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In beauty, Biologique Recherche is the industry’s definition of a cult brand. The French skincare company’s products are only available in a limited assortment of spas globally, despite regular inbound requests from retailers. And on partners’ digital sites, product prices are at first hidden; viewers must log in to see what they’re in for. That might seem like a tough sell in a world where brick-and-mortar is struggling or still shut down because of Covid-19, and every beauty brand is multiplying its online reach to keep customers engaged and purchasing.
But interest in Biologique Recherche’s kind of beauty is on the rise, according to U.S. general manager Laura Gerchik. This is especially true online, where the the treatment brand has found a voice by leaning into virtual consultations and social media posts led by aestheticians.
“The online piece of the puzzle for us has always been about not diluting our brand equity, meaning that we really want online to be like a store experience,” Gerchik said on this week’s episode of the Glossy Beauty Podcast.
Here are a few highlights from the conversation, which have been lightly edited for clarity.
Home videos do the trick
“There are a lot of projects we wanted to put in place, but as a brand you’re thinking about how to do it in a professional way. But with coronavirus, we didn’t have an opportunity to create content in a professional way, and so we just thought the most important thing is that the messaging is genuine. The content we created, all of us, was just content at home. And that has been very well received. It has been an entirely new strategy and I think that’s something that’s going to remain with us. Beyond coronavirus, we’re going to feel more comfortable as brands creating very genuine content at a low budget.”
Taking consultations online
“We’re hyper-dynamic in the way that we treat the skin. It’s about changing the regimen, changing the protocol that’s best suited, and that’s what our online platform affords us. Beyond everything, the online piece of the puzzle for us has always been about not diluting our brand equity, meaning that we really want the online to be like a store experience.”
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Not as exclusive as you might think
“I think people equate us with these very high-end, luxury spas, which we do of course have. But as a brand we also work with single estheticians, literally one esthetician, one treatment room, and they do phenomenally well. And we really believe in that model. We’re not elitist at all. We’re quality-driven, of course, and what we look for is passion. Where there’s passion, there’s willingness to be educated. Learning is a constant at Biologique Recherche. No one’s ever finished learning.”
