver real care." On Twitter and Instagram, Dove mentions that it is "taking action with women everywhere to shatter beauty stereotypes around the world." 

• Since June 2018, Dove has not updated its Facebook page. It only posted twice in 2018 and twice in 2017. None of these posts are related to its hair care products.
• On Twitter, its most used 2019 hashtags related to hair care are #RealBeauty, #LoveYourHair, and #theCROWNACT. Dove's most used hashtags on Instagram are #ShowUs and #Dove.
• Compared to competitors who advertise their hair care brands by sharing pictures of products on social media, Dove focuses on activism. Studies have shown that millennials - Dove's target audience - prefer brands that take strong stands on social issues. Dove's focus on activism, specifically the acceptance of all types of hair, is a smart social media marketing strategy.

• The main theme in Dove's 2019 Instagram and Twitter posts about hair is its Real Beauty and Show Us campaigns. The campaigns were introduced to create a more inclusive view of beauty and to shatter beauty stereotypes. In February 2019, it partnered with Kelly Rowland for a power anthem called Crown. This campaign featured young girls that were bullied and discriminated for their hair.
• The main way its Instagram content differs from Twitter is that a few Instagram posts are reviews by influencers it partnered with. In December 2019, it featured a review of its UltraCare hair conditioner. The review was by Overglowedit, a skincare and beauty blogger.

Strengths

• Suave offer good quality shampoo at a low price. It is priced lower than Pantene and Head & Shoulders, its competition.
• Accounting for 34% of the market in 2015, shampoo was the largest category in hair care in the US. Suave is one of the top-selling shampoo brands in the United States. In 2017, Suave Professionals was the second-most selling shampoo in the US (2.76% share); and, with 1.78% share, Suave Essentials ranked fifth in the market.
• Suave is a salient and meaningful high-power brand. It is a pioneer in the shampoo industry and has a strong heritage.
• Suave has separate product lines for both men and kids. It is one of few brands offering products exclusively for men. Suave's detangling product for kids has great reviews on sites such as makeupalley.com and totalbeauty.com.
• It is co-creating products to establish itself as a low-cost multicultural hair brand that suits a "variety of hair and life situations". Suave launched its line Suave Professionals for Natural Hair, targeting women with different hair types and lifestyles, in early 2019.
• Suave is a household name with a strong retail presence. This enables it to reach customers with new product lines fairly quickly. Between February and the summer of 2019, Suave Professionals for Natural Hair made available in 48,000 retail stores across the United States.

Weaknesses

• Suave is perceived as a low-quality brand even though it makes salon-quality hair care products.
• Suave is not a well-differentiated shampoo brand and therefore cannot command a premium.
• In 2016, Suave Professionals' average drug store retail margins were 5% lower than the competition, indicating poor profitability.

Opportunities

• Non-white individuals now account for 42% of bath and soap sales in the United States, and black individuals account for over 10% ($473 million) of total hair care sales ($4.2 billion), more than ever before. Also, younger generations (millennials and Gen X) respond more favorably to brands that endorse diversity.
• Many brands are embracing the multicultural theme. For example, P&G acquired Walker & Company, a brand that makes products for colored individuals. As multicultural brands tend to be expensive and difficult to find, Suave will do well to offer low-cost hair care solutions and also be able to reach a large number of consumers through its wide distribution network.
• Organic and natural hair care products are gaining popularity. Consumers are well-informed and actively avoid "products with sulfates, parabens, mineral oil and alcohol, which were once widely used in hair care". They are inclined to purchase products that are "free of" certain ingredients.
• Nine in ten (92%) millennial women would opt for a low-cost shampoo if quality wasn't compromised. However, while they are very receptive to value brands (compared to older generations), they tend to perceive premium brands as "more reliable and trustworthy". Suave would benefit from positioning itself in the minds of the consumers as an economy brand that also offers premium quality.

Threats

• Millennials are opting for niche, local, and independent shampoo brands that are eating into Suave's market share. Given that these brands are small, and therefore are more agile and responsive to market changes, they pose a threat to Suave.
• A study by Millward Brown found that consumers are not willing to pay more for Suave shampoo. Given that changing consumer perception is not easy, the cheap and low-quality image will be difficult to change.
• The traditional hair care marked growth is tepid and competitive pressures have resulted in shampoo brands slashing prices. This does not bode well for a low-cost mass brand like Suave.

Garnier Fructis SWOT

Strengths

• A strength of Garnier Fructis is its large customer base in the U.S. who use its shampoos often.

• A July 2019 survey of Garnier shampoo users in the U.S. determined that approximately 8.97 million people in the U.S. used such products between one and three times per week, approximately 5.23 million people used them between four and seven times per week, and approximately three million people used them at least eight times per week. A screenshot of that data is also included in this Google Doc.

• Garnier Fructis's conditioner product, Sleek and Shine, is very popular among consumers, as it was the fifth-highest-selling conditioner product in the U.S. in 2018 and generated $52 million in sales that year in the U.S. market alone. As a result, Sleek and Shine held a 2.4% share of the U.S. hair conditioner market in 2018. A screenshot of that data provided in this Google Doc.
• Garnier Fructis is a strong advocate for sustainability.
• In 2019, Garnier launched "a new signature tagline — By Garnier, Naturally — to serve as a stamp of the brand's commitment to sustainability."
• As part of its commitment to sustainability, "Garnier pledge[d] to continue to introduce measures to reduce plastic usage by committing to 100% post-consumer recycled (PCR) waste for shampoo, conditioner, and leave in conditioner bottles in its #1 selling hair care collection — Fructis Sleek & Shine — by the end of 2019."
• "Garnier Fructis hair care products are produced in a zero waste facility and the current packaging contains 50% post-consumer recycled waste."
• The formula for Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine uses Argan Oil that is sustainably sourced.
• Garnier's Senior Vice President of Marketing stated: "The announcement of our new signature, 100% PCR initiative for Fructis Sleek & Shine and the Greenhouse Tour serves as a commitment to our customers that we continue to aspire to bring the highest quality, most efficacious naturally-inspired formulas in the most sustainable quality packaging to the masses at a price point that's attainable."

Weakness

• The one weakness we identified about Garnier Fructis's haircare products in the U.S. is illustrated in the following statement from an April 2019 Reuters article: "L’Oreal is banking on a turnaround in the group’s mass market division that makes Garnier shampoo and skincare treatments this year, despite pressures in the United States . . ., its CEO said on Tuesday."

Opportunities

• The dry shampoo market is an opportunity for Garnier Fructis.
• The U.S. dry shampoo market is projected to grow steadily through at least 2025 and Garnier Fructis is a participant in that market.
• "Prestige hair care products" are an opportunity for Garnier Fructis. In the U.S., "[p]restige hair care products such as bond-builders and leave-in treatments are up more than 41% year-over-year [in 2019]."
• Haircare products made from natural ingredients are an opportunity for Garnier Fructis, as consumers are showing a preference for those products. Among U.S. haircare consumers surveyed, 31% believe that its safer to use natural shampoos.
• The usage of hair conditioner products and hair coloring products are expected to grow in the U.S. between 2020 and 2025, thus presenting an opportunity in those segments for Garnier Fructis.

Threats

• A threat for Garnier Fructis is that there is relatively lackluster, projected growth anticipated for the haircare market in the U.S.
• As one market research report summary stated, "the growth momentum of the [U.S. haircare] market is expected to decelerate."
• Statista projects that between 2020 and 2023, the compound annual growth rate for the U.S. haircare market will be a mere 1.1%, while Research and Markets projects a compound annual growth rate from 2019 to 2024 of 3.2%.
• Governmental regulations and standards are other threats for Garnier Fructis. A report from Research and Markets stated that "[w]hile the [U.S. haircare] market players focus on offering a wide range of products to cater to various customer needs, they are challenged to maintain quality and to adhere to various government standards and regulations, in terms of product contents and side effects."
• The entry of new, innovative competitors focused on custom haircare products is another threat for Garnier Fructis, as those companies are creating products such as custom-formula shampoos specifically made for one person's particular hair needs. Among U.S. haircare consumers surveyed, 33% "want [haircare] products made precisely for their hair." In further support thereof, many venture capitalists also see the strong potential of new, innovative competitors in the U.S. haircare market and have been looking for opportunities to invest in those companies.

Research Strategy

Strengths

• Herbal Essences, being part of Proctor and Gamble, has a strong brand and P&G is offensive in rolling out Herbal Essences to the hair-care market both in the US and worldwide.
• Herbal Essences is the first mass hair care brand in mass retailers to be authorized to use the Environmental Working Group (EWG) VERIFIED™ mark. The brand was able to meet the rigorous criterion and strict clean beauty standards set by the EWG in an effort to drive greater ingredient transparency and informed choices.
• Herbal Essences has strong sales growth. In the latest earnings report from P&G, its hair-care brands were up 3% in net sales and 2% in net earnings. Herbal Essences, which is P&G's organic hair-care brand, has increased sales by 9%.
• U.S. consumers have a strong preference for organic beauty care with focus on the overall benefits on the skin as well as its environment friendly nature.
• Herbal Essences has innovative packaging technologies that has become one of their key market drivers. Herbal Essences utilizes co-injected preforms that results to beautiful gradation effect.

Weaknesses

• Web traffic of Herbal Essences was down 45%, from 110,000 visitors to 60,000 visitors, between September to December 2019. September 2019 was the peak traffic for Herbal Essences and engagement figures have gone down since this peak.
• Herbal Essences' social media traffic is just 5.11% of its total engagement and the company was not able to leverage traffic from other social media platforms such as Instagram.
• Herbal Essences Bio-Renew is one of the top ten hair care product in the US with $34.6 million however, it lags behind other herbal hair care products such as Organix. Organix was able to rake $133.7 million in sales 2018.

Opportunities

• Herbal Essences is trying to expand its market to vision-impaired people by the use of tactile markings on packaging. It would be easier for vision-impaired consumers to distinguish between the shampoo and conditioner products in its portfolio. This will be released this 2020 and could add additional revenue stream for Herbal Essences. (s1)
• Herbal Essences is also launching a new Alexa skill that allows consumers to ask questions regarding its products and ingredients, and get personal recommendations ranging from shopping in-store to getting ready at home or answering hair care-related questions.
•  Strong regulatory frameworks that limit the use of toxic ingredients in shampoo have contributed to the continuous strong demand of herbal hair care products such as Herbal Essences in the US.

Threats

• Unilever, the maker of Dove and TRESemmé, aims to gain market share by cutting prices in the U.S. It directly competes with products from Procter & Gamble such as Pantene and Herbal Essences.
• Aside from fierce competition from herbal hair care brands from Unilever, Herbal Essences is increasingly facing competition from niche, salon brands that target shoppers through social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook.
• A SWOT Analysis of Clairol, one of the hair color brands from Herbal Essences, shows that intense competition from various brands, volatile costs, and substitute products are among the threats to the business.

Strengths

• The Pantene hair care products line is very diverse and caters to a very wide customer base and their various needs, including the United States minority population. They provide products for consumers who are in need of treatment for dry hair, colored hair, hair loss or thinning, breakage, and itchiness, to name a few.
• The company launched Pantene Gold Series in 2017, which was targeted at its African-American consumers, showing its determination to cater to everyone.
• It highlights products that are made from natural ingredients, such as bamboo, castor oil, and charcoal, which might be an attraction for customers who mainly want to use natural products.
• Pantene has been doing so well in the hair care department that it was announced as the 2019 official hair care partner for Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
• In keeping with its innovative solutions, Pantene devised a “#FestivalHair Capsule Collection Kit” that was also launched at the festival.
• Statista calculated usage frequency of Pantene Pro-V hair conditioner from Simmons National Consumer Survey (NHCS) and the United States’ Census data. It was found that within one week up to the time of the administration of the survey, 10.2 million consumers in the United States used this hair product 1 – 2 times, 9.27 million used it 3 – 6 times and 7.82 million used it 7 or more times.
• The frequency in use suggests that there are many loyal customers that use this product regularly.

Weaknesses

• On their official website, the company only shows its social media channels as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, which would be excluding consumers who might frequently use YouTube, Pinterest or even LinkedIn to get updates from companies they are interested in. This limits the company’s social media audience and the possibility of increasing its customer base.
• Although Pantene is well-known for its numerous products within the United States, it displays reviews on a per-product basis and not an overall rating for its hair care category. For example, the deep hydrating co-wash product has a 4.23/5 star rating, but none can be seen for the overall category.
• Between June 2019 and November 2019, there was a 26.34% decline in the number of website visitors for Pantene in the United States, suggesting that the number of persons interested in the brand has lessened, or they have decided to use alternative means to get information about the brand.
• Consumers who might be interested in learning about Pantene’s press releases may also be disappointed with the results on the company’s official website, because the option labeled as “Press” leads to a Contact Us site. This site only offers general contact information including location, email, telephone number and frequently asked questions, but nothing relating to press releases/media or the press team, which may be deemed as misleading.

Opportunities

• In August 2019, there were reports of a customer who lost some of her hair after using a Pantene product she bought at a Walmart store. While there might not have been claims that it was as a result of the product, Pantene could use this situation as an opportunity to improve its seal to make their products more tamper-proof.
• Since some customers or consumers might not peruse individual pages or websites to learn about specific products and their respective rating, it would be a good move to include an overall rating for the hair category so that website visitors/consumers, who might be researching brands, would have more to work with at a glance.
• Pantene’s Pro-V Sheer Volume Shampoo and Conditioner are rated well as one of the best for thickening hair coupled with its low prices. The company could capitalize on this to ensure they keep those customers satisfied and possibly expand their reach for these products.
• Entering the African-American hair care market in the United States was successful and said to cause a “ripple” effect with the Pantene Gold Series. The company could consider creating more products for this minority population and gain more traction from those consumers.
• Pantene is ranked as “the fourth strongest player in the US”, so gaining a stronger presence in fairly new markets such as African-American hair care may help to strengthen its position.

Threats

• Pantene hair products could be implicated as damaging to consumers if trends of tampering with the product develop.
•  Bad press involving the company’s products may discourage some customers from its use and give its competitors an advantage over the brand.
• Pantene is now faced with the threat of possibly losing its market share to its competitors (Dove and TRESemmé).
• Unilever’s brands Dove and TRESemmé, are now offering lower prices to consumers in the hair care segment of the United States’ market.

Research strategy

StrengthS

• L'Oreal is a leading hair color brand recording over $162.2 million in sales in the U.S. in 2019. A screenshot of the data is included in this Google doc.
• L'Oreal is recognized for its sustainability initiatives. Its new hair care line, L'Oreal Source Essentielle, includes a refillable shampoo bottle. It has naturally-derived, earth-friendly ingredients, and the refill system is innovative in reducing plastic waste. The customers can bring their empty shampoo bottles to their next salon visit, and the stylist will refill it at a discount.
• This company serves a wide customer base as L'Oreal provides products for customers who are in need of treatment for colored hair, dry hair, breakage, and hair loss. It rebranded L'Oreal's Dark & Lovely as the hair care product for Gen Z and millennial consumers.
• Dark & Lovely is the iconic brand for the African American community. By refocusing their efforts, L'Oreal shows its efforts to broaden its reach to consumers outside of the African American customer base.
• L'Oreal is a strong advocate for technology innovation. It made an augmented reality mobile app for hair beauty. Professional stylists may use the L'Oreal Professionnel app to show clients a hair coloring application that demonstrates the expected results from a hair coloring treatment.

Weaknesses

• There was a 19.51% decline in the number of website visitors for L'Oreal USA between June 2019 and November 2019. This intimates the number of people interested in the brand is decreasing, or they have decided to use alternative means to get information about the brand.
•  Managing employees has been a problem at L'Oreal with its 60,000 employees. L'Oreal was sued for a toxic work environment and racial discrimination in 2018.
• Their net cash flow decreased due to a high investment in R&D. Its net cash flow in 2017 was €3.97 billion, and €3.87 billion in 2018.  

Opportunities

• The usage of hair coloring products is expected to grow in the U.S. presenting a significant opportunity in the hair color segment for L'Oreal.
• Hair care products made from organic and natural ingredients are an opportunity for L'Oreal Essentielle, as consumers are showing a preference for earth-friendly products.
• L'Oreal is expanding its product lines for various customer segments, such as Gen Z and millennials. There are few competitors, and the market is expected to grow.
• L'Oreal has been a leader in augmented reality for hair care, as it opens the door to more innovations in the segment.

Threat

• The hair segment has many competitors, and they are also introducing innovative products. Strong competitors include HUL and P&G.
• Unilever's products, such as Dove and TREsemme, are cutting prices to gain market share in the U.S.
• In addition, governmental regulations are a threat to L'Oreal. A market research report, Research and Markets, stated that U.S. hair care market players "are challenged to maintain quality and to adhere to various government standards and regulations, in terms of product contents and side effects."

Strengths

• One of Dove's strong points lies in it being a purpose-led brand that promotes positive change for both people and the environment. Dove is one of Unilever's 28 Sustainable Living Brands, which together "grew 69% faster" than the remainder of Unilever's business in 2018.
• Dove's Self-Esteem project and Dove's successful lobbying in New York for a bill to end hair discrimination, for example, place Dove at the forefront of helping people challenge stereotypes and attain body confidence, whether in terms of hair type or hair style.
• Dove's recent shift to 100%-recycled plastic bottles also makes the brand one of the leading players in the eco-friendly hair care product space. This initiative is considered "one of the biggest known reduction plans of its kind."
• Dove's Men Plus Care line is a strength, as it is one of the leading shampoo brands in the country, according to Statista. A chart published by the statistics portal shows that Dove Men Plus Care is the second leading shampoo brand in tne United States in 2019 in terms of sales.
• Another strong point lies in Dove being a two-gender brand. According to YouGov, men have recently "equaled women in their purchase consideration of Dove hair care products." Twenty-eight percent of men and 28% of women consider purchasing Dove the next time they buy hair care products.

• Dove has a wide assortment of hair care products. It has 66 hair care products on offer in the United States, and they include gels and mousses, shampoo, hair mask, conditioner, styling creams, hairsprays, and dry shampoo.

Weaknesses

• Dove is not as popular as other hair care brands, based on a study by market research firm YouGov. According to YouGov, Dove does not figure among the 20 most popular hair care brands in the United States.
• It is far less popular than its sister brand TRESemme, which ranks fourth in popularity after Head & Shoulders, Pantene, and Herbal Essences.
• Also, the brand has not always been successful in representing women and has even faced accusations of racism.
• Dove appears to have performed poorly in the first half of 2019, as Unilever reported a weak performance in its hair care segment.

Opportunities

• There are ample opportunities for innovation in the shampoo space that Dove can take advantage of. In an article published by The Wall Street Journal, it was mentioned that shampoo makers have plenty of ingredients to experiment with.
• Dove also has the opportunity to take advantage of growth in the conditioner, treatment, and natural hair care segments, as it was projected by market research firms Mordor Intelligence and Euromonitor International that these segments will continue to see rapid growth.
• Dove may also explore the development of texture products, protective products, hybrid products, conditioning cleansers, hair masks, and leave-in treatments, as Euromonitor International predicts that these categories will benefit from hair care health and wellness trends.

Threats

• Dove faces intense competition, as it battles with Procter & Gamble's Pantene for market share.
• In October 2019, there was news that both Unilever and Procter & Gamble are cutting prices to increase market share. Graeme Pitkethly, chief financial officer of Unilever, notes that it will not be a quick win for them.
• There is also the threat posed by premium hair care products. Market research firm Technavio reports that more and more people are purchasing premium hair care products, particularly those that are free of paraben, sulfate, and phthalate.

Research Strategy

• Suave launched a new product line in 2019 called Suave Professionals for Natural Hair. The line includes six separate products, including shampoo, conditioners and moisturizers.
• Garnier Fructis released Sleek Shot hair styler in early 2019.
• Garnier Fructis also announced a pilot program for virtual hair color testing at 37 select locations; the program began in February 2019 and will run for a year. The virtual hair color testing tool uses the same MODIFACE technology which is used in L'Oreal's virtual make-up try-on tool.

Research Strategy

Summary

• Herbal Essences' parent company P&G's chief brand officer, Marc Pritchard, announced its plans to use the hair brand’s marketing reach as “a force for good and a force for growth.”
• Herbal Essences also made into PETA's Beauty Without Bunnies List. The list keeps track of brands that ensure no animal testing.
• Three of Herbal Essences' bio:renew collections — White Grapefruit & Mosa Mint, Argan Oil and Coconut Milk were made available in limited edition recycled plastic bottles in mid 2019.
• Pantene launched “Don’t Hate Me Because I’m BeautifuLGBTQ” campaign in partnership with GLAAD. Pantene also became the official sponsor of WorldPride.
• Pantene signed up a one-year-old baby and a grey-haired model as their ambassadors. The move aims to harbor an image of ageless self-expression.

Research Strategy

L'Oreal

• In 2019, L'Oreal launched Elvive Dream Long. The line includes shampoo, conditioner, the “No Hair Cut Cream”, and the 8-Second Wonder Water Hair Transforming Lamellar Rinse-Out.
• In May 2019, L'Oreal launched Color&Co, it's direct to consumer custom at home color product. The products can be purchased individually or as part of a subscription.
• In December 2019, L'Oreal announced it was expanding its AR technology with Modiface. The new try on technology will allow customers to "try on" new hair colors using their phones. Instructions will be posted in 500 Walmart stores.
• In August 2019, L'Oreal was ordered to pull 9 hair products from shelves following a 2-year battle with Olaplex. The patent infringement means they will also have to pay $100 million in damages.
• In 2019, L'Oreal hair product ad campaigns featured Camilo Cabilo, Celine Dion, and Winona Ryder.

Dove

• In 2019, Dove launched Go Active Dry Shampoo Wipes.
• In 2019, Dove and Shonda Rhimes have partnered to fight hair discrimination. They launched the Crown Coalition, working to make hair discrimination illegal.
• In February 2019, Dove worked with Kelly Rowlands to create a power anthem, the "crown".

1. Focus on Sustainability

• This trend focuses on smart packaging of hair care products using sustainable alternatives, eliminating packaging, and presentations that reduce waste and water use.
• Some examples include hair care products made of dissolvable formats, water-soluble sachets, and single dose formats, and trend that is expected to continue growing until 2022.
• This trend is being driven by the people's concern to protect the environment, water, and look for more sustainable alternatives, reducing waste, consumption, and unnecessary packaging.

• In the US, 59% of the Millennials and post-millennials are inclined to stop using a brand if the brand is unethical.
• Some brands leading this trend in the US include Friendly Soap Shampoo Bar, Ethique Shampoo and Conditioner Bars, New Bar, Shampure, etc.

2. Natural Hair Growth Movement

• The trend to grow hair naturally instead of wearing hair extensions is driving the US population, especially women, to acquire products that help them grow their hair with organic shampoos, conditioners, use of hair supplements, hair oils, etc.
• This trend is being led by the ongoing preference for a healthier lifestyle and education through social media about the benefits of natural products.
• Some companies leading this movement in the US include the hair care supplement brands Hairfinity, Sugar Bear Hair, Viviscal, and Vitafusion, and the hair growth oil brands Curls Blueberry Bliss, Mane Choice, and Marshay Nicole.

Research Strategy