Aug 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Patricia Odell

Skin care brand Dermalogica takes its first step into promotion

Face mapping is not likely a term widely understood by the greater American population.

But if Dermalogica has its way, it will be one day.

Dermalogica is a high-end skin care system pushed by professional skin therapists to women and men soaking up the pampering atmosphere at salons, spas and skin treatment centers around the U.S.

The company has grown since its founding in 1986 to a reported $100 million-plus company. Not, however, by one penny spent on traditional advertising, but through the hard work of its sales force and word-of-mouth.

But that is now changing, with promotion taking top billing.

In partnership with BeCore Promotions, the company's U.S. event marketing agency, Dermalogica purchased an Airstream travel trailer and rebuilt it to resemble an upscale salon that is now out on the road making stops across the country.

Here's where the face mapping comes in. That's a five-minute analysis by a professional skin therapist of 14 different zones of the face and neck followed by a recommendation for proper skin care and a suggested regimen using Dermalogica products. The therapists are from the International Dermal Institute, the education company that developed Dermalogica.

“It's not something you're going to get at a department store,” says Lisa Kovner, hired in April as the firm's first U.S. director of consumer marketing.

Visitors to the tour, called “Know Your Zone,” get a free face mapping analysis; three free travel size products: a cleanser, toner and moisturizer; and a $10-off coupon that can be used at any of the 7,000 locations where the products are sold in the U.S.

“We know it's a powerful education and marketing tool,” Kovner says. “We wanted to help consumers understand that when it comes to skin care, it's more than going to the drug store and picking up whatever you saw in the last ad. There is science behind it and education needed to get the results you want.”

On the tour, people can also get a 20-minute treatment including flash exfoliations, black head extractions and eye revitalizations.

“This is their first coming out and that puts an emphasis on making sure we are conveying the right message,” says Mark Billik, the CEO of Becore Promotions.

The first leg of the tour began this spring in California, making six stops over 23 days on a $260,000 budget in locations such as colleges, malls and other high-traffic areas. After two stops, the company was 49.7% ahead of the goals set, including the number of people who could be face mapped in one hour and the estimated foot traffic. The most productive single day recorded 222 face mappings. Coupon redemption, which has a long lead-time for redemption, Dec. 31, showed strong early results, pulling a 2.5% response.

To promote the tour, brand reps zoom around the nearby area on Vespa Scooters outfitted with messaging boards. Scooter Media provided the Vespas.

The West Coast tour ends Sept. 1, and marks the beginning of the second leg, which expands to new markets including Scottsdale, AZ, Phoenix, Miami and locations in Texas.

“So this is really just the beginning for us,” Kovner says.

Men, to whom Dermalogica recently began catering with the introduction in March of an eight-item line of shave and post-shave products called the Shave Collection, made a strong showing. They represented 26% of those face mapped at one location, and 20% at another. Men receive travel size samples of shave products and a $10 coupon.

“People would assume that this is mostly about women, but nothing could be further from the truth,” Kovner says.

At the Web site, www.dermalogica.com, people can use a face-mapping tool and check out the products. Privately held Dermalogica, created in 1986, is distributed in 48 countries.

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