by: Geoff Ficke
Entrepreneurial Creativity Is Still Rife in the Fashion Jewelry and Cosmetic World
My Product Development and Marketing Consulting firm has had a busy spring introducing a slew of new products in international cosmetic and jewelry industry trade shows. We participated in the largest Beauty and Fragrance Industry expo, Cosmoprof in Bologna, Italy. Immediately after Cosmoprof we were off to Basel World in Basel Switzerland, the premiere international couture watch and jewelry show in the world. This past week we finished a new Fashion Jewelry product launch at Couture Las Vegas, the exclusive American trade show for luxury jewelry product.
These industry specific trade shows draw store buyers, distributors and vendors from every corner of the world. Cosmoprof offers products from the giants in the Cosmetic world such as Proctor & Gamble, Estee Lauder, Cosmair-L’Oreal and Shiseido. Basel World and Couture are utilized by internationally famous brands such as Harry Winston, Richemont, LVMH and Bulgari. All of the biggest players attend these expositions. And yet, the most interesting, exciting and well-shopped stands are often those representing small, entrepreneurial start-up businesses.
The entrepreneurs we visit at beauty and jewelry trade shows are unique. They are among the most creative artisans you will find anywhere. Their display will be smaller than the multi-national brand powerhouses, and their marketing miniscule. But their passion , intensity and ability to find a path to success against long odds and heavy competition is often inspirational.
The Couture Las Vegas Jewelry trade show is an ode to luxurious human adornment. There are no Costume Jewelry or mass market products on display. Show management vet’s every product entry and allows only the most beautiful, unique and exclusive lines to be offered. Attendance is strictly controlled and buyers are invited, there are no walk-ins. Nevertheless, there were dozens of small artisan jewelry producers, all offering a range of product created from a novel medium that they had discovered, executed and perfected. The result is innovative jewelry lines that are able to find a niche in the congested world of Couture, High Fashion Jewelry.
The story is the same at Cosmoprof Bologna. There are over 3000 vendors selling every imaginable type of Beauty Product. Aromatherapy
, Cosmetic Implements, Cosmetic Applicators and Accessories, Skin Care, Bath and Body Care, Fragrance, Hair Care, Hand and Nail Care, Baby Care, Men’s Treatment, and Color Cosmetics of every type, description and price point from all over the world are on offer to buyers and international distributors from 120 countries. Still, once again, the small producers enjoyed a terrific opportunity to differentiate themselves from their mega-competitors. Their booths were busy and interest levels in the newest products and concepts was at an all-time high.
Cosmetics and Jewelry are industries where we see incredible entrepreneurial activity. The barriers to entry are not as difficult to hurdle as in many categories that require large technology and financial commitments. If you are creative, driven and have a passion to compete there has never been a better time than the present to be a fashion entrepreneur . Nimble innovators are always in demand.
Geoff Ficke has been a serial entrepreneur for almost 50 years. As a small boy, earning his spending money doing odd jobs in the neighborhood, he learned the value of selling himself, offering service and value for money.
After putting himself through the University of Kentucky (B.A. Broadcast Journalism, 1969) and serving in the United States Marine Corp, Mr. Ficke commenced a career in the cosmetic industry. After rising to National Sales Manager for Vidal Sassoon Hair Care at age 28, he then launched a number of ventures, including Rubigo Cosmetics, Parfums Pierre Wulff Paris, Le Bain Couture and Fashion Fragrance.
Geoff Ficke and his consulting firm, Duquesa Marketing, Inc. ( www.duquesamarketing.com ) has assisted businesses large and small, domestic and international, entrepreneurs, inventors and students in new product development, capital formation, licensing, marketing, sales and business plans and successful implementation of his customized strategies. He is a Senior Fellow at the Page Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, Business School, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.