4 Tips To Guide Your Product Brief
It's a very exciting venture to start developing a product you wish to bring to market. Skincare is one of the fastest growing sectors in the beauty industry. So if you want to be a part of this ever-growing and evolving world of cosmetics, you've come to the right place. In particular, if you are looking to join the move to natural and organic, we have been manufacturing in this space for over 40 years.
Now, where to start? How do you turn your passion into a reality? And what do you need to have in place before approaching Cawarra to help realise your vision?
This blog explores all the things you should consider and prepare before you get in touch. Here's what you need to prepare before briefing your product for development.
Start with the End: Brainstorm
Formulation is our mastery, but before we can work our magic, it's essential you conceptualise your product and brand thoroughly. Here are just some of the things to think about and be ready to share so that we can bring your vision to life;
What will your brand stand for? Remember, your USP (Unique Selling Point) needs to flow into the product.
Where will your brand sit in the market, and who are your competitors? Consider benchmark products for inspiration.
What elements of your brand will flow through your products? For example, minimalism or Australian botanicals?
Will your brand be vegan?
What product category do you want your product/s to sit in? - Will you produce a cleanser, exfoliant, toner, moisturiser, serum etc.?
What's the user experience?
How do you want your end customer to feel after using your product? Fresh, uplifted, relaxed?
What ingredients do you want to include? Think of all the essential oils, butters, extracts, vitamins, and actives that will help define your brand and offer the product experience you are after.
Think About Actives
Actives are high-performance ingredients that have been proven to work on the skin and enhance the effectiveness of your product. They'll do what they claim to do if used in controlled studies.
Try to choose one or two key actives (for inclusion at their study level) in a formula and use them to enhance your USP and tell the story of your product.
Many products simply make label claims about an active, meaning they are included in the formula but at much lower levels than those used in the studies. When you boil it down, this is more of a marketing ploy, as study-level inclusions are necessary for the efficacy of your product to be protected.
Consider Your Exclusions
As well as thinking about your ideal product inclusions, you equally need to consider the types of ingredients you don't want in your product. There are a whole host of synthetic ingredients included in many skincare products for their functional benefit. For example
Chemical surfactants such as sulfates create a strong foam
Parabens used for preservation
PEGs - synthetic petrochemicals commonly used in skincare as thickeners
Softeners and solvents
Petroleum by-products that are used as emollients etc.
Here at Cawarra Cosmetics, we specialise in creating natural and organic formulations using plant-based alternatives to these synthetic counterparts, creating a product to suit your brief. So stay true to your proposition and brand values, and be clear in your brief about what ingredients you want to include or exclude in your product/s.
Beyond your formulation
Much of the work comes in developing the ingredients and formulas. Still, no product plan is complete without understanding
Your price position in market
How a customer will experience your product (size and type of packaging)
And ultimately, knowing your customer journey.
Before you talk to us, start to envisage and investigate:
Price benchmarks, consider retail pricing and buy prices from us
Packaging type and closure for each product
Will your product/range have a unit carton?
What is the ideal size/volume of your product/s
We hope this helps you feel prepared to brief us on bringing your vision to life. We look forward to hearing about your ideas and wish you all the best!