1) Trademark Your Name
Your business in built on your brand. So it’s imperative that you protect your intellectual property – the most important piece being your name! Search your name, determine if it is “trademark worthy”, and file the application with the IPOPHL. This exercise will determine a fewthings that will set you up for private label success:
-You’ll find out if you are about to use someone else’s trademarked name! There are millions of trademarked names already filed with the IPOPHL, whether they are widely used or not. Using someone else’s name is a trademark infringement and could lead to a court date, fees, and obviously, the discontinuation of your use of that name. Don’t throw money of labels, packages, and marketing materials in the trash because you didn’t have a lawyer carefully research your name.
- It will protect your name and prohibit other people from using it! You’ve worked hard and invested time and money into your name and all the materials that it is printed on. Make sure someone else doesn’t decide to use it, especially after you have established a thriving business and an impeccable product reputation branded with your name.
Having a trademarked name makes you a VIP with some third-party distributors or companies. Trademarked companies get to enjoy advantages such as a more robust platform to electronically display their goods and privileged selling opportunities.
Be ready for your trademark ! To file with the IPOPHL, they will need to see that you are using the name. So, get at least one product with your company name displayed on your website or in your store to demonstrate your serious intention to use your trademarked name!
2) Identify Yourself
Who is your ideal customer? The answer to this question will help you decide major decisions about, well, everything! And no, the answer is NOT “Everyone who has skin!” Drill down and design your company to appeal to a distinct group of individuals that will share a “belief system” with your brand. It is critical to narrow down your niche and target one main group of individuals. Of course, there are thousands of unique groups to gravitate towards, but here are three main ones for your consideration:
The Organic Client – teens to octogenarians, and across all ethnicities, this niche tends to have higher socioeconomic status. They gravitate more towards keywords on a
Label then towards a particular brand. Main attractors are “botanical”, “natural”, “cruelty-free”, and of course “organic”.
The Young & Hip Client – Think millennial. This group of young adults wants fun products that reflect their exuberance and focus on hot trending ingredients. Packaging
It is brightly colored and can even include metallic images and closures. The box is key in this packaging scheme. It can present itself like a work of art, enticing the consumer with its coolness and the promise of a quality product inside.
The High End Client – Baby Boomers and beyond pick products based on their state of mind, not their socioeconomic position. They are willing to pay more for products that promise classiness, luxury, and a definite end to wrinkles! Darker jewel- toned branding on frosted glass or black packaging with matching or gold toned closures appeals to this set.
3) Expose Your Brand
You can have the best skincare brand in the world, but you won’t be selling if no one knows about it! If you do not already have an established fan base among a set of patients and clients, or if you are not already “famous”, then you need to strategize about how people will discover your products. Just because you may already have spa clients and medical patients who buy your services, or fans who “follow you” on Facebook or other social media flatforms, it doesn’t mean that they know you’re selling skincare! Be ready to give yourself a “shout out” in postings, newsletters, and marketing materials displayed both inside and outside your current “place” of business.
For sellers offering services, make sure your products get on your clients’ skin. If performing facials, use your retail products in your backbar and create additional opportunities such as “Bazaar,Parties and other social events” that combine a fun social shopping experience with an opportunity to try on products.
Not a Social Media Influencer? Then you can always partner with one! Send your products to Beauty Bloggers and Skincare Enthusiasts so that they can tout the benefits of your unique merchandise. Online content marketing is growing by leaps and bounds, so now is the time to dive in!
Projections suggest that the e-commerce private label market will quadruple between 2024 and 2027, making it a great tool to expand exclusive product offerings. Opportunities exist on platforms such as Tiktok Shop and Facebook Marketplace, though third-party distributors such as Lazada,Shopee and by blogging and featuring your products on your own social media account.
4) Offer Value
The beauty marketplace is crowded... and often confusing... making it difficult to navigate for consumers and difficult to stand out for retailers. Offering value that goes above and beyond other brands can differentiate you and help attract customers that need a helping hand searching for products that align with their belief system and skin care challenges. Here are a few opportunities to offer value:
Quality Product – There are plenty of pretty packages out there but skin care connoisseurs want visible changes in their skin. Packing product with high quality active ingredients will give clients what they are looking
for – better looking skin! Positive reviews will come organically and repeat customers, frequently, when you are selling a product that delivers on its claims.
Education – There’s a whole new sub-group of consumers out there called “skintellectuals” and this group is growing fast! These savvy consumers are self-taught, discerning, and they seek highly effective, no-frills products with competitive price points. You can appeal to these clued-in customers who expect “full disclosure” on their products by providing ingredient forward marketing that cuts the fluff and focuses on facts.
Entertainment – Giveaways, contests, hosts a party for new product launches; it’s apparent that serious skin care does not have to be devoid of fun, fabulousness, and humor! And with Vloggers dominating the WiFi waves with skin care tutorials and even a makeup artist that tells crime stories when she applies her full beat face, this industry is melding sales with entertainment. Don’t shy away from engaging content that makes us laugh...or cry...just make sure you’ve got your waterproof mascara on.
5) Fill the Holes
Whether you exclusively sell private label or integrate it with other branded lines, this is your opportunity to go where no other brand name has gone before! When private labeling, you can seek out unique boutique labs that make specialty products not normally found in mainstream lines. If what you currently carry isn’t complete, now is the time to fill any gaps in your offerings. Look for products targeted towards rare skin types or challenges, products that are professional strength with high levels of actives, or a product that can expand your current line into body care, men’s care, or hair care. Offering exceptional “unicorn” products is a reason why companies private label. Be bold and fill the holes while delighting your customers and standing out from the crowd!
