Thea Green MBE, founder of Nails.INC, on what makes a good licensing collaboration, what the savvy beauty customer is looking for and why innovation and quality are key.
Beauty was the theme of Brand Licensing Europe’s day 2 keynote (5 October), which saw Thea Green MBE, founder of Nails.INC, taking to the stage for a fireside chat with License Global’s EMEA content director Ben Roberts.
Established in 1999, Nails.INC is well known for its headline-grabbing collaborations with FMCG brands. The beauty company has produced scented nail polishes based on M&S’ Percy Pig, Magnum Duet ice cream bars, Froot Loops cereal and Velveeta cheese, as well as collections based on toy brand Squishmallows and popular TV shows Euphoria and The Summer I Turned Pretty.
Most recently, the company has announced a partnership with alcoholic seltzer water brand White Claw for four polishes based on White Claw’s signature colours and flavours, plus nail stickers and a ‘claw saver’ can-opening device.
While licensing collaborations offer consumers something different and surprising, quality is key, cautions Thea. “Brand partnerships are a key marketing strategy for us. We love them because they create brand awareness and something unique, and they’re very, very newsworthy. But beauty customers are really savvy and they have strong opinions when it comes to nail polish. It’s not a question of did they like the look, it’s did it work? Did it chip? Did it last?”
Thea is happy to consider partnerships in any category or space – from TV and streaming to gaming, foodstuffs to lifestyle – so long as “it’s wherever the Nails Inc customer is, and it’s relevant to them.”
While Nails.INC has partnered with global brands, it has also launched nail polishes in standalone markets: Velveeta cheese-scented polishes were produced solely for the US, where Velveeta is a household brand, while Percy Pig scented polishes were for just one retailer, Marks & Spencer in the UK.
When it comes to partners, Thea says: “We look for companies that have a much bigger following than us; we can then bring them the beauty expertise and credentials that they maybe lack. We also look for brands that have great marketing arms, that are open to being really creative. You can be quite innovative with nail polish in terms of packaging, bottle design and branding. We can produce colours that are unique to whoever we’re working with. And scent is another interesting area… And then outside of nail polish we have other products like press-on nails, nail treatments, and hand and foot masks, which can also be branded.”
The global beauty industry is showing growth, with Licensing International valuing it at $12.34 billion as of 2022, a raise of 7% year on year.
Asked about where the industry might be headed over the next five to 10 years, Thea mentioned the continuation of the wellness and self-care trends, evident since Covid, as well as greater transparency.
“I think we’ll increasingly see clearer messages when it comes to the quality of ingredients, and companies being honest about how long products last,” she stated.
Experiential retail is also going to be of increasing importance, Thea believes. “You see in retail even now, that experiential is usually the only area in store where there are queues. I think customers are back to wanting those kind of experiences and that excitement, which is why limited-edition drops and unique products are so important.”
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