A quick jaunt down the shampoo and hair care products aisle of your local grocery store will reveal one thing: there are a lot of different brands of shampoo on the market today. Ranging from the cheaply priced store generic brands to shampoos boasting of “salon quality” ingredients, the price range of these products is a pretty wide gap. However, interestingly enough, living several years in a female dormitory with “community style” bathrooms will quickly reveal one top trend in the shower caddies; it seems that an extremely high percentage of female college students have chosen the Herbal Essences brand of shampoos and conditioners as their hair cleansers of choice. Here are several possible reasons for the overall success of this popular brand.
1) Price: Although not offered at the cheapest price for hair products, Herbal Essences shampoos are still within the “affordable” range for college students. In fact, while they may be a dollar or so more than the cheapest brands on the shelves, this is a dollar or so that most college students are willing to spend. Students tend to be more apt to compare Herbal Essences (a well known brand name) shampoo prices with other well-known (and usually more expensive) salon type hair products than the cheapest brands. Since they see that the Herbal Essences brand is offered at a lower price than these other shampoos, they are willing to invest in it.
2) Consumer Appeal: Herbal Essences has created a product that is simply bursting with consumer appeal. From the clever, catchy names of the different shampoos (ex: “Long Term Relationship” for long hair, “No Flakin’ Way” for anti-dandruff, and “Drama Clean” for deep cleansing) to the fun, “non-traditional” description of the products on the back of the bottles, Herbal Essences has marketed itself as the brand that is just a little bit different, in a good way. Additionally, all the brightly colored bottles used to package the Herbal Essences shampoos and other hair products make it extremely easy for consumers to “describe” which shampoo they are using. For example, the following could be a conversation heard in the shower room of a dormitory:
“Hey, what shampoo are you using? It smells great!”
“Oh, I’m just using the Herbal Essences one in the red bottle.”
3) Something for Everyone: Herbal Essences has successfully created a shampoo that is targeted at just about every major “type” of hair on heads today. From long hair to short hair to chemically treated hair, there’s a different type of shampoo. Straight hair, curly hair, and even “tousled hair” also have their own specialized products, as well as anti-dandruff shampoos, anti-split ends shampoos, and extra moisturizing shampoos. By offering a different type of shampoo for everyone, Herbal Essences makes their customers feel well cared for.
4) Fragrance: Finally, Herbal Essences has consistently created products that simply smell great. Customers love this; they love to hear, “Your hair smells so good!” upon leaving the shower. In fact, a great smell is one of the chief factors that many consumers (including myself) will consider before purchasing a new shampoo.
