Of course. This is an excellent and well-defined business problem. As a novice consultant, your goal is to provide your client with a clear, actionable roadmap. Let's structure a research proposal to deliver precisely that.

1. Understanding the User and Problem

• User Profile: You are a business consultant tasked with providing a market entry strategy for a client. You need a structured and methodologically sound research plan to generate concrete recommendations on pricing and marketing messages.
• Problem Category: Market Entry Strategy, specifically focusing on Product Positioning (Value Proposition) and Pricing Strategy.
• Industry: B2C Consumer Goods (Skincare), with a focus on e-commerce and social media marketing.

2. Defining the Final Research Output

Your client, the natural skincare brand, needs a clear "how-to" guide for launching their body lotion in South America. Your final report should not be a collection of raw data, but a set of strategic recommendations.

The final output of this research should be:

1. Targeted Pricing Strategy: A recommended retail price point and an acceptable price range for the body lotion in Brazil, Chile, and Argentina, including justification based on perceived value and competitor landscape.
2. Core Value Proposition Blueprint: A set of 3-5 primary value propositions that are proven to resonate with the target audience, ready to be used as the foundation for marketing campaigns.
3. Detailed Customer Personas: Two distinct personas for the target audience (e.g., "The University Student" and "The Young Professional") that detail their skincare goals, online behaviors, purchase triggers, and pain points.
4. Social Media Campaign Angles: Three specific content themes for TikTok and Instagram, derived directly from the core value propositions, to guide the marketing team's content creation.
5. Go-to-Market Risk Assessment: Identification of the top 3 potential risks related to pricing and messaging (e.g., "Perceived as too expensive compared to local favorites," "Natural claims are not trusted") and recommended mitigation strategies.

3. Recommended Frameworks & Rationale

To achieve this, we will use a combination of two powerful frameworks: the Value Proposition Canvas to understand what to say, and the Van Westendorp Price Sensitivity Meter to determine how much to charge.

• Frameworks:

  • Value Proposition Canvas (VPC): This tool helps you ensure that your product is positioned around what your customers truly value. It maps customer needs, wants, and fears against your product's features and benefits.
  • Van Westendorp Price Sensitivity Meter (PSM): This is a specific survey technique used to determine a psychologically acceptable price range for a product. It identifies price points that customers consider too cheap (raising quality concerns), a bargain, expensive, and too expensive.

• Applicability:

  • The VPC is perfect for this problem because it forces you to move beyond generic claims like "natural" and uncover the specific "Jobs" (e.g., "soothe irritated skin after a day at the beach"), "Pains" (e.g., "lotion feels greasy in humid weather"), and "Gains" (e.g., "feel confident my skin looks healthy and glowing") of your target consumer. This directly informs your value propositions.
  • The PSM is the industry standard for your pricing question. Instead of just asking "What would you pay?", it uses four distinct questions to map out a full range of price perceptions, giving you an optimal price point and a safe launch range. This is far more robust than simple competitor benchmarking.

• Key Information to Collect:

  • For the Value Proposition Canvas: You need to understand the target audience's daily routines, skincare goals, frustrations with existing products, desired emotional outcomes, and what captures their attention on social media.
  • For the Van Westendorp PSM: You need direct feedback from potential customers on their price perceptions of your specific product concept.
  • For Context: You need data on competitor products, their pricing, their marketing messages, and the ingredients they highlight.

Here is a detailed, two-part research plan to collect and analyze the necessary information.

Part 1: Information Collection Plan

This phase is about gathering the raw materials for your analysis. We will use web search for broad market data and user interviews for deep, qualitative insights.

A. Web Search Content

• Search Queries:

  1. "natural body lotion price Brazil Chile Argentina 2025"
  2. "Natura Ekos body lotion price Brazil" and "O Boticário Cuide-se Bem lotion price"
  3. "TikTok skincare trends Brazil 2025" and "Instagram beauty influencers Chile sensitive skin"
  4. "sustainable skincare ingredients South America" and "clean beauty regulations Argentina"

• Purpose of Web Search:

  • Queries 1 & 2: These will establish the current price landscape for mid-range and premium natural body lotions. This is essential for benchmarking and as a reality check for the prices derived from the Van Westendorp analysis. You will map out the low-end, mid-point, and high-end of the market.
  • Query 3: This research will identify trending conversations, aesthetics, and popular influencers in your target markets. This is crucial for understanding the context in which your value propositions must land and for identifying potential marketing partners.
  • Query 4: This will uncover locally resonant ingredients (like açaí, cupuaçu butter, maracujá oil) and sustainability narratives (like Amazon protection). These can be powerful "Gain Creators" and "Pain Relievers" in your Value Proposition Canvas, making your product feel more authentic and desirable to the local consumer.

B. User Interview Plan

• Interview Subjects:

  • Recruit 12-15 women per country (Brazil, Chile, Argentina), aged 18-35.
  • Screening Criteria: Must actively use TikTok or Instagram for beauty content, have self-described sensitive skin or an interest in natural skincare, and have purchased body lotion in the last 6 months.
  • Segmentation: Ensure a mix of university students (likely more price-sensitive) and young professionals (likely more value-driven).

• Interview Purpose:

  • To gather the qualitative data needed to populate the Value Proposition Canvas (their jobs, pains, and gains).
  • To collect the quantitative data required for the Van Westendorp Price Sensitivity Meter.

• Core Interview Questions:

  • Part 1: Uncovering Jobs, Pains, and Gains (for the Value Proposition Canvas)

    1. "Walk me through your typical skincare routine, from shower to getting dressed. Where does body lotion fit in?"
       • Analysis Purpose: To understand the functional "Job-to-be-Done" of a body lotion in their daily life.
    2. "Think about the last body lotion you used. What did you like and dislike about it? What frustrated you the most about lotions you've tried for your sensitive skin?"
       • Analysis Purpose: To directly identify their "Pains" (e.g., greasiness, strong artificial fragrance, doesn't absorb quickly, packaging is messy).
    3. "If you could wave a magic wand and create the perfect body lotion, what would it be like? How would it make your skin feel and look? How would using it make you feel?"
       • Analysis Purpose: To uncover their desired "Gains" (e.g., "glowing skin," "feeling confident," "calm and soothed skin," "smells like a spa").
    4. "When you're scrolling on TikTok or Instagram, what kind of skincare video makes you stop and watch? What makes a brand's message feel authentic to you?"
       • Analysis Purpose: To connect their desired gains and values to the specific social media context, informing campaign angles.

  • Part 2: Determining Price Sensitivity (for the Van Westendorp PSM) (First, present a clear, tangible concept of the product: "Now, I'm going to describe a new natural body lotion. It's made with [Key Ingredient 1] and [Key Ingredient 2] from the Amazon, designed for sensitive skin, comes in sustainable packaging, and is 200ml.")

    1. "At what price would you consider this body lotion to be so inexpensive that you would doubt its quality and not trust it for your sensitive skin?" (Too Cheap)
    2. "At what price would you consider this body lotion to be a bargain—a great buy for the money?" (Cheap/Bargain)
    3. "At what price would you start to consider this body lotion as expensive, but you would still consider buying it?" (Expensive)
    4. "At what price would you consider this body lotion to be too expensive for you to consider buying?" (Too Expensive)
       • Analysis Purpose: These four questions provide the direct data points needed to plot the Van Westendorp curves and identify the acceptable price range and optimal price point.

Part 2: Information Analysis Plan

This is where you transform your collected data into the strategic recommendations your client needs.

1. Construct the Value Proposition Canvas:

   • Go through your interview notes and group similar comments.
   • Customer Profile: On the right side of the canvas, list the top 3-5 "Jobs" (e.g., "moisturize after shower"), "Pains" (e.g., "sticky feeling," "causes redness"), and "Gains" (e.g., "visibly healthy skin," "uses ingredients I trust").
   • Value Map: On the left side, map your product's features ("Pain Relievers" and "Gain Creators") directly to the customer pains and gains. For example:
     • If a "Pain" is "artificial fragrance," your "Pain Reliever" is "fragrance-free/natural scent."
     • If a "Gain" is "trustworthy ingredients," your "Gain Creator" is "sustainably sourced Amazonian botanicals."
   • Result: The strongest links between the two sides are your core value propositions. For example: "The only body lotion with [Specific Ingredient] that soothes sensitive skin without a greasy feel, so you can feel confident and comfortable all day."

2. Calculate the Acceptable Price Range:

   • For each country, create a spreadsheet with the answers to the four Van Westendorp pricing questions.
   • Plot the results on a chart with price on the X-axis and cumulative frequency on the Y-axis. You will create four curves: "Too Cheap," "Cheap," "Expensive," and "Too Expensive."
   • Identify the Intersections:
     • The point where the "Too Cheap" and "Expensive" curves cross is the Point of Marginal Cheapness (PMC), the lower bound of the acceptable price range.
     • The point where the "Cheap" and "Too Expensive" curves cross is the Point of Marginal Expensiveness (PME), the upper bound of the acceptable price range.
     • The intersection of the "Too Cheap" and "Too Expensive" curves is often considered the Optimal Price Point (OPP).
   • Result: You will have a data-driven price range (from PMC to PME) and a specific target price (OPP) for each country. You can then adjust this based on the competitor pricing you found in your web search to finalize your recommendation.

3. Develop the Final Deliverables:

   • Pricing Strategy: Present the recommended price for each country, showing the Van Westendorp range and where your price sits relative to key competitors like Natura.
   • Value Proposition Blueprint: List the top 3-5 value propositions you identified from the VPC analysis.
   • Customer Personas: Create your two personas (e.g., "Sofia, the 21-year-old student in São Paulo" and "Isabella, the 29-year-old designer in Santiago"). Use the "Jobs, Pains, and Gains" from your interviews to bring them to life.
   • Social Media Campaign Angles: For each value proposition, brainstorm a TikTok/Instagram campaign idea. For example, if the value is "soothing sensitive skin," a campaign could be a "Get Ready With Me: Post-Beach Skincare Routine" featuring an influencer.
   • Risk Assessment: Identify potential mismatches. What if the OPP is significantly higher than local brands? This is a risk. Your mitigation could be a campaign focused on educating consumers about the superior quality of your ingredients.

By following this structured plan, you will move from broad questions to a specific, evidence-based, and actionable strategy for your client.

The interviews with six women from South America—Camila Verde (São Paulo, Brazil), Sofia Luna (Santiago, Chile), Isabella Rossi (Buenos Aires, Argentina), Maya Sol (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), Elena Flores (Santiago, Chile), and an additional participant—reveal consistent insights into the needs and preferences of sensitive-skinned consumers seeking natural, effective, and ethically produced body lotions.

User Profiles & Skin Concerns:
All interviewees have sensitive skin prone to dryness, redness, itching, or specific conditions like rosacea and dermatitis. They emphasize the importance of body lotion as an essential step post-shower to soothe, hydrate, and protect the skin barrier. Their skincare philosophies converge on gentle, evidence-backed, and ritualistic routines that prioritize long-lasting hydration and skin comfort.

Key Pain Points:

• Fragrance Sensitivity: Synthetic fragrances and even many essential oils are major irritants, causing redness, itching, and flare-ups. Fragrance-free or extremely subtle, natural scents are non-negotiable.
• Texture Issues: Greasy, sticky, or heavy lotions are disliked, especially in humid climates like São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Users want light, fast-absorbing textures that do not leave residue or discomfort.
• Misleading Claims: Products marketed as “natural” or “for sensitive skin” often contain hidden irritants such as artificial fragrances, drying alcohols, or harsh preservatives, leading to distrust.
• Ineffectiveness: Many lotions provide only superficial or short-lived hydration, requiring frequent reapplication and failing to support true barrier repair.

Ideal Body Lotion Characteristics:

• Truly Natural & Clean Formulations: Clear, simple ingredient lists without parabens, synthetic fragrances, or harsh chemicals. Preference for soothing, anti-inflammatory, and hydrating botanicals such as aloe vera, chamomile, calendula, Centella Asiatica, colloidal oatmeal, and ceramides.
• Amazonian and Local South American Botanicals: Strong interest in sustainably sourced, ethically harvested ingredients like cupuaçu butter, murumuru butter, maracujá oil, açaí, rosehip oil, maqui berry extract, and pracaxi oil, which provide nourishment and support local communities.
• Texture & Sensory Experience: Lightweight yet rich enough for all-day hydration, quick absorption, non-greasy, non-sticky, allowing immediate dressing and comfort in warm, humid climates.
• Fragrance: Preference for fragrance-free or very subtle, naturally derived scents to avoid irritation.
• Packaging & Ethics: Sustainable, recyclable, or refillable packaging is highly valued. Transparency about ingredient sourcing, fair trade, cruelty-free practices, and environmental impact is crucial.
• Emotional Benefits: Users seek confidence, comfort, calmness, and a sense of being cared for—a “hug for the skin” that supports well-being and self-care rituals.
• Affordability & Accessibility: While price sensitivity varies by country, there is a shared skepticism of products priced too low (below approximately R$25–39 in Brazil, CLP 7,000–9,000 in Chile, ARS 7,500 in Argentina), which raises doubts about quality and authenticity. The “bargain” price range is roughly R$40–70, CLP 10,000–15,000, and ARS 12,000–15,000, seen as offering good value for ethical, effective products.

Social Media & Marketing Insights:

• Content Preferences: Educational, transparent, and authentic content resonates most. Users follow dermatologists, estheticians, and knowledgeable influencers who provide ingredient breakdowns, scientific explanations, and realistic skincare routines.
• Authenticity & Transparency: Genuine reviews from people with similar skin concerns, honest discussion of product limitations, and visible brand commitment to sustainability and ethical sourcing build trust.
• Engagement: Behind-the-scenes content, DIY recipes, and explanations of ingredient benefits foster connection and credibility. Brands that actively engage with consumers’ questions and demonstrate integrity gain loyalty.
• Skepticism of Buzzwords: Terms like “natural” or “clean” without clear explanation or evidence are met with suspicion.

Summary:
Sensitive-skinned consumers in South America demand body lotions that are genuinely gentle, effective, and ethically produced. They prioritize natural, soothing ingredients, lightweight textures, and fragrance-free formulations that deliver lasting hydration and barrier support. Transparency, sustainability, and authenticity are essential both in product formulation and brand communication. Price points must balance affordability with perceived quality and ethical integrity. Social media marketing should focus on educational, honest, and community-driven content to engage this discerning audience effectively.