It’s been a busy summer for the industry.
The latest from The Conversation: “The internet is the most effective tool we have for promoting our brands.
It’s our advertising.
We know the media will want to see us, so we’ve got to keep doing it.”
– Jann S. Bach, CEO of The Haircut Association, and head of their Australian operations.
The Hair Cut Association’s executive director, Jann Bach, is pictured with a woman in a black headband in the background.
“When the internet came in, it was a very different landscape, and the beauty industry was not quite so well-established yet.”
It was also not quite as common to hear of the industry as it is today.
It was an emerging market, and a very young industry.
“There were lots of companies in the industry and lots of brands coming into the market, but there were very few in terms of brands that were doing well,” Mr Bach says.
“We have seen a lot of companies start to fall, and we’ve seen a big spike in the last year or two.”
For the most part, the rise in the popularity of baby and toddler haircuts was down to internet marketing, with online advertising for those products being a $20 billion industry in 2018.
But that was only the tip of the iceberg.
A growing number of consumers also embraced the “internet of things”, or IoT, and began to look for products and services to help them manage their hair.
“It’s very much a new market,” says Dr. Amy Smith, a social psychologist who is a co-founder of the World Health Organization’s hair and beauty programme.
“They’re really finding the value in using technology, and having a smart hair care product.”
For a number of reasons, many people in the hair industry are not ready to accept the rise of the IoT, but the industry is not entirely lost.
In fact, there are signs that the industry could grow.
There are many, many different products and products providers on the market today, and it is estimated that the global market for hair products and styling services will reach $2 trillion by 2020.
“One of the things that we do as an industry is to look at how we can improve our product offerings to address these new needs,” Dr. Smith says.
The IoT has made it easier for consumers to find products and help them with their haircuts.
“I think it’s really important for consumers in this day and age to know where they can find products to help improve their hair, whether it’s with a product that helps with hair care, or for hair care products that are actually good for your hair, rather than just having products that they can use all day long,” Dr Smith says, adding that companies have been quick to embrace the IoT.
“You can see a lot more brands now looking to the IoT to help with the hair care and styling needs of their customers.”
For Dr. S.J. Bach and Dr. Bach’s company, The Hair Cutter Association, this is a welcome development.
The association is one of many groups around the world working to help educate consumers on the value of using hair products that do not require any chemical treatment.
“The Internet of Things has given us a lot easier access to our clients and the products we offer,” Dr Bach says, and with that access comes increased exposure.
“For example, a lot less time is spent on getting hair cutters to know their clients and their needs.”
But for now, The Cutter Association is focused on the next wave of IoT products.
Dr Bach sees this as an opportunity for the hair world.
“At the end of the day, the internet of things is really just about the beauty world, and I think the beauty and hair community is really going to be able to capitalize on that,” she says.
In the meantime, Dr Bach is working with some of her fellow industry leaders to create the industry’s first IoT certification, which is aimed at helping companies comply with the industry guidelines.
“Certifications are not necessarily going to do a lot for brands,” Dr S. J. Bach says of the certification process.
“But for me personally, it’s a really good thing to have as part of the hair grooming process, because that means you know you’re complying with industry standards, and that you’re also complying with the laws that govern your industry.”
“The beauty industry is really working to make sure that when we say the internet is a good thing, we mean it.”
Topics:hair,health,hair-and-makeup,hair,industry,women,technology-and_electronics,social-media,socialism,socialmedia,united-statesFirst posted June 06, 2019 13:21:04Contact Michelle MacphersonMore stories from New South Wales
