Cosmetic Executive Women held its spring West Coast Beauty Insider Series: "Brand New: Finding Your Niche" event featuring a panel discussion with top beauty executives March 22. The event—open to CEW members and nonmembers—kicked off with a cocktail and networking reception at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows in Santa Monica, California, followed by the panel program.
The panel was Alli Webb, founder of Drybar; Natasha Cornstein, president of Blushington Makeup & Beauty Lounge; and Stuart Schultz, co-founder and president of BeautyRx by Dr. Schultz. Each speaker shared her/his approach to brand positioning and how they identified emerging brand experiences in beauty and turned them into unique business opportunities.
The panel was moderated by Martha McCully, beauty and lifestyle expert, MMc Media.
“I was delighted to welcome Alli, Natasha and Stuart to this event,” says Carlotta Jacobson, president of CEW. “The beauty-on-demand market is on the rise thanks in part to innovative brands like those on our panel. These three experts represent some of the most unique perspectives in brand development, and we were so pleased to have the opportunity to share their expertise with the West Coast beauty community.”
Webb explained that a strong brand identity is key to Drybar’s success, and the marriage of its branding and in-salon experience is what keeps customers excited and coming back.
“Originally, Drybar was seen as a niche service and has now evolved into a beauty necessity for women across America. How we created that need and shift in perception for our customers is one of my favorite things to discuss,” said Alli Webb. “It was an honor to be asked to speak at this event. CEW is an amazing organization, and its support of Drybar has been incredible.”
Cornstein shared how Blushington sets itself apart by delivering a specialized, express service that doesn’t compromise on quality. Blushington’s services were created to be mindful of its customer’s time and needs; a focus that has directly contributed to the brand’s growth.
“At Blushington we were inspired to create a beautiful experience where women could enjoy a professional makeup application in a way that’s fun, accessible and intimidation-free—be it at one of our lounges, or with our convenient on-the-go services,” said Cornstein. “By identifying this untapped niche, Blushington was able to create an original concept that consumers love from coast to coast. It’s a joy to share that vision and brand building experience with the West Coast CEW community.”
Schultz examined the high-touch aspect of skin care, and how accessibility has set BeautyRx apart. By making a skin peel available to consumers in non-medical settings and sharing information through its DermTV YouTube channel, BeautyRx is able to connect directly to their customers. That unique engagement is what is fueling its continued growth.
“With the ever-growing interest in skin care and healthy, glowing skin, we saw a unique opportunity to provide dermatologist-grade treatments outside of the office via our Peel Bars,” said Schultz. “Identifying that white space changed our business, and we were excited to discuss our development and continuous growth with our West Coast industry colleagues and friends.”
[Images courtesy of Cosmetic Executive Women]
