Marketing Strategies Report
Erika McKenzie
MKTG610 – Marketing Strategies
June 2, 2014
Davenport University
Cheval Breggins

Firm Introduction
Douglas J. Aveda is an institute that teaches cosmetology and esthiology and whose students practice their trade on paying consumers. As defined by Wikipedia, cosmetology is the “study and application of beauty treatments which include hairstyling, skin care, cosmetics, manicures, pedicures, and electrology.” Dictionary.com defines cosmetology as “the work of beauty therapists, including hairdressing, facials, manicures, etc.” Esthiology, sometimes spelled aesthiology, is the study of aesthetics often referring to aromatherapy, skin and hair care, and makeup. I first became aware of Aveda’s services when my youngest daughter chose to attend Douglas J. to earn her certification in cosmetology and continue on to pass the exam to become a licensed cosmetologist in the State of Michigan. I utilize their services regularly to maintain my hair color and style. I have also indulged on occasion their manicure services, full body massage, and botanical conditioning treatments. For the purposes of this paper, I am solely going to look at the Institute’s retail side of the firm because their marketing strategy would be different for the educational side of their business.
Firm Marketing Relating to the Strategy
With as many consumer segmentation strategies as are available, it was quite difficult to narrow it down to only a few to discuss. I believe that Douglas J. utilizes the Multi-variable segmentation strategy which groups consumers that share similar characteristics by utilizing two or more segmentation methods to make the customers in the segments more homogenous.

The Strategies with How and Why
It has been my experience that the primary consumer segmentation strategy that Douglas J. Aveda’s salons use is Benefit Segmentation Strategy. All of the advertising that I receive whether it come in the form of mailers, text messages, or social media is targeting consumers based on their needs, wants, or desires that can be satisfied by Aveda’s product, specifically the services that they provide for hair and skin care which includes haircut, color, conditioning treatments, facials, manicures, pedicures, and massages. I have found the product to be more than satisfying because through the students learning process, they are required to learn their consumers wants, needs, and desires and teach the consumer why one product or service would perform better than another. In comparing to traditional salons, I