Impact on Advertising Industry

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Individual Biography
Entry Into Advertising……………………………………………………. 3-4
Timeline of Career………………………………………………………. 4-6
Interests Beyond Advertising……………………………………………….. 6
Agency Biography
History of Company……………………………………………………... 7-8
Scope of Business……………………………………………………... 8-10
Major Agency Competitors………………………………………………... 10
Major Failures………………………………………………………... 10-11
Historical Significance/Contributions
Impact at Agency………………………………………………………... 12
Impact on Advertising Industry………………………………………….12-13
Impact on Advertising Styles……………………………………………13-14
Philosophically Remodeled Advertising Campaign
Description of Competitive Situation……………………………………...15-16
Analysis of Our Product………………………………………………...16-21
Description of Our Strategy……………………………………………. 21-22
Advertising Executions………………………………………………... 23-24
Annotated Bibliography………………………………………………. 25-27
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Entry Into Advertising
Helen Lansdowne Resor was born into a poor family in the mountains of Grayson,
Kentucky, in 1886. Due to her mother’s absence for most of her life, Helen learned responsibility
and self-sufficiency at an early age. Helen Resor graduated from high school as valedictorian of
her class proving that she was a hard worker. She worked a number of jobs in business and
advertising when she finally moved on to work at the World Manufacturing Company, which
sold toilet preparation by mail.
Nearly a year later she began working as a copywriter for Procter and Collier, a
Cincinnati based advertising agency. The company served as the in-house agency for Procter and
Gamble. There, she worked as a bill auditor and met Stanley Resor, a salesman at the company.
A short year later, Helen changed jobs again, this time to the newspaper, The Commercial
Tribune, where she mainly worked writing retail advertisements. Later, Helen worked for the
Street Railways Advertising Co., which specialized in mostly streetcar advertising. Although she
was offered a promotion in the company, Stanley Resor was in need of a copywriter and asked
Helen to return to Procter and Collier. Her family tried to discourage her from return there, but
she took a chance and worked under Stanley Resor. Some of her notable work was copy for Red
Cross shoes and Brenlin window shades (Haney, “Helen Lansdowne Resor”).
In 1908, J. Walter Thompson asked Stanley Resor to take over the Chicago office, but
because he declined, Stanley Resor and his brother Walter Resor ended up opening a branch of
J.Walter Thompson in Cincinnati. The Resor’s brought JWT to extreme heights. Together, the
pair transformed the $3 million agency to $368.7 million agency with over 6,500 employees.
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Their business expanded onto six continents by the time Stanley Resor retired in the early
1960’s. Stanley Resor used his background in behavioral psychology to focus on the planning
and production of advertising. Instead of using scientific management at JWT, he utilized artists,
writers, sociologists and lawyers to bring JWT to much success.
In 1917, Stanley and Helen Resor married and had three children together. The two were
later known as one of the most powerful couples in the advertising world, and together they
dominated and propelled the success of JWT. While Stanley took care of the administrative
aspect of the company, Helen prepared the advertisements. The company was later bought out
for $500,000 and JWT decreased its clients and employees. Although Helen never took on an
official executive title with J. Walter Thompson, she became a member of the board in 1924 and
became “one of the main architects of J. Walter Thompson’s growth” (Scanlon, pg. 474).
Helen’s hard work and intellectual thinking led J. Walter Thompson to become one of the most
respected and well known advertising firms in the world.
The work of Helen Resor is sometimes overlooked next to her husband’s; however, her
contributions are very influential in the advertising world. An article in Advertising Age put it
very clear: “Those who have studied the history of the Thompson agency believe that Helen
Resor’s contribution to its growth has been in every way as great as her husbands” (Advertising
Age, 5 Nov. 1962).
Timeline of Career
Helen Lansdowne Resor left to work at J. Walter Thompson as the company’s head
copywriter. Several years later she was promoted to the New York office. This is when Helen’s
greatest success began. Helen Resor took over the Woodbury’s Soap campaign with the slogan,
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“A Skin You Love to Touch.” The company experienced a major increase in their revenue after
the release of this campaign. Some of Resor’s other major successes were for: Crisco, Yurban
Coffee, Lux Flakes, and Cutex. Resor was the first woman to present her ideas to the board and
also the first woman to be very successful in national advertising (Scanlon, pgs. 473-474).
Because many of J. Walter Thompson’s clients targeted women, much of the agency’s
success is attributed to her specialization on products for women. Females were the target
audience primarily because women were the main shoppers and made most retail purchase
decisions. Helen was very successful at advertisements targeted towards women because she was
aware of women’s prejudices, reasoning and overall habits.
In New York, Helen Resor directed the Women’s Editorial Department, which was a
branch of the agency that was run by all women to reach out to the female consumers. Helen led
this group of ad women, largely white, middle- and upper class women. These women controlled
a large majority of the soap, food, drug, and toiletry accounts. Women actually controlled 85%
of the nations spending, making their research very important. Some of the women who were
members of the Women’s Editorial Department ended up becoming very active in the
advertising world. J. Walter Thompson’s Women’s Editorial Department helped to identity the
female consumer during this era. The Women’s Editorial Department used a scientific approach
in order to better understand their audience. They were determined to figure out the habits and
thoughts of women. The department chose to reach their audience by using a more intimate
personal style rather than the hard-sell approach of various advertisements. Resor will forever be
credited with her work invested in the Women’s Editorial Department (Sivulka, pg. 152).
Helen Resor was also responsible for introducing her schoolmate, James Webb Young, to
Stanley Resor. James Webb Young was offered a position as a writer at JWT and became
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recognized as the third most important member of the JWT triad. J. Walter Thompson was
particularly successful because of their focus on women. It was thought of as a place where
women were encouraged to succeed and given important positions. Specifically, Helen Resor
had a strong belief in feminism and was the first woman to appear in front of the P & G board of
directors to explain her advertising decisions.
Interests Beyond Advertising
Helen Resor was not only a large influence in the advertising industry, but was an overall
well-rounded woman with interests beyond advertising. Her love for art was demonstrated in the
style of her advertisements. “According to Arthur T. Blomquist, one of her co-workers, Helen
Resor had a major influence on advertising art. She was a great Art Director in helping advance
art photography and typography to its highest level” (Haney, “Helen Lansdowne Resor”). Helen
Resor was also highly involved in various types of public service during her career. This
involvement in public service was demonstrated during World War I when President Hoover
asked Helen Resor to create a campaign for the Conservation of Food. She also created
advertisements for the Red Cross and the YMCA.
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History of Company
J. Walter Thompson is as prevalent of an agency today as it was in 1871, when it first
opened. They played an influential role on the types of advertisements that are seen in the
industry in the present day. From the vast amounts of influential people who had an impact at
the company to their scientific approach, J. Walter Thompson impacted the nation and
international world.
The agency opened in 1871 by the founder, J. Walter Thompson himself. Prior to his
opening, the company had been previously owned by William James Carlton in 1864 but was
later renamed by Mr. Thompson. The agency played an impactful roll in the way the
transformation of magazine appearance by creating eye-catching issues that were filled with
advertisements that reached millions of people (American Business, “J. Walter Thompson
History”). This helped them to be as successful as they once were and still are.
Not only did J. Walter Thompson have offices in Chicago and Boston, but they also had a
lasting impression on international advertising, like Great Britain and Europe. Having access to
a large target market allowed them to create outstanding advertisements, design packages, and
create trademarks for their clients (American Business, “J. Walter Thompson History”).
Constructing a new approach was a bold move for any agency in this time, particularly
for J. Walter Thompson. With their scientific approach, they established a research department
where they could gain insight on the consumer target market. This allowed their agency to
create perfect ads for each specific product. It helped set their agency apart from those in the
industry during the late 1800’s because they were able to have the niche target market.
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From the scientific approach to creating notable trademarks for their clients, J. Walter
Thompson was also known for the use of advertising-radio and discovering dramatic shows.
Between the 1930’s and 1940’s, the agency created some of the most popular shows such as,
Fleishman Yeast Hour with Rudy Vallee, the Chase and Sanborn Hour, and the Kraft Musical
(American Business, “J. Walter Thompson History”). They then produced the first variety show
on television, which was called the Hour Glass. Along with these great contributions, they also
created the first dramatic show, the Kraft Television Theatre (American Business, “J. Walter
Thompson History”). These shows were ground breaking when they were released and became
successful for the company.
Scope of Business
J. Walter Thompson agency specialized in many areas such as creating advertisements,
designing trademarks, and using the scientific approach (American Business, “J. Walter
Thompson History”). Along with these, they were also in business to specialize in advertising
packaged goods and items targeted towards women in magazines. J. Walter Thompson was able
to recognize the types of products this specific market wanted and reached them effectively.
They used magazines such as Ladies Home Journal, Good Housekeeping, Vogue, and House
Beautiful (American Business, “J. Walter Thompson History”) to reach their consumers. Having
a friendship with these magazines allowed them to utilize their research department to
understand the wants and needs of their target market. The products they advertised was a vast
array from “Fleishmann’s Yeast, Odorno Deodorant, Lux Soap, Woodbury’s Facial Soap,
Crisco, Maxwell House and Yuban Coffee, and Cutex Nail Polish” (American Business, “J.
Walter Thompson History”). The agency had a wide assortment of products to advertise, but
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were successful with most of their campaigns. The employees understood each of the clients
target markets to ensure the products were advertised to their standard.
Due to the agency’s dedicated employees, their campaigns created remarkable
advertisements that are still noted as some of the best the industry has ever seen. J. Walter
Thompson was accredited with creating “Beneath the Curve of a Woman’s Arm” advertisement
for Odorno deodorant. Not only are they credited for creating that campaign but also another
impactful advertisement was for Woodbury’s Facial Soap stating “A Skin You Love To Touch”.
These advertisements reached thousands of consumers who were triggered to buy these new
products. With their own style on ways to create their ads, people were moved by their work and
created positive feedback for their client’s products. They understood that it was important to
touch on the emotional appeal within the advertisements to get in touch with the female
audience. Attempting to emphasize women’s hopes, fears, desires and dreams were the most
important emotions to touch on (American Business, “J. Walter Thompson History”).
Many of JWT’s ideas and beliefs are still being circulated throughout the industry. From
the founder to the well-known employees, their scientific approach and research department
were what helped them breakthrough and standout compared to their competitors. Because the
industry never stopped and continued to be revolutionized, J. Walter Thompson had
groundbreaking advertisements that were clear and spoke for themselves. This is what helped
break through the clutter of the advertising industry. Their hard work has paid off and is still
seen through their organization nationally and internationally.
In 1920, J. Walter Thompson was recognized as the first advertising agency to use
scientific research information in their body copy, as well as became the first agency to
qualitatively analyze magazine readership. Ultimately, J. Walter Thompson became the number
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1 agency and one of the largest, overtaking rivals Lord & Thomas and N.W. Ayer & Son
(AdAge Encyclopedia, 2003).
Major Agency Competitors
With all of the beneficial things this agency has done for the advertising industry, they
have had to compete with other top agencies to ensure a sufficient amount of clients and those
with products targeted for packaged goods towards women. Some of their toughest competitors
in the early 1900s were BBDO, Leo Burnett and N.W. Ayer and Sons. They were well known
agencies in the industry that all created catchy headlines and slogans that influenced people to
buy their client’s products.
Major Failures
With the rivalry between the agencies to produce the best work they could, J. Walter
Thompson did not always have dedicated clients who stuck around. There were a handful of
main failures that happened throughout their time in business. One of their larger known failures
was losing the business from Discover Card where the agency lost close to $400 million dollars
worth of business. This had an enormous effect on the agency and industry that was not
foreseen. Other accounts they ended up losing but were not as impactful were Burger King and
roughly $100 million dollars worth of the Ford business. At the agency, they had a few smaller
clients losses like Eastman Kodak and Sun Microsystems (McMains).
With J. Walter Thompson still making ground breaking and memorable advertisements,
they have had major failures in the present day that have created negative consequences. More
recently, they were affected by the loss of the Bing and Microsoft accounts (McMains). The
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penalty of losing these clients was far worse than the rewards J. Walter Thompson had earned.
Losing these companies came as a great shock for all of those who were working at the agency.
Whenever a large agency loses one or two of their highest paying clients, it creates a sense of
animosity within the company and there is buzz that people could lose jobs. Due to the high
amount of anger and shock that was experienced, J. Walter Thompson did their best to earn new
clients to make up for the losses.
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Impact at Agency
Helen Resor had great historical contributions and significance in the advertising
industry, particularly to women and the advertising industry as a whole. Her greatest success
started after her promotion to the J. Walter Thompson agency. Helen Resor saw that the
agency’s clients were mostly producers that concentrated on women; this was because a large
portion of purchases came from places where women shopped mostly as primary caretakers for
their households (A Life of Contributions). Her knowledge led her to create the Women’s
Editorial Department, which helped J. Walter Thompson increase in size and become
internationally known (AdAge). According to Lorraine Thompson, “Under Lansdowne’s
leadership, the Women’s Editorial Department grew to exert huge creative influence and billing
power. By 1918, the department was pulling in more than half of JWT’s billings” (Thompson,
Legendary Women Copywriters).
Impact on Advertising Industry
Helen Resor and JWT have been given credit for inventing endorsement advertising by
obtaining endorsements from famous citizens, not just ordinary people of society (AdAge). This
endorsement approach was first used in creating the campaign for Pond’s Cold Cream with a
testimonial ad. It featured Mrs. Alva Belmont, a rich and prominent feminist of New York’s high
society. She was active in the suffrage campaign, supporting women’s causes, and she even
bankrolled the National Women’s Party (A Life of Contributions). Using Mrs. Alba Belmont in
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an ad was proven successful due to the fact that it evoked emotion because readers could relate
to her. She was not a stranger to them. As a feminist activist herself, Helen Resor also had an
influence on the field of modern art and actively supported public services through several
organizations and causes.
Impact on Advertising Styles
Helen Resor was responsible for creating key advertisements, which presented an
illustration with copy set in editorial style and a soft-sell approach underneath. This approach
was proven to be successful. Eight years after the Woodbury Soap campaign’s launch, sales at J.
Walter Thompson increased by 1000% (A Life of Contributions). Woodbury’s ad, “A Skin You
Love to Touch,” was ranked as the number thirty-one of “Top 100 Advertising Campaigns of
the Century” by Advertising Age magazine. It held this honor because it changed the culture of
advertising by suggesting a romantic advantage and being the first success for sex in an
advertisement (AdAge). Ads like these were what helped the J. Walter Thompson agency gain
global recognition.
Her contributions were steered by her style of advertising that made her one of the most
celebrated copywriters of creative work; it was intuitive and aesthetic, rather than scientific
which was the style of other agencies in the industry at that time (A Life of Contributions). She
developed an “editorial style” of advertising that “imitated the look and layout of the Curtis
magazines and so caught the reader’s eye by resembling nearby reading matter” (Fox, pg. 86).
She also played a significant role in giving women a voice in advertising. She put advertising in
the feminine point of view and paid attention to the idea, copy, and illustrations that are
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translated together to ensure an ad’s effectiveness (A Life of Contributions). One way in which
she did this was through the inclusion of tasteful sex appeal.
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Description of Competitive Situation
One of Demeter’s leading competitors is LUSH Cosmetics. There are over 700 stores and
several factories in over 40 countries with roughly 6,000 employees. The company sells a variety
of products that come from fresh, organic fruit and vegetables, the finest essential oils and safe
synthetics. Products are designed to have natural ingredients and use as few synthetics as
possible. They invent their own products and fragrances fresh by hand using only vegetarian
ingredients and tell consumers when they were made (Williams).
LUSH emphasizes the importance of sustainable manufacturing, energy conservation,
environmental awareness and cruelty-free practices in their business. LUSH uses as little
packaging as possible and offers the choice to go naked—referring to the products having no
packaging. By making this choice, consumers can save over 30 plastic bottles. When packaging
is necessary, it all comes from recycled materials. Their own packaging is intended to be reused,
recycled, or composted, as they aim to have 100% of their packaging easily recyclable,
compostable or biodegradable.
The company only buys ingredients from distributers that do not test on animals. They
have a strict written criteria that gets sent to any potential ingredients supplier. The supplier must
read and understand the policy and then answer a set of questions about their business practices.
They must also sign an annual declaration stating that they continue to match the criteria and
must advise LUSH if anything has changed throughout the placement of the order. LUSH then
has an external auditor check through their paperwork every year to ensure diligence in the
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enforcement of their published policy. Not to mention, LUSH partners with many groups to
lobby for new regulations that drive and encourage a greener future (Williams).
In comparison to Demeter, LUSH has an overwhelming amount of products for
consumers to choose from but for higher prices. They also have jar packaging, as compared to
Demeter’s bottle packaging. Although they use healthy ingredients, sometimes the scents are not
preferable among others.
Overall, the company is 60% unpreserved, 38% unpackaged, 100% vegetarian, and 83%
vegan. The brand has become one that people have grown to love and trust and the products
attract consumers with a conscience who are willing to purchase knowing the environment and
animals have not been sacrificed in the process. LUSH has acquired a steady following of loyal
“Lushies” who range from the ethical, responsible shopper to the teenage girl who is unaware of
the political ethos behind Lush but loves the smell, etc. Their target market is mostly women
ages 15 and up (Williams).
Analysis of Our Product
Christopher Brosius and Christopher Gable founded the Demeter Fragrance Library in
1993, with their determination to create products of their own (DermStore). They brought linear
fragrances to the industry that captured a past experience most everyone could identify with, but
were shocking to wear as a perfume. The original mission of the Library was to catalog these
scents, keeping them within the pure view of the goddess of agriculture, Demeter (Fragrantica).
Founder Christopher Brosius was previously a perfumer from Kiel’s, which explains why
Demeter’s approach is so apothecary when it comes to fragrance and packaging. Co-founder
Christopher Gable was the brand’s marketing consultant, who loved to add a funky twist to make
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the fragrances unique and stand out in the perfume industry (DermStore).
In 2002, Demeter was sold to Freedom Marketing Group, but under the same interests.
Today’s President and CEO, Mark Crames, wants to continue the legacy of Brosius’ and Gable’s
Demeter Fragrance Library by selling exhilarating scents from nature and the garden and
translating them into wearable fragrances (Fragrantica). The company stays true to each scent by
using single-note fragrances, which tend to become the building blocks for more complex
designer fragrances.
Demeter was based on a single notes concept with scents like Dirt, Tomato, Rubber, and
Baby Powder, but now has expanded into multiple note scents, such as Redhead in Bed, Funeral
Home, etc. The company has also chose to license the names of famous brands such as Mints,
Dots, Hershey’s, etc. (Fragrantica).
! Strengths:
• Demeter’s main mission is to expand the everyday use of fragrance.
• Choosing a fragrance from Demeter is uniquely personal.
• The products are accessible and affordable fine fragrances.
• Demeter also includes iconic, recognizable brand names.
• There are over 250 different fragrances, each is fun and vibrant.
• The characters of the scents are clear, understandable and unambiguous as opposed to
complex designer fragrances
• Demeter has the only prestige scents that are all about the user, not the designer.
• No artificial colors are used – Any color in a Demeter scent is a natural product of the
ingredients used to make the scent, making most of the fragrances clear.
• When shopping online, there is 100% No Questions Asked Guarantee—you can
either return the product(s) for credit, exchange or refund.
! Weaknesses:
• Some scents are too far-fetched and unappealing.
• There are an overwhelming variety of options.
• Demeter does not have its own personal store other than its online website.
• Many people are forced to order online, which tacks on shipping costs.
• There is no advertising for Demeter.
In order to keep pace in the market, Demeter needs to begin creating evident, effective
advertising. In a world filled with fragrances too closely related, Demeter truly stands apart and
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must express that to consumers. One of Demeter's most unique qualities is their ability to market
to such a wide range of individuals (Dermstore). The scents are diverse and appealing to young
girls who enjoy candy scents all the way to middle-aged women who enjoy more sophisticated
fragrances. The brand's ability to cater to all demographics is what makes the company different
than any other.
While Demeter's most popular scents include "Baby Power" and "Jelly Belly,” they
continue to introduce scents such as their most recent lunches of "Hello Kitty" and "My Melody"
(Dermstore). The company is growing, but consumers are most likely unaware of Demeter’s
recent efforts. Over the years, Demeter has progressed in their expansion of items such as "Play
Doh" and cocktail scents. In order to continue growth and success, Demeter must increase their
use of advertising, as they are not marketed to their full potential.
Because Demeter is about choice, they try to cater to all demographics. We saw this as a
problem because more sales would be made and our advertising techniques would be more
successful if the brand segmented their market. Therefore, our target market is beauty conscious
women aged 20-29 who are looking to enhance their youthful glow. Women are Demeter’s
biggest purchasers who often buy the products for personal use or as a gift.
! Demographics/Psychographics:
• Unmarried women without children
• Educational background
• Annual income of $40,000-$50,000
• View beauty products as necessary/very important
Numerous fragrances are available year round, but there are also seasonal scents offered
during particular holidays, such as Egg Nog, Pumpkin Pie, Mulled Cider, etc. (Fragrantica).
They buy these various scents for different reasons such as emotional connection, lifestyles, etc.
These women are concerned with how they represent themselves, appealing to the opposite
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gender and lavishing in their own scent. Currently, many people hardly know of our products,
but those who do have continued to purchase from our company. Demeter is in the process of
expansion as time continues, and once more advertisements are exposed, there would be a
greater consumer base.
These women are more visually oriented in terms of advertising exposure. They use
internet-based sources to get information on products and services; this makes it convenient for
Demeter because they are mostly web-based, aside from minimal stores that carry their product.
Their buying decisions are mostly affected by recommendations and opinions of family and
friends.
Quality of the product, previous usage experiences, and suitability to their own personality
are key factors when making their purchasing decision. Perfume design and known brand with
promised effects is also important. Cost matters, but benefits will prevail. Natural and organic
ingredients in products are a growing trend in the industry in many products, particularly beauty
maintenance products.
In order to grab the attention of this specific target market, advertisements would need to
reflect the work of Helen Resor. Stressing Helen’s philosophy, we wanted to have celebrities
presented “wearing the Demeter fragrance” as the interested consumer would. It would be
considered part of their “fragrance wardrobe,” as Demeter’s website referred to it as. Each ad
would follow a simple yet specific theme to go along with that particular fragrance. For instance,
for our print ad, we are using the scent “Ocean.” We wanted to create a scene in nature. This
nature aspect ties in well with the Demeter brand because of their natural quality.
The advertisement draws the reader in: to the ad, the scent, and a familiarity to the
celebrity. We chose to use celebrities in our advertising because Helen Resor used prominent
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socialites. We chose Scarlett Johansson for our main print ad because she is unique and many
readers are familiar with her. Her sex appeal is exposed in a very respectful way. She is exposed
but rather “wearing” the fragrance. That particular advertisement would be presented in fullcolor display in magazines such as Elle, Cosmopolitan, and Vogue. We chose these magazines
because they are ones that our target market is very familiar with.
The products are natural, affordable, unique, and inspired by real objects, which are many
important factors to consider when deciding to purchase from Demeter (Demeter Fragrance
Library). The products may not be necessities, but rather luxury items that do not put a dent in
your wallet. After buying Demeter products, there is no need to regret the minimal amount of
money used to indulge on something you enjoy.
The Classic Demeter Fragrance Library is defined as unique by its approach—not by its
technology or special ingredients. They create scents that are inspired by everyday objects, and
they make them linear—in other words, they have no top, bottom or middle like designer scents
do. The Classic Library remains their signature product, with fragrances like Baby Powder, Dirt,
Jelly Belly and Blueberry Muffin (Fragrantica). No other fragrance line calls on these kinds of
objects for inspiration. Demeter fragrances express their character immediately and do not
change over time. This allows them to identify and create the exact chemical signature of the
smell of these objects in their natural state.
The color in a Demeter scent is a natural product of the ingredients used to make the
scent, making most of the fragrances clear (Demeter Fragrance Library). The bottles are very
simple; including the name and type of the fragrance highlighted in an assortment of colors and
the company’s tagline “Simple, Subtle, Singular Scents, Each Day. Everywhere” (Fragrantica).
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Sizes of each clear glass bottle range from a ! oz. cologne Mini Splash for $6.00 to a 4
oz. Cologne Spray for $39.50. In comparison to other fragrances, Demeter’s products are not
about being obnoxiously eye-catching, but rather soft and to the point. Some fragrances have a
“romantic” feature about them such as Between the Sheets and Mistletoe, but others such as
Earthworm, Glue, etc. do not (Fragrantica). All in all, Demeter has over 250 different fragrances
that cover nearly every natural scent.
Description of Our Strategy
The central problem that Demeter faces is the lack of advertising. Another issue about
Demeter fragrances is that the products are only sold online and in select stores. However, when
we tried contacting the particular stores that supposedly carried the item, such as Urban
Outfitters and Walgreens, they were hardly aware of the fragrance line and suggested we search
online. Advertising is crucial to generate brand awareness and gain a higher success rate among
competitors who are well known to consumers.
Demeter currently does not have a target market because of the overwhelming amount of
fragrances that can be used by a wide range of consumers. Through online research, Demeter
does not have a niche market that will help drive sales. In order to generate the publicity
necessary for the product lines, we want to create print ad campaigns and digital media making
use of social media websites. With our ideal target group, we want to reach out to those females
who are unmarried, educated, making a decent annual income of $40,000-$50,000, and feel that
beauty products are critical in their everyday lives.
We will stress that our product has a natural scent to please our consumers. This is an
easy way to make a slight change to your everyday routine and try something out of the ordinary.
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With its naturalness, Demeter fragrances are made with 95% of its ingredients from “natural or
renewable resources” (Demeter Fragrance Library). This product is great for everyday use or for
special occasions. We want you to live life simply with these fragrant scents and the endless
options we offer.
The ultimate goal with our advertising is to drive consumers into Demeter’s website and
become familiar with the unique Demeter scents. Once they purchase our product, we want to
assure they will repurchase again and offer features such as a 100% No Questions Asked
Guarantee—you can either return the product(s) for credit, exchange or refund. Once we build
brand awareness and eventually brand loyalty, we want to raise sales through continuous
purchases.
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Advertising Executions
Online Interactive Banner Ad
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Print Advertisement
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AdAge Encyclopedia of Advertising, "Resor, Helen Lansdowne (1886-1964)." Last
modified September 15, 2003. Accessed October 14, 2012.
http://adage.com/article/special-report-the-advertising-century/stanley-resor-helenlansdowne-resor/140193/
AdAge provided an insightful biography on Helen Resor and J. Walter Thompson. The
source gave us background from her birth until her death and all of her accomplishments
in the advertising industry. This source gave a detailed background to have an
understanding of her life prior to conducting further research. It was a helpful and
reliable source to learn the overview on her life.
American Business. “J. Walter Thompson History.” Last modified October 24, 2011.
Accessed October 15, 2012. http://american-business.org/3117-j-walterthompson.html
American Business gave an overview of the J. Walter Thompson agency from its opening
in 1871 to present day. This source helped give a better understanding of the
transformation of the agency that entailed the creation of advertising, development of
trademarks, and designing of packages for its clients. It expressed the role Helen Resor
played as the agency’s billings more than tripled with her efforts.
Camen, Michelyn. "Interview with Mark Crames Demeter Fragrance Library."
Frangratica. Fragrantica, LLC, 02 Feb. 2010. Web. 10 Nov. 2012.
(http://www.fragrantica.com/news/).
This interview from a leading fragrance website provided President and CEO Mark
Crames commentary about the company of Demeter. It contained information about the
origin, aspects, and future news of the company. It was an in-depth source that added
information to thoughts about the company that could not be found on the company’s
home website.
Carnes, Mark. “American National Biography: Supplement 2”. New York, NY: Oxford
University Press, 2005.
This book was used in order to obtain information on the biography of Helen Resor. It
contained a great deal of information about both her personal life with Stanley as well as
her professional life. The book also contained beneficial information about J. Walter
Thompson and the Women’s Editorial Department. It was a good source to add when we
needed more in depth information on Helen Resor’s biography to include in our paper.
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"Demeter Fragrance Library Colognes, Perfumes, Shower, Bath and Body, Lotions and
Gels, and Oils." Demeter Fragrance Library Colognes, Perfumes, Shower, Bath and
Body, Lotions and Gels, and Oils. Demeter Fragrance Library Inc., 2012. Web. 27
Nov. 2012. (http://www.demeterfragrance.com).
This website is the home of all Demeter products and company information. The Demeter
Fragrance Library was fully listed, and all details regarding each specific product were
explained in detail. This was the main source for a majority of facts regarding Demeter
from history to new product releases.
Fox, Stephen R. (1984). The Mirror Makers: A History of American Advertising and Its
Creators. New York: William Morrow and Company, Inc.
In his book, Stephen Fox provides information on the history of advertising in America
starting from 1840 into the mid-1990s. It lists media buyers, agency positions and
agencies that have developed American advertising into what it is today. Fox examines
the evolution of retail marketing, magazines, radio, and TV that make it so powerful. His
book is very engaging with the subject, which makes many of the concepts easy to grasp.
"Interview: Demeter Fragrance Library." Dermstore.com. DermStore, LLC, 2012. Web.
29 Nov. 2012. (http://www.dermstore.com).
This interview was very helpful in understanding the current and future plans of Demeter
fragrance. The interview touched upon the progression of the brand and how it is set
apart from the other names in the market. Additionally, the interview touched upon the
founders and start of the brand. Also, the source discussed the special technology
Demeter uses to formulate their scents.
McMains, Andrew. "JWT Loses Most of Its Microsoft Biz." Microsoft Shifts Its Office and
Bing Creative Assignments Out of JWT. N.p., 02 May 2011. Web. 23 Oct. 2012.
<http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/jwt-loses-most-its-microsoftbiz-131262>.
This Adweek article provided us with information about J.W.T’s loss of the Microsoft and
Bing business. It discussed how the Microsoft account will be shifting to Deutsch in New
York, and the disappointment of the J.W.T employees of their loss.
Sivulka, Juliann. Ad Women: How They Impact What We Need, Want, and Buy. Amherst:
New York, 2009
This book offers insight into Helen Resor’s role in the success of women in the
Advertising industry. It provides information detailing how Resor was able to set the
standard for targeting the female consumer. The book gives a very detailed biography of
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Resor’s instrumental role in opening the advertising industry to women, an idea that was
uncommon during this time. The book discusses some of Resor’s most successful and
campaigns. This book provides us with reliable information that will be instrumental in
our presentation on Helen Lansdowne Resor.
Williams, Lisa-Marie. "RYOT - Become the News." RYOT News RYOT Company Profile
LUSH Comments. Fifty & Fifty, 2012. Web. 17 Nov. 2012. (http://www.ryot.org).
This article explained Demeter’s competitor, LUSH, and where the company stands in
consumers’ eyes. It emphasized LUSH’s focus on sustainable manufacturing, energy
conservation, environmental awareness and cruelty-free practices. It also listed the
overall statistics of the company. It provided important information necessary to compare
to Demeter’s products.