by theglamscientist | | beauty, beauty business, business, consulting, cosmetic chemists, cosmetics, cosmetics industry, Glam Life |
At some point in our lives, I think we’ve all been drawn in to a fictional tv show; whether your taste is Scandal, Sex and the City or Glee. Have you ever considered the thought, research and effort that go into the development of your favorite characters? I mean, when you really think about it, those characters are not REAL. They don’t live in the real world, yet they have a personality, a culture, values (or not), careers, friends, taste in food and clothes. Everything that makes you and I human is built into each fictional character so that they feel real to us. We are able to develop a connection to fictional characters because the writer took care in developing a complete character.
*Stay with me, I’m going somewhere with this.*
But they don’t stop there. Once the characters are developed and the scripts are written, the actors get to know the characters. My fiancé happens to be an actor and I was once lucky enough to sit in on a character analysis. It was one of the most intriguing things I’ve ever witnessed. I watched as the writer/director posed questions and scenarios to the actors who responded as if they themselves were really the character. Actors really become their characters on set.
So how does this apply to your beauty brand? Well, your brand needs a personality, it needs values, it needs a culture. Your customers should be able to get to know your brand like they get to know their favorite tv characters. Is your brand classic? Or does she respond to trends? What kind of customer would your brand make friends with? Where does she shop? What does she eat? Does your brand feel connected to the community or is she more drawn to a specific audience? Get to know your brand BEFORE you introduce her to the world. Give the world something to connect and hold on to. That’s the first step to creating a loyal brand following.
What methods have you used in developing a personality for your beauty brand?
Here’s to the Glam Life!
by theglamscientist | | beauty, beauty business, business, consulting, cosmetic chemists, cosmetic science, cosmetics, cosmetics industry, Glam Life |
Before you dig into this post, take a minute to ponder these three words- Best, Popular, Profitable. What comes to mind when you read each of them? *jot that down*
What is your main goal for your beauty brand? Do you want to be the best to ever do it? Are you seeking popularity? Or would you much rather be profitable? You can have it all, but you should start with what matters most and retrofit the rest.
I believe if I do my best work, it will earn me profitability because of the quality and value I would pour out to the clients I serve. Doing so creates loyalty and word of mouth marketing. When you’re creating something of value for your tribe, you’ll gain popularity. Let’s face it, all of us want to be known for something whether we’re willing to admit it or not. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be popular, especially for something you give your all to.
Consider these elements when you’re sitting at the drawing board planning your beauty brand. Give your best to each point in the process. Select superb formulations, research and implement the most effective marketing strategies for your product type, create a unique and compelling brand culture and match all of your visuals and copy to that culture. Your packaging, logo, website, presentation of product claims and promo materials should all be a reflection of your brand’s best work. If you do, the profitability and popularity will fall in place. It’s quite a glamorous cycle!
Here’s to the Glam Life!
by theglamscientist | | beauty, beauty business, business, color cosmetics, consulting, cosmetic chemists, cosmetics, cosmetics industry, esteem, Glam Life, startup advice |
There’s just no way around it. If you want to succeed, advance, learn, be a leader; you must read. I’m willing to bet if you interviewed the top beauty brand owners and leaders you’d find they have a list of reading material that played a role in their success. Someone like you that is on a quest for success and advancement in the cosmetic industry has to be intentional about your reading. Not just any book will do. I like to have an arsenal of reading material so that I know or am learning a little bit about everything that applies to my direction in life. I always set business and personal goals for the year. I use those goals to guide my reading. Not only should you select books that matter to you right now, but you have to read with an open, active, critical and investigative mind. It’s not so much about what’s written on the page as it is what those words spark inside of you. Pay careful attention to the sparks.
So what should you be reading?
The key to a successful business is to have a healthy personal life, a productive business life and to be knowledgeable in subjects that affect your beauty business.
I recommend reading self help books and/or blogs that build and maintain your self esteem. This kind of reading will teach you what to say when you talk to yourself and how to protect yourself from negativity. You can also look for blogs written by life coaches and lifestyle brands to help you maintain an inspired, motivated and positive outlook.
I also believe every business owner or aspiring business owner will benefit from reading marketing and branding material. Find books whose title and description speaks to you and where you are right now. Look for bloggers whose voice/style is reflective of yourself or someone you can see yourself being friends with. This will be easy reading for you and these nuggets can be dropped in your inbox daily. I personally like dry humor, a touch of sarcasm, or high energy. Marketing bloggers are really good at that.
Finally, you’ll need to read material that applies directly to your industry. You’re reading this blog so I’m willing to bet cosmetics is your industry of choice. Luckily, our industry has a lot of trade publications to keep you in the know. I’ll list my favorites below. Being apart of this industry means you get to read fun, girly stuff, too. Your favorite fashion/lifestyle magazines will all touch on beauty in every issue. What you do with the information will determine if it is golden or not. Here’s a TGS secret… It’s ALWAYS golden. *wink*
My favorite trade publications:
GCI Magazine
Cosmetics and Toiletries
HAPPI
What are you reading right now? Drop your favorite blogs and book titles in the comments for all of us to enjoy.
Here’s to the Glam Life!
by theglamscientist | | consulting, planning for profit, product development, retail price |
I promised to start adding a splash of business development posts to the blog, so here’s the first.
One of the most important things to consider when you’re looking to launch a product is the retail price. Often, potential clients ask me… “How much will the product cost?” Unfortunately, that’s not a question I can readily answer. There are a number of factors to consider when thinking about the final cost/price of a product including the ingredients, volume (how much is in the bottle), packaging, target market and profit margin. I encourage clients to determine what price will suit their target market and also how much profit they would like to make per unit BEFORE we begin the project. Everything else can be adjusted along the way. Often, a contract manufacturer can deliver the results you seek within your budget. The key is to know up front.
While catching up on my reading, I stumbled upon an article on Entrepreneur.com about landing major retail placement. Among the tips was planning ahead for profit. Read that article here
I added it to my bookmarks for future reference, I recommend you do the same.
Here’s to the Glam Life!
