REPLAY - In Ep. 68 of Earned, we sit down with beauty industry veteran Ken Landis. Ken has a proven track record of success, co-founding some of today's top beauty brands, including Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, TULA Skincare, and DIBS Beauty. To begin the episode, Ken reveals the core characteristics of a successful beauty brand, emphasizing the importance of a focused distribution strategy and unpacking his mantra of "narrow and deep." He explains why Bobbi Brown Cosmetics started out in the '90s by being "laser focused" on high-end specialty retail stores, and prioritized winning market share in the few doors they were in, rather than maximizing distribution. We then dive into TULA, and Ken shares why the skincare brand launched with a digital-first, influencer-centric strategy, which quickly paved a path to profitability. We explore the difficulties of building a brand identity through retail compared to DTC, and Ken unpacks the differences in marketing a color cosmetics brand versus a skincare brand. We then discuss how the creator economy has evolved over the years, and how DIBS and Tula approach organic relationships versus paid partnerships with influencers. To close the show, Ken details the key factors that have attracted him to invest in a variety of companies, from beauty to tech to art to cannabis, before sharing his philosophies on effective leadership.

In this episode, you will learn:

How to build a brand identity that stands out in a crowded market
Strategies for leveraging organic relationships and paid partnerships with influencers
Key characteristics that investors look for in a brand

Key Takeaways

[02:47] The core elements of a successful beauty company

[11:40] How digital marketing has evolved since Ken began in the industry

[14:40] Utilizing influencer marketing to expand brand awareness

[16:45] Common mistakes brands make in retail

[22:43] Key qualities Ken looks for when investing in companies

Resources:

Connect with the Guest:

Ken's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ken-landis-88b7423/

Connect with Conor Begley & CreatorIQ:

Conor's LinkedIn - @conormbegley
CreatorIQ LinkedIn - @creatoriq

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