Helping Watercress Research take on the big beauty brands and win
About the client
Watercress Research are an innovative biotech company located in the South West of England. Their founders Dr Kyle Stewart and Professor Paul Winyard are focused on unlocking the power of watercress to develop products in a variety of sectors. Starting from their own kitchens, to labs, to the hands of customers, they are a home-grown success story.
Their first products launched in the skincare sector in 2024, where their brand Prof & Doc launched serums, mists and creams with a unique watercress extract.
The challenge
Watercress Research had launched their Prof & Doc products into the skincare market, an exceptionally competitive market that is dominated by established large brands with very large marketing budgets. They had experienced strong initial sales following positive media coverage, but those sales had begun to slow down and they wanted to reach new customers and plan their future marketing strategy.
The company had made a commitment to never make a claim about their products that could not be scientifically substantiated. They needed a way to stand out, needed to be confident that the messaging they used would cut through and needed to be 100% truthful at all times. In addition, they had to comply with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and Medical Products Directive rules.
As an innovative start-up they did not have an in-house Sales and Marketing function and had limited budget for marketing. They also needed to act quickly to generate sales to ensure financial stability and fund their growth plans. They appointed Devise Marketing to generate a marketing strategy and tactical plan to generate these quick wins with limited resources and to plan a robust marketing roadmap that could evolve as they grew.
Solution
Combined decades of marketing theory with real-world skincare sector data to tailor the approach towards the client.- Conducted an analysis of customer reviews to draw out the key usages, benefits and applications of the product as seen from real customers.
- Identified that customers had experienced exceptional results in treating a wide range of skin issues that Watercress Research was not currently marketing to. This was used to shape the messaging and to generate additional market opportunities.
- Researched the current market, the positioning and strategies of competitors, and identified a unique space in the market for the Prof & Doc brand.
- Reviewed the marketing tactics used by 14 competitors across social media, word of mouth, websites, exhibitions, PR, SEO, PPC and more. Also explored the routes to market used by each competitor. We then identified gaps for the client to explore.
- Identified marketing tactics to support the strategy. Developed a low-cost budget to focus on priority areas and give the client the best chance of success with the resources they had available.
- For the most critical tasks we provided an outline of the type of content that had proven to be effective for competitors and how it could be tailored to the client.
- Set critical success factors and KPIs so they could track success and benchmark their year-on-year performance.
Combined decades of marketing theory with real-world skincare sector data to tailor the approach towards the client.
Results
Results- Enabled the client to restart market momentum and interest in their product. We also helped them to understand the unique place they could hold in the market and the many untapped areas their product could be used to reduce suffering for those with skin conditions.
- Repositioned the client to take advantage of their unique scientific experience and the soothing properties of their products. We also helped them understand the best way to communicate this message with the market.
- Helped the brand navigate ASA, MHRA and Medical Products Directive rules so they had a clear understanding of the messaging they could and couldn’t use.
- Provided Watercress Research with over 20 benefit statements and USPs they could use in marketing material and when seeking investment. This also improved their own understanding of their key differences.
- Set the client up for success with an outline of the marketing activities they needed to explore over the next 5 years, and a tactical plan to execute them as they grow in size.
“It has been a pleasure working with Devise Marketing. Their marketing plan has given us a much greater insight into our strengths and weakness and really helped us to focus on what our identity is as a brand. They have provided a wealth of useful contacts and pointers. We have every intention in continuing our working relationship with Devise Marketing as we move forward.”
Dr Kyle J Stewart,
CEO / Founder,
Watercress Research Ltd
To learn more about our marketing strategy work, get in touch.