This Works, the U.K. skin-care brand founded in 2003, launched a new category of products this month called Morning Expert to build out a strategy of serving customers 24 hours a day.
The new collection, which consists of five products including a serum, an eye cream and an aromatherapy oil, is being positioned as a new chapter for the business, as This Works is best-known for its sleep- and evening-focused products. To create buzz around the line, the brand has developed a new partnership with fitness retailer Sweaty Betty in the U.K., is offering full-size product giveaways in Europe through Sephora’s subscription box, Sephora Play!, and is engaging with wellness influencers in the U.S.
“We may have focused on sleep in the past, but this wake-up [range] is now the priority of the business, because it’s the right time for the brand to be talking further about the 24-hour [story], “ said Anna Persaud, This Works CEO.
The brand declined to share Morning Expert sales expectations or current annual sales, but it shared that, overall, it experienced a 46 percent year-over-year growth in 2018 and that retail sales grew by 83 percent last year in the U.S. This Works is sold in 35 countries. For the Morning Expert line, outside of the U.K., it is targeting the Australia, Russia, Canada, the U.S. and China. The U.K. makes up 60 percent of total sales, while international markets comprise 40 percent.
At Sweaty Betty, This Works is participating in the retailer’s Wellness Wednesdays, which host health, fitness and beauty experts — most recently. Persaud made a speaking appearance at the London location on March 5. In April, This Works will begin providing samples of the brand’s aromatheapy oil to Sweaty Betty customers in all 21 London stores. In Europe, the brand is also planning on providing its full-size eye product to Sephora’s subscription box consumers in April.
In the U.S., the brand worked with wellness influencer Lauren Zoeller (@laurenzoeller; 17,800 followers) for a satellite media tour around “Waking Up Well” on March 15, where she made various local and national television news appearances. The earned media value of the campaign was around $1 million, according to This Works, but it estimated that Zoeller reached an audience of 287 million and that the ROI on the campaign was 1,100 percent.
This Works is not the only brand creating and selling products tailored for evening and morning usage. Goop, for example, offers a supplement called Morning Skin Superpowder, Clinique sells a Pep-Start Your Morning skin-care kit, and Origins has its own set, the Morning to Night Skin Care Trio. Customers are becoming more cognizant of the sleep-skin connection, said Persaud.
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Despite the competition, This Works expects the morning category to become a hero part of the business, which also includes franchises focusing on evening care, on-the-go products, sleep and anti-aging, among others.
“We expect this to be the No. 2 franchise for this year, and we will continue to invest in it,” said Persaid. “I’m hopeful this franchise will herald a new era for This Works.”
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