HOW BRIOGEO LEVERAGED COLLABS AND A STRONG BRAND STORY TO ACHIEVE A KILLER BEAUTY BRAND LAUNCH ON A SHOESTRING BUDGET
It’s no secret that the key to a successful beauty brand launch is the planning you do beforehand to lay the foundations of your business. Below, we uncover how Nancy Twine, the founder of Briogeo, did exactly that to prepare her brand for success.
Nancy Twine is the youngest African-American woman to launch a line sold at Sephora. But how did she reach this level of success without VC funding, millions of dollars, or celebrity endorsements? In this article, we break down the exact launch strategies that Twine relied on to start her brand on a budget.
You’ll discover why the most essential thing is to have a strong brand story and know your audience, why you should limit your product range at first, why it’s important to try new things and test, test, test, and why “less predictable” collaborations can help grow your audience like nothing else.
DO YOUR DUE DILIGENCE
Twine actively researched the market she wanted to pursue. To avoid surpassing the small budget she allocated for her beauty brand launch, Twine took advantage of free resources at the public library (her favorite was the NYC Small Business Library) and conducted small focus groups to test her product and the concept of her brand. “The more you can learn and strategically tweak your plan before launch, the better chance you have at bringing a strong product or concept to market,” she shares. During her research, she realized that there was a shift in the luxury beauty industry towards natural care, but it was more directed towards skincare. This meant that there was an open opportunity on the luxury end of the clean haircare market.
Taking the time to research and find an area of high demand boosts your chances of organic success. “Our growth has been completely organic,” says Twine. “Despite not having VC funding or celebrity endorsements, we’ve been able to grow the brand at a meaningful pace through authentic media and influencer support, extensive sampling programs, and close partnerships with retailers who have shown a true understanding and interest in the Briogeo brand concept.”
Action tip: Where is there white space in the market for your beauty brand? If you feel like it’s too saturated, where can you pivot to find a space that’s ready for you to conquer?
HONE YOUR UNIQUE SKILLS AND EXPERIENCES (AND DELEGATE THE REST)
There is a 0% chance that you will be great at running every aspect of your business. Hone in on your strengths and delegate the rest. Before launching Briogeo, Twine spent 7 years at Goldman Sachs, gearing her up with knowledge on how to price ambitiously and save money on certain aspects of production.
Twine knew that her time at Goldman gave her a major advantage in certain areas of Briogeo. “Working in finance taught me a lot of basic skills like how to create spreadsheets, presentations, craft professional emails and manage a client base. It also taught me a lot of strategic skills like how to problem solve for our client’s needs, grow a business, and overcome challenges.”
Action tip: Before your beauty brand launch, make a list of 3 categories: 1: all the skills you’re great at in your business, 2: the areas you’re okay at but manage to accomplish, 3: the challenging areas that you could possibly delegate.
NAIL YOUR BRAND STORY AND MISSION BEFORE YOUR BEAUTY BRAND LAUNCH
Twine knew that having a brand that stands out in the market today needs to feel personal. That’s why, Twine’s priority was on having a brand story and mission that’s clear, strong, and emotional.
Her brand story is simple and can be easily summed up into one sentence: Briogeo’s products are inspired by the natural formulas that have been passed down 3rd generations by the women in her family.
Similarly, Briogeo’s mission is just as clear and easy to sum up: Briogeo promises nourishing natural haircare products with clean formulas for specific hair textures that actually deliver on their proposed benefits.
Action tip: Ask your friends or shoppers to explain your brand story and mission in one sentence. If they’re having a hard time understanding, you might need to simplify.
To read about the remaining 7 launch strategies Briogeo employed right out of the gate, hop on over to our ABC blog here.
