Losing sight of what the consumer wants is an all too frequent occurrence in the C&T industry, says Emily Cohen, co-founder of Pout. Alexandra Shore discovers Pout’s unique approach to the business
Knowing what consumers want comes naturally to Emily Cohen, Chantal Laren and Anna Singh, co-founders of Pout, a make-up brand that prides itself on being girly, feminine and most of all, non-threatening. The idea for Pout emerged six years ago, when Cohen and Laren went on a shopping trip for make-up. As style-conscious, independent women expecting to enjoy such a girly afternoon, what they came across was, in Cohen’s words, clinical, sterile and cold. “We couldn’t believe how intimidated we felt. We thought it would be great to do something that is everything that cosmetics isn’t today: fun, sexy, communal, with humour and not taking itself too seriously.”
And they did just that. Taking inspiration from the nail bar phenomenon that had just hit London at the time, and targeting a gap in the market which was hitherto dominated by US brands, in June 2001 the two friends, joined by Singh, founded UK company Pout, putting the consumer in the driving seat.
Pout’s annual turnover now stands at £7-8m, a huge increase on the brand’s initial turnover of £65,000. The company has seen unexpected growth over such a short period of time and its rapid expansion has meant that the company has a flagship store in London, is present in Harvey Nichols stores across the UK and holds approximately 450 other retail accounts worldwide. Its appeal stretches across a broad spectrum and, though the brand was originally aimed at 20-35 year olds, women of all ages can be found in Pout stores experimenting with products and being pampered. “The brand is emotionally engaging and therefore doesn’t appeal to just one age group. It is not so aspirational that it excludes people,” says Cohen.
The company’s home-grown website is designed to create easier interaction between Pout and its customer base and carries the same soft, playful colours and patterns as the Pout products.
Though the three women each have separate roles - Laren as creative director, Singh as head of operations and Cohen taking charge of business development - their combined mission is to maintain strong brand integrity. Pout has never doubted itself for precisely the reason that, from the outset, it has had a clear identity.
The brand incorporates an eclectic mix of ideas, is open to change and is especially proud of its products, says Cohen. “Looking back at briefs we wrote five years ago, our aims have definitely evolved and been fine-tuned but in terms of brand positioning, we’re bang on. I look at products we launched five years ago and I love them as much as those we made six months ago.”
Pout enjoys a high profile as it chooses its distribution carefully, with concessions in such retailers as Victoria’s Secret and Sephora. It also boasts a celebrity following, which can only have added to its appeal. Cohen explains that there is a fine balance between preserving brand values and keeping on top commercially and it takes careful consideration to keep the brand on the right path. Maintaining the right image is also essential and this extends to the shop floor, where staff are trained to dress and behave in a way that is friendly and inviting to customers, creating a welcoming atmosphere.
“In terms of brand positioning - we're bang on” |
Emily Cohen, founder Pout |
One of the more successful Pout products, Pout Lip Plump, came as rather a surprise to Cohen, with sales rocketing after its launch and the product is still a customer favourite.
Pout maintains momentum by launching seasonal colours and products, as well as nominating a hero product for each season. The Sexy Sunwear range, for example, made its debut this summer featuring Instant Shimmer Tan, Ultimate Fake Tan and SPF20 Firming Shimmer Sunscreen, while Masquerade, the current autumn/winter collection, is in sync with the season’s catwalk trend for deep, dark shades. In June next year a bath and body care line-up is set to hit the shelves.
The company prefers to distance itself from the negative connotations of the term ‘treatment’ and instead offers in-store Pampering Services, including semi-permanent eyelash extensions, eyebrow shaping and various other beauty fixes.
Although Pout is working on creating more defined zones in-store, Cohen is keen to point out that the store provides a total experience as a whole. Pout also stocks brands such as Lola, Becca and Cargo so that women don’t feel the pressure of the hard sell.
At present, Cohen says the business is split equally between the UK and the US but the company would eventually like to expand into the Asian market. However, given that a move into the Asian market would entail modifying its range to appeal to the different needs of Asian consumers, the company is not yet ready to make that leap. Still, Pout does seem to have caught on in a big way in Japan, featuring regularly in Vogue Japan.
With Pout’s ability to strike a chord with its customers, meeting their needs, and its knack of putting itself in the shoes of its customers, further growth shouldn’t prove too difficult.