Challenge For Brands To Entice Consumers Back To Salons: Priyanka Puri, HRIPL

The hair care market in India is one of the fastest-growing segments in the personal care and beauty industry. Several factors contribute to its expansion, including rising consumer awareness of hair health, increased disposable income, urbanisation, and a growing preference for natural and organic products.

In a quick chat with Priyanka Puri, senior vice president of marketing, Hygienic Research Institute (HRIPL), she explains how consumers are spoilt for choice, with a plethora of options and new trends popping up almost daily. She also gives a sneak peek into how Streax Professional, the only homegrown brand, extensively works on consumer demands and tailors innovation specifically to their unique needs.

Excerpts:

Please give us an understanding of Indian consumers’ evolving needs and choice palette in the haircare industry. 

Indian consumers are increasingly looking for products that offer more than just basic solutions. They want innovations that cater specifically to their unique hair types and lifestyle needs. For example, we’ve seen a growing demand for vibrant fashion shades, particularly on Indian hair, which is predominantly black. To address this, we launched ‘Argan Secrets High Lift Fashion Shades’, allowing consumers to achieve bold colours effortlessly. 

The trend isn’t limited to major cities; even Tier II and Tier III cities are seeing a surge in experimentation with hair colours. The internet has played a significant role in exposing consumers to global trends, leading to a greater acceptance of bold shades across various age groups. While we’re still catching up to global colour penetration levels, the interest in these shades is clearly on the rise. 

With consumers becoming increasingly aware of their hair textures and types, does the brand see this as an opportunity to challenge the conventional notion that beauty is confined to a particular hair texture, and celebrate the unique hair characteristics? 

Yes, at Streax Professional, we believe that beauty is diverse and multifaceted, and we’re committed to celebrating the uniqueness of every individual. The growing awareness among consumers about their hair textures and types is a positive shift that aligns perfectly with our brand’s philosophy of inclusivity and self-expression. 

We see this as a fantastic opportunity to promote the idea that all hair types are beautiful. Through our mega shows, workshops, and seminars, we promote and educate our consumers on trends and techniques that apply to all hair types and cater to a wide variety of hair textures, from straight to curly, fine to thick, ensuring that everyone can find the right services and solutions to give them the best version of themselves. We empower our hairstylists to provide top-notch services to customers and our direct consumers alike, ensuring that everyone can find the right solutions to enhance their personality and be the best version of themselves.  

Through our campaigns, communications, and educational events, we consistently highlight the beauty of diversity and encourage consumers to embrace their unique hair characteristics with confidence. We believe that by empowering individuals to feel good about their natural hair, we’re not only fostering a more inclusive beauty landscape but also creating a deeper connection with our brand. 

With people staying at home and avoiding salons post-pandemic, there has been a surge in demand for at-home hair care products. How has this trend impacted Streax Professional’s business in the past few years? 

The pandemic undeniably changed consumer behaviour, particularly in the beauty and personal care industry. Although there has been a rise in demand for DIY or at-home hair care products, with the increase in disposable incomes and discretionary spending, consumers still prefer salons for professional services. It’s a task for brands to entice consumers back to salons with innovative and personalised offerings.  

Our brand, Streax, which caters to the retail side of the business, has launched Streax Highlights—Hair Highlighting Kit, designed to captivate the modern consumer and elevate their hair-highlighting experience, with around 14 vibrant shades to choose from.

For Streax Professional, on the other hand, consumers who want vibrant fashion shades on their predominantly black Indian hair—a look that’s hard to achieve at home—the Argan Secrets High Lift Fashion Shades will work best. 

We have also launched various post-care ranges of products like Canvoline shampoo and conditioner, which is effective for chemically treated straightened hair, or our best seller, Streax Professional Vitariche serum, which nourishes the hair. We, as a brand, make our salon partners equipped with products that help them deliver effective results, ensuring that we continue to provide value even as at-home care gains popularity. 

Currently, the hair care industry is witnessing the rise and adoption of several new segments—ethnic hair care, luxury hair care, men's grooming, and eco-friendly and natural products. How is the brand coping with these? 

At Streax Professional, we’re always committed to staying ahead of industry trends by innovating and diversifying our product offerings to meet the evolving needs of our consumers. While we may not focus exclusively on specific segments like ethnic hair care or luxury hair care, our approach is to develop specialised products tailored to various hair types and preferences, ensuring that we address a broad spectrum of consumer needs. 

Our recent product pipeline reflects this commitment, with new launches designed to cater to diverse hair needs and styling preferences. 

Moreover, we recognise that staying relevant involves more than just product innovation. Education plays a crucial role in how we connect with our audience. Each year, we launch a hair collection that adapts international trends to suit Indian sensibilities and hair types. Our previous collections, such as Kaleidoscope, Retro Remix, and Mercurial, have been showcased through beauty platforms like the Bombay Times Fashion Week. This year, we’re amplifying the Spectrum Collection across various cities to ensure its reach and impact. 

By blending product innovation with strategic education and presentation, Streax Professional continues to adapt and thrive amidst the rising adoption of new hair care segments. 

What are some of the communication strategies that have worked best for the brand? Can you also give us a sense of your marketing budget and its allocation across various media? 

Our communication strategy is also centred around connecting with our audience on a deeper, more personal level. We make extensive use of digital platforms to engage with consumers, using social media, influencers, and content marketing to create an interactive and informative ecosystem around our brand. 

Going forward, digital channels will play a vital role in our strategy. We are going to focus on educational content and traditional digital media to create awareness and drive engagement. This includes influencer collaborations, which are specifically designed to appeal to hairstylists and their followers. We will work with a mix of macro, micro, and nano influencers to effectively reach different segments of our audience. While we already partner with two mega influencers, incorporating micro and nano influencers allows us to penetrate deeper and expand our reach. 

In terms of budget allocation, we take a balanced approach, investing in both traditional and digital media. A significant portion of our budget goes towards digital marketing, which lets us target specific demographics more effectively and measure the impact of our campaigns in real time. Traditional media, including print and TV, also play an important role in reinforcing our brand message, especially in areas where digital penetration is still growing. 

There is an apparent increase in professional hair care brands in India. How does the brand navigate through the complexities of market competition? 

The increasing competition is a good sign—it shows that there’s a growing demand for professional hair care products in India. At Streax Professional, we see this as an opportunity to constantly improve and set ourselves apart. 

Rising competition is an opportunity for us to learn, adapt, and refine our strategies. With nearly two decades of experience in the industry, we have a deep understanding of Indian hair care needs, which allows us to seamlessly integrate global trends into our offerings. 

We invest significantly in research and development to create products that stand out for their efficacy and safety. This focus on innovation enables us to offer unique solutions that address specific hair concerns, ensuring that our products resonate with consumers looking for reliable and effective care. 

We also place a strong emphasis on building relationships with our salon partners and professionals. By offering continuous education, training, and support, we make sure they’re equipped to deliver the best possible experience to their clients. This not only strengthens our brand’s reputation but also fosters loyalty among our network.  

A Shopalyst study reveals that professional hair care brands have transitioned from B2B to B2C over the last few years. What are your comments on it? 

The transition from B2B to B2C in the hair care industry is indeed a significant trend, particularly noticeable in segments like post-care or after-care products. As consumer demand grows, Streax Professional as a brand, is adapting by curating products designed specifically for end users. 

However, this shift is less pronounced in areas involving professional services or certain categories. What we are witnessing is a trend where brands are focussing directly on consumers by offering innovative products, especially in the care segment. 

At Streax Professional, we’re in a unique position because we serve two key groups—salon professionals and direct consumers. Our strategy is designed to reach both. Through our digital and traditional marketing efforts, we specifically target direct consumers with our range of postcare products. We are actively engaged on both sides of the journey from B2B to B2C, enjoying an equal role in this transition. 

Another recent report suggests that 35 per cent of Indians have increased their time spent on hair care routines, with 44 per cent expressing interest in personalised hair products. How are you capitalising on this insight and revitalising hair care innovation? 

At Streax Professional, we are seizing this opportunity to drive innovation and meet these evolving consumer needs. 

To capitalise on these insights, we have developed a suite of products designed to address individual hair care requirements. For instance, our Streax Professional Argan Secrets range, including the moisturising shampoo, conditioner, and serum, is tailored to maintain the vibrancy and softness of coloured hair. 

We’ve also introduced the Streax Professional Canvoline Straightening Post-Care range, specifically designed for those with salon-straightened hair. Our Vitagloss serum further complements our product range by nourishing the hair with macadamia oil and vitamin E. It tames frizz and imparts a glossy finish, making the hair look effortlessly elegant and well-maintained. 

In addition to these product innovations, we align our educational and advocacy efforts with these consumer trends. Each year, we introduce a new hair collection that adapts international trends to Indian hair types. Our recent Spectrum Collection continues this tradition, offering a diverse range of shades and styles to cater to various preferences. 

Soumya Sehgal Bhutani

BW Reporters Soumya is the Senior Editorial Lead at BW Marketing World. She extensively writes on the Indian media, marketing and advertising ecosystem in India.