What The Hell Are Skincare Heroes??
Three incredible beauty executives share LOTS of juicy details on creating and marketing a successful line of skincare heroes (and what that means).
Last week, on July 2nd, 30+ passionate professionals gathered at an iconic venue by Union Square Park. They sipped on plant-based energy drinks (all the rage, amirite?) and boxed water, made some warm connections—that may last a lifetime, if you’ve learned anything from my previous posts about community—and learned tons about what hell a skincare hero is. I pulled this miracle together in under a month, and the results were INCREDIBLE. It was my first time moderating an IRL panel, with the audience sitting less than 8 feet away from me, but I had an absolute blast!
With three beauty experts on the panel, we unpacked what a skincare hero is, how to make one (or a whole line), and how a brand can market this very important SKU to become a cult favorite. If this is your jam, you’ll want to read everything in here and then some! But if it’s not your jam, I totally understand why you want to stick with my rant-like posts instead.
Back to where we started…
Hero product maker, Tamar Kamen, has been the brain behind a ton of skincare favorites at brands like Topicals Tom Ford Beauty, Peter Thomas Roth, Dr. Dennis Gross, and more. Tamar describes a hero product as a line of products (that share an ingredient or a story), or a single SKU that holds multigenerational value, and lends itself to a majority of the revenue.
This success can be a combination of several factors, like efficacy, breakthrough packaging, press, reviews, and virality. However, there is a secret sauce to build this success, block-by-block, if you’re building or operating a skincare brand. I brought together three experts to give you the recipe.
On the Roster:
Tori Douglas (Digital Superstar): Tori has made waves as the global digital experience and innovation lead at Fresh (LVMH), winning in UX/UI design, digital marketing, and e-commerce.
Emma Caris (PR & Influencer Superstar): A true-blue PR native, Emma manages all things Public Relations and Influencer Marketing for the luxury division at Amorepacific, where her priority is the Sulwhasoo brand.
Tamar Kamen (Product Superstar): A hero-making product development, innovation, and marketing beauty industry expert with over 20 years of experience. Her superpower is developing brands of all sizes specializing in strategy, marketing, and product.
Roster Reflections:
🛍 Navigating consumer behavior in the digital space requires agility. Skincare heroes are used in unexpected ways, mandating brands to invest in social listening. Community management can both fuel growth, and prevent PR disasters.
🎨 Packaging isn't just about aesthetics; it's a competitive edge. This is prime real estate that should be optimized for awareness, education, and ultimately, acquisition. Unique packaging formats and materials can become a differentiator in a saturated market. Like Tamar said, before Summer Fridays launched their Jet Lag Mask, nobody was putting a mask in an aluminum tube. Today, that’s become their hero SKU!
📈 Micro-influencers are game-changers in beauty. They can organically deliver on authentic storytelling, and are more likely to drive sales because of their loyal communities. Long-term partnerships can amplify messaging around hero products, even amidst new product launches.
🌟 Hero SKU’s do the heavy lifting in revenue. Manage your master marketing calendar in a way that you can sustain reanimation—all year round. Tori outlined the efficiency of cross-promoting, and pairing new releases with hero SKU’s for a win-win in owned channels.
🗣 Leverage your brand’s storytelling pillars, to introduce unfamiliar ingredients. Like Emma shared, ginseng—a popular ingredient in asian skincare—may be new to some consumers, but with the right education, it can just as quickly, become the star of the assortment.
If you’re interested in more insights, and an actionable toolkit, reach out to me on ilina.shobha@gmail.com, and I’ll set you up!