Beauty is Only Skin Deep: Lotion Claim Substantiation Case Study
Cosmetics claim substantiation often requires meeting burdens that are deeper than surface level. A national cosmetics brand retained MMR Strategy Group to conduct research in advance of a new product launch for the “ultimate daily moisturizing lotion.” To prove that the average lotion user preferred our client’s brand over their main competitor, we designed a survey to measure consumer preferences and support deeper than surface level claims.
Cosmetic Claim and Research Objectives
Our client wanted research that supported the claim that consumers “liked and preferred” their product over competitors. To do this, the client’s lotion needed to be compared to their named competitor. MMR created a home-use test to measure performance and consumer preferences to see whose lotion was preferred, and what claims could be substantiated.
MMR Survey Methods and Modes for Measuring Cosmetic Claims
To test whether our client’s product was preferred over another product, MMR Strategy Group designed and conducted a home-use test. We chose respondents according to a gender quota set in line with the product’s intended target age, region, income level, and use of body lotion. MMR screened prospective respondents twice before shipping two bottles of unmarked lotions, with instructions for use. Respondents were asked to use each lotion for four days consecutively, then fill out an online survey. MMR Strategy Group conducted this research according to the best practices in academia, and according to precedents set by regulatory bodies for cosmetic claims substantiation.
For quality and consistency, MMR used the exact same packaging and weight of lotions; ensured that neither survey programmers nor responders knew the lotion types; used the same lotion formula as the one coming to market; and made sure an observer watched all filling of bottles. We also pretested the 8-question custom-designed survey prior to delivery.
Claim Substantiation Survey Says!
The data gathered by MMR Strategy Group confirmed that users preferred our client’s lotion over another leading brand, and that they preferred it over their usual brands. We asked recipients about scent, absorption, feeling on skin, and how they liked the product overall. For each question, the responses were in favor of our client’s product by a statistically significant margin.
We delivered our findings to the client and shared potential claims that the findings support. Some of those claims included: users of this lotion preferred it overall to a named leading brand; users preferred the client product’s scent to the other named leading brand; users preferred the feeling of the client’s product on their skin more than they liked the feel of the named leading brand; users who tried both lotions preferred the absorption of our client’s product; users preferred how their skin felt after using the client’s brand to the feeling caused by the leading brand; and users preferred the client’s brand to their normal daily lotion.