FlexStyle
For All Hairkind
Zambezi | New Business | Product Launch
TL;DR
The Ask:
Showcase a new innovation in hair care. Create a linear concept and 360 scale approach product launch for Shark FlexStyle.
Cultural Landscape:
Hair is so much more than just appearance – it reflects culture and values.
The Product:
Shark FlexStyle is a revolutionary product that twists from dryer to styler in one tool. This innovative product was developed and tested rigorously by diverse stylists and consumers with the ambition to dry and style all hair – regardless of length, color, thickness or texture, without compromising hair health.
Shark FlexStyle empowers you to take control on your routine. It dries while you style with a 5 attachment options for a transforming multi-tool, all with no heat damage.
Audience Truth:
But fast forward to today, society has trained women to believe that attractive hair is exclusively straight and silky.
Audience Values:
The style essentialist is one that is open-minded, in-the-know, adventurous, and curious.
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They aren't afraid to try new things
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Care about appearances
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They're pop culture enthusiast
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Variety, guidance, and technology are extremely important when it comes to the Hispanic consumer.
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Want to experience more
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Listen to others
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Are tech focused
Cultural Shift:
The beauty industry has been embracing individuality, delivering more shades and skin type options.
Ancient Egypt: 4000 - 300 BC
Long straight or braided hair and elaborate headdresses represented royalty.
Ancient Rome: 500 BC - 500 AD
Blonde hair was popular and was created with golden powder. Curling tongs were also in wide range use.
Dark Ages: 500 - 1000
Noblewomen wore headdresses that kept the hair mainly covered. Unmarried women wore a fillet, a narrow headband over a wimple.
Renaissance: 1500 - 1600
Updos were still popular but headdresses were on the way out. Hair was decorated with ribbons, pearls and other precious stones.
Late Victorian: 1860 - 1900
There was a return to natural beauty – often in an austere way. Tidiness, modesty and dignity were embodied.
1920s
This was a period of major change. Women actually began to cut their hair short with simple and sleek styles.
1960s
In the era of freedom, liberation and hippies, hair became an expression of the woman. Styles were influenced by popular culture and inspired by the rising stars of the hair salons.
1970s
Disco…volume and curls and for Black women marked a period of time where natural hair was celebrated
Product Insight:
FlexStyle was designed by and for all hair types,
recognizing there’s no one singular form of beautiful hair.
Audience Insight:
Despite hair type, most women are self-conscious about their hair.
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58% of women feel like their hair is stuck in a rut
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75% of women compare how they look to others
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36% of women want to have a more positive relationship with their hair
My Role:
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Researched trends, audience (MRI Simmons), and competitive landscape surrounding hair care, beauty, and self-care
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Helped identify the cultural landscape and tension
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Helped to craft the strategy and opportunity for the campaign
Category Insight:
But the hair styler category is lagging, and fails to reflect the 65% of the population who have curly, coily or wavy hair.
Strategy:
Shark FlexStyle makes versatility in hair styling easy, inclusive, and accessible. When you can effortlessly express all the best sides of you through your hair, you feel ready for anything.
Shark FlexStyle makes it easy to discover the best sides of yourself.
Product Role:
First of its kind, flexible all-in-one hair dryer to styler tool.
Strategic Direction
A Woman's Hairstyle Can Convey More Than Just a Look, But a Feeling
90%
Of women agree that a good hair day can positively affect their mood
33%
Of women say that everything seems harder with a bad hair day
Providing the Style Essentialist with Adventure, Variety, and Guidance are Key
In order to attract the attention of the "Style Enthusiast" we needed to activate across key platforms with a series of innovative social activations, supported by paid media.
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This audience flocks to Pinterest and Instagram with YouTube being popular among the Hispanic segment.
Creative Strategy Overview
Strategic Overview
Cultural Truth
Hair is so much more than just appearance – it reflects culture and values.
Audience Truth
Despite hair type, most women are self-conscious about their hair.
Strategy:
Shark FlexStyle makes it easy to discover the best sides of yourself
Product Truth
Shark FlexStyle was designed by and for all hair types, recognizing there's no one singular form of beautiful hair.
Category Truth
But the hair styler category is lagging, and fails to reflect the 65% of the population who have curly, coily or wavy hair.
Influencer Strategy
Women are multifaceted and pull inspiration from a variety of sources so to appeal to them, our influencer selection is diverse in hair type, texture, race, and platform dominance.
How We Identify Influencers
To achieve our goal of stealing social SOV from competitors, we will deploy a mixed platform strategy utilizing diverse hair and beauty influencers that appeal to our audience.
Platform
Is the influencer dominating across social media? Is their content engaging?
Items for Consideration:
Platform Dominance
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Instagram/Facebook
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TikTok
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YouTube
Content
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Video content creator
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30 days of exclusivity
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IG engagement rate > 3%
Resonance
Choose influencers who think, shop, and live like the style enthusiasts audience segment.
Items for Consideration:
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Brand Fit
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Inspirational Tone
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Attitude around hair care and hair styling
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Influencer’s overall lifestyle
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Demographics
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Psychographics
Reach
Utilize influencers to gain reach AND credibility that we could not achieve on owned channels.
Items for Consideration:
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Platform dominance
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Organic and paid social content reach
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Follower count
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Engagement rate
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Location of followers
Power Of Influencer Relationships
Crafting a powerful emotional connection with style enthusiasts and style essentialists through a range of touchpoints.
Build credibility in the hair space
Digital and IRL communties
Both
Partner with trusted influencers who are authentic and inspire their audiences
Engage within hair communities
Social initiatives
Comms Strategy
Creative Campaign: For All Hairkind
Concept:
For All Hairkind
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To promote the release of Shark’s all-new FlexStyle, we created For All Hairkind, a campaign that encourages every woman to celebrate and fall in love with her own unique kind of beauty — especially when it comes to her hair.
Through a series of fun and upbeat videos, we show just how the FlexStyle can help you rock your hair type and favorite style, with models who demonstrate how to use all six of the product’s attachments. We’ve included separate cuts to feature both the U.S. and U.K. product versions and make it known that no matter what kind of hair you have, Shark FlexStlye has the power to help you embrace it all.
Creative Campaign
Strategy Team:
Matt Babazadeh: Group Strategy Director
Cat Marsh: Strategist
Natalie Gomez: Director of Integrated Strategy
Jasmine Green: Associate Director of Social Strategy
Tabitha Onofri: Head of FIN
​​Josiah Bultema: Producer at FIN
Lisa Paschke: Growth Marketer
Bernice Chao: Head of Integrated Creative
Growth and Account Team:
Sean Daly: Growth Director
Production and Creative Team:
Kelly Hsu: Account Supervisor
Haley Renschen: Art Director
Breauna Abiad: Copywriter
catherinemmarsh@gmail.com / 512-294-4871
