Urban decay - Rida

(Title of project, for example;
A study of Management)
Optional Photo or Logo
Submission date:8/2/15
Submitted to: Joe Egan
Submitted by:A00182211
This project is submitted in part fulfilment of BA(Hons) Business and
Law, part of the Customer Relationship Management subject in the
year of study of 4th
Year, at the Athlone Institute of Technology
Rida Ghauri

Executive Summary
______________________________________________________________________
Page ii
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Urban Decay is unique, striking brand that has the slogan “Beauty with an edge”
which describes the brand so perfectly. The use of bright, bold colors set them apart
from other makeup companies in the industry. They began their journey to add color
to the makeup industry only 20 years but in this time frame have seen huge amounts
of success. UD has been extremely successful as the team behind it had a passion to
change the beauty industry, bring a makeup revolution. They wanted girls to think
that green isn’t a weird color, there are other colors other than reds and pinks. They
launched a campaign called “Does Pink make you Puke??” and “Burn Barbie, Burn”.
Urban Decay are infamous for their Naked Palettes and the iconic eye shadow primer
which is the best in the industry. These products have contributed to their huge
success which has lead them to spread worldwide quite fast.
They are a high quality, luxury makeup brand who have 80% vegan products and do
not test on animals and are strictly against it. They are a brand who listen to their
consumers of what they want and consumer loyalty is extremely important to them.
The author has conducted interviews with UD staff and consumers, as well
organized a focus group, surveys and bought UD products for research.

Declaration
______________________________________________________________________________
Page iii
DECLARATION OF AUTHENTICITY
I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and to the best of my knowledge it
contains no plagiarised material. I declare that all material presented is my own work, or fully and
specifically acknowledged wherever adapted from other sources.
This work contains no materials previously published or written by another person, nor material which to a
substantial extent has been accepted for the award of any other masters degree, degree, diploma or
certificate at any other educational institution, except where the acknowledgement is made in the work by
means of the Harvard referencing system.
Any contribution made to this work by others, with whom I have worked with, is explicitly acknowledged
in the acknowledgements page.
I understand that if at any time it is shown that I have significantly misrepresented material
presented, any award to me on the basis of that material may be revoked.

Acknowledgements
______________________________________________________________________________
Page iv
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to express the deepest appreciation to Professor Joseph A Egan who has the attitude and the substance of
a genius: he continually and convincingly conveyed a spirit of adventure in regard to research and scholarship, and
an excitement in regard to teaching. Without his guidance and persistent help this work would not have been
possible.
I would like to thank
Participants in Interviews,
Participants who completed questionnaires,
Participants of the focus groups,
My Family and my Fiancé for putting up with me during my lack of sleep, cranky moods.
I would like to thank my parents for providing me with the financial means to complete this work for paying
for the products I bought and also for my nails. And finally, thanks to my fiancé, parents, and numerous
friends who endured this long process with me, always offering support and love.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXQQQQQQ
QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Dedication
______________________________________________________________________________
Page v
DEDICATION
Dedicate to my mum and fiancé. For offering support and love, and for understanding my stress during
the progress of this assignment,
XXXXXXRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XX__
________________________________________________________XXXXXXXXXXXX__
________________XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Glossary
______________________________________________________________________
Page vi
GLOSSARY

Abbreviations
______________________________________________________________________
Page vii
ABBREVIATIONS
 UD – Urban Decay
 OZ – Australia
 UDers- Urban Decayers – consumers who buy Urban Decay
 FAQs- Frequently Asked Questions
 PETA- People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
 US- United States
 HoF – House of Fraser
 FB – Facebook

Table of Contents
______________________________________________________________________
Page viii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
TITLE PAGE................................................................................................ i
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.......................................................................... ii
DECLARATION OF AUTHENTICITY .................................................... iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................ iv
DEDICATION............................................................................................. v
GLOSSARY............................................................................................... vi
ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................... vii
TABLE OF CONTENTS.......................................................................... viii
3) INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND - COMPANY PROFILE..... 1
4) MOTIVES FOR SHOPPING.................................................................. 7
5) STORE CHOICE...................................................................................11
6) CUSTOMER RETENTION ..................................................................15
7) PSYCHOLOGY OF BUYING ..............................................................19
8) BUILDING A CUSTOMER FOCUS/ CONSUMER_BEHAVIOUR....22
9) TECHNOLOGY....................................................................................26
10) EVALUATION AND ANALYSIS OF THE COMPANY....................33
11) RESEARCH & LINK FINDINGS TO OTHER RESEARCH ..............36
12) REFERENCES.....................................................................................37
13) QUESTIONNAIRE DESIGN...............................................................40
14) QUESTIONNAIRE RATIONALE.......................................................42
15) SAMPLING / RE-CODING / VALIDITY ...........................................44
16) PILOT TESTING .................................................................................46
17) OTHER RESEARCH ...........................................................................47
18) CONCLUSION ....................................................................................48
19) THINK OUTSIDE BOX ......................................................................50
20) EXTRA ................................................................................................52

Customer Relationship Management Project
______________________________________________________________________
Page 1
3) INTRODUCTION AND
BACKGROUND - COMPANY
PROFILE
Urban Decay are very new, only about 20 years old but have seen major success in this time
frame. Urban Decay are headquartered in California, USA. At the time then, the colours that had
dominated the beauty market were nudes, pinks and reds, it was very rare that girls would wear
or want bright bold colours such as green eye shadow or purple eye shadow, but today any
colour you would like is available and there’s a big market for it with high demands. Women
today love experimenting with makeup, going for unique and bold colours and Urban Decay is
perfect for it such as the Electric palette has all the bright festival colours a girl could use, as seen
below. The edgy designs and striking packaging is what makes the brand so unique. Their
concept is “Beauty with an edge”

______________________________________________________________________
Page 2
Sandy Lerner; who is also co-founder of Cisco systems, Wende Zomnir, David Soward and Pat
Holmes founded the company in 1996. Wende was always very different and creative, She
wanted a change in the makeup industry, new varieties for women like her who wanted a twist to
their makeup. In her house, they would all meet up and mix nail polishes and in 1999, they had
launched a line which included 12 nail polishes and 10 lipsticks.
In 2009, by the Coalition for consumer information on cosmetics Urban Decay had received an
approval and PETA’s 5th
Annual Best Cruelty free Cosmetics line award. Urban Decay had
declared that they would be starting selling products in China in 2012. But, China is a country
where it is well known that before a product can be released out for the public that they carry out
animal testing all products, so thus Urban Decay had been removed from the list of cruelty free
companies by PETA. Then they had a choice to make, they decided not to sell its products in
China despite there being a huge market.

______________________________________________________________________
Page 3
L’Oreal bought Urban
Decay at the end of 2012
for $350 million, L’Oreal
still continued animal
testing. But the company
had also donated to help
eliminate animal testing
amounting to $1.2 million
but that only had equaled to
a very minimal amount of
1% of all profits they had
generated in China. In
Europe, testing on animals is not allowed, but products that are tested on animals are allowed to
be sold here from different countries. L’Oreal didn’t want to lose their huge Chinese market so
continued to stay with a no cruelty free status. The concern started to grow after 2012 that Urban
Decay would do the same as L’Oreal, but because of the public they didn’t. They had ensured
the public and PETA are fully informed that they will not be changing their animal testing
policies within writing. Vegans outrage over LOreal buying Urban Decay

______________________________________________________________________
Page 4
Timeline created by the Author using Lucidchart

______________________________________________________________________
Page 5
Today, Urban Decay have a continual growth and expansion of retailers in Europe, Canada, the
Middle East and Singapore in the prestige beauty market. As a brand, they are known for new
eye catching products. The best-selling products of the brand are the Naked, Naked2 & Naked3
eye shadow palettes and the All night setting makeup spray which created great success for
Urban Decay. They are also famous for their Eye shadow primer potion and 24/7 eye pencils. .
“I think, for most women, it’s really practical, too,” Zomnir explains.
“You can look at that palette and know that if you’re going on a trip to Vegas, or New York, or
Southern California, or wherever you’re going, you can do a day look, a date-night look, or a
super smoky, formal look. You can do whatever you want with this palette, and it will be a
beautiful eye no matter what. I think that’s why people love it.”
2014 was a big year for Urban Decay–but
2015 is said to have even more in store
“I think 2015 might be bigger!” she
continued.
“Lots of great stuff. I mean, I can tell
you, but then I’d have to kill you, so…
But, I promise you that 2015 will be a mix
of Naked and color, in a big way.”
Interview with wende zomnir
Urban Decay on animal testing: They do not test on animals for any of their products,
some of their products are even vegan. They have adopted a cruelty free philosophy that
is stated on each box that says, “We don’t do animal testing, how could anyone?”. They
are certified by The Leaping Bunny Program (CICC) and PETA as being cruelty free.
The brushes they offer for makeup are also not made from animal hair, instead are 100%
synthetic fiber brushes. Marley is a dog
that an Urban Decay executive owns, so
all 100% vegan products are shown on
the website by a paw print which means
that its “Marley Approved”.

______________________________________________________________________
Page 6
The products are sold worldwide on shelves coloured purple filled with their striking
products sold in stores such as Sephora, Macy’s, Ulta in the US and Debenhams in
Ireland and the UK. Products can be purchased in store or online but European fans
cannot purchase from the official Urban Decay website so sometimes we miss out on the
sales and promotions exclusive only on their website.

______________________________________________________________________
Page 7
4) MOTIVES FOR SHOPPING
Questions that are asked relating to Consumer Behaviour are;
 Why do you buy things that you do?
 Why did you chose this product over others?
 Where do you shop and when do you?
 Do your friends chose this product or something else?
It’s important for every company despite their size to know why consumers buy certain
products over another. Companies should know what motivates and persuades a customer
to buy something, what catches their attention whether it’s the advertising of the product
or good reviews. Companies need to know what exactly their consumers need or want
most, Urban Decay did exactly that. They found out what was lacking in the market by
personally thinking of what was needed for themselves so they had a better understanding
of what consumers would want. They took a big risk, they weren’t sure if there was a big
enough for this bold step but this step proved very successful.
Why people buy Urban Decay??
Well firstly the main reason, is
the uniqueness of the brand with
their slogan “Beauty with an
Edge”
As previously mentioned above
in history, at the time 20 years
ago the colours that had
dominated the makeup industry
were nude colours and red was as bold as you could get. Urban Decay had a vision to be
different. They wanted to make products for girls that would want to be a bit different,
who wanted to use eye-catching purple eye shadow or metallic green nail polish. Mission
Accomplished
Women of all ages hear and see Urban Decay everywhere, therefore UD don’t need to in
a way officially advertise on television with ads. People discuss and advertise UD for
them for example, in Ireland when the author went to conduct the interview for UD staff,
one of questions was what sort of advertisement if they do any is there for Irish
consumers and the answer received was that they don’t do any themselves instead TV
shows like Xposé frequently ask UD girls to come to the show and demonstrate some
signature looks and discuss the launch of the new products. Also famous internet beauty
bloggers such as So Sue Me and Love by Debs regularly use UD products personally and

______________________________________________________________________
Page 8
give very good reviews which encourage fans of the bloggers to buy the products and to
try similar looks. So Sue Me - Naked 3 tutorial
Word of mouth is very important for
UD on a national and international
level, this is their main form of
advertisement. As a girl when
another girl highly recommends and
praises a makeup product, the author
personally wanted to try the product
and see for myself encouraging me
to buy the product. Another great
tactic Urban Decay have is to give
free samples or gifts with purchases
which encourages girls to purchase
more in order to receive the free gift,
which is a form of marketing
psychology.
The author bought Urban Decay
products because of word of mouth
and online reviews, as before the
author didn’t hear of the company 2-
3 years ago
Another example of UD
endorsement
The author saw so many reviews
online and there was big talk of the Naked on the Run
when it was released, so the author personally decided
to buy it and try the product, all because of online
endorsements on Facebook and Instagram. Naked on
the run she bought the product and has used it and
personally loves it. Its very practical, it has everything
in one; eyeshades, lip gloss, mascara, eyeliner,
bronzer, blush and highlighter. On the Run

______________________________________________________________________
Page 9
Anti-Aging Products
Another reason that motivates women to buy Urban Decay products is because they have
started a new range of products that include anti-aging ingredients. According to my
research, beforehand the main age group that bought Urban Decay products were young
college students aging from 18-25 but this has been broadened now having new
customers come into the stores with customers of even the age of 70 coming into
Debenhams. They have anti-aging foundations, lipsticks and the legendary eye primer
potion Why
you should buy
the primers and
how to use
them
.
But it’s not just
older women
who purchase
the anti-aging
products, today
many girls in their twenties have started using anti-aging creams and makeup to prevent
wrinkles so the target audience isn’t limited to a specific age group.
Urban Decay rule the makeup
industry in relation to their eye
primers which are the best in the
whole industry with no immediate
threats. The primers and makeup
setting sprays help your makeup
stay on for hours without fading or
creasing and brightening the colour
also helping in using less product.
Since the products are high quality
and luxury at reasonable prices,
women want to buy them because
they are good value for the money
spent. They do exactly what they
should as well being good quality.
The products are much diversified
from bold, striking colours to nude, everyday shades
appealing to any preferences and target group.
The packaging is also very appealing to the eye with
bright vibrant colours that attract the attention of any
consumer. Urban Decay try to make their boxes and
cases stand out like the colour of the actual product
itself. The names of the colours of the eye shades and
lipsticks are also very unique too, consumers very
bored of the same old things so UD have brought
something new to the market.

______________________________________________________________________
Page 10
Urban Decay will only be coming to Australia in March 2015 and there is a huge hype
for all makeup junkies that craved for the brand to be available in a store or online. All
bloggers and beauty addicts showed their excitement on social media sites. No doubt, UD
will be successful there like in Europe and the US.
Why Australians should buy UD
Urban Decay in OZ 2015
Against animal cruelty and vegan
friendly
Urban Decay have become famous for
being strictly against animal testing and
some of their products are even 100%
vegan. This has helped them get sales of
vegan consumers who would strictly not
wear any cosmetic that has been tested on
animals. This has motivated a great
amount of consumers to purchase their
products and stay buying. When in 2012,
LOreal bought Urban Decay, so many
fans had become scared that UD would
start animal testing too but they didn’t,
they kept their PETA status and didn’t
despite the fact they could increase sales
dramatically by being able to sell to
China where animal testing is
compulsory before being sold to the
public.
Consumers reacted well to their decision of not selling to China therefore creating a loyal
fan base. Urban Decay therefore have an advantage in comparison to their competitors
such as Esteé Lauder and Lancóme who do test on animals.
Urban Decay's commitments
PETA - Beautiful news

______________________________________________________________________
Page 11
5) STORE CHOICE
Urban Decay are sold worldwide in 100’s of stores. where you can get your own UD
products .
In Ireland, Urban Decay is available in Debenhams in store
otherwise on the Debenhams website Camtasia - UD Debenhams
Debenhams- UD
Or from UK websites such as House of Fraser and in store too.
Therefore, for Irish consumers methods of purchases of the
products are quite limited. European consumers have a
disadvantage as from ordering the official Urban Decay website,
http://www.urbandecay.com/, they only ship within the US, so at
times we are at a disadvantage from some special promotions that
are only available on the official site. SALESALESALE
After extremely successful sales from being sold in department
stores all over the world such as in Sephora or Macy’s, Urban Decay will finally open
their own store in California in the summer.UD Store In the store, as well makeup there
will be other trendy merchandise such as UD cups and a cool photo booth with also some
limited edition products only available in that shop. UD store opening and interview with
Wende Zomnir. Officially Opened

______________________________________________________________________
Page 12
In each store, Urban Decay try to make each of their sub-stores as trendy and colourful
with bright lights attracting customers, usually UD are in department stores so they have
to work harder to ensure consumers get attracted to come to them instead of the other
many competitors surrounding them. In Debenhams, they are situated right in the middle
of the ground floor so from all ends you can spot UD. The use of the colour purple is
demonstrated throughout the store, when you see purple consumers think of Urban Decay
which is like
their signature
colour/look.
The bright
colours and
lights on mirrors
and stands
distinguish them
as a brand and
show them as a
bold, unique
image. The
products
combined with
the store design
create a overall
edgy look which
consumers who
are bored of
other routine
products/stores
love.
UD Store &
products haul
A collage the author made of when she visited Urban Decay in Debenhams, Dublin
Since Urban Decay only recently opened their first store, they rely highly on their
distribution agents – department stores to sell the products how they want to, the way
they are known for. They are in charge of how they sell the brand, representing the
company for total success.
Part of store choice is the appearance of staff working in Urban Decay, just like the brand
the employees are allowed to be bolder than say employees of Benefit Cosmetics. In
store, some of the staff had facial piercings and bright, striking eye makeup which is part
of the brands image and overall appearance so it fits well.

______________________________________________________________________
Page 13
They started off being limited to only a few stores across
the world, mainly in the US, but they have expanded
dramatically in the short time frame since they have
started. Australia had been waiting impatiently and now
they have to wait no further as Urban Decay will be
available from March 2015. The hardships Australians
faced to get their hands on a new UD product was very
difficult for them, as they had to somehow order online
otherwise order from a friend who was on a trip to
Europe or the US. Reaction to UD in OZ
Australian buying the Naked Palette

______________________________________________________________________
Page 14
the authors
overall opinion
of the website is
that it is much
organised with
clear headings
on the top for
easy navigation
between
sections. There
also is a full
section
dedicated to
sales items. For
Irish users,
Debenhams
website has to be
used. The
website is very
easy to use with
clear sections
whether it’s a
naked product or
a lipstick.UD
Products the author purchased the makeup setting spray recently from the website and the
author received it within 3 working days, when the new Naked 3 launched I purchased it
online and it took 6 working days as it was a newly launched product and there was high
demand for it. In general, if you know what you’d like to purchase it takes five minutes to
complete the online purchase and same in store.
According to the survey conducted; majority of the surveyors purchased UD products in
store as demonstrated above. In store, there is more variety of products and a more
enjoyable experience.

______________________________________________________________________
Page 15
6) CUSTOMER RETENTION
The main reason customers are loyal and continuing purchasing UD products are because
of the fact that they remained to stay a cruelty free brand with vegan products
maintaining their PETA status. Despite the fact that they could have profited greatly with
sales escalating in China, to keep their current customers they decided not to go ahead
with the project which was a huge decision for UD as a company whether they wanted to
increase sales and expand as a brand or keep their customers and PETA status. They
sacrificed a major project for customer satisfaction as sales dropped slightly already when
L’Oreal acquired Urban Decay which caused some concern, as their reputation became
slightly tarnished as consumers may think that by buying UD products they are helping
L’Oreal profit. Because of their loyal customers, they decided to continue their journey
for ended animal cruelty by
using various alternative
methods. By continuing this
way, Urban Decay gained
consumer loyalty from
animal activists who love
high quality makeup who can
enjoy the use of their
products without doing
wrong or feeling guilty.
Urban decay didn’t mind this
as much as they had seen
their expansion in America
and Europe in the last 15
years and have decided to
grow here and become even
bigger and the rest of Asia as
well as expanding out to
Australia next month.
In the end they decided, what
the consumers want is most
important which consumers
seemed to admire them for
making such a decision.
UDers loyalty
According to Individualism (Friedman's Economic Theory), Urban Decay should act in
the best interest of the company as a whole which includes increasing profit but also
retaining consumer loyalty, but at the same time doing it legally following all the relevant
laws and policies put in place. While the managers main focus was to get as many people
to purchase their products, they slightly became distracted by the potential profits they
would receive from China which would benefit the company dramatically financially. By

______________________________________________________________________
Page 16
even thinking of this proposition, they went against what Urban Decay stand for against
their policy which is not harming animals whatsoever but only love them.
By doing this customer sales would be significantly lowered as consumers will boycott
them by neglecting consumer wants to gain profits. As well as, a bad reputation mainly
through social media even though they weren’t doing anything illegally so this is very
admirable of them.
The ethical theory of utilitarianism is how companies should try to make their
stakeholders as happy as possible. The happier the consumer then the more sales the
company will receive and an increase in profits will make the management happy. But
this isn’t an easy task due to frequent changes that happen within and outside the
organization. Urban Decay successfully created a link between consumers and the
management by listening to the concerns consumers had of the China project, by doing so
this encouraged retention as well making clients extremely happy and satisfied with them
as a company.
Consumers get
a high quality,
luxury product
with no
animals being
harmed. The
other main
high end
competitors all
test on animals
like MAC and
Tom Forde.
Kantianism is
the theory
which has the
duties of
knowing the
right thing that
should be done
appropriately
as well as
being humane
and
respectable.
The decisions
a company
make should
be ethical and
humane
actions. By

______________________________________________________________________
Page 17
strictly being against animal testing and trying to remove it, Urban Decay demonstrated a
respect for human rationale. But the whole China concern created anger among clients
therefore stopping UD from doing wrong and immoral actions contrary to their
company’s beliefs,
In the Virtue theory, it seeks to be able to develop a character with all the traits of the
company. UD started off as a new brand, at the start consumers had taken risks to buy the
products and once they start it’s hard to leave the “cult”, becoming a UDer and
consumers in a way became addicted to the brand, becoming loyal and then inviting more
consumers themselves by recommendations.
Other than being cruelty free, consumers are loyal UDers as they simply love the brand as
seen in the focus group videos later on. The brand have high quality, luxury products
which are great value for the price. The Naked eye shadow palettes and primer potions
are the most sold products, consumers hear of the hype of these products and want to get
their hands on these products themselves. Once the quality is seen from one product,
there’s a need to try the others and continue purchasing UD products. Loyal customers
that have been persuaded by the brand such as the author, will continue to purchase the
new products whenever they are launched as they are fully convinced and retained by the
brand.
The brand itself is a social status as it’s a high end makeup brand and consumers some
might buy it for just the name of the product. The packaging appeals to many consumers
too, each new product launched has a unique, distinctive design which consumers love.
Another technique that was observed while the author visited the store was that on quiet
days in the store such as weekdays, whenever a product is purchased, with it consumers
are given vouchers for a free makeup application worth €30. This is a way of making the
consumer happy and coming back another day to the store and when new products are
used during the application, the consumer will be subconsciously thinking of trying it out

______________________________________________________________________
Page 18
themselves and might come back a different day after seeing the results or that same day
to purchase the products used on them.
Often with products, mini free samples are given and little treats which in return make a
consumer happy and have a good opinion of the
brand which encourages clients to come back.
On the official website, consumers get special
promotions such as recently if $50+ are spent
then a free gift is given. On the Facebook page
of UD, they frequently thank UDers and
acknowledge them which gives clients a sense
of belonging hence keeping them as clients.
Debenhams have loyalty cards, by each
transaction made points get added up for example
the Naked on the Run is €44, for that 130 points
are added to the card. Every so often, special
offers and promotions are given to loyal
consumers, which encourages them to purchase
more in store.

______________________________________________________________________
Page 19
7) PSYCHOLOGY OF BUYING
People usually don’t buy because they need the product they would usually buy the
product so they can say they have it or because they like the brand or image.
- Why do we buy?
Usually everyone is different and unique, everyone does things in their own way but
majority of people are similar when it comes to buying and come into the following
categories:
Emotional needs: some people believe in retail therapy especially women are known for
this, when they are in a bad mood shopping and buying things makes most people happy.
Some people purchase to feel better about their social class by buying expensive brand.
UD would be classed as a luxury brand with expensive products but good quality so
people would buy UD products to feel better or to say they can afford such products.
Consumers also get a sense of satisfaction after buying luxury products
Wanting to be: when consumers see celebrities endorsing certain they want to buy the
product. Ads make products more appealing, women subconsciously think if they buy the
makeup UD produce then they can look like the models endorsing their makeup.
Following the crowd: things are more appealing when we see others wanting the product
according to Social proof theory. Sometimes people end up buying products because they
see others buying or wanting the product which in turns makes it more attractive and
appealing but they may not even need the products. For UD products, for example the
author owns numerous amounts of eye shadow palettes but because the authors friends
bought the Vice3 palette even though she has plenty and no need for it but because others
bought it and praised it then the author felt a sense of want for it.
Liking the sellers: once a consumer buys one UD product they fall in love with the
quality and the actual product and thus want to try the other products, which keeps the
customer retained and loyal towards the brand. Many vegan consumers and people who
are against animal testing purchase UD products because they can buy makeup without
feeling guilty. Also if staff are friendly, this will encourage consumers to return and UD
staff are extremely happy and offer many mini gifts to consumers.
Means to reach goals: some people might buy products to impress certain people or buy
to have something in common to talk about with friends.
Visually appealing: for UD image is everything, it is extremely important as that is what
makes them different from other makeup stores. They use bright, striking colours to
attract consumers, their unique packaging is a main reason consumers buy the products
too as seen from the focus group conducted later on. The makeup can be similar to a
different brand but the packaging is what makes UD so distinctive. Even the store is very
cool with big lights, mirrors and colours everywhere to be more appealing.

______________________________________________________________________
Page 20
An example
of visually
appealing
UD
products
Buyers crave value: Buyers will mainly compromise on price if they receive high quality
products for the price which is long lasting and good value for money. UD products are
more expensive than drug store alternatives but their products are high quality and long
lasting which is what consumers want so they don’t mind the price they pay for products.
Another reason why people buy is, they feel they have to purchase a product. For
example in Debenhams on the other side of the store, one UD staff was standing with
their mascara and asking each person who passed would they like to try the product.
Once a consumer stops, they most likely will buy the product as they will see it on and
see how good it is or on the other hand they feel they’ve been stopped and don’t want to
make the seller they wasted time so they purchase the product out of guilt.
Consumers when they see a big hype about a new product being launched, it
automatically becomes appealing, when bloggers and the company itself advertise the
product everywhere the more you see it the more you want it. The Vault released before
Christmas and every girl had that o her list, it is the ultimate present for any UD or in fact
any makeup lover would love because it had literally everything. It includes all three
Naked palettes, all three Flushed sets, lipsticks and mascaras, the ultimate gift. Because it
was released before Christmas, women who were unsure of what they wanted added that
to their lists. It is costly nearly €300 but every girl wanted it, it was the ultimate
Christmas present plus Michael Kors products for 2014. The Vault - ultimate gift

______________________________________________________________________
Page 21
The Vault by Urban Decay
Consumers also buy UD products as they see other products being advertised, as below in
the picture on their official site they have a suggested option after consumers view
products of what other consumers are purchasing and making the consumer curious and
wanting to see the products and thinking others are getting it I should too.

______________________________________________________________________
Page 22
8) BUILDING A CUSTOMER
FOCUS / CONSUMER_BEHAVIOUR
To build a customer focus companies need to do the following:
- Cement your customer relationships: companies need to build their organisation
around consumers and need to understand what they want or need. But that
doesn’t mean that once a year hand out a survey, but communicate via social
media. UD do this cleverly by posting random questions on their Facebook and
Instagram asking which their favourite product is or which they use frequently.
By posting on these accounts, they involve consumers in a direct link and
integrate them in discussions creating a online forum in a way which they can ask
questions such as how they found the process of purchasing the products. Once a
company know what their customers want and their likes/dislikes then they can
act in the best interest for their clients.
UD from the start listened to what consumers wanted such as creating a brand that
is very unique with different colours available. They saw there was a demand for
these products and there was a market for these so Urban Decay took the risk and
went for it which proved extremely successful. When UD were considering
selling in China, it would have generated millions in revenue making UD even
better and bigger but they listened to their consumers when they didn’t want them
to lose their PETA status. This was very admirable of UD, for putting consumers
wants before their own. Thus by doing this they built a strong loyal customer
base.
- Involve the crew: sometimes employees don’t like customer feedback as the
management only give the complaints or negative feedback. Companies need to
ensure they inform employees of positive feedback too. Once employees are
happy then they can give a better customer service. This will result in employees
welcoming feedback.
- Rebuild your processes: Employees understand what consumers want with a
greater insight as they have a direct connection. Therefore feedback from
employees is very important too because their advice could turn out to be
extremely valuable so listening to consumers as well as employees is important
for every organisation. Once feedback is asked and received then it is assumed it
will be implemented on, otherwise it was pointless asking for feedback.
Sometimes employees don’t know how to address a consumers request or query
so training may be required.
- Check your measurements: try to ensure the metrics that are used to measure the
success are customer focused, some may already be. Try to understand customer
relationships and see what metric is most important to consumers.

______________________________________________________________________
Page 23
- Share responsibility: engagement and involvement build corporate cultures.
Failures can be resolved and identified by employees and when this is done then
employees contribute to the culture. It is very important to empower employees
when action needs to be taken so they can be part of the building of the culture

______________________________________________________________________
Page 24
Diagrams created by Author using Creately

______________________________________________________________________
Page 25
Many consumers purchase online today due to various factors such as:
- Shopping convenience: consumers can shop in the comfort of their own homes,
today consumers can shop on their smart phones, tablets or laptops. Consumers
won’t have to travel to buy a product for example, in Ireland, UD is only available
in Dublin and if a consumer cant travel to Dublin or its too expensive then they
can order online on Debenhams website which for orders over €30 is free delivery
and most Urban Decay products are over €30 so the free delivery perk seems very
appealing to many consumers. Also consumers can shop any day or any time
which ever suits them.
- Easy for comparing: consumers can compare prices online, open a few tabs at the
same time and within maximum of ten minutes the consumer can compare prices
of products on other sites. If a consumer was to do this in person for UD, it would
take nearly a hour depending on mode of transport as Debenhams, Henry street is
far from House of Fraser, Dundrum. On The House of Fraser website, Naked on
the Run- HoF is £37 but converted is €47.80, on the Debenhams website it is €44.
- Time saving: consumers can shop any time at home or at work without wasting a
day travelling to purchase one product. Usually if a consumer know exactly what
they want then shopping online is very quick which can take a matter of minutes
without even having to leave their doorstep, online shopping is very appealing to
consumers who have busy lifestyles and don’t have time to physically go
shopping.
- Low prices/online promotions: usually on official sites prices of products are
cheaper than in some stores. Naked on the Run - UD on the official site is $54
which converts to €45.77 which is cheaper than the prices than in Ireland. There
are also various promotions online where for example if $50 is spent on the UD
site then you get a free makeup bag and makeup samples which is only for a
limited time which encourages consumers to purchase then rather than later.
- Wider variety of products: online consumers have a bigger market they can buy
from, for example the Vice3 is not available on the Debenhams website or in store
because it was limited edition but it is still available on the UD and on some other
websites.
Consumer behavior trends 2014

______________________________________________________________________
Page 26
9) TECHNOLOGY
For Urban Decay, technology is very important. Technology is one of the main ways of
communicating with consumers today. UD use various forms such as their website for
online orders.
UD site Camtasia
The webiste design is quite funky and bright with the use of purple throughout the site.
The website is very easy to use with clear headings and titles. On the home page, right in
the middle they have a section where its called “Cult Favourites”, in this section they
have the most sold and viewed items. The infamous Naked eye shadow palettes, Naked
basics and the ingenius eye primer
potion which is the best in the
industry. All the products are
sectioned in a very organised manner
for easy navigation. Each product is
clearly desribed in the description
image, the colours available, the
ingredients and the tips on how to
use the product are all available to
make life easier for the
consumer.UD Lipsticks On some
products there are videos of seeing
the item in action, tutorials too with
all the tips an tricks available.
Naked Skin with Wende
Shopping is extremely efficent using
the site, consumers can add each
item to the shopping bag or if even
close the window by accident, then
the products that you had viewed
come up on the bottom of the screen
so all is not lost even if you forget the name of a product UD will help.
On the site also,
along the right
side there are
top of page and
bottom of page
options to help
consumers
manouver
around hassle
free.

______________________________________________________________________
Page 27
If consumers are unsure about a certain product despite seeing the tips & tricks or the
product tutorials, on each products page there is a section on reviews which any
consumer can rate and leave a review on, thus helping a confused client understand better
about the product and help them in turn decide whether to buy the product or not.
According to research, this is extremely helpful for UDers as they have an insight on real
opinions from other clients.
This was taken from the UD website, under the eye shadow primer potion – which is the
best in the industry.the reviews are phenomenal with 5,419 who actually reviewed the
product 98% recommend it which would be very helopful for an undecisive consumer.
Social Media is extremely important for UD, this is their main form of advertisement.
This way Urban Decay have a direct link for communicating with consumers this way.
The author has followed UD on each social media site individually to observe the
pictures/statuses they upload. Urban Decay are active on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn,
Instagram, Tumblr and YouTube. They post frequently on these sites with pictures or
suggestions on how to use the various products, as well as reminding consumers of
special offers on the official site. In this day and age, majority of consumers follow
companies on social media sites to get more information and brand awareness as well be
aware of new product launches.
This is taken from the UD site, all the various social media they use with direct links to
follow them

______________________________________________________________________
Page 28
By using social media sites, UD can connect and communicate with clients through a
direct link by posting statuses and replying to comments. On Instagram, they have a
whopping 1.6M followers where the frequently post pictures of products and pictures of
their followers with the products. They stay in contact with clients by posting questions
of what they’d love to see or what is their favourite UD product, consumers love when
companies ask their opinions so hundreds/thousands of followers respond to the posts.
The UD team are also on social media and post frequently – as seen below Wende is on
Instagram with nearly 1,500 followers. She is constantly endorsing UD but within her
own lifestyle showing consumers how she’s a mum, with a busy lifestyle balancing her
family life, work and fitness routines but with the help of Urban Decay she can do it
quickly with long lasting results and thus consumers in similar situations admire and get
inspired.
By this
collage,
the
author
has
shown the
various
social
media
Urban
Decay
use to
connect
with
cleints
such as
YouTube,
Instagram
Facebook
Tumblr,
LinkedIn
and
Wende
Zomnir’s
Instagram
account.

______________________________________________________________________
Page 29
UD on Facebook, posting very
often about offers, products,
openings and also just funny
images.
Collages made by Author.

______________________________________________________________________
Page 30
Urban Decay have their own YouTube channel on which they post videos frequently of
tutorials on how to use products and how to create the best possible look using the
products. On the channel they also show behind seen videos from photo shoots as well as
the new trends for the upcoming seasons. Spring 2015 - behind the scenes
This way consumers can stay up to date with the latest fashions and also understand how
to use the products for the best, flawless results. Today, majority of makeup addicts
watch tutorials online because there is a huge variety of different looks for each product
available and especially for clients who are not that familiar with makeup find these
tutorials useful whether it’s by UD or a beauty blogger. Vice 3 tutorial
Urban Decay’s YouTube Channel, here they post all their tutorials and videos of new
products launching. They have more than 35,000 subscribers and over 1.5M views
On the UD website, if consumers have any enquiries or complaints there are three
methods available as seen below; calling customer service, live chat or consumers can try
the FAQs section. Consumers can also post questions on the social media accounts which
UD usually reply within 24 hours.

______________________________________________________________________
Page 31
The author,
just for
research
used the
Live Chat to
see how long
it would take
for UD to
reply to a
query.
Within 1
minute, a
customer
service
executive
was in touch
so the
waiting time
wasn’t long.
Demonstrated by these screenshots are the
conversation between the author and UD.

______________________________________________________________________
Page 32
When going on to the UD website, a pop up appears offering clients to sign up so they
can receive offers and an email to get notifications about new products.
On the right is a screenshot of
when this happened while the
author was on the official UD site.
After signing up, the author
received an email
welcoming her after
signing up and a few
of the most popular
products.

______________________________________________________________________
Page 33
10) EVALUATION AND ANALYSIS
OF THE COMPANY
SWOT analysis of UD using Creately by the Author

______________________________________________________________________
Page 34
Porters 5 forces model made by Author using Creately

______________________________________________________________________
Page 35
Target Audience created by Author using Lucid Chart

______________________________________________________________________
Page 36
11) RESEARCH & LINK FINDINGS
TO OTHER RESEARCH
 UD marketing
 UD Social Media
 Urban Decay's cool packaging
 UD makeup artist doing a masterclass in Dublin 3/2/15
 http://fashionbi.com/brands/urban-decay/financials
 http://media2.bazaarvoice.com/documents/BV_case_study_+UrbanDecay3.p
df
 http://www.forbes.com/forbes/1997/0825/6004058a.html

______________________________________________________________________
Page 37
12) REFERENCES
1) Australians losing it over UD [http://www.kiis1065.com.au/lifestyle/health-
beauty/11-reasons-girls-should-lose-their-sstar-about-urban-decay-coming-to-
australia] Accessed on 23/1/15
2) Building consumer focus [http://www.mycustomer.com/topic/customer-
experience/how-build-customer-focused-culture-your-company/114958]
Accessed on 8/2/15
3) Case study UD
[http://media2.bazaarvoice.com/documents/BV_case_study_+UrbanDecay3.pdf]
Accessed on 24/1/15
4) Consumer behavior analysis [http://technewsarm.com/2012/03/analysis-of-
consumer-behaviour-by-2014-infographic/] Accessed on 7/2/15
5) Consumer Behaviour [http://technewsarm.com/2012/03/analysis-of-consumer-
behaviour-by-2014-infographic/] Accessed on 7/2/15
6) Debenhams Naked
[http://www.debenhams.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Navigate?ps=default&catal
ogId=10001&lid=%2F%2Fproductsuniverse%2Fen_GB%2Fproduct_online%3D
Y%2Finsearch%3D1%2Fcategories%3C%7Bproductsuniverse_59001%7D%2Fb
rand_description%3E%7Burban20decay%7D&langId=-1&storeId=10052&pn=1]
Accessed on 28/1/15
7) Debenhams UD
[http://www.debenhams.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Navigate?ps=default&catal
ogId=10001&lid=%2F%2Fproductsuniverse%2Fen_GB%2Fproduct_online%3D
Y%2Finsearch%3D1%2Fcategories%3C%7Bproductsuniverse_59001%7D%2Fb
rand_description%3E%7Burban20decay%7D&langId=-1&storeId=10052&pn=1]
Accessed on 2/2/15
8) Does Pink make you puke?
[http://www.forbes.com/forbes/1997/0825/6004058a.html] Accessed on 21/1/15
9) HoF Naked on the Run
[http://www.houseoffraser.co.uk/Urban+Decay+Naked+On+The+Run/20481958
4,default,pd.html] Accessed on 7/2/15
10) Interview with Wende Zomnir [http://www.beautynewsnyc.com/beauty/in-the-
hot-seat-with-urban-decays-wende-zomnir/] 24/1/15
11) L’Oreal buys Urban Decay [http://vegansofig.tumblr.com/post/36614230436/so-
this-was-announced-today-why-does-loreal] Accessed on 28/1/15
12) Naked on the Run [http://www.urbandecay.com/naked-on-the-run-eyeshadow-by-
urban-decay/460.html#start=3&cgid=new] Accessed on 6/2/15
13) Naked on the Run review [http://www.musingsofamuse.com/2014/11/urban-
decay-naked-run-review-swatches.html] Accessed on 24/1/15
14) Naked Palette Cult buy [http://www.makeupandbeauty.ie/urban-decay-naked-
palette-is-it-a-cult-buy/] Accessed on 30/1/15
15) PETA on UD [http://www.peta.org/blog/beautiful-news-urban-decay-remain-
cruelty-free/] Accessed on 29/1/15

______________________________________________________________________
Page 38
16) Primer Potion [http://www.urbandecay.com/eyeshadow-primer-
potion/landingpage-espp.html] Accessed on 24/1/15
17) Psychology of buying
[http://www.2knowmyself.com/The_psychology_of_buying] Accessed on 8/2/15
18) The Vault [http://www.popsugar.com.au/beauty/Urban-Decay-Naked-Vault-
Palette-Details-Pictures-35993145#photo-35993133] Accessed on 7/2/15
19) UD [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHkaVHdFbo4R_3Z_CkjuVnA]
Accessed on 1/2/15
20) UD [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TxL-c4bED8] Accessed on 21/1/15
21) UD [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVbFDjIZWOI&feature=youtu.be]
Accessed on 1/2/15
22) UD [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0AnfssFYs0] Accessed on 24/1/15
23) UD [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4dk-K0utPo] Accessed on 1/2/15
24) UD [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6619rP4AKg&feature=youtu.be]
Accessed on 24/1/15
25) UD [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3qblI0k_0M] Accessed on 1/2/15
26) UD commitments [http://www.urbandecay.com/commitments/commitments.html]
Accessed on 27/1/15
27) UD Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/urbandecaycosmetics?fref=nf]
Accessed every day
28) UD Financial [http://fashionbi.com/brands/urban-decay/financials] Accessed on
6/2/15
29) UD in Australia [http://www.buzzfeed.com/gyanyankovich/urban-decay-is-
launching-in-australia#.cyD4DNAM9r] Accessed on 28/1/15
30) UD Instagram [http://instagram.com/urbandecaycosmetics/] Accessed every day
31) UD Lipsticks
[https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B6L6o42OhWUdNzdZZW5oMGVxYmc/edit?pl
i=1] Accessed on 3/2/15
32) UD makeup artist [http://www.rte.ie/lifestyle/fashion/news/2015/0130/676774-
urban-decays-top-makeup-artist-visiting-dublin/] Accessed on 29/1/15
33) UD packaging [http://www.beautypackaging.com/contents/view_videos/2014-12-
01/urban-decay-is-a-winner-thanks-to-color-optics-by-arcade/] Accessed on
4/2/15
34) UD Sale [http://www.urbandecay.com/sale] Accessed on 30/1/15
35) UD Social Media [https://www.behance.net/gallery/4075015/Urban-Decay-
Social-Media-Campaigns] Accessed on 2/2/15
36) UD Store [http://www.refinery29.com/2014/08/72525/urban-decay-store-
opening] Accessed on 25/1/15
37) UD store locator [http://www.urbandecay.com/storelocator] Accessed on 2/1/15
38) UD Store opening [http://beautyhigh.com/urban-decay-store-opening/] Accessed
on 25/1/15
39) UD to China [http://businessethicscases.blogspot.ie/2013/04/urban-decay-
expanding-to-china-requires.html] Accessed on 23/1/15
40) UD Tutorial [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPiktj4MMkA] Accessed on
27/1/15

______________________________________________________________________
Page 39
41) Urban Decay about us [http://www.urbandecay.com/aboutus/about-us.html]
Accessed on 30/1/15
42) Urban Decay official site [http://www.urbandecay.com/] Accessed on every day
until 8/2/15
43) Vice3 UD [http://www.urbandecay.com/vice-3-eyeshadow-palette-by-urban-
decay/246.html#start=4&cgid=1_502] Accessed on 4/2/15
44) Wende on Store Opening [http://www.refinery29.com/2014/11/78402/urban-
decay-store-opening-wende-zomnir-interview#slide] Accessed on 25/1/15

______________________________________________________________________
Page 40
13) QUESTIONNAIRE DESIGN
Questionnaire Link

______________________________________________________________________
Page 41

______________________________________________________________________
Page 42
14) QUESTIONNAIRE RATIONALE
1) What age group do you belong to?
The author asked this question to find out which age group bought Urban Decay products
the most or even heard of the brand.
2) Have you heard of Urban Decay before?
The author wanted to find out if people are aware of UD or is it still a brand with not
much recognition
3) Have you used any Urban Decay products? If yes, please give details
The author wanted to see which products were the most popular, if consumers bought the
bold colored palettes they’re famous for or the nude, natural shades
4) If no, then would you or why wouldn't you?
The author would like to see if consumers would be willing to try the products of the
company or if they wouldn’t then what was stopping them eg price, colors?
5) If you did buy any UD products then how did you?
The author wanted to see which method is more favorable – online or in store
6) How would you rate your experience of purchasing the products?
The author wanted to see whether consumers were happy with their purchases whether
due to customer service or the ease of the website use
7) How much would you spend a year on UD products?
The author wanted to see how frequent consumers would buy UD products which can be
seen in the amount they spend in a year
8) Do you think prices of products are reasonable?
Some consumers think from personal experience prices are too expensive yet others think
the prices are perfect for the quality of the products. The author wanted a better idea from
a bigger group of their opinion

______________________________________________________________________
Page 43
9) UD are strictly against animal cruelty and are vegan friendly, did this affect
your opinion of the brand?
The author wanted to see if this influenced consumer buying, if it makes a difference to a
big group of people or just a few selection

______________________________________________________________________
Page 44
15) SAMPLING / RE-CODING /
VALIDITY
Sampling
The author received a total of 29 responses, majority from the right category early
twenties plus who are aware of UD but the author was also curious of those who didn’t
hear or use UD products before. The author also wanted to find out if consumers cared if
UD were cruelty friendly or not. A few males had answered the survey too. Majority of
the surveyors had used a good amount of UD products.

______________________________________________________________________
Page 45
Re-Coding
1 – Extremely enjoyable
5 – Extremely disappointing
28% - 8 people were happy
with their experience, 21 %
were neutral and 1 person –
3% was unhappy with the
experience.
The results show that majority of consumers were happy with their experiences

______________________________________________________________________
Page 46
Validity
The author specifically asked for
girls only to answer the questions
as there is a very minor number
of guys who have worn makeup.
Majority of the authors’ friends
are early and mid-twenties and
majority of them would have
used or heard of UD products
therefore they were the perfect
people to be surveyed for
answers.
16) PILOT TESTING
The first mistake that was made by the author was making the survey on a word
document which was then going to be printed and handed out to the various different
types of people.
Then when Google Forms was introduced, the questionnaire was then online which easier
to use also it can be sent online via email otherwise shared online on Facebook, this way
time was efficiently managed.
By pilot testing the author also realised when sharing the survey was shared on Facebook
it stated for girls only as the author didn’t want to waste the time of guys, but later as
more research was carried out, it was visible that some men have actually used UD
products too.
Another mistake that had been formed was that there was only nine questions on the
survey when there should have been ten, this was discovered after a long period of time.
There also were some spelling mistakes, minor but still there was such as in question four
it should be “if not” instead of “if no”
Pilot testing is crucial as minor mistakes can be ratified but this was a mistake that the
author had made by not doing so.

______________________________________________________________________
Page 47
17) OTHER RESEARCH
Focus group questions.
1) Have you ever purchased UD products? Which products have you bought?
2) If no, what would persuade you to purchase the products?
3) Why did you purchase these products? Because of the brand, product design,
reviews, peer pressure, price?
4) Have you bought the products online or in store? What was your impression of
the store/site, ease of use, customer service etc?
5) When the new products such as Naked 3 or Naked on the Run or Vice 3 Palette
were launched, were you excited about the launch? Did you want to or actually
purchase the new products by pre ordering or when they were launched?
6) What makes you keep coming back to the brand? How do they retain you as a
consumer?
7) What is your overall opinion of the brand?
The focus group was conducted with 10 girls and guys, to ask them simple questions
about UD just to get some feedback. The results were video recorded.
Focus group of 10 people
A guy’s opinion of UD
22 Year old girl’s opinion of UD
Another question, while conducting research many people asked the author why the
products are called Naked? The author researched intensely but with no luck could find
the answer to it.

______________________________________________________________________
Page 48
18) CONCLUSION
In conclusion, Urban Decay are a very recent enough company, they formed roughly 20
years ago. UD themselves thought there was a change needed in the industry, they
wanted something different for themselves but also knew there were girls out there who
wanted the same. They went on a venture to be the most unique brand, for Urban Decay
to be the cool brand for girls that wanted to be different. They set up their company to
give consumers what they wanted that’s why the company is as big as it is today. By
being the first brand, taking the risk to use bright colours such as purples and blues,
Urban Decay became leaders in the makeup industry. Now other brands have started
using these colours, its not weird now if a girl wants green shadow and Urban Decay isn’t
a weird name anymore. Their slogan Beauty with an edge describes the brand so well
They have built a strong name in the industry by giving consumers what they want from
the start.
The products that UD produce are high quality, luxury products that are worth the money
that is spent on them. Once someone buys one UD product, they are lured in by the
quality of the products and they want more. As UD say, it’s a Cult with UDers.
They have a variety of products for all tastes such as the Electric Palette for bold daring
consumers but then they have the Naked range eye shadow palettes that appeal to nearly
everyone as they have a variety of different colours, from nude shades to shimmery
colours and browns and blacks for the perfect smokey eye. The eye shadow primer potion
is the winner out of all the Urban Decay products hands down, even if a consumer isn’t
fond of the eye shadows or lipsticks of UD they will definitely be a fan of the primer. It is
the best in the whole industry, they are infamous for it.
The products are made for women who have a passion for colour and edginess but at the
same time for women who have busy lifestyles such as mums who need makeup that will
last all day long. The target audience has been extended out from college girls to older
women up to their sixties as they have a whole new range of anti-aging products such as
the primer and Naked foundations and concealers so the customer age group is widened.
UD have seen great success before the launches of their products such as the Naked
palettes all three being sold out on the launch dates and the Vice 3 was only limited
edition in Ireland so was sold out within days.
Urban Decay have built a connection with consumers, giving consumers a sense of
belonging by listening to their wants and needs. Urban Decay sacrificed huge amounts of
revenue to keep their current their customers who built them up to remain loyal and
happy. Urban Decay don’t advertise on television or like other brands, for them word of
mouth and customer recommendations are extremely important so keeping customers
happy is a top priority and this is what has helped them succeed. Therefore reputation is
very important.
Customer feedback is very important for these reasons therefore they frequently will ask
consumers what needs to be changed or are they satisfied or unsatisfied but asking
indirectly.

______________________________________________________________________
Page 49
When in 2012, L’Oreal acquired Urban Decay, loyal consumers became extremely
worried as L’Oreal are well known for animal cruelty and testing. Consumers thought
they have lost a luxury brand that doesn’t test on animals. UD had thoughts about selling
in China but since legally each product has to be tested on animals they were unsure. By
selling there, it would mean the company can expand rapidly and become bigger as the
market there would be huge. Because of all protests especially online on social media,
UD refused the deal.
Consumers who are against animal cruelty let a sigh of relief out, they would have lost a
high quality brand. But all is not lost, UD regained their PETA status again and continued
to do what they believe in, “we don’t test on animals, how could anyone?”
80% of UD products are vegan which gives them an advantage in comparison to their
competitors in the luxury makeup section.
In conclusion, Urban Decay are a brand that is infamous today. They have built their
name in the luxury makeup industry for taking a risk and doing what they are passionate
about while continuing to always put consumer wants first. They have expanded
dramatically across the world with hundreds of outlets worldwide and will continue on
expanding.
A snip from the UD website

______________________________________________________________________
Page 50
19) THINK OUTSIDE BOX
The author got her nails done with the
UD logo and abstract designs that
represent the brand
Author created Mind Mup

______________________________________________________________________
Page 51
UD should create their own app for easy shopping. Created by author using Creately
In the app UD could add videos, tutorials and news about the company as well as new
products being launched

______________________________________________________________________
Page 52
20) EXTRA
Questionnaire was posted on authors personal Facebook to be completed by friends and
also asked Urban Decay if survey could be posted on their wall, but they rejected the
request.

______________________________________________________________________
Page 53
The author had contacted Debenhams, Henry street, Dublin via email and phone to try
organise an interview with an UD staff member or the manager, who was advised to just
walk into store and ask in person.
Upon arrival, firstly the author observed the store and staff as a mystery shopper. Many
consumers came to the store, some just to look at products then some who were curious
about the products. Within half an hour they had three sales, all three women of different
ages ranging from 20-40 as an estimate. The staff went to each customer they had seen
around the products whether they needed help or guidance and to remind clients they are
there to help. The author had gone on a weekday so the store was quiet, there was another
girl a bit further from the store who to passing consumers, offered them to try the new
mascara Pervision. The staff were extremely friendly and professional. A major
observation that was made was that the UD staff can have bright bold makeup and nose
piercings whereas the girls working for Benefit Cosmetics had natural makeup and no

______________________________________________________________________
Page 54
piercings demonstrating that the staff represent UD as a brand very well like it is
recognised for.
After observing, the author then pretended to see the new Naked on the Run, as if didn’t
know much about it. The staff were very helpful explaining each product within it and
why it’s the best thing to buy, purchase was made by card and took less than 2 minutes
costing €44 in total. Also because on the weekdays, the store is quiet so they gave a
voucher for a free makeover for any date of clients’ choice.
Naked on the Run Purchased by the Author
After the purchase, the author informed the staff why she had come and asked could she
interview a staff member. The author wasn’t allowed to record the interview, they refused
permission, so the author noted the answers down as displayed below.

______________________________________________________________________
Page 55
Interview questions and answers for UD Staff - Sharon
Wednesday 1pm 28th Jan, Debenhams Henry Street, Dublin
1. What fascinated you to work in this field or for Urban Decay?
I was a beauty therapist previously, then did a makeup course. Always personally loved
UD and all the products
2. In store, do you run special promotions/offers/gifts to attract more customers or
promote sales? Does this persuade customers to buy more?
On quiet days, such as today we do mini makeovers which are normally €20 and for each
purchase made a free full makeover
3. Before purchasing a product are customers aware of what they want ie done
research of the product, or more of walk in random customers?
There’s a mix, some know exactly what they want some have no idea so need help
4. UD are strictly against animal testing and have various vegan products, does this
affect consumers thinking and sales? Are many customers even aware?
A lot of customers are aware, they buy products because of this reason. 80% of our
products are vegan too.
5. In 2012, L'Oreal bought UD did this affect sales?
No not really because many consumers even not still aren’t aware. L’Oreal opened up
more opportunities for UD therefore was good, now can become bigger and better
6. Do customers go for the bold signature palettes or the nude/natural tone naked
palettes? Which products are most popular in Dublin?
There’s a mix, some specifically come for the bold colours- Electric Palette or some just
love naturals like the Naked Basics or Naked2 or Naked3. Some clients need convincing,
will demonstrate looks for bright colours to convince them to buy them.
7. Which age group buy the most UD products?
In the past, mainly college students. But today there’s many older women even up to 70,
because there’s a huge variety of anti-aging products. Loads of women aged 30-40 are
frequent clients who love the foundation or the Basics palette.
8. In relation to psychology of buying, when a new product is released like Naked
on the Run or Vice 3, was there big queueing or pre bookings? Do products
become sold out in short periods of time?
Naked palettes were extremely successful, demand was so high we couldn’t put them
away as it’d be unfair to hold them while demand was sky high. All Naked palettes sold
out extremely fast, Naked on the Run didn’t sell as quick though
9. Do UD advertise in Ireland? What form of marketing do they use on a national
level?
They use Facebook, Instagram and in Ireland go on shows like Xposé for the launch of
Naked on the run and also for beauty tips and tutorials to promote within Ireland. Famous
Irish bloggers such as So Sue Me and Love by Debs always promote and give good
reviews of UD products
10. Did Debenhams approach UD or did UD approach them?
I’m not too sure but I don’t think I can say anyways.

Urban decay - Rida

Empfohlen

Empfohlen

Weitere ähnliche Inhalte

Andere mochten auch

Andere mochten auch (20)

Ähnlich wie Urban decay - Rida

Ähnlich wie Urban decay - Rida (20)

Urban decay - Rida