So, you’ve decided it’s time for your beauty business to expand and you want to develop that range of haircare products you’ve been dreaming of.

Or perhaps you’re a curious entrepreneur ready to begin a new venture, looking for information on how to kick start the process.

In this article, we look at the factors you may want to consider before you begin to develop your products, from planning your product launch, to marketing considerations and more.

 

Identify Your Target Demographic and Key Products

Before you start developing your product, it helps to carry out a few lines of research.

The first detail that can help enormously with production is nailing down your target market.

If you already have a beauty range, this step shouldn’t be too difficult. All you need to do is look at your best-selling products and determine who’s buying them, consider:

  • Age
  • Geography
  • Profession
  • Gender

From here you can decide what other products may appeal to them, and what qualities those products will need.

Remember the new products must fit well with any products (if any) you already manufacture.

For a budding business, you can’t go wrong with the basics: a shampoo and conditioner set.

However, if you already sell this, you have room to explore your options and create something different. This can range from hair masks and serums, such as heat protectant or anti-frizz to treatments for damaged hair.

What do you want the focus of your product to be – does it target frizz, dryness, split ends, shiny, glossy. The possibilities are endless, just make sure it’s all tailored to your target demographic.

 

Research the Products You Want to Create

Once you have decided what kind of product you are going to manufacture, it helps to carry out some research on your competitors and other similar products on the market.

Look at other beauty businesses and the qualities their products have and any other factors that may have made them successful, and look for potential gaps in the market that you could exploit.

Alongside this, are there any trends that would align with your product, such as natural and organic, vegan or eco-friendly?

Consumers prefer natural ingredients and sustainable brands that don’t test their products on animals.

This also creates a unique selling point for your business. People are more likely to support brands that are trying to be more sustainable.

Test your products

It’s crucial you test your products: not only to make sure they’re safe but also to make sure they are the highest standard you can offer. You don’t want to sell your product on the claim that it achieves a certain result if it doesn’t.

If customers feel that they’ve wasted their money on a pointless product, it will tarnish the reputation of your company and they’re not likely to make another purchase, even if you release new and improved products further down the line.

Pricing

Again, it helps to look at other similar products on the market. You don’t want to under OR oversell your product, so using the pricing of other brand’s products as a marker is a great way to decide on the pricing for your own.

It’s important not to be tempted to lower the price to appeal to customers, because this will cheapen your brand, especially if you’ve used high quality ingredients, as this will make consumers suspicious about the standards of your manufacturing to be able to produce it so cheaply.

Another consideration, of course, is does the price cover your expenses. You need to make sure that the cost of your product is enough to cover manufacturing, packaging, marketing, distribution.

Packaging

The appearance of your product is almost as important as the product itself.

For example, you could manufacture the greatest shampoo and conditioner in the world, but if it comes in product packaging that does not reflect that, you won’t attract any customers to buy it.

There’s a lot to consider when it comes to effective packaging which is why you might find the experience easier if you hire a graphic designer. A designer can help you with aspects such as colour palette, logo design and messaging placement.

We’d highly recommend avoiding cheap and weak materials, as one too many broken bottles can and will lead to a tarnished reputation.

You also need to make sure that the design of your packaging appeals to target audience you created your haircare product for, as this is what’s going to help you drive sales in the long term.

 

Product Sampling

So, your haircare line is ready and you’re confident that it’s going to be a success, but how do you get the word out?

If your marketing team plan your campaign wisely you could time its release to coincide with an event, such as Valentine’s Day or Christmas, when people want to look and feel their best.

You could also release it alongside one of your other products as a sample packet.

Not only does this spread the word about your new product, but it also gives your potential customers a chance to experience it without committing to purchasing a full-sized package.

Product sampling has multiple business benefits including:

  • Increasing brand awareness
  • Improving brand optics
  • Contributing to a successful product launch

If you decide to use this marketing strategy, you should consider the timing of your product sample distribution.

You should always plan distribution well in advance of your product launch, allowing people to try it before it’s released. This makes your samples exclusive and can really help generate a buzz around your new products.

 

Sample Packaging from Fillcon

There are numerous considerations for liquid product packaging: it needs to be strong to prevent breakages, UV protected and flexible.

At Fillcon, we offer a range of sample packaging to suit your liquid products, available in different sizes and styles, including sachets, pouches, bottles or tubes.

Our efficient, end-to-end service means that we cover everything from design to product distribution.

For your new haircare product, we highly recommend recyclable sachets to cut down on waste!

To find out more about our product packaging solutions, or to discuss your project, don’t hesitate to contact a member of our team today!