BW Confidential - Issue #6 - May/June 2011 - (Page 50)

Radar Up & coming brands Problem-solvers A profile of four innovative niche brands Ellis Faas Headquarters: Amsterdam, Netherlands Launch date: 2009 Price: €17.50-€65 Dutch make-up artist Ellis Faas set out to create make-up items that are convenient and easy-to-use on the move . “Sometimes it takes longer to look for an item in your make-up bag than to actually apply it. There was a real need for organizing these items, especially when traveling,” she says. Her solution was to create a make-up holder that can contain up to nine products. The design was inspired by the barrel of a revolver: six of the brand’s make-up pens (most Ellis Faas products are liquid color and come in pen format) surround a bigger pen in the middle, while a compact powder and mirror fit onto the top. Why it’s interesting: In addition to facilitating the make-up routine, Ellis Faas products have a distinct color trademark, which the brand has dubbed Human Colours. Faas says the color palette was inspired by the human body—the purple of a bruise and red of dried blood, for example. “The natural look is always associated with beige and brown, which I find boring,” she explains. Instead of creating seasonal looks and discontinuing items every year, Ellis Faas builds on the existing collection by adding a select number of new items. Strategy & upcoming plans: Given that the brand needs some explanation, it is distributed in stores where service is a focus. Ellis Faas currently has exclusive deals with Bergdorf Goodman in the US and Liberty in the UK and is also rolling out to Space NK locations in the US and UK this year. The company is looking to enter China, India, Italy and France. In terms of new products, it will soon launch eyebrow products and lip inks. Benta Berry Headquarters: Paris, France Launch date: 2010 Price: €6-€63 It’s not everyday that a natural skincare line launches for teens. French beauty brand Benta Berry tackles skincare issues for both girls and boys using all-natural ingredients, and has an innovative web-based marketing and sales strategy. “It was hard to believe that there was nothing on the market for teens looking for quality natural skincare products,“ explains founder and ceo Marie-Pierre Schmitz. Why it’s interesting: Products that target specific skincare issues are gaining traction, yet few ranges are devoted to young consumers, and even fewer are segmented into products for boys and for girls. “We found that there are no differences in terms of ethnic skin types between the ages of 12 and 24. The difference is between boys’ and girls’ skin, which is why we formulated our products by gender,” explains Schmitz. The brand offers 14 skus including cleansers, moisturizers and deodorants and launched its first two fragrances (a fruity oriental for girls and woody scent for boys) in February. Given its target audience, the brand is concentrating its marketing efforts online, mainly through Facebook. At launch, Benta Berry ran a casting contest on Facebook to find brand ambassadors. The company was expecting a few hundred applications, but was inundated with more than 10,000. “Facebook is the ideal platform for the brand, and 85% of the traffic on our website comes from Facebook,” Schmitz explains. Strategy & upcoming plans: The brand is aiming to sell only online, which will be complemented by a temporary presence in targeted bricks-and-mortar retailers. It is currently on offer at Paris sports store Citadium for a three-month period. The brand will embark on similar initiatives in other locations to keep the buzz going. 50 May-June 2011 - N°6 - BW Confidential

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of BW Confidential - Issue #6 - May/June 2011

Cover
Comment
Contents
Update
- Brand & retail news recap
- Digital digest
- Companies on the move
Take note
- Market facts, figures & trends
Best of BW
- Highlights from our e-publication
Launches
- The latest in fragrance, skincare & make-up
Interview
- Puig ceo Marc Puig
Insight: Skincare
- Category overview
- Department store initiatives
- Perfumeries
- The latest trends
Wellness
- Discounting in spas
- Spa case studies
Retail
- New store concepts
Travel retail
- Market analysis: Asia & Middle East
- Chinese travelers
Radar
- Four up-and-coming beauty brands
Market watch: China
- Analysis: country overview
- Industry roundtable
- Prestige retailing
- E-commerce
Packaging
- Decoration techniques
Last word
- LPK Beauty vp group creative director Liz Grubow

BW Confidential - Issue #6 - May/June 2011