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Product: Cottle Farms Soap

Advertising goal:

 To increase the awareness of the benefits of goat milk soap to young women and their
children, as opposed to other soap and lotion brands, to increase sales and benefit
those who suffer from dry skin.
Client: Key facts

 Cottle Farms started making goat milk soap in 2011. It is a family run company that was
created to help their daughter with her dry skin and eczema after everything else
seemed to fail. The family had a few goats and started experimenting in soap making to
see if a more natural and organic soap would make a difference in her skin ailments.
 Cottle Farms started selling to the public in 2016 to help others with similar dry skin
problems. They pride their company not only on being able to create a high-quality
product but also being able to make creative designs for their consumers.
 Our client sells a variety of soaps and lotions made from goat milk. Each of these
different types of soap have different fragrances (or are non-fragrance soaps) and have
a different design.
 While there are quite a few competitor companies that make goat milk soap, Cottle
Farms has quite a competitive edge. First, the size of the bar of soap sold by our client is
about the same as the competitor’s soap, but it is priced much more reasonably. Cottle
farms also makes their soaps more unique by adding different designs carved into the
soap.
 Designed with the consumer in mind. Cottle Farms soap seeks to give the consumer the
most natural solution to their dry skin problems. It also keeps in mind the environment
by being made will all-natural ingredients that are all biodegradable.
 Cottle Farms products are consistent with their branding. Our client has their logo
stamped into each bar of soap and has the same packaging across their soaps and
lotions. This packaging contains key information about their products so that consumers
know exactly what they are putting onto their body.
 The main goal of Cottle Farms is to create a product that feels luxurious but also truly
helps the consumer.
Product: Key Features
What is the Product?

 Goat milk soap is an excellent alternative to store brand soaps and lotions and is a
wonderful benefit to people with dry and sensitive skin. Goat milk skincare products are
even known to help with genetic conditions like eczema and psoriasis.
 Goat milk soap comes in a few different forms. First, Cottle Farms sells a traditional bar
of soap. These bars generally have added colors or have designs carved into them to
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make them more aesthetically pleasing to potential buyers. Second, Cottle Farms sells
bottles of goat milk lotion. Each of these bottles have the same packaging that
advertises what ingredients are included and what scent they are. Finally, Cottle Farms
sells a natural “lotion bar” which can be thought of as chapstick for your hands! This is a
deeper moisturizer that can be left on overnight. This lotion bar comes in a bar that
looks like a regular bar of soap, but it melts onto your hands.
 The packaging of Cottle Farms products is different across the soaps and lotions but still
have the same logo. The soaps have the company logo stamped into the design while
the lotions have them printed on the bottle. This bottle gives an email address to reach
the company, the URL for their Etsy page, and includes the ingredients on the bottle.
 This product is sold mainly on Etsy and in Farmers Markets throughout Utah.

What is the purpose of the product?

 The main purpose of Cottle Farms products it to provide consumers with a luxurious
product at an inexpensive price.
 Cottle Farms soap makes goat milk soap that helps with dry skin ailments such as
eczema and psoriasis, but it improves the skin of anyone who wants to use it.
 Goat milk soap is used as an alternative to grocery store brands for soaps and lotions.
These soaps have a variety of uses and can be used as facewash, bodywash, soap, and
even conditioner.

What is the product made of?

 Cottle Farms lotions and soaps have very few ingredients which makes sure the
consumer knows what they are using for their body. The materials of Cottle Farms soap
include goat milk, palm oil, olive oil, coconut oil, shea butter, and sodium hydroxide.
These all-natural materials ensure that the consumer gets the most natural products for
their skin.
 The packaging for the soap is a simple paper wrap. This allows the potential buyers to
see the unique designs carved onto the soaps. It also allows them to smell the soaps to
find the scents that they like the best.
Target Audience: --- underline emotional cues
Demographics and Psychographics

 The main demographics for Cottle Farms soap are young adult women, ages 18-35, who
either experience dry or sensitive skin or have children who experience this problem.
These people generally are looking for natural ways to treat their ailments.
 Because a bar of goat milk soap is about $8, the target audience for goat milk soap are
willing to pay a little more for a better and more natural product. Generally, people
associated with organic products are wealthier and have a more expensive life style.
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 Our target audience is to reach those who are seeking high quality skin care products,
but either are not current users of goat milks soap and lotions or don’t know about the
benefits of the products.
 The audience generally prefers higher quality products and are educated on the
differences between store brand quality products and more natural products. They
understand the possible side effects that come from using lesser quality products and
realize that grocery store soaps and lotions contain many fillers. Because of this
knowledge, they are more likely to purchase a slightly more expensive soap that is
better moisturizing.
 Members of Cottle Farms’ current market are the more health conscious citizens who
are more likely to shop at Farmer’s markets. They also focus on a more artsy group who
will be likely to shop online on Etsy. Because of this, Cottle Farms soap must strive to
make their products stand out to their target audience.
 Because the demographics of Cottle Farms consumers are more health conscious, they
want to know what is going on and into their bodies, which includes what goes on their
skin.
 Value is important to Cottle Farms consumers which is why they need to know what
they are paying for. If they know why it is worth the extra money, they will be willing to
pay for it.
Key facts from primary research:

 Our demographics realize that “the cheaper the product is, the more watery it is. The
cheaper the soap, the more likely it is a carrier that doesn’t contain good things for
you.”
 Using good quality soaps makes a difference, but so does using them consistently.
 It is important to actually use natural things, not just “with natural ingredients”
 Some of our demographics are people that wouldn’t seek out goat milk soap products,
but if they saw it at the store or received a sample, they would try it out and start using
it.
 If it is specifically targeting or formulated for eczema, then people are willing to pay a
little more.
 Our demographic realizes that “store brands have lots of fillers and wax added into their
products” and can appreciate a company that is dedicated to creating natural products.
Product Benefits

 Goat milk soap contains alpha hydroxy acids. These acids help break down the bonds
that hold dead skin cells together which allows the soap to remove dead skin cells from
your skin’s surface. This will leave new skin cells at the surface of your skin that are
smoother and younger looking.
 Goat milk soap also contains many natural vitamins and minerals.
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o First, it contains vitamin A. This vitamin repairs damaged skin tissue and
maintains healthy skin.
o Goat’s milk is also rich in vitamins B, C, and D. These all have wonderful healing
benefits for your skin.
 The cream that is found in goat milk makes goat milk soaps more moisturizing than
traditional soaps, which often include more water. In fact, most types of this soap
include at least 20% goat milk and the milk can even replace water in the recipes.
 Goat milk soap is good for your skin, whether it is already healthy or if it is dry and
sensitive. The unprocessed raw goat milk is good for you inside and outside your body.
 Because of how well the goat milk lathers, bars should last you at least a month.
 Each bar has many uses despite what consumers usually think about bar soap. Because
of the rich lather that comes from the goat milk, this bar soap can be used as regular
soap, face wash, body wash, and even shampoo. The goat milk also gives a richer
moisturizer in the lotion sold by Cottle Farms, as well as the lotion bar.

Direct Competitors and Brand Images

 The first competitor that I found was a company based in Bend, Oregon. This is called
Bend Soap.
o Bend soap is similar to Cottle Farms because it uses similar essential oils for a
natural fragrance. This company also believes that store brand lotions and soaps
aren’t always what they claim to be. They recognize that they can contain dyes,
harsh chemicals, alcohols, fillers, artificial fragrances, and more. Because they
understand that approximately 60% of what you put onto your skin is absorbed
into your bloodstream, this company uses only the best all-natural ingredients in
their goatmilk soap.
o Another aspect of this company that gives them a competitive edge is the
pricing. While Cottle Farms sells a 5-ounce bar for $7, Bend soap sells a 4.5-
ounce bar for only $4.95 and a travel sized bar that is $2.00 for a 1.5-ounce bar.
Because of the similar product that is sold for a lesser price, this company may
prove to be a large competitor to Cottle Farms.
 The next brand that I found was a company called Legends Creek Farm.
o This company is another similar company to Cottle Farms. They sell goat milk
soap, but their goat milk has a more subtle smell with no added fragrances.
o This company understands how important it is to have natural skin care products
that actually do what they claim to do. They learned that according to the FDA,
there are very few real soap products on the shelves in stores. This made
Legends Creek Farm want to create a soap that they can feel good about that
doesn’t use any synthetic detergent products or contain any harsh ingredients.
 The final competitor that I found online was a company called Basil wood Farm.
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o Like Cottle Farms, Basil wood’s mission is to provide affordable luxury skincare.
They agree with our client that because our skin is our largest organ and our first
line of defense, we need to treat it better and find healthier products for it.
o This company also agrees with finding the absolute best ingredients. Each of the
raw ingredients included in Basil wood’s soaps are “food grade”, meaning that
they are the best quality. Basil wood says, “We figure if it’s safe to put in your
body, it’s also safe to put on your body.”
 Each of these competing brands, while bringing other things to the table, have a very
similar mission to Cottle Farms. They seek to bring the best skin care products possible
to the consumer at a reasonable price, while informing them of the many different
benefits that goat milk soap provides to the consumer.
Indirect Competitors and Brand Images:

 There are several other brands that are recommended by dermatologists to help
combat dry and sensitive skin. These are also organic soaps and lotions, but they are not
generally made with goats’ milk.
o Honest soap- this brand provides dish soap, bar soap, hand soaps, and even hand
sanitizers. Their company’s goal is to bring “performance and peace of mind”
while having transparency with the contents of their products.
o Mrs. Meyer’s- this brand is well known for its good cleaning job, but it also is a
highly recommended brand to help those who combat sensitive skin.
o Aveeno- Aveeno is a brand that claims “Happiness never looked better” due to
their holistic health care solutions that help the user achieve more balanced skin.
They say if your skin feels good, you can’t help but feel good too.
 Each of these brands believes that the consumer should know what goes on their skin
and that it is the responsibility of the company to provide skincare products that
actually work to combat dry and sensitive skin.
 While these brands aren’t really competitors to soap made specifically from goat milk,
they all have the same purpose and same goal: to give consumers a skincare product
that they can feel good about, and one that actually helps maintain healthy skin.

References

All-Natural Goat Milk Soap. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.bendsoap.com/collections/goat-

milk-soap
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Aveeno®. A healthy balancing act for you and your skin. (1970, January 01). Retrieved from

https://www.aveeno.com/about

Benefits Of Goat Milk Soap. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.legendscreekfarm.com/pages/benefits-of-goat-milk-soap

Cottle Farms Natural Goat Soaps and Lotion Bars by Cottle Farms. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.etsy.com/shop/CottleFarms

Goat Milk Soap Benefits. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://goatmilkstuff.com/pages/goat-milk-soap-

benefits

James, M. (2019, January 16). Non-Toxic, Natural Bar Soap | Organic Soap. Retrieved from

https://gimmethegoodstuff.org/safe-product-guides/bar-soaps

Our Story | Mrs. Meyer's. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.mrsmeyers.com/our-story/

Pinnow, S. (2003). Goat milk soap: Fun to make, great for your skin.   Countryside &

Small Stock Journal,  87(2), 87. Retrieved from https://www.lib.byu.edu/cgi-

bin/remoteauth.pl?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=f6h&AN=9083673&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Process. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.basilwoodfarm.com/pages/process

{{ $seo.ogTitle || 'The Honest Company' }}. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.honest.com/honest-

standard

Windell, J. (2018). Eczema: Soothing soreness.   Community Practitioner,  91(10),

22-24. Retrieved from https://www.lib.byu.edu/cgi-bin/remoteauth.pl?

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url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=ccm&AN=133263008&site=ehost-live&scope=site