Attending the Kevin.Murphy Fast.Forward event in early Summer, we were struck not only by the awesome creativity and fabulous colour portfolio, but the camaraderie and sharing of information. Keeping working hairdressers and colourists at the heart of all they do, the brand is just as excited about future trends in consumer behaviour and how this could affect or enhance your business.
Our Colour World roaming editor joined a fantastic seminar delivered by Chris Sanderson from The Future Lab, and reports back on the most interesting points at this Fast.Forward opening event:
The Future Laboratory
Chris Sanderson’s opening intro set out how, over the past decade, the haircare industry has undergone a makeover. He cited the trend to making offers and services increasingly premium, and also working more with ‘the digitisation of health’. He told us to watch for the “rising homebodies economy and eco-awakening“. It’s important, says Chris, for haircare brands to continue to innovate to keep up with shifting consumer values. Let’s break down in more detail each of these areas:
• DIY Homebodies refers to the yo-yo effect of Lockdowns, where at-home guilty pleasures were re-framed as self-care tools and ways in which to help switch off from the outside world. Beauty consumers used this time to become more informed about their hair, developing regimens akin to skincare.
• Prestige products are what the educated beauty consumers are seeking from haircare solutions more tailored to their needs: Products targeting specific hair conditions grew five times faster in 2021 than the overall shampoo market rate (ref: Kantar Worldpanel)
• Recuperative Rituals are increasingly attractive as brands elevate daily tasks and reposition haircare as therapeutic activity: 72% of people primarily think beauty and grooming routines when it comes to self-care (ref:Birchbox)
• Eco-Awakening is clear as we seek to protect the planet. We’ve reached record numbers of B Corps, and more than a third of all investments globally are now sustainable (ref: Global Sustainability Investment Alliance)
• The Phygital Self is where we’re going from e-commerce towards more experiential shopping. Canny brands are seizing upon the metaverse to educate, experiment and boost discovery: By 2026 some 30% of the organisations around the world will have products and services ready for the metaverse (ref: Gartner). According to Chris Sanderson, salons are rethinking bricks and mortar settings, creating more personalised, engaging, sensorial and memorable surroundings.
• Live-stream Stores are on the up. Brands are tapping into interactive platforms and social shopping experiences to engage a community of shoppers. Chris quoted Benefit Cosmetics hosting live-streams on Twitch with women gamers across the UK, the US, Brazil, and the Middle East. He also pointed to how physical spaces are harnessing the habits of social media and digitisation. For example, Old Spice’s first bricks-and-mortar barber shop doubles as a content studio for influencers.
• Salon Confidantes are how we can change the meaning of beauty therapy to make wellness intrinsic to salon services. After Covid 19 we see more clients [with] depression and anxiety, and hair is the first thing that [tells] those signs’ according to Ednalys Nieves, Hispanic programme leader, Florida Department of Health. Also, 43% of haircare professionals find themselves critical to their clients’ mental health reports appointment site Booksy
Consider the rise of salons where therapists are trained to offer more formal support and care for their clientele. Here in the UK we have The Lions Barber Collective that trains hair stylists to recognise, listen and guide mental health conversations with male clients
• Evolving Demographics is how we refer to the broadening of the clientele coming to salons and businesses should adapt products and services to meet the diversity of the worlds’ evolving demographics. The growth of the Afro hair offering is a prime example both in products and education on working with textured hair. We also need to talk more about gender inclusion such as hair salons adopting genderless pricing models.
• Bio-positive Brands bring us new innovations in anhydrous beauty and draw from science, space and sustainability, packaging up waterless products in new ways. Consider how L’Oréal has launched a water-saving hairwashing system for use in salons and at home. Also the Kao corporation has created waterless shampoo sheets to be used in extraterrestrial environments.
Amid the eco-awakening brands are taking an introspective look at processes and logistics to deliver regenerative solutions that don’t cost the earth. Coty is using carbon capture technology in its products to remove single-use carbon.
Take notice
Reflecting on the Future Lab seminar, we note that there is a lot to take on board and yet a lot of the trends are already intrinsic to what we’re hearing and seeing going on in hairdressing. Take time to share with your team, your colleagues and your peers and discuss how you can take inspiration from the speech by Chris Sanderson.
Bravo to Kevin.Murphy for including these types of discussion at their global event Fast.Forward. It literally is fascinating!
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Looking for some more colour inspiration? Here you go: INSPIRATION