Paris Presents: Beauty starts with a brush
Paris Presents is confident enough in its products to hire spokespeople who talk about competitive makeup brushes. While that might seem risky, it is all about presenting the real story to discerning millennials and other consumers who prowl online product reviews.
And that philosophy gives the company an authentic voice, according to Bob Wiltz, chief customer officer for Paris Presents. When Paris Presents selected makeup experts Sam and Nic Chapman as spokespeople for the Real Techniques brand, it was important they had freedom to discuss the full gamut of choices. “So when they talk about our Real Techniques brand, they can also speak about the MAC makeup brush, and it builds trust,” he said.
It is more than worth the mention of a competitor — Sam and Nic have 2.5 million followers on YouTube alone.
What’s also crucial for Paris Presents’ positioning is to envision how its brushes fit the goal a consumer desires versus product attributes, demographics or many of the other old marketing tenets. In the past, the biggest concern was creating brushes that didn’t shed bristles, or offering better ergonomics. All of that is still important, but there’s more to the equation. “We like to say in the office that beauty starts with a brush. The consumer turns to us ... to get a certain look — whether it’s the contour look, Kim Kardashian contour look or smoky eyes.” From there, Paris Presents seeks a way to make achieving those looks easier. That’s accomplished via education, social media and digital platforms.
Setting Paris Presents away from the pack has been a major focus, and is achieved by making its product distinctive. “Retail always follows the consumer, and our first consumer is our customer,” he said. One thing the company prides itself on is collaborating with retailers for winning products and memorable in-store experiences. Wiltz believes the store experience is created by more than just products. He explained that, a few years ago, the company’s products were “stocked” rather than “sold.” Borrowing a page from Walmart founder Sam Walton, the company did more than just hang its items in bath departments. “You see a lot of retailers today that are using education within cosmetic accessories beyond just putting it on a peg. We’re doing the same things in bath accessories, and we’ve got some things coming up in the future in terms of actually moving implements accessories in with color cosmetics. So that’s how we’re trying to change the landscape a little bit.”
The growing interest in eco-friendly products hasn’t been wasted on Paris Presents. The company offers an entire collection of eco-conscious tools and brushes, EcoTools. Other collections include Body Benefits, Studio Basics and Razz.
Not surprisingly, Paris Presents’ message of keeping it real starts at the top. “The way that you behave and act on a daily basis helps you build a marketing and sales organization that builds authentic brands,” Wiltz said. CEO Patrick O’Brien was lauded for his efforts recently as a finalist for the Ernst & Young Midwest Region Entrepreneur of the Year.
When products are created and presented using the right method, retailers are able to move the needle on price points. Wiltz cited an example of a brush now sold overseas at retail for $25 that’s doing better than imagined. “It really starts to send home the point of how important beauty is, and when you see these women say, ‘Hey, you’ve made a difference in my life,’ you see the emotional connection that these women have with beauty products. It’s pretty powerful.”