Exceeding the Bar

Early on, I understood the assignment. I knew that starting a hair care line wasn't going to be any small feat. It was going to not only take knowledge and patience to formulate products, but it was also going to take strategy. It was the long haul of a chess game. I immediately knew I had to create ways of setting K. Hall-AWAKEN apart from other manufacturers or competitors, and I needed to identify what that looked like. 

I never wanted to white label products. That is the process of buying a pre-maid formula and placing your label on it. Even though it's an extremely common practice in every industry from cereal to lotion, I wanted a product I could speak on. I wanted to be able to address hair and scalp concerns for my consumers based on the products I chose to create. Choosing products that reflected the business moral, integrity, and mission..."Healthy scalp, Healthy Hair".

Creating our shampoo bars was ingenuity at its best. It was the 1st product I wanted to make. It allowed me to take my most requested salon service and develop an equally great product for home use. Great hair begins at the scalp, and every client can benefit from one of our bars. Whether it's to address buildup from products, dandruff, or seborrheic dermatitis the K. Hall-AWAKEN bars are a great start to your hair care ritual.

When deciding on the packaging, labeling, and designs, what was the message I wanted my consumers to see, and feel. I had to place myself in the buyer's position and relate my experiences in buying body care items to their experience in looking at AWAKEN in the same manner.  I wanted bottle colors and a logo that meant something to the brand itself. It would incorporate the work that I was already doing, speak the message of the business as a whole, but also give a visual to the elevation that was taking place. 

It was an intentional process. Examining all the color properties and meanings. Green, hit home for me. Besides being my Mom's favorite color, Its meanings of life, renewal, energy...and growth were everything that I was feeling about the venture and everything I would want a product to represent. It was an easy pick. Logo designing was also purposeful. I didn't want to go too far from the representation of my current businesses.  Having an image that people could identify with and not question what was its purpose was the pinnacle.

The more intricate facets would be making products that worked and showed positive results. That isn't something your not seeing every day. I had to be willing to go under the microscope for the greater good. Businesses can post pictures and reviews, but what are the consumer's actual thoughts on the total package.  I wanted to incorporate the ideas and thoughts of my consumer base to build a product line that had credibility. 

Market testing was a huge investment in this process. Designing a protocol that was easily tracked, accessible, and anonymous was key. Testers had the room, to be honest about each attempted formula, and I was able to utilize the information and make adjustments in each phase. From formulations to e-commerce efficiency, this was the greatest asset in my arsenal.

AWAKEN is the culmination of well-thought-out planning to exceed the standard in consumer products. We know every product will not fit every customer, but with the option to offer custom formulations based on a client's allergens or preferences we have definitely raised the bar in private hair care solutions.