Competitive analyses

I have a lot of faith in OPI and I can say I am a loyal customer; the paint on the brush doesn’t come off thick and when you put it on your nail it goes on smooth. I do admit that somewhere out there will be a product that will beat out OPI but so far I can only think of one; Essie is one of the biggest brands that is in trend (behind OPI of course). “Most smart creatives do some digging themselves. The Internet, of course, has made information more accessible than ever. Develop an understanding of how best to conduct research, specifically where to look for and gather information.” (Pg 16) Going to both websites and asking people around is a good idea however, I am lucky to have access to both products.  As a person who tested both brands I can say that both OPI and Essie do have a lot in common but both are different in many ways.

From a consumer point of view OPI is easier to find in the store; for example when going to a drug store or a local market OPI has its own section. Is also color coded and with their new collections they do set that apart from the normal colors that a consumer would usually see. Essie is also the same way; but I do believe that since they have their typography in white they draw in more attention.  Black is a typical color that is seen in my opinion, you can see it some products. “A critical component is learning about the audience—the targeted, specified group of people at whom you are aiming your message, design, and solution.” (pg 16)  I’m not saying that you don’t see white either, but if we pay attention to font as well you can see that Essie is more youthful bringing. Times new roman can be classy and you can take it seriously but it’s played out just like Arial font. I admit Essie caught my attention because of that, it’s youthful and its girly and the colors were softer looking and not so mature when I became acquainted for the brand, so I took a chance and tried it out.

I was a bit apprehensive at first being so used to one brand and trying something new is like dipping your feet in to what you think is a warm pool but in all reality its freezing cold. But when I tried the paint was a little watery but true to its color. OPI often has its troubles with color change especially when it comes to their crackle nail polish. However they have improved on that, I feel that Essie got it in one shot and didn’t have to reformulate again. That’s a wonderful aspect to look at when you’re picking nail polish, in my experience the thicker the paint the longer you have to wait. “In an overcrowded, competitive marketplace, relevant and engaging branding can ensure efficacy for a quality product, service, group, individual, or commodity. Not only does branding identify and distinguish, it builds equity (the value of the brand or group).” (pg.49) A lot of girls who do their own nails are always on the go and often don’t have time to go to the salon so they do it themselves. However if they’re so used to doing a lot of activities in a fast pace motion they might have a problem when it comes to dry time. The back fire to it all my nail color didn’t seem to last that long when I used Essie I was a little upset because the color I used was a pastel color, and to get the right consistency of a color so light is hard to obtain on such a small canvas. I’m a pretty active person I take care of my niece and nephew often and when my niece saw the paint chipping she looked at me and said “not pretty”.  If a 3 and a half year old girl can notice small detail then so can someone who is in their adulthood.

Although they are a bit consistent in color, the paint is way too thin. Especially for the price that a consumer is paying for; Essie bottles cost around eight dollars (this is with tax) and it’s a bit hard for me to cope with that when the economy is down. And even if their bottle has a cute box shape as well as cute typography is it really worth the eight dollars I’m going to spend. Every consumer should always think about the saying “you get what you pay for” when you go shopping. I can openly say that at times Essie will be worth it, but for longevity of the paint, design and price OPI is a brand you can rely on. 

Essie is a fairly new brand that’s developing its name as well as brand loyalty. But with OPI’s smooth opaque paint it will be hard to beat. OPI is known to deliver wonderful long lasting colors that are bold enough to be seen from far away. It will probably take a few years for any brand to catch up to such a brand as this one. A completive nail polish company needs to work twice as hard and be twice as creative as OPI to achieve equal success.