Thursday, October 24, 2019
Burtââ¬â¢s Beeââ¬â¢s: Leaving the Hive
Burtââ¬â¢s Beeââ¬â¢s: Leaving the Hive 01-26-2013 Burtââ¬â¢s Beeââ¬â¢s is committed to providing the best products for its consumers by ensuring they are 100% natural and produced in environmentally friendly conditions. I believe it is possible for the company to become the ââ¬Å"Starbucks of personal careâ⬠without foregoing the initial values established by Roxanne Quimby. Roxanneââ¬â¢s original vision was making Burtââ¬â¢s bees a big brand, not an exclusive brand, and so moving into the mass market sector is in-keeping with this idea.Arguably, moving away from a specialty and health product, to a mass market brand is risky and results in specialty stores pulling back and reducing shelf space. However, the company today is very loyal and focused on their core values. They insist on only developing products that serve an explicit healthful purpose. They delayed launching the shampoo, for example, because they wanted to create a natural, cleaner shampoo that a lso lathered, to meet customer needs.The company pursued products other firms didnââ¬â¢t, like carrot lotion, adding to Burtââ¬â¢s authenticity. As well as this, they make all their packaging from recycled materials and encourage customers to reuse or recycle shampoo bottles for example. I believe that if they keep this up, they can definitely become the ââ¬Å"Starbucks on personal careâ⬠without foregoing the values and narratives that made the brand successful. In my opinion this model is replicable. All Burtââ¬â¢s Beeââ¬â¢s is trying to do is whatââ¬â¢s best for consumers and the environment.No matter how big the brand gets, no matter how much profits increase by, the firm in question should try follow in Burtââ¬â¢s Beeââ¬â¢s footsteps, and continue focusing on their core competencies and outsourcing tasks where they are not as efficient. In Burtââ¬â¢s Beeââ¬â¢s case, by fully disclosing ingredients, they promote transparency; by not testing their products on animals they communicate their values to the consumer; finally, by striving to use 100% natural ingredients in each of their products, they are upholding the firmââ¬â¢s original values.The model is easy to replicate as long as the firm is committed and loyal to the core values. I think Burtââ¬â¢s Beeââ¬â¢s have done a very good job so far. Seeing as packaging is not their core competency, they outsourced it to contractors thus minimizing waste and boosting efficiency. Herbs used in their products can be used for bio-fuel and are actually used by the employees as substitute fuel. All packaging is made from recycled materials and they encourage customers to reuse or recycle shampoo bottles.In addition to this they have shortened their supply chain by selling directly to all of their accounts. By cutting out the middle channel of distribution, they effectively reduced Burtââ¬â¢s Beeââ¬â¢s carbon footprint and saved money at the same time making them more env ironmentally and economically sustainable. The risks involved with this acquisition are many. As stated in the article, Clorox plans to turn Burtââ¬â¢s Bees into a mainstream American brand sold in big-box stores like Wal-Mart.Already, the move from specialty health stores, to Walgreens and CVS has had an impact on Burtââ¬â¢s Beeââ¬â¢s shelf space in these smaller specialty stores. The risk is that if they move to the other extreme, they may no longer be viewed as the quirky authentic firm that was initially established. The link to Clorox alone will bring Burtââ¬â¢s Beeââ¬â¢s under a lot of scrutiny, given the fact that they aim to provide the best and most natural products for their customers, and the consumer perception of Clorox is the total opposite. However, there are also a lot of opportunities Burtââ¬â¢s Beeââ¬â¢s will gain from this.With Cloroxââ¬â¢s help, they can really strive to be a national brand, and increase their already growing market share in natural personal care. The resources Clorox will provide will boost advertising spending and increase the firmââ¬â¢s power when negotiating with suppliers and retailers. In addition to this, as the competition in the industry grows, having Cloroxââ¬â¢s funds and support will go a long way for Burtââ¬â¢s Beeââ¬â¢s. And with Cloroxââ¬â¢s Green Works initiative, the publicââ¬â¢s perception may improve and so loyal customers will remain loyal.
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