Sassaby entering nail care with jane Hot Tips polishes, Manic-Cures treatments in August.
This article was originally published in The Rose Sheet
Executive Summary
SASSABY JANE OFFERING HOT TIPS NAIL POLISH TO TEENS IN AUGUST with 32 "broad-range" nail shades, Hunt Valley, Md.-based Sassaby said. Hot Tips will be available in 6,000 mass market doors on a promotional basis and 2,500 stores as a permanent addition to the company's jane cosmetics line-up, the company said. Sassaby's is also introducing six jane Manic-Cures nail treatments and nail implements. The products will be available in Kmart, Wal-Mart and Target, as well as drug store chains, such as Eckerd's. Sassaby's full distribution at the end of 1996 was 7,300 doors.
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SASSABY JANE OFFERING HOT TIPS NAIL POLISH TO TEENS IN AUGUST with 32 "broad-range" nail shades, Hunt Valley, Md.-based Sassaby said. Hot Tips will be available in 6,000 mass market doors on a promotional basis and 2,500 stores as a permanent addition to the company's jane cosmetics line-up, the company said. Sassaby's is also introducing six jane Manic-Cures nail treatments and nail implements. The products will be available in Kmart, Wal-Mart and Target, as well as drug store chains, such as Eckerd's. Sassaby's full distribution at the end of 1996 was 7,300 doors. Sassaby explained its entry into the nail care segment, noting that nail items are often the first products young girls experiment with. Retailers, Sassaby said, were pushing for the company to enter the field. Sassaby held off on moving into the category until it had established a strong brand loyalty among the company's target teen and value-conscious audiences, the company said. The move into the nail care market follows an upswing of activity by Sassaby in recent months. The firm introduced a plethora of additions to its face, lip and eye categories in April, including HotLips lipstick, WriteAway concealer, Outer Limits mascara and Express Lines eyeliner ("The Rose Sheet" Feb. 24, Marketing In Brief). Lip, face and eye products each comprise about a third of jane sales, the company noted. The brand holds a 3% to 5% market share and 9% to 10% unit share, according to Sassaby. The company also boosted its print advertising with updated ad spots targeting the money-savings aspect of the jane brand. The spots, which broke in February publications, feature taglines such as "Stick your money where the sun don't shine"; "Wanna make eyes? Make cents"; and "Put your money where your mouth is." A fourth ad featuring a general tagline appears in "older, authority" books, such as Vogue and Allure, the firm said. Sassaby's annual ad budget has held constant at $2 mil. to $3 mil. since the company's inception in 1994, Sassaby said. The Hot Tips line offers four color categories, each representing a different "lifestyle," Sassaby said. Power Pales combine pale and metallic colors, such as White and Sunstroke. Party Harty combines four "rich" red tones, including War Paint, with four metallic tones such as Up All Night. Trend driven shades, including Taxi (yellow), Emerald Green (green) and Denim (washed blue) are featured in the Wild Things collection. Knock Out Neutral tones include Deep Denial (dark brown). Treatment products in the Manic-Cures line include Ridge Filling primer, which provides a "smooth nail surface" for even polish application, and Protective Nail strengthener to "bond nails" and "help...keep color from fading," Sassaby said. Hi-Shine Topcoat "dries in a flash," the firm added. Nail implements include Double File, a metal file with a cuticle groomer; three-step Glossy Buffer for nails without polish; and Shape Ups Cushioned Nail Shapers, a cushioned emery board. Hot Tips and Manic-Cures products will be line-priced at $2.99 each. |