Greek haircare model Alexandra Natural just lately made the bounce into the US market, a transfer that has given the staff a lot of challenges to get issues heading in the right direction.
Cosmetics Design spoke to model founder Klea Alexandra Pashaj, who outlined the steps she needed to take to get the model on the map within the US, together with the regulatory journey and the detailed technique to assist join with the viewers, together with the all-important steps which were taken to assist construct an engaged neighborhood.
“As a Greek model, the primary steps I needed to take to get Alexandra Natural available on the market had been rooted in my private journey and fervour for creating clear, efficient hair care merchandise,” Pashaj stated.
To ascertain the startup technique within the US, Pashaj defined the important thing 4 pillars:
- Figuring out the Want: After experiencing extreme hair injury, I launched into a private quest to discover a answer. As a chemist, I used my data and experience to develop two formulation for a shampoo and a hair masks that confirmed promising ends in restoring my hair’s power and well being.
- Sharing on Social Media: I started sharing my hair restoration journey on social media, documenting my progress and the formulation I had created. The response from others was overwhelming, with many expressing curiosity in buying the merchandise for themselves.
- Beginning Small: Inspired by the demand, I made a decision to start out promoting my merchandise via Instagram. This allowed me to attach straight with clients and collect beneficial suggestions whereas additionally producing revenue to fund additional improvement and enlargement.
- Opening the First Retailer: With the success of promoting via Instagram, I saved each penny and labored tirelessly to assemble sufficient funds to open my first bodily retailer. This marked a big milestone in bringing Alexandra Natural to a wider viewers and establishing a devoted house for patrons to expertise our merchandise.
A 12-month regulatory and logistics journey
However to get to those targets required a number of planning, no small quantity of paperwork and a lot of obstacles to beat, as Pashaj explains:
“The method of getting our model on cabinets in North America took roughly 12-months. It concerned navigating via varied regulatory necessities, establishing partnerships with distributors, and conducting market analysis to grasp the preferences and calls for of North American shoppers. The trickiest facet is at all times getting seen and establishing belief with a brand new neighborhood.”
Establishing that all-important belief can imply an additional stage of effort, notably in terms of constructing recognition and familiarity with a non-US model. Luckily Greek magnificence already has a longtime fame in North America, enabling Alexandra Natural to leverage this.
“Greek magnificence merchandise are typically perceived positively in North America. They’re typically related to pure components, conventional magnificence practices, and a give attention to holistic wellness. Greek magnificence manufacturers are admired for his or her use of high-quality, plant-based extracts and their dedication to scrub formulations,” stated Pashaj.
“To develop the connection between North American shoppers and Alexandra Natural’s cultural id, we actively spotlight our Greek heritage in our model messaging and advertising and marketing efforts. We emphasize the inspiration behind our model identify, Alexandra, which derives from the Greek Goddess Hera. This connection to Greek mythology provides a contact of cultural richness and authenticity to our model.
“Moreover, we incorporate parts of Greek tradition into our product packaging, corresponding to utilizing Greek-inspired patterns or symbols. We additionally share the tales and traditions behind Greek magnificence practices, educating our clients about the advantages and historical past of those practices.
“By showcasing our Greek cultural id, we intention to create a deeper reference to North American shoppers who admire the authenticity and distinctive qualities that Greek magnificence merchandise supply. We would like our clients to really feel a way of cultural immersion and belief in our model’s dedication to delivering efficient, inexpensive, and natural magnificence necessities with out compromising on high quality.”
Getting regulatory necessities proper
Getting into the US natural magnificence market as a Greek model has had each rewards and challenges, however in the end has taken a number of cautious planning to make sure the model has adopted all of the rules exactly.
“To make sure that we may make the natural declare, we adopted a rigorous course of. Firstly, we carried out intensive analysis to grasp the natural certification requirements and necessities set by the US regulatory our bodies. This allowed us to align our formulations and manufacturing processes with these requirements,” Pashaj stated.
“Subsequent, we labored carefully with acknowledged natural certifying our bodies to acquire the mandatory certifications. This concerned offering detailed documentation and proof of our natural components, sourcing practices, and manufacturing processes. We underwent thorough audits and inspections to make sure compliance with the natural requirements.”
Establishing client belief
Guaranteeing the security, high quality and vital transparency for the merchandise has additionally proved to be a significant as a part of the model’s efforts to ascertain belief amongst its newly acquired US shoppers, one thing that takes a substantial amount of effort and time to ascertain.
“We applied strict high quality management measures all through our provide chain to take care of the integrity of our natural declare. This included sourcing natural components from trusted suppliers, conducting common testing to confirm the absence of dangerous chemical compounds, and making certain correct labeling and transparency in our product packaging,” stated Pashaj.
“By adhering to those rigorous processes and acquiring the mandatory certifications, we had been capable of confidently make the natural declare for our merchandise within the US natural magnificence market. This helped us set up credibility and belief with shoppers who prioritize natural and clear magnificence choices.”
Getting natural requirements proper
Getting into the US natural magnificence market as an abroad model could be each difficult and rewarding. It requires cautious planning, adherence to strict rules, and constructing belief with shoppers.
“To make sure that we may make the natural declare, we adopted a rigorous course of. Firstly, we carried out intensive analysis to grasp the natural certification requirements and necessities set by the US regulatory our bodies. This allowed us to align our formulations and manufacturing processes with these requirements,” stated Pashaj.
“Subsequent, we labored carefully with acknowledged natural certifying our bodies to acquire the mandatory certifications. This concerned offering detailed documentation and proof of our natural components, sourcing practices, and manufacturing processes. We underwent thorough audits and inspections to make sure compliance with the natural requirements.
“Moreover, we applied strict high quality management measures all through our provide chain to take care of the integrity of our natural declare. This included sourcing natural components from trusted suppliers, conducting common testing to confirm the absence of dangerous chemical compounds, and making certain correct labeling and transparency in our product packaging.
“By adhering to those rigorous processes and acquiring the mandatory certifications, we had been capable of confidently make the natural declare for our merchandise within the US natural magnificence market. This helped us set up credibility and belief with shoppers who prioritize natural and clear magnificence choices.”
Positive-tuning to US client wants
Whereas being a clear magnificence model from Greece has had a constructive influence on the model’s reception within the US, Pashaj additionally explains how the model had needed to take some steps to good its product choices for the US market, together with getting the worth level proper, in addition to fine-tuning the formulation to satisfy US shoppers wants.
“One facet of the model that has resonated with North American shoppers is our dedication to scrub, natural magnificence. North American shoppers are more and more aware of the components they placed on their our bodies and the influence of their decisions on their well being and the atmosphere. Our give attention to utilizing high-quality, plant-based extracts and formulating our merchandise with out dangerous chemical compounds has appealed to this client mindset,” Pashaj stated.
“Moreover, our Greek heritage and the cultural id we incorporate into our model have additionally resonated with North American shoppers. The affiliation with conventional magnificence practices, pure components, and holistic wellness aligns with the rising curiosity in embracing international magnificence rituals and in search of genuine, culturally-inspired merchandise.
“By way of variations, we now have acknowledged the significance of assembly North American client expectations when it comes to product efficiency and pricing. Whereas our preliminary formulations had been efficient, we now have constantly refined and improved them primarily based on suggestions and market calls for. This consists of incorporating new components or applied sciences to reinforce product efficiency and addressing particular hair care issues generally confronted by North American shoppers.”
The aim is to grow to be a world model
By making the transfer into the US market, Pashaj believes she has taken a giant step in direction of her final aim of creating the Alexandra Natural model a world phenomenon.
“From the very starting, my aim has at all times been for Alexandra Natural to grow to be a worldwide model. Over the previous 5 years, I’ve been devoted to rising the model, constantly bettering our formulations, and saving each penny to make this dream a actuality.” Pashaj stated.
“By perseverance, exhausting work, and the assist of our clients, I’m decided to see Alexandra Natural attain new heights and grow to be a trusted identify within the international magnificence trade.”
