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  • Independent cosmetics brands,
  • Pharmacies and parapharmacies,
  • Beauty salons (hairdressers and beauticians),
  • Distributors,
  • Brands of natural products for the home,
  • Chains of boutiques or independent shops that want to include a range of cosmetics or home products on their shelves.
  • Producers of raw materials (such as Olive Oil, Essential Oils...) who wish to use them in the manufacture of their own range of cosmetic products.

The term "target" refers to a profile of customers for whom an offer is intended. This target must be large enough to generate the expected sales. It is possible for a single brand to have several types of target as long as its offers are tailored to each of them.

Market research will enable you to define your target as accurately as possible from the outset, and also to analyse the competition in terms of the products you will be offering for sale on the market.

The creation of a "Persona" is judicious because it is a representation of your "typical customer" and gives him a human reality by attributing to him a name, an age, a sex, a family status, a mode and a style of life...

The people who will become your target will be those who have a characteristic or need in common with your offer(s).

To begin with, it is essential to define your positioning in relation to the competition by carrying out a market study beforehand, as this will enable you to define the types of product to be marketed.

Then there's the question of which ingredients to choose for your formula. It's vital that you have the right support. Someone with the necessary skills in the field of cosmetics will be a valuable ally in guiding you through this choice.

However, your product will need to be effective and in line with the claims you make on the packaging.

To stand out in today's cosmetics sector is above all to put the human face behind a product.

It is of course essential to have an added value or brand concept when creating a cosmetics brand. This can involve various aspects, such as marketing, the concept, the packaging or the product itself.

But above all, you have to be able to explain the 'soul' of your own brand. Why and how did you come to create your products? What values do you convey through your products? What commitments do you make to your customers by offering them your products?

Humanising your products will create a close relationship with your customers and prospects.

When a cosmetics brand decides to market its products, it must comply with EC regulation 1223/2009 in force throughout Europe, and produce a Product Information Dossier (PIF) for each of the formulas it develops, containing a Safety Report and related analyses.

The distribution channel defines the way in which your products reach the end consumer. It is therefore crucial that your distribution strategy is as well thought-out as possible, as it will have a direct and significant impact on the growth of your sales and therefore the success of your business.

Market research carried out beforehand will enable you to determine your offer, define your target and your positioning. Analysing and understanding the needs, consumption habits and preferences of your customers will enable you to adapt your offer and provide real added value (advantages over the competition).

When choosing your distribution channel(s), it's important to remember that there must be consistency between the distribution channel and your product (its price, packaging, communication, benefits). A luxury product cannot be sold in a supermarket, for example.

There are several types of distribution channel: online sales (e-commerce site), physical sales (in a shop or shop), a combination of the two, sales agents, distributors or wholesalers, and franchises.

The choice of distribution channel therefore needs to be tailored to your offer and your positioning.

A business plan is essential for launching a cosmetics brand. This will enable you to list all the points that characterise your project.

You will also need to determine your personal contribution, which may come from personal savings, love money (funds raised from friends and family in the form of donations or loans) or a crowdfunding campaign.

It should be noted that state and local authority grants are also available to help finance your project:

  • ACCRE (assistance for jobseekers setting up or taking over a business),
  • The national Initiative France network, which brings together a large number of associations throughout France, whose mission is to support and finance future entrepreneurs by granting them loans of honour.
  • The entreprendre network is an association of business leaders that provides voluntary support and financing for future entrepreneurs.

If you still don't have enough money of your own, you could consider forming a partnership or calling on private investors.

Finally, you'll need to contact the banks and credit institutions that will also enable you to finance your cosmetics brand.

When setting up your own cosmetics brand, you need to deal with two issues: regulatory and legal.

The Product Information Pack (PIP) :

For each product formula placed on the European market, it is compulsory to compile a Product Information File verified and validated by a toxicology expert in accordance with current European cosmetics regulations.

The registration of its cosmetics brand:

It is strongly recommended that you register your trademark with the Institut National de la Propriété Industrielle (INPI) and carry out a prior art search.

Registering your trademark will first and foremost enable you to acquire an exclusive right to it, but it will also prohibit any natural or legal person from using the distinctive sign of the trademark in the protected sector(s).

A prior art search will enable you to check that the trademark has not already been registered in the same sector of activity, and will help you avoid any future disappointment with your trademark. In fact, it would be embarrassing if another trademark were to oppose your registration on the grounds that your trademark was too similar to its own. If this were the case, various sanctions could be imposed, such as prohibiting you from using the trademark (which would entail a change of name or logo), damages or even fines.

The term of the registration is 10 years, renewable for successive 10-year periods.

You can make the filing yourself or appoint a third party, such as a lawyer.

There are many cosmetics brands on the market, and many more have emerged in recent years. That's why today it's essential to have a strong brand identity to stand out from the competition.

Brand identity is the very essence of a company because it represents its values and conveys them through the visuals it uses and the advertising it runs. You could say that it is the showcase for the brand and its products. How your customers perceive your brand and your products is down to your brand identity.

A well-defined brand strategy will give consumers a good image of your brand and will help to establish a climate of trust, gain credibility, increase brand awareness, build customer loyalty...

To create a strong brand identity:

  1. Conducting market research,
  2. Create a design that reflects your values and principles and is consistent with your offer,
  3. Integrating the brand into the company's message through the choice of language and the story it tells, creating real emotional links with your customers...,
  4. Advertise positively by being consistent in your communications to avoid contradictions. Above all, don't copy the competition, even if your products are similar,
  5. Track your brand's performance via a dashboard where you can identify indicators, collect data, analyse it and check whether the initial objective has been achieved.

The marketing strategy is the framework put in place by a company to achieve the objectives it has set itself and determines the message (values, activities, image, etc.) it wishes to convey.

In the digital age, it's crucial to be present and visible on the web. The cosmetics sector is not excluded, quite the contrary. There are a number of digital marketing strategies you can use to raise your profile, communicate, win over customers and build loyalty.

  • Exploit social networks (quality, authentic content: written, photos and videos),
  • Working with influencers and/or micro-influencers,
  • Have a high-quality, high-performance, multilingual e-commerce site to reach a wider target audience,
  • Set up an emailing service to keep your customers up to date with your latest news,
  • Effective search engine optimisation (SEO),
  • Set up advertising campaigns (ADS),

However, it's important not to neglect traditional marketing by turning to so-called "traditional" media such as newspapers (free or paid), radio or TV.

The communication that follows the marketing strategy stage will enable you to disseminate your business and your image in a tangible way. Remember to use high-quality, hard-hitting communication media to grab the attention of your target audience more effectively:

  • Business cards,
  • Leaflets or flyers,
  • The catalogues...

Brand identity is the very essence of a company because it represents its values and conveys them through the visuals it uses and the advertising it runs. You could say that it is the showcase for the brand and its products. How your customers perceive your brand and your products is down to your brand identity.

A well-defined brand strategy will give consumers a good image of your brand and will help to establish a climate of trust, gain credibility, increase brand awareness, build customer loyalty...

To create a strong brand identity:

  1. Conducting market research,
  2. Create a design that reflects your values and principles and is consistent with your offer,
  3. Integrating the brand into the company's message through the choice of language and the story it tells, creating real emotional links with your customers...,
  4. Advertise positively by being consistent in your communications to avoid contradictions. Above all, don't copy the competition, even if your products are similar,
  5. Track your brand's performance via a dashboard where you can identify indicators, collect data, analyse it and check whether the initial objective has been achieved.

Cosmetic products are regulated at European level.

EC Regulation No. 1223/2009 stipulates that all cosmetic products must undergo an in-depth analysis verified by an expert before being placed on the market. This is known as a Product Information Dossier (PID).

A battery of analyses will have to be carried out on the formula beforehand to ensure that it is harmless to health (eye test, skin test, etc.), is of good quality and stable over time (Challenge test, microbiology, etc.) and is effective according to the claims made by the brand (Use Tests, etc.). Finally, a large number of documents must be sent to an expert toxicologist to check that the cosmetic product is harmless to human health. At the end of this in-depth analysis, the expert toxicologist will send you an approved human health safety assessment.

In the majority of cases, cosmetic products are subject to an AOP, i.e. an After Opening Period, if the preservation test they have to pass proves to be conclusive.

This AOP is therefore calculated on the basis of analyses carried out on the finished product, but also on the basis of its composition, packaging, instructions for use and other potential risks.

The DTP of a cosmetic product generally takes between 6 and 8 months.

Production management and stock management are essential for any business, whatever its activity.

It's important to put tools in place right from the start of your business that enable you to monitor stock movements and thus anticipate the production lead times that manufacturers are responsible for.

To do this, there are software packages on the market that are very specific to your business and that make stock management easier, but this represents a definite cost. If the financial aspect is an obstacle, you can just as easily create your own spreadsheet initially, bringing together all the information you need to manage your stocks. This is a solution that will take a little longer to create and set up, but it will be more economical and will work just as well.

It's just as important to work with the right people (service providers, suppliers, manufacturers, etc.), not only to ensure the quality of your products but also to optimise lead times as much as possible.

If you want impeccable stock management, you need to think ahead. Stock management will enable you to keep a constant eye on your stock levels, and depending on the alert threshold you have set in advance in relation to your manufacturer's production lead times, you can anticipate orders for your products and receive them in your stocks, avoiding any shortages.

The development of a cosmetic product requires numerous analyses to ensure that it is stable and therefore safe for human health. The person responsible for placing a product on the market must, as stipulated in current EC regulation 1223/2009, ensure that the product is completely harmless and safe for human health.

The tests to be carried out on finished products vary according to the type of product and whether it is rinsed or not.

There are many tests to date, but the main ones are :

  • The Challenge Test or preservation test: this checks whether the product is likely to develop bacteria,
  • The Stability Test: this determines the product's lifespan and therefore its After Opening Period,
  • Skin irritation test (Patch-Test): this checks that the product is not irritating to the skin,
  • The eye irritation test (Het-cam): used to check that the product is not irritating to the eyes.

The cosmetics sector is just as concerned as any other by environmental issues. Consumers now want quality products that are healthy for them and for the environment.

Packaging is an integral part of this. Many brands are sensitive to this issue, and every year they try to raise the profile of the issue by offering 'green' packaging to help protect the planet.

There are several options: cardboard or paper from sustainably managed forests (FSC logo on packaging), recycled and/or recyclable plastic or glass...

Many packaging suppliers offer more environmentally-friendly alternatives to standard products that are less expensive but less respectful of the planet.

Defining your brand concept through market research will enable you to choose the most appropriate solution according to your budget and your positioning in terms of packaging.

Admittedly, eco-responsible packaging is often more expensive than standard packaging, but it will enable you to stand out from the competition and offer your customers high-quality products.

A number of factors need to be taken into account to measure the success of a brand and its products, such as :

  • Turnover (sales achieved),
  • Financial performance (profitability),
  • The number of new customers over a given period,
  • Building customer loyalty,
  • Customer satisfaction,
  • Web traffic,
  • Brand visibility and awareness.

It is important to analyse these factors in order to be able to verify a company's sustainability and act or react if necessary in a timely manner.

To do this, you can use simple tools such as spreadsheets to collect all the necessary data and then analyse it.

A DIP is a compulsory Product Information File for a cosmetic product formula placed on the European market and contains numerous documents such as :

  • A human health safety assessment drawn up and validated by a toxicologist,
  • The formula for the finished product,
  • Technical files for each raw material contained in the formula,
  • Technical files for the packaging item(s) containing the formula,
  • Analyses carried out on the finished product (of the said formula),
  • The label(s)/packaging file(s),
  • The technical data sheet for the finished product (the formula),
  • A photo of the finished product (of the formula),
  • Lot number,
  • DTP calculations,
  • The production unit's GMP certificate,
  • The production unit's manufacturing process,
  • All the certificates required by the regulations,
  • The declaration of the formula on the Cosmetics Notification Portal (CPNP),
  • Various contact details.

This "DIP" must be completed before the finished product is placed on the market.

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