Jon Achenbaum, Freeman Beauty’s chief executive officer, chuckles when the topic of the explosive growth of facial masks is mentioned.
After all, Freeman Beauty has been in the mask business since 1976 and is currently the mass market leader. “It is a brand with good awareness and terrific conversion from awareness to purchase and purchase to ongoing usage,” he added.
The facial mask business in mass doors, according to data from Nielsen, expanded 100 percent in 2016. “Masks are as hot as can be,” Achenbaum agreed. Freeman’s mask business, he said, is up almost 50 percent. Masks, in fact, will help fuel a projected 22 percent growth rate for Freeman as a company in 2017.
Related Articles
The category is growing at such a fast clip, he said, because more consumers are entering the market and using masks more often — sometimes two or three times per week. The influence of South Korean beauty trends also ignited interest.
To keep the momentum going, Freeman is updating its heritage masks and adding an entirely new collection. There are also masks for men, an untapped segment of the business, Achenbaum said.
With an eye on simplifying the shopping experience, the original Feeling Beautiful masks received a facelift. New packaging calls out the type of mask, for example a peel off, along with highlighting natural ingredients such as avocado, oatmeal and charcoal.
While Feeling Beautiful has a solid base of younger consumers and is continuing to court Generation Z, Freeman saw an opportunity to extend its mask expertise with a more sophisticated collection called Beauty Infusion. He expects this collection will not cannibalize from the existing sales.
Along with eye-catching, premium packaging Beauty Infusion takes much of its inspiration from the K-beauty trend, offering an array of masking options from sheet masks to pods, to meet any mask users preference.
The men’s line Feeling Legendary is getting good initial results, Achenbaum confirmed. “We are looking for areas to innovate outside of traditional mass market categories and we noticed opportunities in marketing to men.”
All told, Freeman offers more than 30 masks retailing from $1.99 to $7.99. Distribution includes Ulta Beauty (the exclusive partner for Beauty Infusion during 2016); Rite Aid; Nordstrom Rack; Bed, Bath and Beyond; Safeway/Albertsons; Sally Beauty; Wal-Mart Canada, and Meijer.
Later this year, Freeman Beauty will reintroduce print advertising with a campaign for Beauty Infusion. This marks the company’s first use of print in more than 18 years.
Masks aren’t the only beauty area where Freeman is ahead of the curve. It owns Psssst!, a pioneer in dry shampoo, which is another rapidly growing product category. Last year, two new scents rolled out, Tropical and Fruity Floral. This year there is an unscented option hitting shelves along with a dry conditioner.