Sassaby Promotes Affordable Image

Sassaby Cosmetics, Baltimore, saw an opportunity in the marketplace and moved quickly to take advantage of it. "Marketers have not addressed the growing teen population," explains Donald Pettit, president of Sassaby Cosmetics. "They've included them, but have not addressed them specifically."Sassaby's answer is Jane, a line of affordable cosmetics for the growing teen market. All products in the Jane line -- an acronym for juniper, aloe, nettle and elder flower, the natural ingredients used in the products -- are priced at $2.99. "There's a value gap between the very-low-priced cosmetics, like Wet 'N Wild, and the next level, which has brands such as Cover Girl and Maybelline. There's a $3 spread," notes Pettit. The Jane line, with its $2.99 price, falls in between the two levels."One of the biggest problems is the lack of retailer excitement," Pettit says. Sassaby was challenged with breaking through the monotonous clutter found in most cosmetics departments, while capturing the attention of consumers and retailers alike. "The cosmetics wall [in most stores] is made mostly of packaging consisting of white cards," he adds. "Even uncarded items are very confusing and hard to shop. There's no differentiation between the brands."Our overall marketing strategy was to do something very different. We don't have $60 million to spend in advertising, so we put a lot of money into a display, and I think it's paid off," Pettit adds. "We designed a unit to stand out in a homogeneous environment. It communicates the line's positioning and the individual benefits of each product."The display stands out in a sea of white cards and consists of modules that merchandise all of Jane's products, including Oil-free Face Makeup foundation, Eye Zing Shadows, and a collection of brushes and applicators. Each 12-inch-wide module is constructed of injection-molded, vacuum-formed and extruded plastics. The gravity-feed design keeps the unit looking fresh and stocked, "so it doesn't look picked over when consumers have bought a couple of pieces of product," Pettit explains. For added support and durability, selected modules feature metal back walls.The display's litho-mounted, vacuum-formed plastic header features visuals of the four models used to promote the line. They represent Jane's multicultural appeal, Pettit says.Vacuum-formed bins, located directly below the header, hold eight different informational brochures and select trial-size products that carry a suggested retail price of 79 cents each.Masonite side panels feature the seven-color, silkscreened Sassaby logo. The storage bin at the bottom of the unit aids in simplifying inventory management.Trans World Marketing, East Rutherford, N.J., assisted Sassaby in the design of the displays. Representatives of mass merchants Target and Wal-Mart also assisted in the design. Trans World manufactured the 1,250 displays, 800 of which were shipped in June. The remainder will be shipped over the following four months to Wal-Mart and Target, Pettit says. But the distribution of these displays will not stop there, he hopes. "Ideally, we'll ship between 10,000 and 12,000 displays over the next four years."Holding a total of 648 products, the display measures 36 inches wide and 15 inches deep. The height is adjustable to fit into retailers' existing low- or high-wall configurations, Pettit explains, standing from 54 inches high up to 68 inches. The system is shipped free to retailers in 16 individual cartons and "pegs into the wall."According to Pettit: "Sales have showed dramatic movement, and I think it goes back to the display," he says.

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