Premium Beauty News - A few words on this new visual identity...
Dominique Bouvier - It is brand new. We unveiled it for the first time at MakeUp in Paris last June. It expresses the company’s DNA, its expertise, its values. In addition to the graphic design itself of Strand Cosmetics, it is underlined by a line consisting of four colours that reflect our culture, that of a company where creativity, innovation and respect for the human are at the heart of our organization.
We have also released for the occasion a "New Look" palette where these same four colours appear first in the form of a Etain polychrome foundation. A creamy, silky filled texture of blushes to apply with a finger or a brush, featuring subtly iridescent colours that change according to the light. There is also a powder texture of Hybrid Shadow suitable for any kind of fantasy. Applied dry, the powder melts into a soft and silky halo, applied with water, colour then intensifies. Third reference, a red Twinkly Smoothie that adorns lips with an intense and vibrant colour thanks to its soft and creamy texture. Lips are illuminated with bright and luminous colours. Finally, the Gloss Lipofruit Cassis, finely pearled, illuminates lips with a touch of greediness to achieve sparkling and sensual "zero defects" lips.
Premium Beauty News - A new logo and new image... but also a new approach in terms of management.
Dominique Bouvier - Being certified ISO 9001 for ten years and ISO 22716, we decided to look resolutely to the future by committing ourselves even further for the benefit of our customers. Hence, we are adapting our management system with the integration of two new standards, the ISO 14001 standard for the environmental management and the OHSAS 18001 standard for the health and safety management.
We intend to influence the collective performances of the company and to stimulate all the creative forces of our teams to imagine, innovative, reasonable and economic solutions, in line with a changing business environment. A truly responsible dynamic, which gives pride of place to the sense of service.
It is with this spirit of renewal in mind that our laboratories created a beautiful new collection, "Secrets Révélés" with technological formulas imparted with this additional supplement of emotion and the real-life experiences of our creators, with a range of very sensory make-up "Heures Précieuses". To note that our entire mascara offer has been enhanced thanks to new packagings which were tested to optimize the formulas effect. Packagings designed in particularly by the German firm Oekametall. Cases, brushes, wipers, vials were optimized for each of our references and their combination with our formulas help reveal all their benefits.
Premium Beauty News - Economically speaking, how was this year 2011?
Dominique Bouvier - I must say, excellent! We will probably exceed 16 million euros in turnover. A figure to compare with the 14.6 million achieved in 2008, which was a benchmark year for the company. We will have invested some 600,000 euros in our production tool, particularly to increase our fleet of high speed filling machines. Make-up represents the bulk of our business (60%) followed by skin care products. One small downside however, our export share which has decreased. It was of 42% before the crisis of 2009 and it has dropped to 30%.
This is the reason why we will increase our presence abroad next year, by being present on professional events of importance, like for instance MakeUp in New York.
Premium Beauty News - You have expressed it in your last newsletter. Codes are really changing.
Dominique Bouvier - It’s true! At the time of Facebook and Twitter, where transparency is everywhere, we have noticed there was a marked return for secrecy which is cultivated, for intimacy, and elitism. People lock their identity and emotions away to only reveal them to an inner circle. There is a real return to privacy, away from the crowds to enjoy with chosen friends the cosy atmosphere of places unknown to most people.
Luxury no longer rimes with ostentation, over-exposure or overbidding, but it has become more discreet and rimes more with experience, expertise, nobility in the choice of ingredients and capitalizing on brands values as well as on the richness of their heritage.
In this regard, I must point out, that the new events in which we participated like MakeUp in Paris and MakeUp in New York, which are more targeted, more intimate, friendlier fit perfect in this new trend.
