Texts, phone calls and emails are flowing as new product suppliers try desperately to book appointments with distributors for Cosmoprof, now just a few days away. It appears that most of the lines are focused on Keratin straightening and some spin on a wet line. For instance, Jim Markham not satisfied with selling Abba and then Pureology is back with yet another line, Cureology. How L’Oreal allowed that name, who knows. But Markham is a marketer and if he can get away with it, he will. To the best of my knowledge, there is only one company focused on innovative and new hair color at Cosmoprof and that is Kemon.

Kemon is a unique company founded some 52 years ago in a little town in the beautiful district of Tuscany. Kemon always believed in research and development and to this day, boasts a modern facility with full time scientists developing new technology. Kemon also always believed in manufacturing their own products. Unlike most companies, Kemon makes everything it sells. Kemon also does its own fulfilling, packaging and distribution. Their Academy is outstanding.

For hairdressers and colorists, they make the best products, both hair care and hair color. But they know salon folks want more and that is why they invest millions each year in photography, models, and partner with the best Italian fashion houses including Prada, Armani, Gucci and Louis Vuitton to produce their seasonal collections. To get a better sense of what Kemon does, click here.

At Cosmoprof, Kemon will be showing off its hot new NaYo hair color: Free of ammonia, PPD and odor and contains both organic and natural ingredients. Available in 71 beautiful shades, NaYo lifts up to 5 levels, covers gray 100% and leaves hair soft and shining. Kemon will also be featuring its latest addition to its Actyva Hair Care line also made of organic and natural ingredients.

What’s amazing about all this is the interest level from consumers. They are seeking NaYo and wondering where they can go. Just like Shellac got consumers back to salons, so will NaYo and Actyva (way too many consumers buying hair color at Wal-Mart and doing it themselves).

For now, the new Kemon website is live, kemonusa.com and being updated constantly. New Kemon salons are being added daily. Later this year, an entire new PR campaign will launch and as I wrote about recently, a Kemon Academy in NYC.

Coming up: black 15in1 new products.

Happy Wednesday!

They started lining up outside the Granada theater half past five. The weather was overcast and 40 on a football playoff Sunday afternoon. By the time the doors opened at 6PM, more than 300 excited hairdressers and salon owners were in line. The sold-out event attracted 500 altogether.

As I greeted many of the patrons entering, the first thing I noticed was how excited they were to be present at the event. This being their first TNG event and actually their first Dallas event in memory, it was easy to pick up their level of expectation and excitement. I met hairdressers from Houston, Austin, Ft. Worth, places in-between and of course Dallas. With Houston 5 hours away and Austin 3 hours away, they came in for the weekend and had themselves a good time.

The $25 ticket included a buffet dinner which was designed really as deluxe appetizers. But the Granada chefs (who would have known) are master chefs and take pride in their work. They make everything from scratch including their sauces, all this in a kitchen the size of a matchbox. The homemade ravioli was the huge hit as patrons loaded up plates of it. Also popular was the bruschetta on endive leaves, the Granada’s famous brisket sliders, fresh selection of cheese and veggies along with a few other tasty nibblers. The food was a hit.

The place was packed and the curtain opened at 7PM. After our TNG video played, I introduced myself to the audience and once again, they were very excited to be at FRINGE and ready for the show.

The show kicked off with the Kemon Artistic Team which featured seven models all using NaYo color. AMK (Aaron Michael), Nikki Jackson (Salon Lux) were stunning on stage and Andy Bernard was present behind the scenes. It took more than two days of prep for the 25 minute segment but it was worth it. Next up was Eufora followed by Michael O’Rourke (Texans love him), the launch of black 15in1 featuring Luden Henquist, Artistic Director and the finale was Davines featuring two of their top NY stylists.

FRINGE ended around 9:30PM and believe it or not, most people were still in their seats when it ended. They wanted more. Many lounged around the Granada afterwards having yet another cocktail. There was plenty of networking going on and the inaugural kick-off event was in the history books. Plans for FRINGE 2012 are underway.

Happy Wednesday!

P.S. Special thanks to our very own Kelly Vincler and Randy Riggle for their over the top efforts!

Kemon is located in the heart of Tuscan country in the little town of San Giustino. The town has a “downtown” with the ubiquitous church, fresh veggie/fruit market, coffee bar, cafe, flower shop and other much need necessities like wine and cheese.

Just a couple miles away lies Kemon, a sprawling complex of buildings that keeps on getting bigger. Inside one building is the warehouse of finished goods; another building does the color formulation and filling of tubes; another has the Academy and research and development area.

It was in this building that over 20 Kemon enthusiasts from Michigan spent several days soaking up the culture, education, food and fun. They learned first hand about NaYo, hair color for the next generation of colorists. They learned first hand about Kemon’s cutting techniques and style collections.

There is nothing like learning right at the factory, the heart of the operation. And doing hair color and products for more than 50 years, Kemon is on top of their game. Below is a picture of the group.

After a lot of hard work, the reward was the best part: Homemade Italian eating and drinking. Yummy!

This is what makes hairdressing rewarding, inspirational and fun. Perhaps one year I will be invited; if I only knew how to hold a pair of shears!

Happy Wednesday!

Every so often, there is a new product, a new technology, a new trend, a new artist that overnight changes everything the way we thought the world to be.

Witness the PC introduced by IBM in 1985. Or the Beatles a generation earlier. Starbucks changed the way we drink coffee. And Apple? They are the ultimate game changer.

In the salon industry, L’Oreal changed everything with the introduction of hair color way back in 1907. Before that women used henna and other natural “remedies.” Can you imagine a world without hair color?

Arnie Miller and Paul Mitchell among others were game changers; they took barber shop and beauty parlors and turned them into salons. ISO perms were game changers. And most recently, Moroccanoil is on everyone’s A list.

However, when you combine science, technology and artistry into one product and it actually works, that is a real game changer. Kemon’s NA.YO is the product that will change the way salons do hair color for the next generation. It’s that good.

Kemon introduced the first ammonia-free, PPD-free hair color, YO, a few years ago. It lifts two levels, yogurt based and smells yummy. It’s one of their top sellers. NA.YO is Kemon’s next generation product directly from their R&D labs: Ammonia-free, PPD-free, fragrance-free and lifts up to five levels. But what is truly remarkable about the product is not the tube but the developer.

The developer is actually a gel cream that is premeasured into packets. Use 1, 2 or 3 packets depending on the results you want to achieve. No measuring, no waste, no guessing. The gel cream mixes with the NA.YO colorant to product the most amazing creamy formula that glides on the hair.

Ultimately, the results are the most important. Shine, gray coverage, lasting coverage and hair that bounces as its color-free are just a few of the accolades NA.YO is already known for in Italy.

Carlo Bay (pronounced buy), perhaps Italy’s most famous hairdresser and salon owner will make his USA debut October 3-4 to not only be a guest artist and judge at Tiffany featuring DREAMS, but to launch NA.YO at our Academy. Bay owns/franchises over 80 salons in Italy and uses Kemon color and NA.YO exclusively.

Game changers like this come once in a blue moon. We are very fortunate to be part of this one.

Happy Wednesday!

I had the best time at Cosmoprof North America (CPNA) in my over 20 years attending. I can attribute this to 3 reasons:

1. We have been liberated. With no sucking up to global companies at debilitating meetings, there was no stress.
2. I did not walk the show floor aisle by aisle. In fact, I didn’t even walk the show floor although it was the smallest ever.
3. All the action was in private meetings held at hotel suites far away from the show floor. Between Kemon, Label.m, Michael O’Rourke and a few others, I can sense this incubator of new and fresh ideas paving the way for the next generation.

The show floor saw fewer exhibitors and attendees than ever before. CPNA is an embarrassment to its flagship show in Bologna. I felt sorry for the huge number of China, Korea, Taiwan and Italy stands that tried to do some business.

The big booths catered to retail customers such as ULTA, Sephora and chain drug. Although either CND or OPI were on the floor, the nail category took up a sizeable amount of space. There wasn’t much else that was noteworthy.

Even the rep groups see the handwriting on the wall. While they still had booths on the floor, most of them were running around the Four Seasons, Mandalay Bay and the Hotel going to meetings. They are desperate for new blood and it was quite scary considering it was daytime.

Salons were around for NAHA but why CPNA and the PBA ties the two events together is still a mystery.

But we do need to thank CPNA and the PBA for bringing distributors to Las Vegas to do business over a 2-3 day period even if it’s not done on the show floor. I’m already looking forward to next July 24-26.

Happy Wednesday!

The annual CPNA (Cosmoprof North America, aka BBSI) event is this weekend in hot and steamy Las Vegas. It used to be the show for distributors to come and meet with their suppliers, receive awards, pick out jewelry and other gifts and attend lavish parties at night.

Creative Nail (CND) no doubt put on the best parties in their early days. Jan Arnold spared no budget and designed elaborate themed rooms with live music, great food, open bar and lots of hubris. Other companies held lavish parties at hotel restaurants and ballrooms all reminiscent when the industry was flourishing and controlled by entrepreneurial owners.

CPNA now mostly caters to chains, retailers, consultants and global companies. When buyers from Sephora, Walgreen’s, CVS and Walmart are roaming the floor as “VIP’s”, you know the professional beauty industry is upside down. And the fun of the show is long gone.

CPNA was also the place that suppliers introduced their latest and greatest products. Not so any more although some attempt the feat. Global companies no longer perceive this show to be important enough to launch a new line.

So what will the hottest products be at CPNA? Organic hair care? Not a chance. A new dryer or flat iron? Rumor has it Babyliss is showcasing something hot, we can always use a new appliance. Shellac knock-offs? Dime a dozen already. Ammonia-free hair color? Yes. And what will the hottest brand be? Na.Yo.

Kemon figured out ammonia-free AND PPD-free hair color first and perfected it with their launch of YO more than 4 years ago. Na.Yo is the next generation of permanent hair color that utilizes an entirely new technology that is not only simple to use, but foolproof.

Available in 44 shades and later in more than 70, the demand for Na.Yo is unprecedented. Our Kemon GM is fully booked at CPNA with distributors wanting Na.Yo and other Kemon products. The USA launch is this September and finally, the industry has something to cheer about that global and retail companies can’t touch.

Happy Wednesday!

Innovation these days is coming from smaller companies in tune to consumer demands. Just look at Facebook, Twitter, and the zillion other social networking websites out there. None of these were started by Microsoft, Yahoo, or IBM.

Innovation in hair care and hair color is coming from smaller companies as well. Kemon was first to market with its paste highlighting system, well before L’Oreal introduced their Platinium brand.  Pureology was first to market with its sulfate-free shampoos and conditioners and L’Oreal ended up buying the company to acquire the technology.

The latest buzz word in hair color is “ammonia-free.” Why? L’Oreal introduced their new INOA color in Europe last year and is launching it in the USA this year. Unlike smaller companies, L’Oreal has the marketing and celebrity muscle to make quick inroads when it comes to press. INOA (an acronym for Innovation No Ammonia) is a complicated and expensive system and is L’Oreal’s attempt at ammonia-free hair color.

One would think the company that invented hair color would have launched INOA at least five years ago. But no, Kemon was the company back then that launched the first ammonia-free hair color, Actyva. Since then, Kemon launched YO color which is both extremely low ammonia and PPD-free. And this year they launched their third generation of extremely low ammonia color, HD High Performance.

HD is especially targeted towards Wella users since the numbering system is very similar. But that is the only thing similar. HD is unlike any color on the market in the way it performs, smells, shines, lasts and its simplicity in application. Like Apple has proved with its “i” family of products, the best technology is simple to use.

Remember the one of the best marketing programs ever: The Coke-Pepsi challenge? If you are a L’Oreal or Wella user, try HD on us and if you aren’t convinced HD is the best, then at least you made the decision based on your own trial. I am that confident in HD. It’s the future of hair color.

Happy Monday!

 

In the midst of the worse recession; in the middle of the slowest month of the year; and when most people are taking vacation days, TNG rocked yesterday like it was the era of prosperity.

The day started with our Kemon on Tour event at the Taylor store. Aaron Michael and Randy once again wowed the group. It was intriguing to witness hairdressers actually learning something new that they thought they mastered over the past 30 years.

We had veterans of 36, 29, 27 and 19 years. Most used Matrix and L’Oreal products and complained about gray coverage, shine and fading. But along the way, they learned about technique, chemistry, color wheels, tone-on-tones, lifting, highlighting, bleach, and most of all, they learned themselves hands-on.

They all fell in love with Kemon. But what I think hairdressers like these are really falling in love with is that someone cares enough to reach out to them and get them excited about color and products again. And even veterans are finally coming around and saying "it’s not too late to learn."

And that’s what I’m most excited about. The Academy was hopping all day with the Kemon "Bob" course. Over 50 were on hand to learn from our Bob experts, Janan Delly and Denisa Cito (Michigan Hairdresser of the Year).

In the S.P.A. Academy, a be PRO advanced makeup workshop was going on where makeup artists were learning new tricks of the trade.

The grand finale was the Moroccanoil launch event at night. I grilled cheeseburgers and salmon burgers while Liz and Dan took care of the details. Anthony, MO’s guest artist dazzled the audience with his 7 languages and humor to go along with the languages. The 150 in the audience soaked up the knowledge and left energized and excited. Special guests on hand were Miss Michigan, Nicole Blaszczyk, as well as Jon Jordan, fashion reporter for WDIV Channel 4.

All in all, nearly 250 industry peers sought out to learn something new, get motivated about their careers and bring a new level of excitement to their salons. When it comes to education, TNG rocks.

Happy Tuesday!

 

 

Sure the economy still sucks regardless what the economists point out and business is tougher than ever. Most pundits would point out now is not the time to invest and reinvent. They say to ride out the storm and be safe during turbulent times.

Being in business today is anything but safe. Ask any business owner. The reinvention of our corporate store didn’t take place because it needed to, it all came about because of SAP, our database software system.

We are now finally able to review metrics and do something about them. For instance, we found out that we had nearly 5000 items in the store. Of those, nearly 1400 didn’t sell during the past 8 weeks. The top 500 items accounted for over half the business.

What happened? We became complacent. A customer would ask for a certain item and we would bring it in. Too bad the item never sold afterwards. Repeat this 1000 times and viola! More importantly, we didn’t have the right tools in place. It’s also a whole lot easier facing items than taking them off the shelf, cleaning the shelf, and putting the items back on.

First thing we did was get rid of the 1400 plus items. Whew, that was a lot of work. Next thing was to bring in our best selling catalog items not in the store including our all new CLUB1 items. Then we took our best selling store items and prominently featured them. And finally, we added a bunch of fun stuff like really cool Quotable greeting cards, mugs, notepads, snacks and a whole section of cleaning supplies.

New graphics and store displays were added. New signage, new in-store secret deals and new T-shirts for the staff. Also added was our new outlet center featuring all the stuff we couldn’t sell at regular price.

 

 

 

Today is the soft grand opening and you will be impressed. Special thanks to Lo, Megan and Lindsay who put up with me for two weeks and worked until 8:30PM Saturday to make it just right for today.

Today also kicks off the launch of Hair Manya, Kemon’s sexy and cool styling line. The Kemon "store-in-a-store" concept is really hip with its own color bar, mixing station and full range of products.

Of course there is no rest. Next up is our Shelby Township store. What fun and I know the Shelby girls are revved up and ready to go.

Happy Monday!