Web Analytic Companies

The first company that I researched was Coremetrics. I searched for the best analytic companies and this company came up on multiple sites. Coremetrics is known for their customer service. They maintain a relationship even after you buy the program. They customize and modify your data to meet your needs. They over hundreds of tools and features to improve the quality of data from your site. They offer industry benchmarking so you know where you stand with your competitors. They also offer impression monitoring which counts how many times a visitor saw an ad before clicking on it. Unlike Omniture, which I will speak of next, they offer a seventh generation paid search optimization instead of second generation.

The second company I researched was Omniture Site Catalyst 14. They track visitors using mobile browsers,video monitoring capabilities and monitor social networks for mention of your products. They have clients such as CBS, Pepsi, CNN, and GM which have given great positive feedback about the company. Since social networking sites are so popular and continue to rise, it is important to track activity. They track apps on them and what people are talking about your product. Video tracking is also important, which they do as well.

The third company I researched was WebTrends 9. Clients are McAfee Security,ShopNBC.com, and Virgin Atlantic. They are known to look at what competitors are missing and act on it so they offer it before their competitors. Recently they added social media analytics. They offer such things as social measurement and visitor intelligence. They offer report stat intervals so you know exactly when and what exactly your visitors were doing. They offer free educational guides and referrals. They do not offer free versions of their products.

After researching the companies, They were the three most popular I searched. All having great client lists, and offerings, they do differ. If you are big on social media and social networking and videos, I would recommend Omniture. Coremetrics seems to me like the top dog. With their high level of customer service and the higher level of search optimization, I would go to them first.

5 OF MY FAVORITE COSMETIC COMPANIES

I did a case study on 5 cosmetic companies. I did this to get an understanding of how they market themselves.

The first company I chose was Makeup Forever. Dany Sanz created the line of makeup for makeup artists and their needs. This is a prestige line and is available to purchase at Sephora retailers or on their website http://www.sephora.com/browse/brand_hierarchy.jhtml?brandId=402 .

They have a website

http://www.makeupforever.com/brand/dany-sanz.html,9,4,0,0,0

as well as a Twitter page at

http://twitter.com/#!/makeupforeverus

They are on Tumblr at

http://makeupforeverusa.tumblr.com/

They also have a facebook page http://www.facebook.com/makeupforeverofficial

Makeup Forever does not advertise in magazines or on television. Sephora however does send out an email with featured products from time to time that are available in their store or online. I think they could have more independent locations and advertise more to get more brand awareness.

The next company I researched was Loreal. This beauty line offers everything from hair care to cosmetics. They are sold at drugstores such as Walgreens, CVS and retailers such as Walmart and Target. They are featured in numerous magazines such as Seventeen, InStyle, US Weekly, and Cosmopolitan. They are also hitting customers on television with commercials featuring celebrities. They have a great informative website,http://www.loreal.com/dispatch.aspx? as well as a facebook page,http://www.facebook.com/lorealparis and twitter page http://twitter.com/#!/LOrealParisUSA. The company also sponsored a YouTube Channel, http://www.youtube.com/destinationbeauty that gives viewers tutorials and suggestions/tips. This is a great way to reach customers. I think Loreal is the most recognizable brand over all the ones I studied. Whether someone is flipping through a magazine, watching television or at the drugstore, they are sure to see some sort of advertisement from the company.

The third company I studied was NARS. Nars was created by Francois' Nars. He created a professional artistry line. NARS is sold at department stores such as Macy's, Bloomingdales and Barneys. They have cosmetic counters in the stores with talented beauty advisors. The line is also sold at beauty retailer Sephora. The products are mentioned in beauty magazines when editors write about featured products they like or when a celebrity makeup artist uses the products on a shoot. Here is an example of NARS being featured in InStyle Magazine http://www.instyle.com/instyle/best-beauty-buys/product/0,,20358459,00.html. The brand does not advertise on television or does not have advertising in magazines. They have a facebook page,http://www.facebook.com/narscosmetics and you can shop and get information on the brand on Sephora's website athttp://www.sephora.com/browse/brand_hierarchy.jhtml?brandId=3976&om_mmc=esv103264-GG&om_kwpur=332163729&ppc_crid=7483473737&sbanner=us_search&esvcid=S1320780517_ADOGOB_AGI3733660_CRE7483473737_TID332163729_RFDd3d3Lmdvb2dsZS5jb20%3d

You can also follow the brand on Twitter and receive updates, tips, and product info at http://twitter.com/#!/NARSissist. They could have more brand awareness I think. They do however get a lot of plugs from celebrity makeup artists and celebrities that use the products on television shows and blogs.

The fourth company I chose was MAC cosmetics. This line consists of professional makeup artist quality cosmetics. This is a high quality line that has the most brand awareness. They have a great website,http://www.maccosmetics.com/index.tmpl that gives you information, pricing, and new featured products. MAC is always coming out with limited edition products and themes. They have independent stores all over the world. They also sell in department stores such as Macy's, Bloomingdales, and Nordstroms. They get celebrities involved in their campaigns such as Lady Gaga and have these advertisements in fashion and beauty magazines. One recent advertisement is in New York Magazine for their featured product, http://nymag.com/daily/fashion/2011/10/miss_piggy_for_mac.html. This popular line also gets featured in many blogs and by plugs from entertainment networks on television. I think they could open up more independent stores in certain areas such as Minnesota where they only have a couple. They do have a great YouTube channel that showcases professional artist work, tutorials, and tips. You can view their channel here,http://www.youtube.com/user/MACcosmetics. I think people that shop the brand know that they are getting high quality at a good price and also feel they are purchasing prestige products.

The last company I chose was Laura Mercier. This line is a prestige line sold at Department stores such as Barney's, and Neiman Marcus Bloomingdales. This line is also sold at beauty retailer Sephora. I think this is the least recognizable line that I studied. There is a great website that shows products, techniques and new looks at http://www.lauramercier.com/store/home.jsp?cm_mmc=Google-_-LM%20-%20Brand-_-Exact-_-laura%20mercier&gclid=CJnlu7Hnp6wCFcp65QodgTO62A. You can also shop the brand online at http://www.sephora.com/browse/brand_hierarchy.jhtml?brandId=5809&om_mmc=esv104035-GG&om_kwpur=105950777&ppc_crid=6140109497&sbanner=us_search. Laura was featured on Oprah's website giving tips at http://www.oprah.com/style/Bobbi-Brown-Laura-Mercier-and-Imans-Beauty-Secrets/2. We all know if you are mentioned on Oprah's show, website or magazine that it is good advertising! This line could use more marketing in magazines and on more beauty websites. They are great products and some are my personal favorite.

The signage used for all these companies in store are similar. They may have a few pictures but mostly have a few signs just saying the brand name.

All these cosmetic lines are great quality and serve different purposes. Some more expensive and some more available. But all in all there name is out there and people are buying them. If you are a beauty junkie like me, you will try all of them!!