To be transparent, we must first let you know that the founder of Red Cosmetica is also our founder.
Subsequently, this case study is as much a lesson about how to create a stand out brand in a ridiculously crowded market, as it is testimony to Adam having walked the brand journey to success through brand strategy and rigid consistency with brand image, messaging and presence.
First, the number one lesson in creating any brand for any market: regardless of whether it’s a crowded multi-billion dollar category or not, start by finding the customers’ pain points, then solve the problem.
In this case, the problem no brand had ever even tried to solve was this: women all over the world find it really hard to find their perfect shade. Further, many of them aren’t confident in knowing the shades that suit them best.
Our strategy centred on creating a brand that was understated, casual stylishness combined quirky cheekiness that flowed through its brand language. The brand didn’t need to shout about the fact it was the only red lipstick brand in the world, rather it needed to position itself as the red lipstick experts – the go to when any woman thinks red lipstick.
We needed to find ways to make the brand get noticed and stand out despite the far more limited resources of a startup vs the big, established cosmetics houses. So we positioned the brand as an innovator and disruptor. A brand that challenged the status quo and led the industry by being the first to launch various products and services.
Some of the firsts we’ve helped develop to date include:
– What’s My Shade – an online service that connects you with the Red Cosmetica beauty team to recommend two perfect shades for your skin tone, colour, complexion and lipstick preferences .. and delivers them to your door.
– A mobile app that enables you to take a selfie and see how they look in each shade of Red Cosmetica lipstick, using advanced facial recognition technology.
– Instagram filters that let you virtually try on each shade and then click through to buy.
