The Future of Marketing Is Bespoke Everything - The Atlantic

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The Future of Marketing Is Bespoke Everything - The Atlantic


The Future of Marketing Is Bespoke Everything - The Atlantic

Posted: 11 Jun 2019 05:00 AM PDT

Although there are billions of people in the world, it's always tempting to believe your existence is unprecedented in some way. For me it's my hair, which I've long suspected poses an uncanny challenge to the world of follicular maintenance. It's curly yet fine, frizzy yet flat, oily at the roots yet dry as kindling at the ends. Everything I do to it only makes it worse, including bleaching the ends, wearing it in a topknot most of the time, and flat-ironing it half to death.

Maybe the problem is me. But maybe, I sometimes imagine, the problem is simply that hair products aren't equipped to deal with the paradox atop my head. Every high-quality shampoo and conditioner I've ever used has been some version of fine: My hair ends up looking clean and smooth enough, but it still feels like there's some yet unseen level of beauty I could be achieving. I let myself believe that the only thing standing between me and perfect hair are the whims of cosmetic chemistry.

A few months ago, Prose, a start-up that offers personalized, custom-blended hair-care products based on customers' responses to a lengthy survey, wore me down with an alluring marketing tactic: beautiful Instagram ads indulging the idea that what's going on on my head might be too unique for whatever Sephora has to offer. If I told the company my long list of petty hair complaints, perhaps I'd never again have to stand in front of a wall of indistinguishable products, trying to guess which one might be my holy grail.

What did I have to lose except money, which history suggests I am almost always willing to lose? I ordered a shampoo, a conditioner, and a mask that promised to "balance" my roots. The package arrived with a full-color card-stock brochure of the ingredients that would fix my hair and maybe my life. It was the beauty enthusiast's answer to a baseball fan's advanced stats: In the "diagnostic" section, I learned about the causes of my bad-hair days, such as "sebum" and "damage." On the next page, little illustrations of things like plant collagen and silk proteins promised a better tomorrow.

The personalized shampoo, conditioner, and hair mask came in simple containers that evinced a distinctly Millennial sense of understated luxury. Each had my name on the label. I wasn't just going to wash my hair, I told myself. I was going to outsmart it.


For 40 years, Burger King has been offering customers the opportunity to "have it your way." But technological limitations have long prevented personalization from moving beyond food service and into the consumer-product market. If you go to the drugstore to buy face wash, picking up a version blended just for you would require it to be made on-site, just like your Whopper. Shopping for one-of-a-kind things has been the province of the wealthy—those who could afford bespoke suits and customized cars while the rest of America bought off the rack.

Now, aided by advances in manufacturing and the direct-to-consumer nature of online shopping, personalization has become the hot new thing at much more accessible prices. That's especially true in the wellness industry, where Prose is one of a slew of new companies offering everything from custom-blended face creams to individualized vitamin cocktails. Together, these brands have attracted millions of shoppers (and millions of dollars in venture-capital funding) by tapping into something powerful: the idea that we're all fancy and special enough to have something made just for us.

Before starting Prose, Arnaud Plas, the company's CEO and co-founder, spent 10 years in the beauty industry, including six at the behemoth L'Oréal, where the demand for constant novelty wasn't fueled by any particular consumer need. "Retailers [were] asking for more and more new products just to fill the shelves," Plas says. Meanwhile, he got the feeling that consumers wanted the opposite: more simplicity and clearer choices.

Because everyone's hair has different needs, however, making a one-shampoo-to-rule-them-all company wouldn't work in the same way it has for Millennial-friendly brands of mattresses or suitcases, which distill broad, confusing product categories down to a single product they promise is the best. That's where personalization comes in. "It's simplicity for customers, because we're only pushing one option," Plas says. In addition to a bespoke product, personalized beauty brands offer something maybe even more beguiling for overstimulated shoppers: freedom from choice.

To make that happen, Prose uses a method preferred by many personalization start-ups, including Care/of, which doles out nutritional supplements, and Curology, which mixes custom creams: an internet survey. I love talking about myself, so taking a lengthy quiz that would assure me of my hair's snowflake status wasn't exactly a tough sell. Plas says the brand now gets more than a million survey submissions a month.

Even so, asking people to describe their hair—or their skin, or their eating habits—has limitations. "It's very important not only to ask the questions, but how you ask the questions," Plas cautions. "We're realizing that some people don't really know how to answer."

According to Holly Maguire, the creative director at the cosmetic-development company Freelance Formulations, people have a difficult time situating themselves on a continuum when they don't have much experience with other people's skin or hair. "I think everyone's perception of themselves and their skin and hair and how they look varies," she says. "What constitutes oily hair? How do you tell if you do actually have oily hair, and what level is it?"

In reality, my paradoxical hair isn't as special as I'd like to believe. Lots of people bleach and heat-style, leave their hair in a ponytail holder for a day or two, or go a little overboard with the dry shampoo. I simply believe my hair is special because it's my problem. While taking my own survey on Prose's website, my potential to be an unreliable hair narrator (hairrator?) became clear. Prose asks about texture and moisture, but also about your environment, your activity level, and how much time you spend outside. I live in New York City and walk a lot, but I don't exercise outside—unless exercise includes walking a lot? Prose also wants to know how you eat, which means I had to divine the practical difference between a diet that is "balanced" and one that is "unrestricted."

To get the most out of personalization via algorithm, not only do you have to know the ins and outs of your own needs, but you have to think about what a brand might be trying to learn by asking a particular question, and how that information might impact your results. It's the e-commerce version of swiping your hand under an automatic faucet, trying to determine what kind of motion the machine wants in order to get your hands wet. These services can only go as far as the partnership between user and technology allows, which means that if you do a half-assed job answering the survey, you could end up with a multivitamin or skin-care routine no better than what you would have bought at a store.


That doesn't mean personalization programs can't have upsides for both consumers and brands. Maguire sees advantages to using personalized products, even though her company creates things for the mass market. "When you're talking about skin sensitivities or allergies, I definitely think that a custom product could be needed," she says. Personalized beauty-product brands frequently let customers opt out of fragrances or ingredients derived from animals, which gives shoppers with sensitivities or ethical preferences more options than they would have otherwise. In addition to the lengthy up-front explanation of which ingredients are in each product, Prose follows up with buyers after three weeks to tweak their formulas as needed.

This is the internet, though, so acquiring a personalized life isn't a simple exchange of money for goods and services. Brands like Prose don't just collect revenue—they collect data. Exhaustive surveys provide useful context when formulating a bespoke product, but they also give companies a level of granular information about their consumers that most traditional brands could never hope to acquire. L'Oreal will never know anything about my exercise habits, but Prose already does.

Ronald Goldsmith, a consumer psychologist and a professor emeritus at Florida State University, says that data collection has always been a lucrative by-product of any customization program. "Companies will frequently collect that information, mesh it with what other information they can get from other sources, and sell the information back and forth" to other companies, he says. Prose's privacy policy allows it to sell your data to other companies at will, as do the policies of most similar brands. (Prose shares data with partner companies like payment processors, but Pras says that Prose does not sell data to third parties.)

Even with the privacy issues that are rampant in much of modern shopping, Goldsmith thinks personalized products are an easy sell to many consumers, who tend to love them. In spite of the indignities of admitting that an Instagram ad worked on me (and in spite of the healthy amount of journalistic skepticism with which I approached my Prose shampoo order), I'm now part of that group. My curls are shiny and bouncy, even though most curl-friendly products weigh down my hair. The products smell amazing (and so does my hair), and my one-of-a-kind shampoo and conditioner were a couple of bucks less expensive per bottle than the high-end stuff I normally buy.

I also didn't have to flip between product listings, trying to divine the secrets of several near-identical varieties of hair goop. The correct choice showed up in my apartment with my name right there on the label. "Choice overwhelms people, and studies have shown that people don't respond well to too much choice," Goldsmith explains. Personalization is a way out of that.

Nevertheless, Goldsmith says, the current crop of companies offering personalization might end up too successful for their own good: "The problem is that when it works, competitors do it." It's not hard to imagine a near future in which upstarts and big brands alike will let you have it your way with a custom cocktail of nutrients or a special face serum all your own, as long as you're willing to tell them everything about yourself.

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The beauty of a successful business is one simple idea - The Times

Posted: 09 Jun 2019 04:01 PM PDT

Among the shady plutocrats and career shoppers of Monaco, a few more honest grafters than usual could be found amid the supercars and bobbing yachts. They were there last week courtesy of EY and the accountancy firm's annual contest to identify the world's leading entrepreneur — and among them was Jo Horgan.

Like many of those whose careers and successes were being celebrated, the British-born entrepreneur has overcome huge obstacles, in her case disbelieving bankers and sexist retail landlords whose shortcomings were conquered as she became Australasia's queen of cosmetics.

She can joke about it now. "I feel I'm about 1,000 years old." In fact, she's 50. "Luckily, I have plenty of make-up to cover the sleepless nights."

Mecca Cosmetica, the business she founded in…

Your Guide To Creating A Sustainable Make-Up Kit - VERVE

Posted: 12 Jun 2019 03:57 AM PDT

Beauty

Text by Rushmika Banerjee. Photography by Joshua Navalkar. Product styling by Swati Sinha. Hair and make-up by Guia Bianchi. Model: Namrata Tripathi

Before delving into the multiple benefits of sustainable make-up products, here's a question you should answer first – How many cosmetic products do you use every day?

Some people might swear by the #NoMakeup rule, but beauty enthusiasts know that make-up is sacrosanct for people who understand how it works. It can hide and highlight, alter and enhance features, all with a single swipe of the brush. Make-up is also extremely personal. I rarely deviate from my preferred beauty brands. On an average, I use close to 7 products a day, and on days when I am feeling particularly adventurous, the number goes up to 10. This includes basic cosmetic essentials – aloe vera gel, hydrating crème, matte foundation, setting powder, blush, lip balm and lip colour along with a mascara, an eyeliner and a highlighter used sporadically. Since I apply so many artificial chemicals on my face, I try to balance it with an all-natural, toxin-free, night-time ritual, which includes products from certified organic skincare brands. This disparity stems from two common misconceptions:

  • Sustainable beauty is only limited to holistic skincare. For instance, homegrown brands such as Kama Ayurveda and Forest Essentials have successfully captured the all-natural wellness market with their face mists, scrubs, handmade soaps and sheet masks.
  • Sustainable make-up won't give me a similar glamorous finish that my good ol' foundation does (the same way people think that sustainable fashion is just drab or non-glamorous).

Switching to organic alternatives
A make-up kit is similar to your wardrobe – you build it over time. In the last few years, conversations around saving the planet have made consumers mindful of their choices. They are well aware of how certain chemicals can adversely affect their skin as well as the environment. This has led the beauty industry to formulate greener substitutes for a glamorous make-up ritual that is both healthy for the skin and doesn't let you compromise on aesthetic value.

Sustainable make-up contains all-natural, ethically-sourced ingredients, has a cruelty-free and toxin-free composition and does minimal harm to the environment. Additionally, it also promotes a transparent supply chain and ensures fair trade practices, which closes the loop of sustainability. Think herbal lipsticks, 'farm to face' primers, handmade loose powders and paraben-free eyeshadow palettes.

We discovered some cool, new, homegrown and international brands that are committed to the cause. Team Verve decided to put these brands to the test and create glamorous looks with make-up artist Guia Bianchi using only sustainable make-up brands that are available in India. Consider this as your holy and wholesome guide of products that you should start investing in now.

The eyes – High Contrast

Ace it with Coola Daydream Mineral Makeup Primer Sunscreen SPF 30 (as the base), The Body Shop Matte Clay Concealer (for the under-eye area), Quinta Essentia Organic Lasting Mineral Eyeshadow Confession and Quinta Essentia Organic Lasting Mineral Eyeshadow Opal (over the eyelids) and SoulTree Pure Black Ayurvedic Mascara (on the eyelashes).

Pro tip
Since the mascara is lightweight and easy to remove, you might have to apply 2-3 coats to achieve the desired result.

Why we love it
Coola
has come to India all the way from sunny California (U.S.A.). Rest assured, you can trust their sunscreen formula to be one of the best. What makes it stand out is the use of antioxidant-rich plant protection into their sunscreens, which is a selection of plant-based ingredients to naturally boost their formulas' efficacy. This means fewer irritating sunscreen actives and more natural protection.

The Body Shop has always been an advocate of sustainable development. This product is enriched with Community Trade tea tree oil from Kenya that helps provide the farmers of the Kenya Organic Oil Farmers' Association with a steady income, develop sustainable farming systems and fund community projects in the local area. Additionally, we would like to give a shout-out to their new launch – Community Trade recycled plastic from Bengaluru, India, which would be used partly in its packaging. The Body Shop has also launched its in-store recycling programme – BBOB (Bring Back Our Bottles), encouraging customers to return empty plastic packaging to stores for recycling.

Quinta Essentia Organic's products are 100% natural and chemical-free. This eyeshadow does not contain any preservatives, artificial dyes, pore-clogging oils and bismuth oxychloride and is highly suitable for people with sensitive skin. The product is so versatile that it can be used as an eyeliner when applied with a fine, damp brush.

SoulTree's mascara is formulated using centuries-old Ayurvedic recipes and natural ingredients castor oil, black seed oil and organic tea leaves. If you wear mascara every day, this product is highly recommended. Besides the two shades of mascara – pure black and soft brown – the brand also offers BB creams, lip gloss, coloured kajals (like bright indigo and subtle teal) and lipsticks.

The lips – Red Alert

Ace it with Neemli Naturals Matcha Lip Scrub, SoulTree Calendula & Honey Lip Balm, Ruby's Organics Rhubarb Lipstick and Enn's Closet Plum Enn Matte (applied on the lips in the same order).

Pro tip
Start your lip care routine with a lip scrub that helps to remove dead skin cells. You will find that the lipstick glides effortlessly once you follow this routine regularly.

Why we love it
All products sold under Neemli Naturals are 100% natural, cruelty-free and vegan. This means they only source plant-based ingredients. Based out of Bandra, Mumbai, this brand makes it a point to keep things transparent – just go to their website and check out the ingredients glossary. The packaging is also unusual – recycled glass bottles packed in recycled paper boxes.

Ruby's Organics has a gamut of COSMOS-certified make-up staples to choose from such as foundations, concealers, eyeshadows, highlighters, blush, lip balms, lipsticks and kohl pencils. This is India's first organic make-up line and uses naturally-occurring minerals to provide an exciting colour palette like champagne silver eyeshadow, bronze blush and mauve lipstick.

The first thing that will draw you to an Enn's Closet product is the aromatic scent. Once you get past that, you will discover paraben-free make-up that clearly discloses its ingredients on the packaging. Their bold range of lipsticks includes shades such as coco, blush and raspberry, which they get using food colour agents.

The cheeks –  Peach Perfect

Ace it with Decléor Aromessence Rose D'orient – Soothing Night Balm (used as base), theBalm Even Steven Whipped foundation (on the face), Gulnare Gold Dust Highlighter (applied on the cheekbones), Bon Organics Wild Rose Lip Stain (on the cheeks) followed by Ruby's Organics Peach Crème Blush (on the cheeks).

Pro tip
The night balm has been used as an alternate base here because of its lightweight formula. The lip stain's creamy texture allows it to blend well on the cheeks as well as the lips.

Why we love it
Decléor
's Aromessence line offers a range of natural, essential oil-based skincare products like purifying oil serums and face balms.

theBalm has a super lightweight foundation that is a great alternative for everyday use. Fun fact – The brand lets you customise your eyeshadow palette from a variety of sizes, cool designs and pigments. It is paraben-free, cruelty-free and talc-free.

Bon Organics' range of cosmetics comprises setting powders, lips stains and kohls. It is 100% natural handmade and organic. We love that the products are multi-purpose because of its texture. The colour of the lip stain is derived from dried beetroot powder and saffron.

Gulnare Skincare's Gold Dust Highlighter is a favourite because of its toxin-free formula and luminous finish. The texture can be suitably used as a cheek stain, crème shadow or lipstick.

The eyebrows – Rounded Arch

Ace it with Ohria Ayurveda Raatrani & Mint Facial Mist (as a toner), Egyptian Magic All-Purpose Skin Cream or Organic Riot Smog-Block Anit Pollution Moisturiser (can use either as a base), Plum NaturStudio all-day-wear kohl kajal (to lightly fill in the brows), Bon Organics Brown Eyeshadow (on the eyelids).

Why we love it
Egyptian Magic
All-Purpose Skin Cream works as a smooth base and can be applied all over the body. The glossy texture is derived from natural ingredients such as olive oil, beeswax, honey and bee pollen. Here's something to consider – the cream that was launched in 1991 is the only offering by the brand. It has multiple uses – an amazing moisturiser, relieves burning sensation, can be used as hand and cuticle cream and can also work as a make-up remover.

Organic Riot has already received great reviews on Instagram from beauty editors and bloggers. The Smog-Block Anti-Pollution cream is a great substitute for a daily moisturiser, if you are out in the sun often. The brand offers three other skincare products – Anti-Acne Serum, Anti-Pigmentation Serum and Body Moisturiser.

Plum NaturStudio Kohl is smudge-proof, preservative free and has a gel-like finish. The brand's range of 100% vegan products offers 100% transparency at its core and no fairness creams as it believes in promoting natural goodness.

Ohria Ayurveda's organic mist is a natural antiseptic, has anti-inflammatory properties and comes packed with antioxidants. A great alternative to keep your skin hydrated throughout the day.

Former STATIC-X Guitarist TRIPP EISEN Says He Was Involved In Making Of Band's New Album, 'Project Regeneration' - BLABBERMOUTH.NET

Posted: 11 Jun 2019 04:53 PM PDT

Former STATIC-X Guitarist TRIPP EISEN Says He Was Involved In Making Of Band's New Album, 'Project Regeneration'

Former STATIC-X guitarist Tripp Eisen has confirmed that he was involved in the making of the band's upcoming album. Titled "Project Regeneration", the disc will feature the last recordings of the group's late frontman Wayne Static, who passed away more than four years ago. The rest of the band's original lineup — bassist Tony Campos, drummer Ken Jay and guitarist Koichi Fukuda — will also be featured on the album and in the music videos.

During an appearance on the "Totally Driven Radio" podcast to promote his new band FACE WITHOUT FEAR, Eisen — whose real name is Tod Rex Salvador — was asked if he had any advance knowledge of STATIC-X's reformation and plans to release new music.

"Oh, yeah," he said (hear audio below). "I was tight with the guys for many years, so I knew every step of the way as it was going on. I'm privy to what's going on, and I think it's really cool. Obviously, we've all heard a lot of the music on their teaser, videos and stuff and what they sampled out for people to hear. The cool thing about it is I love it — I love the music; it sounds great, 'cause you hear Wayne's voice and stuff. But something that's kind of cool is there's a lot of my material in this project — some of the old songs I wrote with Wayne, going back to that, and even a new song. So, [it's] pretty cool."

According to Eisen, he was "working together" with the surviving members of STATIC-X's original lineup "for a couple of years" on the music that will appear on "Project Regeneration". "I was in the mix working on the stuff, so it definitely has my input in it," he said. "It goes back, so it's very emotional and it's very personal, because it's stuff that me and Wayne wrote together. Like the first three songs that you hear that were exposed to the world — 'Road To Hell', 'Something Of My Own' and 'Hollow' — those are all three songs I co-wrote with Wayne. Actually, 'Road To Hell' is a brand new song, so I was involved enough to work on some new music too with these guys. I'm proud to hear it, and it's exciting that this stuff is coming out."

Eisen also talked about STATIC-X's upcoming North American tour, which will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the band's platinum-certified "Wisconsin Death Trip" album.

"Obviously, 'Wisconsin Death Trip' is near and dear to our hearts," he said. "That was such a monumental album. When I went out on tour with those guys in '99, that was the album. I saw it go from doing pretty good to breaking and going platinum. I was in the band at the time, so I saw the whole thing break, and we were right there when they got gold and they got platinum, and it was amazing. So a lot of this stuff is really personal, and it's cool to see it out there, and it's cool that these songs that were never released are now [seeing] the light of day and we get to hear Wayne's precious voice on it. So it's pretty cool."

Regarding STATIC-X's decision to enlist a vocalist who will wear a mask in Wayne's likeness during the band's upcoming reunion tour, Tripp said: "It's definitely a situation where Wayne's not here, so there has to be a decision to do something, and that's what they decided to do. It's gonna be out there. I mean, it's exciting. That's what they said it's about — the idea of recapturing 'Wisconsin Death Trip'. That album puts you in another world. Every STATIC-X album was unique in itself. 'Wisconsin Death Trip' was its own thing. 'Machine' was a different thing — it wasn't trying to recapture ['Wisconsin Death Trip']. Then 'Shadow Zone' was a different thing. 'Start A War'… So, each thing took another step. 'Wisconsin Death Trip' was its own thing, and that's what this anniversary and celebration is about — 20 years. So it's cool. 'Cause that music is just so magical, that album — the whole thing; front to back."

In addition to Eisen, FACE WITHOUT FEAR features Ken "Mantis" Hoyt (CRUSHPILE) on vocals, TJ Cooke (METHODICAL) on drums, and Dante on guitar.

FACE WITHOUT FEAR will make its live debut on Saturday, June 1 at QXT's in Newark, New Jersey. An EP is tentatively due this summer.

Eisen has kept a relatively low profile for more than a decade since serving time for meeting and sexually assaulting two underage females in January and February 2005.

Two years ago, Eisen told "Totally Driven Radio" that his arrest and prison sentence was "a difficult time of my life" and insisted that he has "learned from it" and "grown. What happened to me was really bad judgment, terrible mistakes that I made, and I paid a price for 'em," he said.


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