Hj's british hairdressing business awards: we interview the innovators
Published
11th Aug 2013
by rachael
Name: Tangle Teezer
What is it? A range of detangling brushes for stylists and consumers.
Winning year: 2008
What did it mean to you to win at the British Hairdressing Business Awards?
Winning the award just a year after we launched was amazing. It gave us a platform as true innovators in our field.
What have been the highlights since?
Our main highlight has been creating a whole new hairbrush category since launching – the detangling brush. It was great to win the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation last year, and to obtain CoolBrands status.
We are also now a global brand selling in more than 65 countries. It pleases us that we are known as being a “life-changing” hairbrush.
Have you launched any new products since winning?
Since launching The Original in 2007, we have introduced a Compact Styler, Magic Flowerpot for kids, Salon Elite and
Aqua Splash.
Spotting a gap in the market partly comes from consumer feedback, which comes from both customers and stylists. With the Compact Styler for example, consumers were asking for a brush with the same teeth technology, but that would fit in their handbag. The Magic Flowerpot came about because mums loved The Original for their children, so we created a flower-shaped brush especially for kids.
Salon Elite was launched with the professional stylist in mind. It features tweaks on The Original such as a centralised concave, meaning stylists can pick up the pace when styling. We launched the Aqua Splash last year, which is designed for use at the backwash as it stands up just like shampoo and conditioner.
Salons love to use it for brushing and rolling through conditioning treatments, while consumers use it in the shower or when they go swimming.
Jacqui Ripley, Tangle Teezer media and creative director
Name: Easydry
What is it? An eco-friendly, cost-cutting disposable towel..
Winning year: 2009
How did you feel when you won?
It was amazing! We were in shock for days. We’ve gone on to win another ten major awards since for everything from innovation to environmentalism. We have also taken our pioneering towels global, introducing salons around the world to a more hygienic system that reduces costs and hassle.
How has the range expanded since you won?
Our range now covers every size of towel possible in a variety of colours, plus we have our technical capes for chemical treatments, guaranteeing complete comfort while protecting clients’ clothes.
Talking to hairdressers on a day-to-day basis has been crucial to our product development. We’ve looked at problems in-salon and tried to find the right solutions to not only improve client care, but also reduce the carbon footprint of every one of our partner salons.
What difference did it make to you winning the award?
We are convinced it put us on the hairdressing map. When Easydry launched there was nothing like us on the market and we had to overcome some entrenched attitudes. Having an award behind us and some of the UK’s biggest names on board, such as Hooker & Young and Alan Edwards, helped convince the industry of the benefits of Easydry.
What are your plans for the next few years?
To keep talking to hairdressers so that we can develop more eco-friendly products to make salon life easier. We are also expanding our distribution network to wholesalers so it’s easier
to buy the towels.
Anne Butterly, Easydry CEO
Name: Cloud Nine, The O
What is it? A super-fast system for heating rollers in just four seconds.
Winning year: 2011
What was it like winning this category of the British Hairdressing Business Awards?
Winning was the highlight of my 50 year career. Being recognised by such a well-regarded industry award, and judged by renowned hairdressing names, remains an honour. Since winning we’ve experienced a heightened reputation within the industry. It has added weight and credibility to our brand and The O as a unique invention and was a great achievement to share with our salons and suppliers globally.
What have you been up to since?
We’ve undergone a complete brand transformation, launching a new ‘Altogether Kinder Styling’ message, which encourages people to be kinder to their hair by tailoring the temperature of electricals to their hair type. We’ve brought onboard two new brand ambassadors: Leigh Keates as global creative director and Angel Montague-Sayers as UK creative ambassador. We’ve also launched a new collection of imagery and a more interactive website for our clients.
Would you say The O is Cloud Nine’s signature product?
It’s certainly our most famous creation, although irons were our first offering back in 2009, and they remain our best sellers. We’ve also launched a Micro Wand and a Waving Wand since 2011, and we’ve branched out to introduce our first standalone wet product, Magical Potion, which helps to halve blow-drying time.
What are your plans for the next few years?
The hairdressing industry is constantly evolving and so must we! We’re pleased to announce we’ll be launching a new product at Salon International this year, and it is just one of many exciting projects in the pipeline.
Robert Powls, Cloud Nine founder
Name: Voodou
What is it? A salon group in Liverpool with an innovative website and strong social media following.
Winning year: 2012
What difference has it made to you winning this award?
Winning the award was great recognition for the marketing team as they had worked so hard behind-the-scenes creating a website and Facebook page that are among the best in the world.
Have there been any developments to the Voodou website since your win?
Yes, we have completely rebuilt the website this year with much greater emphasis on tools for clients, such as our Last Minute Voodou Deals system.
The 2013 version of the website is also totally fluid, meaning it reshapes itself for any screen from large PC to tablet to a mobile phone. Continued innovation has meant we have once again reached the final for this year’s award.
How have you gained such a large social media following?
We try to offer information that is interesting to our followers up to four or five times a day. Sometimes this is just chit-chat or celebrity pictures, but we also have great offers, deals and competitions that are easy to enter. Having a busy social media presence means we still have one of the biggest salon Facebook pages in the world with almost 19,000 fans.
Does the whole team get involved in social media?
Yes – the marketing team looks after offers and promotions, reception and head office handle late deals for each salon and the senior stylists update celebrity news, trends and product updates.
Why do you think a salon’s online offering is so key?
More than 25,000 people a month visit the Voodou website – that figure alone explains the importance. No advert in a local paper or radio can reach tens of thousands of people every day.
Phil Evans, Salon Guru managing director