Shopping at Drug Stores for Beauty Products Increases

Orlando, FL – Cosmetic Promotions, Inc – a marketing company specializing in promotions for the Mass Beauty industry, just released the results of a survey conducted with over 1500 women on their beauty shopping habits.

Almost half (48%) of the respondents said that when shopping for cosmetics, PRICE was the most important factor to them. That was followed by SELECTION (33%), BEING ABLE TO TRY IT (13%) and SERVICE was in last place at 6%. When asked where they shopped for cosmetics 69% said DRUG STORE, only 16% said DEPARTMENT STORE, followed with 11% OTHER and only 4% replied FOOD store.

Compared to the same survey conducted in 2008, SHOPPING BY PRICE increased by 17% and SHOPPING AT DRUG STORES increased by almost 5% — a trend that is expected to rise due to the economy.

These events will be running every weekend through July 2009 from 11am-5pm at the Walgreens located at the southeast corner of Sands Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard inside the resort complex.

L’Oreal & Coppertone

• Loreal: FREE Tru Match Makeovers and FREE Skin Genesis Sample
• Coppertone: FREE Beach Bag with any purchase

May 8th
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Neutrogena, Roc and Aveeno

• Neutrogena – FREE makeovers May 9th on Neutrogena Mineral Sheers Foundation, Neutrogena Nourishing Eye Quad and Neutrogena Nourishing Eye Liner
• RoC and Aveeno – FREE demonstrations on skincare items

May 15th
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Glam Camp Program is a hit at Teen Community Events

Harrisburg, PA RITE AID stores, working with Cosmetic Promotions Inc, a national beauty marketing and promotion firm, attract Teen shoppers to their stores by attending various Teen events around the Nation. For the 2^nd year, CPI sends attractive young models along with high-value giveaways to targeted events happening in 5 of RITE AID’s strongest markets that match up with a high teen population. The giveaway is a custom designed “Glam Camp” duffle bag that contains 12 beauty product samples and coupons from RITE AID’s vendors such as Jergens Natural Glow, Jesse’s Girl Eye Dust, Clearasil Daily Face Wash,  Colgate Max Fresh Toothpaste,  John Frieda Clear Glaze,  Hawaiian Tropic Oil Free Faces, Maybelline Volume Seduction Lip, Wet n Wild Lip Gloss, Ban Solid Deodorant, Got2Be Smooth Operator Hairspray, Yes to Carrots Sample, Playtex Gentle Glide Slender Tampons and a Seventeen Magazine Subscription Card. The Glam Camp bags are also a gift themselves as they are a pink and black small duffle bag with a hip logo that can be re-used for school, events, or hobbies.

RITE AID Glam Camp was excited to be involved in this year’s 94.5 WPST Prom Expo which happened on March 22^nd in Hamilton, NJ.  The 1^st 500 event attendees to arrive received the FREE Glam Camp Bag valued at over $25. The event was promoted heavily in advance on the radio as well as on the PST website.  There was a “Pimp your Prom” contest which offered PST listeners a chance to win a complete prom package for 5 couples including limousine, dresses, tuxedos, make-over and spa services! In addition to the contest, vendors and sponsors had the opportunity to showcase their business, products and services. The Expo PST’s Totally Interactive Night Show host, Shinn, hosted the event. “Even though we didn’t win the ‘Pimp my Prom’ we loved the Rite Aid goody bag” said one attendee; “There is such great stuff in here. I will use all of these; especially the Jergen’s bronzing lotion.”

Another popular event is the annual US Spirit Cheerleading Event held in Columbus, Ohio this past March which had a target audience of teen girls 15-to 19 yrs of age. The Glam Camp bags were handed out over the three days of competition to 1500 attendees. The RITE AID message was promoted via banners at the event to over 3500 participants and almost 8000 spectators.  The event coordinators  felt the free Glam Bags were a big success and perfect fit for the event’s participants and look forward to having RITE AID there again next year.

“Thank you so much for allowing US Spirit the opportunity to work with you in distributing the free Glam Bags to our cheerleaders. The girls absolutely loved receiving the Glam Bags and the moms liked the idea that it wasn’t the usual “junk” but rather items the girls need and will put to good use”, gushed Jen Schenck, US Spirit Coordinator “Each day, the free Glam Bags added much enthusiasm to our already excited cheerleaders. We knew the Glam Bags would be a treat for them, but the wonderful response far surpassed anything we had anticipated!”

The Glam Camp program has been very successful for RITE AID and their vendors. One vendor’s website hits went up 244% after the first bag distribution and continues to grow with each event. “I can always tell when the bags have been distributed” says Jesse Lawrence of Jesse’s Girl, an exclusive RITE AID brand of cosmetics; “because I get so much web traffic the next few days”. Other Glam Camp programs include Back to School Makeovers in 200 stores and a tie in with Seventeen Magazine featuring 8 vendors. All programs are completely coordinated and executed by Cosmetic Promotions Inc. The company secures the vendors, the bags and all the venues for distribution.

Cosmetic Promotions, a National marketing and promotion company, completed a 6 month customer response survey on in-store demonstrations. The survey was conducted during several events in various retailers between 4^th Quarter 2008 and 1^st quarter 2009.

Of the almost 3000 people surveyed,

• 60% had never tried any of the products demonstrated before
• 35% intended to purchase immediately based on the demonstration, another 56% intended to purchase later (less than 9% had no purchase intent)
• 96% would like more of the same event at that store

The age group breakdown was as follows:

• 25% – under 25
• 44% – 25-50
• 31% – over 50

The events are usually conducted by a professional makeup artist and features brands such as Cover Girl, Wet n Wild and Neutrogena in mass drug, food or merchandiser stores.  Markwins Company hired Cosmetic Promotions to do over 500 in-store events during this period on their Wet n Wild and Black Radiance brands and to introduce their new Beauty Benefits Brand. At a recent Beauty Benefits event, sales average 3 pieces per hour with a closure rate of 150%. The closure rate is figured by dividing the number of sales by the number of makeovers performed. 82% if the customers had never tried or heard of the brand prior to the event and the company is happy with the results.

At a recent Neutrogena Cosmetic event held in Meijer’s stores, sales were almost 6 pieces per hour with a 277% closure rate. Of the 67% who had never tried Neutrogena, more than 2/3rds made a purchase during the event.

To further encourage customers to stop and participate, these events usually include a drawing for a Beauty Basket. Customers can also opt in to be notified of future events by checking that box on the entry forms, so these events also provide a valuable mailing list for the customer. In addition, the makeup artists take time to train the store associates on the brands so sales continue even after the event is over.

For more information on how you can benefit from such an event, contact Kristin Bocox with the CosPro Agency at 877-326-7776 or kristin@cosmeticpromotions.com.

Having fun in the Walgreen’s beauty department is not just restricted to us non-celebrities. Popular daytime talk show host Bonnie Hunt devoted an entire segment of her show to her love of shopping at Walgreens for her cosmetics. “You know that I talk about going to Walgreens all the time to get my makeup…And I’ve been doing that since I was a teenager…And I still go there, I still get my CoverGirl and stuff”.

On the show she took her friend Holly with her flip video so she could see how fun it was to shop at Walgreens, and they happened to go on their Saturdate weekend, which is a Saturday that Walgreens devotes every month to beauty. Beauty advisors teach customers about products and treat them to samples and coupons. The video was hilarious and Sally, the Walgreens beauty advisor on duty good naturedly entertained all of their questions.

At that same store (and 200 other top Walgreen’s stores), there is going to be a big event for Coty Fragrances in celebration of Mother’s Day. On May 9^th and 23^rd  a demonstrator will be there distributing samples and spritzing customers with the new Halle Berry Fragrance as well as Celine, and Nautica Bermuda Blue. Customers can sign up to win a great Fragrance Basket at each store and there is also a gift with purchase opportunity. Customers  can also enter to win a $50 Walgreens gift card from the Bonnie Hunt Show at http://www.bonniehunt.com/walgreens/.

This article was written by Kristen Jason at Cosmetic Promotions. For more information on Cosmetic Promotions, please check out their website www.cosproagency.com or contact Kristen direct at kcopeland@cosmeticpromotions.com.

Listening may seem like the easiest part of the sales call, however, this is the part where most sales people go wrong. Customers do not have the time or the patience these days to listen to sales pitch monologues blindly listing ALL of the benefits of a product or service. Instead, they are seeking solutions to problems they may have. It is up to you to get a conversation flowing, LISTEN to what they need, THEN to tell them how your product or service fills that need.

It’s been proven that people think faster than they listen. While a customer is talking at an average rate of 125 words a minute, the average salesperson is thinking at a much faster rate. Often we are thinking about what we will say and can miss completely what the customer is actually telling us. A sale can be easily lost if you miss a key point. Listening rather than talking in a sales situation is easier said than done though. Some people are born listeners; unfortunately, most of us are not. However, with some practice and patience, you can improve your listening skills:

•  Listening does not mean that you avoid talking at all in the conversation. Rather, it means that you take the time to absorb and understand what your customer is saying before you respond. This is how you discover the problem(s) so that you can provide a solution.

•  Questions are a vital part of listening. Don’t interrupt unnecessarily, but always ask questions to clarify things that you don’t understand completely. Again, successful sales are based on determining what a customer needs and providing solutions to these needs. Always focus your questions on moving toward a greater understanding of your customer’s needs.

•  Never interrupt the customer, even if you feel you already know what they are going to say. Most people like to talk about themselves or their company, so give customers a chance to fully express themselves. You never know – they might surprise you and say something different than you thought. Also, they should be more likely to listen to what you have to say if let them have their say first.

•  Be ready to take notes when important information comes up. There is too much information on a case by case basis to try and remember it all. Don’t be afraid to refer to these notes as the conversation continues. Accuracy and attention to detail is always appreciated and will give your customer confidence in your fulfilling their order correctly.

•  Pay attention to facial expressions and body language. If on the phone, listen closely to the tone of voice. Many times people say one thing, but are thinking another. Becoming an expert on non-verbal cues can help you to determine where to probe and where to pull back.

•  Be sincere. Just like you can learn to tell what people are saying non-verbally when you really listen, so too can those same attributes come across in your voice or expression. Be sincere when you are listening to customers and trying to help them solve their problems.

•  Periodically, restate the major points communicated by the customer. Rephrasing or summarizing what has been discussed shows that you’re listening and it also helps to make sure that you are interpreting correctly what the customer is saying.

•  Know your responses to common objections beforehand. This will allow you to listen more effectively as you will not be trying to mentally compose your response while the customer is still talking and possibly miss something important.

•  Finally, FOCUS. Do not do email, IM, or internet surfing while on the phone. Do not mentally compile lists of things to do on the way home, other calls to make or think about how behind you are while in a meeting. Many of us have more to do with less people to do it, but while with a customer – give them your full attention and they will return the courtesy.

Today’s successful salesperson is ultimately an effective problem solver. Practice your listening skills and you will quickly realize that as you strive to help your customers, you will be helping yourself and your sales as well.

This article was written by Tracie Gilbert, VP of Business Development at Cosmetic Promotions. For more information on Cosmetic Promotions, please check out their website www.cosproagency.com or contact Tracie direct at Tracie@cosmeticpromotions.com.

The RITE AID Glam Camp program delivers fun and exciting product samples straight into teens hands at local community events throughout the nation. The program is co-ordinated and executed by Cosmetic Promotions, Inc – a Florida based company that handles programs for major drug chains and retailers nationwide. They provide makeup artists and models via their CosPro Agency as well.

WPST radio station in New Jersey hosted a “Prom and Sweet 16 Expo” on March 22nd and offered their listeners a chance to win a complete prom package for 5 couples including limousine, dresses, tuxedos, make-up and spa services. It was held at the Hilton Garden Inn inHamilton, NJ. and CosPro Agency models were on hand to distribute FREE Glam Camp Sampling bags courtesy of RITE AID to the first 500 attendees who arrived at the event.

The FREE Glam Camp Bag is filled with over $25 of great beauty products and coupons! TheGlam Camp bags are also a gift themselves as they are a pink and black small duffel bag with a hip logo that can be re-used for school, events, or hobbies.

For more information on the Glam Camp Program or other targeted sampling programs, please contact Joann Tyson (joann@cosmeticpromotions.com)  or Kristin Bocox (kristin@cosmeticpromotions.com)  or by calling 888-644-9916.

The month of February has been used to recognize black history since 1926. On February 22nd of this year N2 Greek, a provider of African-American Greek paraphernalia, hosted a large scale fashion show and party stroll competition in Carson, CA at the Carson Community Center. Beautiful models from the CosPro agency passed out 2,000 RITEAID gift bags filled with Beauty products from 12:00pm to 5:00pm.

The purpose of the N2Greek Fashion Show and Party Stroll Competition was to commemorate the impact of historically black fraternities and sororities on African American history. Members of nine organizations participated in the fashion show. The sororities displayed their pride in their organization through a combination of dance and traditional stepping in the Party Stroll Competition.

The N2Greek Fashion Show and Party Stroll Competition reached thousands of college educated professionals, members of the organizations, and their families. The crowd loved the gift bags which included samples of Jergens Original Lotion, Just for Me Oil Moisturizing Lotion, Softsoap, Blue Star Ointment, Smooth ‘N Shine hair products, Soft Crème Extra Care Healing Hand Cream, Maybelline, Mane’n Tail and Fantasia hair care. Ten of the 2,000 bags also contained winning cards entitling the recipient to a $100 Rite Aid Gift Card. The bags are part of an annual RITE AID sampling program that Cosmetic Promotions facilitates for RITE AID in 10 major African American Markets. The company also has similar Hispanic and Teen Sampling programs.

Cosmetic Promotions Inc is a marketing company that is celebrating 20 years in business this year. The company specializes in target marketing programs for mass beauty brands at drug and mass retailers. This program is totally paid for by the suppliers and is completely turn-key for the chain.
For more information on how to increase sales at your chain or for your product, contact Kristin Bocox at 972-228-0074 or kristin@cosmeticpromotions.com or go to their website: www.cosproagency.com.

The RITE AID Glam Camp program delivers fun and exciting product samples straight into teens hands at local community events throughout the nation. Check out one of the wonderful events we attended below:

Rite Aid Glam Camp and CosPro Agency are proud to be involved in this year’s Mardi Gras Cheer & Dance Nationals event in the Hershey Park Arena, Hershey, PA. Teen girls from Pennsylvania, New York and Ohio come to compete in one of the largest cheerleading competitions in the East. We participated in this event last year, and the competitors loved the gift bags so much, Mardi Gras Spirit contacted us this year and said, “We want you back!” .

Mardi Gras Cheer and Dance events are fun, friendly, fair, and an unforgettable experience for the competitors. The Awards Ceremony is done “Party Gras” Style, complete with a parade and Mardi Gras beads for everyone. Cheer teams competed on Saturday, March 14th, and dance teams on Sunday, March 15th.

Rite Aid Glam Camp is an exciting promotion targeted towards 14-19 year old teenage girls. The first 1,000 girls will receive complimentary Glam Camp Bags filled with over $25 of beauty products and coupons, encouraging them to purchase all their cosmetic and personal items at Rite Aid. The Glam Camp bags are a gift themselves as they are a pink and black small duffle bag with a hip logo that girls can re-use for school, events, or hobbies.

The RITE AID Beauty The RITE Way Sampling program delivers fun and exciting product samples straight into consumers hands at local African American community events throughout the nation. Check out one of the wonderful events we attended below:

To commemorate the enormous impact that historically black fraternities and sororities have had on African American history, our present conditions, and our future, N2 Greek hosted a large scale fashion show and Party Stroll competition at the Carson Community center in Los Angeles, CA on February 22, 2009. We were onsite to hand out great sample bags as members from each of the nine organizations participated in a fashion show that displayed the current trends in the black community and Greek letter apparel worn by the sororities. The evening ended with a “Party Stroll” competition with members of each sorority coming together to display their pride in their organization through a combination of dance and traditional stepping.

With over 200 local chapters of the nine organizations in the Southern California region, the event reached thousands of college educated, professional individuals, who are members of one of the nine organizations and their families. The organizers of the event ran a great show. Overall, the crowd loved the gift bags and everyone was very grateful. We were even lucky enough to congratulate a $100 Rite Aid gift card winner!