by theglamscientist | | beauty business |
How do brands like Glam Glow, Caudalie and Anastasia Beverly Hills end up on the shelves of Sephora?
While I don’t know what happened when these brands sat down to meet with the decision makers at Sephora, I do know what it takes to be worthy of the chance. When you’re working on building your beauty brand and product portfolio keep these 4 tips in mind and hopefully you’ll soon see your beauty brand in Sephora.
1. Your product has to deliver the results it claims. Each of the brands above have a top notch product portfolio. If you take a glance at the reviews on Sephora.com you’ll see what customers have to say about them.
2. Your product has to look the part. Everything from the bottles and jars you select to the font style and the colors you use play a role in how your brand is perceived by your customers and the stores you want to give you a shot. Make sure your brand has a style and presence that speaks from the shelf (or the screen).
3. Your brand has to be engaging. If Sephora is going to give you shelf space, they have to know that you can move product on your own and get people in the door to buy. Brands that have built a solid following/fan base bring with them a sense of confidence that this relationship is going to work. Build your fan base by delivering a great product, stellar customer service and a engaging presence on social media.
4. Your numbers have to make sense for everyone. Even if you can push the product, retailers won’t pick up your brand if your numbers don’t work out in their favor. Make sure your profit margin works in a way that allows you to make a good profit at wholesale. Your costs and price point must also leave room for Sephora to still make a good profit even if they decide to run a promo or invest in marketing for your product.
Whether your dream is to have your beauty brand in Sephora or another retail outlet, these 4 tips will help you get there. When your foundation is strong, you’re in position to grow any way you wish.
As The Glam Scientist, I partner with startup and mid-level beauty brands to position them for tremendous growth and success in the industry.
I invite you to schedule a HASH IT OUT session to get my FREE advice on anything from product ideas and packaging to branding and marketing for your beauty brand. I’d love to help you!
Here’s to the Glam Life!
by theglamscientist | | beauty business |
If your salon is not selling products one hundred percent of your clients are buying them from someone else.
At minimum, the average consumer buys shampoo, conditioner and at least one styling product. The total cost for the basic set of hair care products is roughly $25- $35 per purchase. That’s about $100 per client per year. Consider your client load per stylist for a minute. How much money are you leaving on the table by not carrying an in-house brand of hair care products to sell to your clients?
Not only is a salon brand hair care line a good supplemental income for you as the salon owner, but for your stylists as well. When stylists are empowered to make additional income through commissions they will sell, sell, sell. Many salons already retail a name brand product line for passive income. Unfortunately, the earning potential on sales of an outside brand is very limited. Although you buy the products at wholesale usually 50% of the retail price your profit margin is only 50% of the sale minus the commission rate you pay your stylist.
While that is a decent profit margin, you can do better on your own. When you have your own in-house brand of products you control the numbers totally. You manage the upfront costs. You set the retail price. You determine the commission rate. And because salon brand products are exclusive you can command a much higher price point than your average product line.
Owning a salon brand product line shifts the power in your favor more than just financially. It also provides a platform for you to extend your brand awareness. With the ability to sell your product line outside of your salon in major retail outlets and online your local salon suddenly becomes a nationally known brand. This level of visibility opens the door for expanding your salon presence through multiple locations and even franchising. Product lines are proven to solidify and validate salons think Chaz Dean, Paul Mitchell, The Dry Bar, just to name a few. Would you know those names if their product lines didn’t extend past the four walls of their first salon? Probably not.
I’m sure we’d all agree that being a hairstylist is hard on the body. It’s also a profession that requires your time to make money. A dedicated hair care line gives stylists and salon owners a stream of income that doesn’t require countless hours on your feet or overbooking your chair to make ends meet. You can sell your products online around the world at all hours of the day and night. Make money in your sleep. Make money while someone’s in your chair. Make money while you’re on vacation. Make money on Sundays and Mondays even when the salon is closed.
Above all, your salon brand product line makes a lucrative retirement plan. What happens when your body is tired and you’re no longer built for the salon life? The last thing you’re going to want to do is find a new career. But if you’ve set up a product line that is already selling and doing well then you won’t have to worry about how you’ll make your money when you’re no longer behind the chair.
Starting your in-house hair care line doesn’t have to be a huge undertaking. According to the 2013 Professional Salon Industry Hair Care Study sales of styling products were up by 4% due to an increase in home hairstyling. Start with a styling product that will help your clients maintain their hair between salon visits. Really consider the majority of the clients that frequent your salon and decide what the best type of product would be. Start with one product to manage your initial investment and to find out what other products your clients want to buy from you. Also use this one product to refine your stylists’ sales skills. They’ll need to be trained on how to offer the products with their service and how to rely on their expertise to build the clients’ confidence in the products. You’re the professionals; your clients trust and rely on you to lead them in proper hair care. Think of it as a part of your job description.
So, how much money is walking out of your salon everyday and into the hands of another brand? How bad do you want to take it back?
I am currently offering an exclusive hair care product line for sale that consists of moisturizing shampoo and conditioner plus a glosser/heat protectant finishing product. The entire collection was developed with plant derived ingredients including Mango Butter, Argan Oil, and Monoi de Tahiti Oil. If you would like more information about how to make this product line yours please email me directly at info@theglamscientist.com.
by theglamscientist | | beauty business |
by theglamscientist | | beauty business |
I’ve had this post planned for weeks and I’m finally getting around to it. I want to make sure I’m keeping you guys abreast of what is going on in the industry so when it’s time for you to grow your brand you’ll know which way to go. I won’t post about every trend in the industry, just the ones that I believe are worth buying into. Some trends are here to stay. You can quote me on that.
Color Correcting Primers are popping up everywhere just like alphabet creams did a year or so ago. And just like alphabet creams, these primers will become a staple.
What it is
These are basically undertones in a tube. For many women it is difficult to find the perfect foundation match. This is especially an issue for women of color. There are just so many different variations of skin color that it’s impossible for any one brand to keep up… unless they also have a line of color correcting primers.
Who should get into this business
Start up makeup brands are the perfect candidates for this product. It’s much easier to get a customer to buy a product that will help their favorite products work better than it is to get them to convert to your brand altogether. Color correcting primers are what I would classify as an accessory cosmetic. They are used to boost the performance of your staple foundation. Show your target market that you can nail a product like this and they’ll be more inclined to try the rest of the products you have to offer or will have to offer in the future.
How to stand out
The key to breakout success in this market will be to focus on the least catered to skin tones. Ethnic colors are always problematic. Your line of color correcting primers needs to account for all the varied undertones of ethnic skin. Most brands that I’ve seen with these kinds of primers only offer four or five colors. There is room for more.
Skin care is increasingly important to consumers and they are more compelled to buy multifunctional products. Your product will need to do more than just correct foundation colors if it’s going to make a real impact. Use actives and natural ingredients to treat the skin.
If you are not a makeup artist it would be a good idea to partner with one through the development of your new product offering. They are experts at color matching and can help you fill in the gaps that exist in the market.
The texture of the product and how it is applied for optimal performance is important. If your product comes with a special tool or applicator customized for your brand you will be ahead of the game.
Here’s to the Glam Life!
by theglamscientist | | beauty business |
It’s no mystery that Apple is the ultimate tech giant. They solidified that position as their latest quarterly revenue came in at a record breaking $74.6 billion. These earnings were spread primarily across iPhone, MAC, and iPad products. The most impressive numbers came from their iPhone category with a reported 74.5 million units sold. While Apple doesn’t share a breakdown in sales between models of the iPhone, I’m willing to bet the introduction of the iPhone 6 Plus definitely made its mark on Apple’s bottom line.
Being in the business of helping other businesses, I’m always in tune with the lessons we can learn from the example of other brands. When I read about Apple’s record breaking numbers I couldn’t help but use it as a teachable moment. Here are 5 take aways from the Apple brand that we can use to drive our own new product launches.
1. Check out your competition.
When you know what’s popular and profitable for your competitor you’re in a better position to compete. Everyone always wants to be the innovator. But innovation is often bred from what already exists. Using Apple as an example, the introduction of the iPhone 6 plus could be attributed to the success of its competitor the Samsung Galaxy. I’m willing to bet many Samsung users were converted (or reconverted) to iPhone because the 6 plus is the best of both worlds. Apple paid attention to the market and responded in a way that their target could enjoy. Whenever my clients are toying with the idea of releasing a new product, I urge them to find similar products that are already on the market. The purpose of this task is to find out what’s working and determine what can be done better so that the product they release is a few steps above the rest.
2. Keep your customers values top of the mind.
Your new product must tackle all of your customers’ pain points plus add value they didn’t even know they wanted. I have been an iPhone user for 3 years and up until a few weeks ago I had the same phone I started with. I’m sure that’s hard to believe for a lot of you. The thing is, I’m not a true techie. Technology is a means to an end for me. I need it to efficiently run my businesses and to communicate on a daily basis. As long as my phone is in good working order I don’t feel the need to replace it. But after 3 years of serving me well, I thought it was time to give my 4s a rest. I went in the AT&T store with the intention of purchasing the standard size iPhone 6. That was until I experienced the 6 Plus. I thought the size of the phone would be a nuisance; however, it has proven to be everything I never knew I wanted. How did Apple know? Because they know what their customers value. You need to be just as in tune with your following in order to have a successful product launch.
3. Pad your risk.
If you’re going to innovate or release something new there’s always the possibility that it may flop. Every business makes financial projections with the hope of actually meeting the mark. But what if you don’t? No decision comes without risk. The key is to adequately prepare and deliver in a way that minimizes your risk. There are many ways to do this, but you absolutely must have sufficient research, exhaustive testing and profit margin control. How did Apple pad their risk? They built in a higher profit margin. The average price per unit on the iPhone was up from $603 from the previous quarter to $687 in the most recent quarter. According to consumer reports, the iPhone 6 Plus wasn’t the popular choice in many regions. So how was Apple able to post its highest gains in history on the heels of this release? When you pad your risk even low performance results in a win.
4. Deliver to a captivated audience.
We have seen this in action since the release of the very first iPhone. The amount of effort Apple puts into promoting their product is to be applauded. With every new release there is a promotional build up. First the rumors and whispers start surrounding testing of a new product and the possible release date. Then someone “leaks” an image of the prototype and the tech blogs go wild. They start reporting what may be new features and what may be a new design. Nobody really knows, but everybody cares even when they don’t care. Then Apple makes the big announcement and they start trickling out information about the features, and the design and the improved functionality and… the pre-order date. Pre-ordering is a hugely successful marketing strategy that can be employed seamlessly when you’ve done your job to captivate your audience. Once those first purchasers start receiving their product in hand they want to brag. They take pretty pictures of their new product and post on all their social media accounts. Be jealous. And with that, the late comers wait on their chance to purchase the product to join the cool kids. This strategy works for any brand in any industry that does it right. And as long as you continue to deliver a new, high quality, high value product your captivated audience will continue to grow.
5. Worry about yourself.
No matter what your competition is doing, you have to be clear about the core values of your own brand. Chasing trends is the quickest way to stay behind the wave. Great brands, successful brands strive to stay in the forefront. If you are consistently good at selling lipstick, it’s not a good idea to jump over into the skin care industry if it doesn’t fit into your brand strategy. Before any new product release you have to show your customers that you can lead in that space. You do that by having a solid brand strategy in place before you ever get started. Your brand strategy acts as your guide to grabbing your piece of the pie- whether that piece has 4 slices or just one huge slice. It is up to you to set the stage and be consistent with your performance. Just make sure you build in a little wiggle room in the event that you need to pivot to meet the market. If you notice, Apple gradually increased the screen size of their iPhones in response to the demands of the market. The size increase has consistently been apart of the marketing and promotional strategy of each new release. Was that always in Apple’s plan? Who knows. The important thing here is that the iPhone has continued to deliver the type of design and functionality that fits the brand and consistently pleases their customer.
Of course Apple isn’t the only brand with a great marketing strategy and impressive numbers. There are plenty of brands achieving success. When you keep your eyes peeled and your mind open you can learn from everyone.
by theglamscientist | | beauty business |
So much effort goes into the development of an amazingly effective product. You come up with an idea, research the heck out of it and team up with a rock star cosmetic chemist to get the job done. The two of you work hand in hand, trial after trial, sample after sample until your product is just right. Now what?
As important as it is to have a phenomenal product that your customers can’t live without, it’s kind of hard to get customers if they don’t even know you exist. There is an unlimited supply of beauty products to choose from so you have to put just as much effort into your packaging as you did into your formula to get noticed.
Some of us are blessed with an extra dose of creativity that will serve you well in the visual branding of your product. The majority of us are not so blessed. Consult with a branding expert and/or graphic designer to help you develop the image of your product packaging. These experts often spend their downtime staying on top of their niche and refining their skills. That extra time they spend bettering themselves is a gold mine for you because what they create will be cutting edge, unique and perfect for your brand. Just make sure you REALLY vet the creative that you partner with. There is nothing worse than hiring a branding/design expert to guide your packaging design that doesn’t understand your vision or connect with your brand. Ask me how I know.
Once you know who you’re going to work with to design the artwork for your packaging you can solicit their help with selecting the actual bottles, jars, tubes, etc. It’s a good idea to have a general idea of the type of container you want to use before you get to this point. The best way to find packaging suppliers is to search the buyer’s guides released by cosmetic industry trade publications. My favorite place to look is HAPPI Magazine’s online directory. Pack your patience when you’re on the hunt for new packaging options. The search is a whole lot like digging through the racks at TJ Maxx especially if you’re looking for something specific. You’re going to click a lot of links and go through a lot of pages on websites to find what you’re looking for. Oh, but when you find it! It’s like a ray of sunshine, believe me.
If you’re on a budget you may consider using stock packaging that can take labels or hot stamp printing. Stock packaging is generally more expensive per piece than custom, but you won’t be confined to high minimums. So in the short term you’ll save some cash. Some stock packaging suppliers will allow you to order as little as 1 piece at a time. Of course with that option you won’t be able to get the container printed, rather you would have to use labels for your artwork. If you want your design printed directly on your stock packaging you may see minimums as high as 5,000 pieces.
Custom packaging options are typically more expensive to set up, but less expensive per piece. You will also be required to order a set number of pieces at a time. Typically the minimum order requirement for custom packaging is 10,000 units. If what you want requires the supplier to use new equipment you will have to pay a tooling fee and you will be held to much higher minimums. I’ve seen tooling fees come in at $30,000 with minimum order requirements of 100,000 units. If those numbers scare you then go stock and pay for a killer graphic designer to make your packaging stand out among the giants.
Consider your budget and your ideal brand image before making a final decision about your packaging. If you envision your brand in Sephora, Nordstrom, Bergdorf’s and the like then your packaging cannot be an afterthought. If you need a little inspiration Marc Jacobs, Charlotte Tilbury and Christian Louboutin have all shown us how it’s done.
Here’s to the Glam Life!
