Jacques Cohen, Studio Make Up

Premium Beauty News - Launching a new make-up brand : what an adventure !

Jacques Cohen - Studio Make Up was launched following repeated requests from a number of retailers who were looking to private label their own make-up products but who had no ideas of what it involved in terms of constraints and commitments (development of formulas and colours, packaging inventories, development of displays, new product developments, promotions, minimum quantity orders per colour, deadlines, etc...). We noticed that these retailers did not have any real experience in packaging development and that they did not have the necessary personnel to follow a program of products development of a make-up brand. So we decided to create a high-end line both in terms of packaging but also and above all, of textures, and we decided to adopt the product positioning of a "Professional Make-up Accessible to every women."

Premium Beauty News - In which retail channels?

Jacques Cohen - We started targeting the largest retailers per market regardless of their territory. We offer this brand as an exclusive product to retailers or for them to develop under their own private label on their territory, or in co-branding, while offering them the same benefits they would have with a private label (i.e. only available for them), but without the constraints.

The Studio Make Up concept was launched in April-May 2010. It is currently in use, in France, Canada, Central America and Asia. In some countries, because of the variety of retailers, Make Up Studio is sold in all the outlets. We have just started in the United States. We are also discussing with several other countries.

Premium Beauty News - You visited MakeUp in Paris and you will be participating, through a make-up animation, to MakeUp in New York. What do you think of this new concept of event?

Jacques Cohen - For an exhibitor, the concept which was revealed in Paris is perfect: targeted visitors, the size of the event itself. Therefore all visitors will necessary walk past all the stands. All stands are delivered ready to use. The show focuses exclusively on make-up and the cost of it is affordable.

For a visitor, the visit can be done in half a day, it is easy to find one’s way through it, the visitor coming with a precise agenda can make all his appointments and then do all his follow-ups.

Of course, there are some points that will need to be improved, but organizers are already aware of that. I bet New York will be in the same spirit.