Bumble and bumble announced today that the brand will expand to all Sephora doors (excluding JC Penney) in North America after its successful six-month test period in key Sephora locations across the US. The partnership will transcend traditional shopping barriers by connecting the well-established Bb.Salon Network with the in-demand Sephora client across North America. Bumble and bumble. Products are currently sold in 2400 prestige salons and select apothecaries.
“Over the past several years, we’ve seen consumers migrating their shopping habits across different channels,” commented Peter Lichtenthal, President of Bumble and bumble. “With more information available in the media, on the internet and in other shopping venues, we’ve found that consumers want more flexibility in where they purchase products. We need to meet the needs of this new shopper by presenting Bumble and bumble in both prestige salons and select retail locations while driving this same customer to Bb.Network Salons for cut, color and styling services,” commented Lichtenthal. Bumble and bumble serves as one of the principal anchor brands for Sephora’s expanding in-store hair care assortment, with fully Bb.-branded merchandising, customized fixtures – and in select locations, innovative touchscreens, which provide product and styling information.
Essential to the Bumble and bumble entry into Sephora is the execution of a breakthrough strategy, which connects the extensive Bb.Network of prestige salons across North America with the retailer. The partnership with Sephora allows for several unique efforts, including extensive salon referral programs, the Bb.FREEstyling Card, which will be redeemable toward salon services at participating Bb.Network Salons, and in-store events conducted by Bb.Network Salon stylists. The innovative launch phase of the Bumble and bumble and Sephora partnership was honored by the Women’s Wear Daily prestigious Beauty Award for Best Executive Launch Strategy this year.
Bumble and bumble will hold twice-yearly national salon client referral events with salons. This is an industry first, designed to bring countless new clients to Bb.Network Salon chairs. In June, and then again in fall, every Sephora customer who buys a full-size Bb.Product will get a Bb.FREEstyling Card, entitling her to a free 30-minute consultation with a blow dry or style at a
participating Bb.Network Salon.
The brand will also conduct in-store Hair Styling Sessions with local Bb.Network Salons in select Sephora locations. This was one of the big successes of the test phase, during which Bb.Network Salons had the opportunity to send a stylist into Sephora, conduct a styling session with a Sephora customer, and make a salon service appointment or give out business cards on the spot. Collateral for the events featured the participating salon’s name.
Bumble and bumble.Products will be available on sephora.com, featuring a link to the Bb.Network Salon Locator on the brand page. “This is an extraordinarily powerful strategy, designed to encourage the more than 15 million sephora.com clients to find a Bb.Network Salon near them for the best in cut, color and styling services,” Lichtenthal said.
“The feedback from the Bb.Network about the test phase was very favorable and constructive, and has been reflected in our rollout strategy. Bumble and bumble is, and always will be, a professional hair care and styling company dedicated to the craft of hairdressing,” explained Lichtenthal. “For Bumble to enter into a major retail channel like Sephora, we had to execute the
project in such a way that allowed us to straddle both worlds and bring the benefits of the new cross-channel way of shopping to our Salon Network.”
“Sephora is thrilled to welcome Bumble and bumble to all of our stores,” commented Margarita Arriagada, Sephora Senior Vice President of Merchandising. “Bumble occupies a unique place in the market, with its strong fashion positioning and leadership in salon-focused prestige hair care. The addition of Bumble and bumble to our hair assortment will no doubt please our passionate clients – who have long requested this – and we are excited to have Bumble and bumble become one of our key haircare partners.
First-ever consumer ad campaign timed to capitalize on the brand’s increased presence “We knew that we had a unique opportunity to tell our story to a new group of customers and raise awareness of our brand,” explains Lichtenthal, President, Bumble and bumble. “Bumble and bumble enjoys strong awareness among prestige salon stylists and clients; however, as we selectively expand our presence with key prestige retailers like Sephora and Bloomingdale’s, we know the time is right to tell our story to more customers in a new way.”
The campaign features two images that tell a story of the company’s heritage and culture. The first, a dramatic model closeup of a signature Bumble and bumble look, was shot on the streets of Brooklyn, New York; the second is a behind-the-scenes image featuring Bb.Editorial Stylist Jimmy Paul styling a model’s hair for a fashion shoot. Both focus on the newest styling product from Bumble and bumble, Bb.Texture, and illustrate two different aspects of Bumble and bumble culture: excellence in haircutting and styling, and the brand’s authority in hairdressing for photo shoots and fashion shows. The ads, in double and single page executions, will be featured in May and June issues of Vanity Fair, Allure, Elle, InStyle, Teen Vogue, Cosmopolitan, New York Magazine, Nylon, Paper and V Magazine.