MAC, hype and our roles as consumers - Page 2

benzito_714 · 07-02-2008, 03:00 PM #26 (**permalink**)

First of all let me say that you have given me the motivation to finish my paper that is due in two hours. Your post was insightful, well-thought and just all around enlightening. I second your feelings about MAC and have found myself less interested in the brand. This is not to say that I don't shop there or that I have boycotted but in this time of gas and grocery prices, it comes down to survival (may sound drastic but DC gas prices are drastic along with a gallon of milk for $4).
Although some people may have got their feathers ruffled because you used the term hype-you were completely right. Like Flava Flav said-Don't believe the HYPE!

amoona · 07-02-2008, 03:32 PM #27 (**permalink**)

As I MAC employee and a marketing student I am compelled to comment. Once I started working for the company I began to realize exactly what you are saying. It is totally about the hype! We are told to only sell trend and only show customers trend. We are told to suggest trend in replacement of a perm item. We a prepped and hyped ourselves with gratis. Its that simple.

Honestly if you are a marketing student MAC is a great place to work while you are in school - I have learned a lot.

Covergirl913 · 07-02-2008, 06:19 PM #28 (**permalink**)

Great thread. I am familiar with most of Mac marketing tactics. I definitely works for them. I definitely don't give in to the hype. I ONLY buy what I really like and know I will use. I don't see the point of stacking up a bunch of items that look the same. I have never finished an shadow, or blush. Seems like most colors from LE collections can be duped from the Perm collection anyway. Shoot the last LE collection I bought a few things from was Heatherette & Dazzleglass. No other collection had anything that appealed to me, so I didn't feel the need to buy something just because.

Covergirl913 · 07-02-2008, 06:24 PM #29 (**permalink**)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mizz.Yasmine

i actually feel bad for some of the girls here that i see sooo obsessed with MAC. alot of it is hype becuz NO, u do not need 16 of the almost identical shade of shadow just becuz its packaged diff with a catchy collection name along with hot ads and being LE.

i'm obsessed with MACs quality and my few fav shades that i like buying over n over. being obsessed with just buying their sht becuz its new and LE is so dumb. theres so much more to life then dropping $500 on makeup every month becuz MAC wants u to.why else is every fckin new shade they make LE?they want ur $$$ and their doing a good job getting it.

I totally agree

When I hear people say they bought a color that they can't wear b/c it doesn't work for them, but they just bought it b/c of the packaging, or they just had to have something from a particular collection , or they skipped paying a bill for some mac , I think it's kinda ridiculous

nursie · 07-02-2008, 06:35 PM #30 (**permalink**)

Ruffage, thank you so much for your well thought out (and researched!) post. I very much agree with what you are saying. One of the last times I was at the mac counter, I talked about the 'limited edition-ness' of mac with her. A lot of my friends HATE mac makeup because if they found something they like, then its gone later, which makes you feel like you need to buy four of something you like. But I understand that its is INGENIOUS of MAC to constantly roll out new products.

I've amassed a LOT more makeup than I know I'll be able to acutally USE, so this year I've been collecting different shades of eyeshadow because:
1. I like to have choices for different looks
2. The eyeshadows will be the longest lasting (rather than say, lipglasses)

I see drugstore brands getting more and more into the 'limited edition' marketing too now.

And finally, thankfully anything that I overbuy now I can give to my daughter! lol Again, thank you for this post, I agree that no one should be forfeiting paying bills in order to get that last whatever at the MAC counter!

glamqueen1 · 07-02-2008, 07:21 PM #31 (**permalink**)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ruffage

If you are uncertain whether you are affected by the limited edition hype, ask yourselves these questions:

Would you have bought these items if they were on the permanent line?
Would you have bought more than one of these items if they were on the permanent line?
Do you find yourself eagerly checking Specktra and other sites again and again, eager for new information on collections?
Do you find yourself hiding your purchases from family and friends?

Thankyou for this interesting post, Ruffage! As I easily can answer "yes" to the questions above, I will have this post in mind when checking out Cool Heat and Sonic Chic tomorrow! Eventhough I don't get much ,this year for instance, I only purchased 2 eyeshadows and 1 MSF, I always think "do I really need this?" And make sure I use it. Still, you're totally right, new releases are so much interesting than the permanent line..

DirtyHarriet · 07-02-2008, 07:57 PM #32 (**permalink**)

that was an excellent read and mirrored a lot of thoughts i have been having about mac and my makeup purchasing habits in general.

i definitely have 'collector' tendencies...so when something is LE i have a huge impulse to buy it so that i don't miss out...but when i look at my makeup 'collection', i realize that a lot of the LE colors are similar to the colors from the permanent line...

so to overcome my 'collector' tendencies i ask myself..."do i need this color?" "is there one i can get from the permanent line that is similar that i can buy in pan form and save some $$?", and 'will i use this at least once a week?"

these questions have stopped me from buying 99% of what has come out with the new collections.

my other tendency is to be loyal to one brand. i know that the quality of mac is consistent. are there better alternatives out there with other brands? sure! but sometimes i just want to get an item without a huge search...so i turn to mac. however, i have been reading all of the boycott info out there lately, and it has really turned me off of the loyalty bandwagon, and has made me branch out to other brands...which i'm actually enjoying.

as i was reading your article, i remembered something i had picked up in a psych class a long time ago...that when the economy takes a nose dive, lipstick sales go up. let's face it, women like to shop. when the economy takes a down turn, and our disposable income decreases, we may no longer have the money for a new purse, but we can still afford that slimshine...or that new LE eyeshadow... interestingly, i have on many occasions found myself following that trend as well...

the bottom line from all of this rambling? i like mac, but i am also consciously aware of both their tactics (lots of LE's, how they treat artists, etc). this awareness does influence my purchasing decisions...and although i will continue to enjoy mac products, i vow not to give into my OCD and become a 'collector' of LE items that are nice colors that for the large part remain unused...

i have to add that although i recognize that spectra.net does also help create hype, it also allows me to make purchasing decisions from my own home (and sometimes from work

)...which actually stops me from impulse shopping...

anyway, i do realize this was a long rambling reply...but thanks again for your very informative post!

meaghanb2926 · 07-02-2008, 08:08 PM #33 (**permalink**)

Thank you Ruffage. We all need a gut check from time to time! MAC's marketing department is clearly genius and worthy of being studied. Look in the Traincase forum and the fruits of their efforts is VERY apparent. I too am easily able to admit that I am affected by the LE hype. I too purchased every Cool Heat shadow and have only used two of them.

I think at the heart of this "hype" is really a self-esteem issue.

I believe if you were to survey all the members of this website and ask them about their feelings about themselves you might find that many of us purchase makeup to fill a void. Makeup seems to be a filler for less than stellar self esteem. Self conscious about your weight... buy a contouring blush to contour your cheeks and take off 20 pounds. Buy a bright blue eyeshadow to draw attention to your eyes instead of double chin. While you might grow out of that outfit... you can use this lipgloss whatever weight you are! Self conscious about your skin? Purchase this foundation to even out your complexion. True this is a marketing technique, but ultimately, the marketing departments are playing into our society's (and women's in particular) low self esteem. A study was recently done about how often a woman is subjected to unrealistic pictures of the ideal woman (internet, TV, magazines) on a daily basis and the number was insanely high....something like 25-50 times. We, as women, in turn want to emulate and be just like these celebrities and are willing to do whatever neccessary...botox, plastc surgery, makeup... While I do love this site, it only helps further this.

Is an eyeshadow going to turn your life around? No. Might it make you feel great about yourself for a day? Sure. Ultimately, if we spent the amount of time and energy that we do on this site and on makeup in general, on something truly good for us (exercise, healthy cooking, etc) I wouldn't doubt that there would be a whole lot more happy women out there. Myself included...

BunnyBunnyBunny · 07-02-2008, 08:54 PM #34 (**permalink**)

I love shopping, I love spending money, I love collecting, and I am materialistic. xD

Thank you for your thoughts. It's an awesome analysis of MAC. Thank you.

tripwirechick · 07-02-2008, 09:02 PM #35 (**permalink**)

Fantastic read. The last few months I have been wondering why I have thoughts like 'I can't afford new shoes because xxx collection is being released', and realising just how ridiculous it is... and why I bought 9 tendertones and 9 dazzleglasses...
The timing of this post is excellent. People are starting to become overwhelmed and exhausted with all of the LE being released, myself included.
Now when I go to the counter next week to get Cool Heat I will think long and hard about whether I really need anything or not.. I think I will find that the answer is no

smith130 · 07-02-2008, 10:59 PM #36 (**permalink**)

damn this enlightenment has changed some opinions. i think that mac is still the shit but i used to get "mac fever" and run to the counter every other thurs. It gave me much joy to go home with new le stuff but yea after seeing 1/2 my collection at the cco that went out the window. but those post def have me thinking, and have left me whit a "now what?" feeling.

Ruffage · 07-03-2008, 02:47 AM #37 (**permalink**)

Thank you all for sharing your thoughts and taking the time to post responses in this thread.

At first I posted this and was worried that it may have come across the wrong way, as it did unfortunately in the other thread where I perhaps, should have taken into the account of others' feelings when I suggested that MAC may not be all that and have not clarified why I defended my use of the word "hype". It was because I realized I could be hijacking the thread and try to avoid further off-course discussion.

I am certainly not trying to attack anyone's beloved hobby or trying to make them feel bad about it. After all, it is a very glamorous, pretty one that some had taken care in which to invest their time, money and effort. I'm not suggesting that those who have the disposable income to buy things from LE collections that they are mentally ill or unthinking zombies. There are people who have been loyal to MAC for reasons only they themselves know, and I'm not so arrogant to try to tell them that the only reason they buy is because of marketing.

I also apologize to those to whom I have come across as some kind of snooty know-it-all, trying to condescend to the rest of the forum. Maybe it was my English? It's actually my second language so I am always using a more formal version of it to avoid misunderstandings. Perhaps it came across a bit blunt online. But if I really were such a person who thinks she's above everyone else in intellect, I would not have taken the time to type out such a long article to start a discussion.

On Specktra, we are all equals. We are all women and men of common sense, and some have also attended or are currently attending college. We can see this in the posts in this thread for instance, where members have kindly contributed tips on how to cut back on purchases, expressed their feelings on this topic, shared their knowledge (a couple of which explore subjects that I think are even touchier than the original post's, such as self-esteem issues in women) from classes and other sources, and their experience from working with MAC. There are those who have taken an introspective look at their purchasing habits, assessed whether they are affected by hype and share it with the rest of us, which takes courage. It is because of Specktra's knowledge and the willingness to share it that makes it such a great place in which to spend time.

In the end, the original posts in this thread were not typed up with the intention to disrupt the harmony of this forum. It was not written for those who are well established in the hobby of MAC and are happy to be so. This was written for those of us who sometimes wonder: To where has my money gone? Why do I have impulses to buy things only to regret them later? Why do I check Specktra more often than I check my email? Why are my spouse/family/friends always bringing up how much MAC I buy in such a grave manner? Why am I suddenly so loyal to one particular brand?

It's all glamorous fun and make up games, until someone runs into credit card debt, or even in one case skipped utility bills. Hopefully this thread and its contributers will help some of us understand a bit better why we buy in such a way.

To answer to a few specific posts:

florabundance: A friend of mine who is a grad student in the field of anthropology (as oppose to I, lowly undergrad :P) suggests that if you are interested in such research, you can check out business anthropology courses.

annie333: Unfortunately I don't know much about how returned products affect MAC, and I try not to talk about things I don't know much about. Maybe someone here who has an idea about the cost of returned products to the company and/or the measures companies take to deter product returning can share with us?

TUPRNUT: I personally don't think the direct advertising approach would work well for MAC. To elaborate, one of the charms of MAC is that LE collections' information is rarely just out there on print or TV. They usually come in the form of a beauty editor's "discovery" or recommendation, or through blogs and forums which seem to outsiders provide "exclusive" information.

This seemingly stumbling across information not only enhances the word-of-mouth appeal and trust, but also gives customers a feeling similar to having exclusive access to a club, kind of like being a fashion insider and as someone "in the know". It adds to the prestige (and fun factor) of the brand. This is probably why in recent years Sephora followed by starting the "beauty insider" program and distributing "insider's scoop", instead of just calling it a "customer loyalty program" and "newsletters". If MAC were to go the direct approach, it may lose some of its glamor and prestige.

Also with print ads it is easier to keep track of how many LE collections they come out with (example, some keep magazines and thumb through them time to time), as oppose to coming across one or two blog posts or threads about each every other week. If you start seeing the same brand coming out with different products every week, throughout the year on say, a billboard near where you work, you may start to perceive the brand as fickle, gimmicky, or even desperate. Once customers decide its overwhelming, LE collections stops being special.