P&G’s StyleUnited.com Meshes Beauty and Fashion
• P&G Beauty & Grooming has launched StyleUnited.com, billed by the consumer products giant as the first truly personalized site that brings beauty and fashion together for a total style source. In partnership with ShopStyle, StyleUnited.com delivers an exclusive experience to each consumer to help women achieve their best head-to-toe style.
StyleUnited.com, initially launched in beta with the promise of more enhancements in the coming months, features personal consultations, curated content and a peer community for tips and recommendations.
Under the direction of editor-in-chief Margit Detweiler, whose 12 years experience in online media touts leading sites such as RealSimple.com, EverydayHealth.com and AOL Health, StyleUnited features hundreds of articles, slideshows, blog posts and how-to videos from P&G and industry experts, including influential stylists, bloggers and online editors.
Style 360, a diagnostic tool women participate in at the onset of engagement, is designed to understand a woman’s unique skin care, hair care, cosmetics and fashion needs. The site tailors content based on responses and delivers relevant information each time a woman visits the site.
One-on-one live consultations with professional beauty consultants provide consumers with real time recommendations and advice. Using online video technology, consumers can talk live with specialists via a web camera. Consultants can see and understand consumers’ concerns and provide assistance based on personal traits such as skin and hair types.
• Inter Parfums, Inc. has raised the “barre” in its newest scent deal. The company has entered into a 13-year worldwide license agreement with La Maison Repetto for the creation, development and distribution of fragrances under the Repetto brand, a legendary name in the world of dance.
Created in 1947 by Rose Repetto at the request of her son, dancer and choreographer Roland Petit, Repetto today has developed must-have collections with a fully modernized signature style ranging from dance shoes and ballet slippers to flat shoes and sandals and more recently, handbags and high-end accessories. With an aggressive international expansion plan (27 new stores opened in 2011, 22 new points of sale planned for 2012) focusing mainly on Europe, the brand is now branching out into Asia, notably South Korea and Japan, according to Inter Parfums.
The fragrance agreement commenced on Jan. 1, 2012, and the first scent is expected to bow in 2013 via Interparfums SA, Inter Parfum’s majority-owned French subsidiary.
“Two French companies, Repetto, an iconic global name in the universe of dance and Interparfums, a highly talented creator of fragrances under license, possess rare and unique technical know-how,” said Jean Marc Gaucher, chairman and CEO of Repetto. “This collaboration provides an occasion for both to write a new page in their respective histories. What could be more natural.”
Philippe Benacin, chairman and CEO of Interparfums SA, said Repetto is an “exceptional brand that has acquired unique know-how in the field of dance. We believe that this universe offers real opportunities for creating a range of poetic, glamorous and ultra-feminine fragrance lines.”
• Rockin’ Green, a maker of eco-friendly laundry detergent and cleaning products, took home top honors at the Stevie Awards for Women in Business. The company’s founder, Kimberly Webb, was named “Best Entrepreneur” for a non-services business up to 100 employees, and the company was named the “Fastest-Growing Company of the Year.”
The Stevie Awards for Women in Business honor women executives, entrepreneurs, and the companies they run—worldwide. The awards are one of four Stevie Awards programs, which have been hailed as the world’s premier business awards. This year more than 1,300 entries —a record for the competition—were submitted for consideration in 75 categories.
“These awards celebrate our hard work and dedication to the families we support, such as those in the cloth diapering and natural living communities, with natural, clean rinsing and safe detergents and cleaning products,” said Webb. “We are honored to add the Stevie Awards to our list of accolades and are now inspired to continue on our mission to provide eco-friendly cleaning products to more families worldwide.”
The Stevie Awards for Women in Business honor women executives, entrepreneurs, and the companies they run—worldwide. The awards are one of four Stevie Awards programs, which have been hailed as the world’s premier business awards. This year more than 1,300 entries—a record for the competition—were submitted for consideration in 75 categories. (You can read more about Rockin’ Green in “Sniff Test,” found on p. 57 in this issue.)
More info: www.rockingreensoap.com
• Fixodent Original denture adhesive is putting consumers to the test with the Fixodent 12 Hour Hold Challenge. Until June 30, 2012, Fixodent will encourage consumers to submit written testimonials sharing their own personal denture challenges. By registering at www.dentureliving.com and entering their Fixodent challenge statement, registrants are considered for free product samples and entered for a chance to win one monthly $500 giveaway or one grand prize of $5,000.
A study revealed roughly 20 million women ages 40+ wear dentures, and more than three million of them are living their day-to-day lives in fear of something as simple as eating out with friends, according to P&G.
“Our primary goal, as the No. 1 dentist recommended brand, has always been to ensure our customers can live with confidence,” said Procter & Gamble/Fixodent brand manger Lloyd Lorenzsonn. “We have always prided ourselves on the Fixodent 12-hour hold money back guarantee, which gives denture wearers more confidence to go about their day with normal activities like eating and smiling.”
• Luxury resort Collections of Waikiki at the Royal Hawaiian has added Malie Organics. The full line of Malie Organics products will be represented in a 648 square-foot retail space.
Founded in 2004 by Dana Roberts on her home island of Kauai, Malie Organics places strict emphasis on natural and organic ingredients and processes, such as their use of pure Hawaiian Hydrosols-floral waters containing the essences of the plant gleaned through distillation, in many of their products. Since then, Malie Organics’ distribution has grown to include more than 300 luxury spas, hotels and boutiques in Hawaii and across the country.
Product lines from Malie Organics have also recently been added to the in-room amenities at The Royal Hawaiian.
More info: www.malie.com
• Head & Shoulders unveiled The Good Girlfriend Guide, an e-manual of positive girlfriend-to-girlfriend advice tackling everything from beauty faux pas to relationship hang-ups.
The initiative started back in July when Head & Shoulders’ girlfriend ambassador, Alyson Hannigan, joined the brand to end “head-scratching” behavior by encouraging women across the country to visit the Head & Shoulders for Women Facebook Fan page to share their girlfriend wisdom.
With more than 14,000 entries, the Good Girlfriend Guide combines real women’s advice with expert tips from Head & Shoulders celebrity stylist Sunnie Brook Jones, Head & Shoulders dermatologist Dr. Ilyse Lefkowicz and beauty experts Amber Katz, Beauty Blogging Junkie, and Aly Walansky, My Gloss. The result was a truly collaborative e-manual filled with suggestions on hair care maintenence.
The Good Girlfriend Guide, published through Barnes & Noble’s self-publishing platform, PubIt, is available in digital format and is exclusively at Barnes & Noble’s Nook Store.
• Adweek has named Henkel executive Eric Schwartz, gen- eral manager of laundry and home care, as a 2011 Brand Genius winner. The award honors the brands that shape our culture and the individuals who catapult them to success. Past winners include some of the top brand creators, such as the late Steve Jobs and David Lauren of Polo Ralph Lauren.
Schwartz was recognized for his extension of the Purex brand equity from a value to premium laundry category via groundbreaking marketing and innovations. His leadership has taken the Purex brand’s equity not only to new heights but also market shares not seen in years, according to Henkel. Under his tenure, Schwartz’s team has successfully launched two Purex Complete 3-in-1 Laundry Sheets and Purex Crystals laundry enhancer.
“Eric’s smart and efficient marketing techniques grew the Purex brand despite the challenges and uncertainties in the category,” said Henkel Consumer Goods president Norbert Koll. “Under his leadership, Purex has become the fastest-growing brand in the laundry care category this year.”
Schwartz began his career at Henkel in 2004 as a senior brand manager for Purex laundry detergent.
• Even in these tough economic times, more than half of Americans say they find volunteer work more rewarding than more money in their pocket, according to a new study from Kelton Research commissioned by natural personal care leader Tom’s of Maine.
This desire to give back during the holidays and year-round may come from childhood volunteer experiences that turn into a lifelong commitment to community, as the nationwide survey found nearly seven in ten (66%) Americans do charity work for the first time before the age of 18. And for today’s volunteers, staying close to home is a clear priority. Nearly nine in ten (86%) Americans want to volunteer for causes in their own communities and fulfill an immediate need, as opposed to helping efforts in another town (6%) or country (5%).
To help find the time to volunteer, Tom’s of Maine offers each of its employees 5% of paid time off, up to 12 days a year, to volunteer in their local community or beyond.
As an example, Tom’s of Maine created its annual “50 States for Good” program to help shed light on non-profit groups that need volunteers and support. This year Tom’s of Maine awarded $150,000 in grants to grassroots projects ranging from reforestation initiatives and an environmental dance program to free dental care and a friendship network for children with special needs—all in need of financial support as well as new volunteers.
More info: www.tomsofmaine.com
• Zep Inc. has launched a new corporate website, zepinc.com, designed to provide investors, prospective partners and customers with the latest news and information about the company. The new site is said to offer a wealth of expanded information and insight into one of the leading cleaning and maintenance solutions providers in the world, including the company’s strategy for growth through targeted acquisitions of quality companies serving the highly fragmented, $19 billion US specialty cleaning and maintenance chemicals industry.
• Woody’s Quality Grooming’s Shave Lather Moisturizing Cream was named the Beauty Launchpad Reader’s Choice Award in the Best Men’s Shave Category. Organized by the professional magazine dedicated to hair stylists and salon owners, the eighth Annual Reader’s Choice Awards drew more than 10,000 votes and featured more than 200 products. The winners were featured the December 2011 issue of Beauty Launchpad.
Woody’s shave lather contains ingredients that create super-rich foam for a supremely close shave—panthenol, alantoin, horse chestnut and a special licorice derivative to soothe.
More info: www.woodysgrooming.com
• The Fragrance Foundation and osMoz.com are teaming up to “open a whole new world to fragrance consumers to explore the fascinating world of scent.” The Fragrance Foundation website, www.fragrance.org, and osMoz.com, based in France, will link to each other so that current and future worldwide fragrance fans/consumers can easily find all the information that both highly respected, expert resources provide in their own unique style, according to the Foundation.
Mary Ellen Lapsansky, VP of The Fragrance Foundation, said, “The partnership was developed to benefit the consumer outreach by both parties. The goal of the Foundation and the goal of osMoz are the same: to raise consumer awareness of all the great pleasures and relevance of wearing fragrance. We are thrilled to partner with osMoz—they deliver fragrance content in such a dynamic, fun way using all the tech tools available today without ever losing sight of the inherent mystery, romance and art form that is fragrance.”
More info: www.fragrance.org, www.osMoz.com
• Now that the National Basketball Association (NBA) has resumed play, Right Guard, the official deodorant and body wash of the NBA, has launched the “Ultimate 18 Hours of Sports” contest on Facebook. Right Guard asked Facebook fans to share their ideal 18 hours of jam-packed sports action for a chance to win one of 24 select Right Guard and NBA prizes.
More info: www.facebook.com/rightguard
• Forbes named Scentsy to its 2011 list of America’s 100 Most Promising Companies. Scentsy was ranked No. 66 on the list that features“100 privately-held, up-and-comers with compelling business models, strong management teams, notable customers, strategic partners and precious investment capital.”
Founded in 2004, Scentsy’s flagship product is a scented, wickless candle heated in decorative ceramic warmer that uses a low-watt bulb. Independent consultants sell it and other fragrance products at home parties, through a catalogand online. The firm employs more than 1,000 and expects 2011 revenues to exceed $500 million.
• Countless women have said “Thank You Curel” for relieving their dry skin—and the skin care brand gave people a whole new reason to say “thanks.” Over Thanksgiving, the experts behind Curel Skincare joined forces with lifestyle expert Katie Brown and Meals On Wheels Association of America to help care for friends, family and those in need.
“Over six million seniors are facing the threat of hunger in our country,” said Enid Borden, president and CEO of Meals On Wheels Association of America. “We are proud that the Curel Skincare experts are working to support our mission.”
• What’s up for Spring 2012 nails? According to OPI’s Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, neutrals remain popular for spring/summer 2012, as well as bright hues; orange shades like A Roll in the Hague lead the pack. Wearing these colors on fingers and toes will accessorize the season’s hottest trends, from colored pants and ladylike frocks to long, blousy-sleeved tops and dramatic patterns, she explained to Happi.
• Seventh Generation has formed a community partnership with the Sustainability Academy at Lawrence Barnes Elementary School in Burlington, VT. The nation’s first K-5 school with a sustainability theme, the goal of the Academy is to prepare students to be responsible citizens and agents for change in their community and beyond. Located a few blocks from Seventh Generation’s headquarters, the school is an international model for using sustainability as a lens for place-based education and service learning. Seventh Generation has participated in a literacy-building program at the Sustainability Academy and has provided non-toxic cleaning products for classrooms and teachers. Seventh Generation plans to donate 880 hours of volunteer time to build an outdoor classroom and natural playground for the Academy.