The Changing Management Landscape in the Beauty Industry

Kate Benson of Martens & Heads!, says it’s time to take another look at who’s in charge.

Written by Kate Benson

Author Bio: Kate Benson is founding managing director, Martens & Heads!, NYC

In Beauty “New, Fresh, Different,” is the mantra we hear all the time when it comes to products. I think it is even more important to look at leaders the same way.

For the past two years, organizations have been reacting to the market versus innovating change. Now it’s becoming clear. It begins with the people – it always has. Heads of brands need to look at their businesses with fresh eyes to provide unique, yet specific, solutions to the problems facing brands and organizations today.

If you don’t have the right person in the right role you are never going to win.
How do we attract new customers without alienating current ones? How do we remain true to our brand when we launch a new product category? How can we be viewed as an authority when we’re newcomers? How do we get our customers to not only buy from us but remain loyal? These questions are not easily answered. Only by having the right leader in place can a company truly make this happen.

The answer is the perfect combination of Experience, Vision and Passion. It doesn’t matter if you are seeking to expand into new markets, launch something new or turn around something that has fallen off track. Judging someone from what they have done versus what they can do is a trap many organizations fall into.

This is a new day, with opportunities that have never been seen before. Thinking about yesterday will keep you there forever. Consumer expectations have changed, product is available everywhere and the beauty industry must adapt to change with it. Successful beauty companies are embracing the ability to curate a collection and the experience for a consumer.

The simple solution is hiring what you are familiar with – but that is not always the correct resolution. If you truly want or need innovation, oftentimes change only comes from bringing in someone with transferrable skill sets – someone without preconceived notions and experiences that stunt growth, but rather the permissiveness to move with the times. In order to create success stories, new leaders need to be able to recognize the need for altercations in their modus operandi.