Now For Some Good News
With all of the gloomy economic news, two events this week helped show there are opportunities to either build a business or spark sales via innovation. People will still part with their money for something they value.
A breakfast was held Tuesday by the New York Women’s Agenda, a group formed in 1992 by Elinor Guggenheimer to align female voices to causes affecting the lives of women and families. Sadly, Guggenheimer passed away earlier this year, but her spirit was alive in the honorees.
Among them were two women who came up with a program to provide safe rides for women in cities who were in fear, called RightRides for Women’s Safety, as well as a physician who founded a women’s imaging center to ensure quality breast cancer detection outside a hospital setting. Another being honored was the beauty industry’s Tova Borgnine, who proved that not only could fragrances sell via television, but that a young girl from Norway could arrive as a youngster in New York and build a beauty empire.
Related Articles
The women honored have inspiring stories that prove with hard work, new services and businesses can be born.
At the WWD BeautyBiz awards Thursday, beauty marketers and retailers illustrated that there are products still making shoppers rush to stores — even though, as speaker Wendy Liebmann of WSL Strategic Retail pointed out, many are purposely staying out of stores. She shared new research that reveals consumers are wearing their new frugal habits like a badge of honor. However, they did weaken when it came to items so dazzling they had to have them. Those included the Harajuku Lovers fragrances, Organic Wear makeup from Physicians Formula and the Lancôme Oscillation mascara. Other products lauded include those that are actually helping women save by doing more processes at home, such as Clairol Nice ’N Easy Perfect 10 and the Tria Laser.
Many of the products broke conventional wisdom rules, such as Harajuku, with several fragrances launched at once. Others broke out of the box, such as CVS’ introduction of Beauty 360, and Esi Eggleston Bracey at Cover Girl, who is shaking things up with Ellen DeGeneres as a spokeswoman.
Both of these events showed that when an idea or concept is right, people will respond. In tough economic times, ideas just have to get better. But Liebmann promised not to deliver all bad news — she held up her promise by showing that these times open opportunities for marketers who truly go where consumers shop and understand today what women — and men — want.
NEXT: People, Places and Things >>
People, Places and Things
A few words with Ellen DeGeneres on being a face behind Cover Girl’s Simply Ageless. She admits she thought they wanted someone else at first until she realized…why not her? DeGeneres will star in print and TV ads kicking off in January.
DeGeneres: “I look at some of the other Cover Girls, like Drew [Barrymore], and she is smart and a businesswoman. So I see how I would make sense. Everyone [in Hollywood] is looking the same. They are rail thin and they have a certain look. We should celebrate our individuality. A lot of makeup makes you look older — it falls into lines, whereas Simply Ageless doesn’t.”
What’s In Store
Hate Bare Feet at Security? A fledgling company called Smart Broad is offering Airport Sani Feet, a disposable and sanitary foot covering for use at security checkpoints. “You just don’t know all the germs on airport floors,” said Smart Broad president Lisa Guarini.
Axe for Hair: Unilever found many women don’t like men’s hair because it is too gunky, crunchy, poofy and flaky. Axe is coming to the rescue by extending the Axe logo into hair care. The line consists of shampoos, a conditioner and styling aids.
Beauty Roundup appears on WWD.com every Friday.