4. As key partners, we provide consultancy
on short term and long term projects
to build brands for our clients
We assist with business planning
and commercial strategies to
deliver marketing and brand expansion
5. Our network of strategic
partners are experts in every
category of
brand building
This includes sales, marketing,
creative services, product
development, logistics
8. Our retailer experience is expansive
We cover a broad spectrum
We have an extensive network of
contacts in the global beauty
business,
from major Retailers to
Independents to International
distributors
9. High End Prestige Marketplace w Independents!
wHome Shopping Networks w Online!
www.allbeauty
15. Our team includes professionals experienced in:
Public Relations w Social Media!
16. Retailers
• Bergdorf Goodman
• Saks Fifth Avenue
• Nordstrom
• Neiman Marcus
• Bloomingdales
• Barney’s
• Lord & Taylor
• Henri Bendel
• Takashimaya
• Holt Renfrew Canada
• Murale Canada
• Space NK
• Fred Segal /Ron Robinson
• Bigelow NewYork
• Anthropologie
• QVC
• The Limited Group
• Joyus.com
• Beauty Habit
• Travel Beauty
• Dermstore
• Walmart
• Duane Reade NY
• Rite Aide Corporation
• Walgreens
• Target Corporation
• Target.com
• CVS
17. Clients
• Orla Kiely Beauty Range
• Ted Baker of London
• FISH Soho London
• Scott Cornwall Haircare
• Clayspray
• Timothy Dunn London
• Cane & Austin Skincare
• Twisted Sista Haircare
• Lee Stafford Haircare
• St. James Founders Reserve
• Urban Therapy
• Emma Hardie
• Lisa Simon Skincare Paris
• Evolve Beauty
• Elemental Herbology
• Vedapure For Mom and Baby
• This Works
• The Refinery
• Miller Harris Fragrance
• Korner Skin Care
• The Real Shaving Company
18. Being Ready to Break Into New Markets
By: Kathy Connolly
Posted: April 28, 2014, from the May 2014 Issue of GCI
Magazine
Part of nearly every beauty brand’s strategy is
growth, but growth to where? When you
know you want to grow your brand, you have
to figure out the best ways to enter new
markets before launching.
As a London-based consultant to the global
beauty industry, I meet with many new
businesses from Eastern Europe, Russia, China
and India, among others, all hoping to gain
access to the dynamic retail arena in the U.S.
and Canada. For these brands, North America
is the pinnacle in terms of being positioned in
a key marketplace, as they can showcase their
products to the world in what is considered
to be the top level of retail distribution
worldwide.
The ultimate goal is to place products on the
store shelves of retail chains in these markets.
In order to achieve this goal, careful planning
of the actual execution of the product launch
is critical. However, this key step is often
forgotten or ignored because the focus in the
beginning of a beauty brand launch is on
product development, brand image, packaging,
ingredients and efficacy of the product.
The actual product launch, including the all-
important backup support, is often not well
planned, and this can impair the chances of
success for the lucky few who do get accepted
by North American retailers.There are lessons
for all beauty brand here—especially those
looking to expand.
19.
GCI Magazine
Cont’d.
Product Planning
Some of the most common mistakes seen with
newly emerging brands are often the simplest
to resolve.A little extra upfront planning and
effort can be the deciding factor for a buyer
picking your product over another.
The number of items in a brand line is the
biggest and most frequent error I see.All too
often—particularly in brands coming from
Europe, where the retail market is still mostly
that of mass chain pharmacy distribution or
the independent beauty boutique retail
environment—the brand lineup has hundreds
of products all falling under the same
corporate name and ranging from hair care,
body care and bath and shower to foot care,
facial creams, balms and serums—and even
fragrances and deodorants.This common
error needs to be addressed even before
beginning work on where the various product
lines will fit.
Each retail buyer has different category
responsibilities, and you need to break your
brand down into key categories in order to
appeal to a particular buyer responsible for a
particular area of the market.
Starting out, less is best. Begin with your hero
products or the category that your brand
performs best in. For example, if hair care has
been your strong point, focus on that, making
it the best it can be. Highlight the products
with a unique story to tell.Think about how
many beauty brands, products and ranges this
buyer has already had presented to her, and
try to put yourself in her shoes. Look for the
magic in your products, find that one product
that will grab the attention of the buyer and
run with it.
Also, don’t try to be all things to all people.
New brands often only see the potential
financial rewards that could be theirs without
stopping to think of how many other brands
and products there already are like them—all
vying to gain a foothold in the retail space.You
will usually have just one opportunity.
20. Take a step back and analyze, analyze and
analyze again.Then tighten your product range,
putting forward only the best of the best.
Next, break down your categories.You can
always make more than one appointment—or
better yet, streamline your offerings to make
your selection only those products you feel
strongly about
Support System
The North American way of doing business,
from a support point of view, often comes as a
great surprise to companies attempting to
launch in North America. Often, brands have
done insufficient research when building their
business plans. Gone are the days when buyers
chose products based on packaging, name,
design and the good looks of a new brand
alone.
In today’s world, where the market is owned
by a few giants, there is very little space left for
newly emerging product lines. It requires a
great deal of careful analyzing and decision
making from the buyer or category manager
to seek out the best of the best and find the
next winning product or brand.
And smaller brand owners need to be
prepared to meet the challenges they will face
with the huge corporate giants that dominate
this space and also provide the spend to drive
their businesses at retail.
Though smaller emerging companies may not
have the deep pockets of some of the
corporate market leaders, brands of all sizes
are expected to able to come to the party
with a well-thought out marketing plan to
support the products, as well as budgets for
PR, advertising and social media.
GCI Magazine!
Cont’d.!
21. About Kathryn Connolly
Kathy has worked in the beauty business for more than 25 years, in various
levels of management, both in Canada and the United States.
Her many experiences working with large and small companies have
provided her with excellent contacts with the North American retailers,
from such well known names as Saks Fifth Avenue and Barneys New York, to
the larger mass market drug retailers such as Duane Reade New York,
Walgreen's, CVS, Rite Aid and Shoppers Drug Mart Canada.
Her area of expertise is advising brands on how best to position and market
themselves for acceptance into this very competitive environment. Her role
is to guide and consult with her clients as to how to best approach specific
retailers, with a view to gaining distribution and exposure for their brands
across North America.
Her background includes management positions with Unilever, Cosmair/
Lancome, Estee Lauder, and LVMH/Guerlain Inc.
22.
About Sandra Lang
Sandra has enjoyed a diversified career in the beauty industry in NewYork. At Liz Claiborne
Cosmetics as Director of Marketing Services and PR from 1998 until 2008, her
responsibilities included Marketing Services,Training and Public Relations.
Her passion for fragrance and her talents in this arena were instrumental in building a
portfolio of iconic brands including Liz Claiborne, Realities, Curve, Lucky Brand, and Juicy
Couture as well as several licensed brands for the company.
Sandra’s diverse skills in the cosmetics industry led her to establish her own cosmetics
consulting company, SLANG Communications in 2010. She has worked to launch several
fragrance and cosmetic brands, in all categories of beauty, in prestige retail stores such as
Bergdorf Goodman, Bloomingdales and Lord Taylor and Independents.
She is a U.S. business consultant for KCC Consultancy, a London based consulting agency,
working with clients on sales, marketing and copy writing projects.The company’s focus is to
introduce and expand distribution for emerging and established European brands in the U.S.
marketplace.
23. KCC
Consultancy
Limited
43-‐44
Nevern
Square
Suite
6
SW5
9PF
London
England
UK
(44)
781
332
8415
US
(1)
917
817
2524
kathy@kccconsultancy.com
www.kccconsultancy.com
