Skin Care A la Mode – Extracts from my Imaginary Business Plan

I’ve been working on 2 skin care brands lately. Not too hard to find out which ones if you’ve been reading my blog. I was working on a CRM/segmentation plan for one of them and find myself typing in my powerpoint slides the following: “to move our base-level segment users to more advanced segment of whitening products, we use these trigger points…” I paused. I thought again. I cannot believe I’m writing this.

I grew up in an environment where people got discriminated for the colour of their skin. My friends with dark skins would get hassled by the guards while I get a bow from them. Girls lacking confidence due to dark skin, hence going to absurd measures to ‘get fair’. I suddenly hear my ex-mother-in-law reporting on a girl “nice girl, with 2 degrees, good family, but.. dark skin”.

Tonight we were cranking out some late-night stuff for another brand with some herbal properties making marketing claims and positioning themselves against their competitors. My job, right?, plan the message, position it, turn into tactical plans.

Then it dawned on me.

I discovered 3 years ago that no matter what cosmetics I used, my skin stayed more or less the same, ie a problem and a pain. Only through my own research and blood tests I discovered that food was the cause of my problem (wheat and eggs). Not only my skin improved, but it was goodbye to all the headaches, after-lunch slumps, period cramps and colds (yes, no colds for past 3 yrs).

I somehow think dermatologists know this, but choose to ignore it for the big bucks. After all, anti-inflammatory antibiotics is big business. Girls on it cannot get pregnant, but hey, side-effects is something we were taught to live with.

So, if you ask me “Magda, what is the one business idea you would put all your money, heart and brain into?” As for today, I will answer you: “My brainchild is a skincare brand that is a starting point to a life transformation of a consumer. A total LIFESTYLE change she has to undergo, starting with FOOD. “You are what you eat” said Socrates. I would create a brand that enlightens consumers on food-skin related perils, exposes all the derma-hidden secrets, resulting in teens dumping Oxy, women loving not wearing concealers, girls getting confident about their glowing skin. They will love the brand for being reasonably priced and having an incredible level of integrity which ultimately forms the emotional bond … so they buy me ;) . Hey, remember Anita Roddick?

All right, this is my business plan for the night. Got the dough? email me!