Abstract
M.A. (Strategic Communication)
A new consumer has emerged, who is highly informed and constantly demanding. Successful brands
depend on unprecedented levels of consumer intelligence in order to remain relevant to this new
emerged consumer. Brand relevance has become particularly important in the cosmetics industry.
This is due to the digital interactive technologies that have provided consumers with myriad brand
choices. In this regard, the young Black middle-class female consumer is viewed as a new consumer
who is aspirational and diverse, who requires brand owners to understand her thoroughly in order to
effectively anticipate and cater to her specific needs. Such consumers gravitate towards brands that
are relevant, that are perceived to have positive brand reputation and have brand associations
aligned to what they have ascribed to. Given the issue of a new emerged consumer in the fast
changing market environment this study focuses on the notion of brand relevance in relation to Black
middle-class females in South Africa.
The purpose of this study was to investigate brand relevance of Estée Lauder’s skin-care range for
a select group market of Black middle-class females between the ages of 26 - 40 years. The aim
was to establish how Black middle-class female consumers at Westgate Shopping centre perceive
the brand relevance of Estée Lauder.
The research methodology for this study adopted a qualitative approach and it was exploratory in
nature. Accordingly, to gather data, focus groups and projective techniques were used on a
purposive sample of 24 participants drawn from the target population. Data in this study was
analysed through thematic analysis. Confirmability in this study was achieved through conducting a
pilot study.
This study confirmed three findings: firstly, that there was a possible Estée Lauder brand relevance
gap as perceived by the Black middle-class female consumers at Westgate Shopping centre;
secondly, there was a misalignment of Estée Lauder’s brand reputation from the perspective of Black
middle-class female consumers at Westgate Shopping centre; thirdly the brand associations were
also misaligned with perceptions of these Black middle-class consumers. Further the study revealed
that through the application of the core principles of strategic communication, brand relevance could
be achieved, and brand reputation as well as brand association could also be aligned with the
perceptions of the Black middle-class female consumers at Westgate Shopping centre consumer. It
was also recommended that future research should specifically explore what other strategic
communication concepts that can be utilised to obtain brand relevance.