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To be perfectly Franck
[Tue 25/11/2008 05:06:48]
Launched in Australia last year by R&G Aromatherapy Pty Ltd, the Carole Franck Aromes Essentiels Paris skincare range is steadily gaining ground. Roman Garai tells their story.
Q. What is the history of the Carole Franck range?
The product line was founded in 1975 in Paris by Carole Franck herself. Carole’s first and very well received line was the Decléor product line. However, her biggest passion is aromatherapy, and the results that can be achieved on the skin with essential oils; hence the birth of the Carole Franck aromatherapy skincare line.
Q. When did the brand launch in Australia – and why?
Carole Franck was launched in Australia in April 2007. The very first salon to embrace these result-driven products was Skin Innovations at Westfield Carindale in Brisbane. Carole Franck skincare has a significant share in the marketplace in over 60 countries worldwide. This is due to the high concentration levels of essential oils carried in pure virgin oil (to produce one litre of the base demands 150 kilograms of raw materials!). Carole Franck products are designed for long-term results. We educate our clients about their skin and how their own immune system works with the product in their initial professional salon treatments, then teach them how to maintain it with the home care line. It is the absence of this essential education process that lets down most of the other big skincare houses, but it is one of Carole Franck’s biggest priorities.
Q. What were the company’s short-term and long-term goals at the time it started? How many of these goals have been met so far?
Short-term goals for Paris were to source a distributor and we at R & G Aromatherapy were more than happy to embrace the product. They then provided us with an extensive training regime, along with a national trainer for therapists – our national trainer, Nanda Apeldoorn, was trained in Paris late last year. Our long-term goal, which will be initiated this year, is to offer the product line to salons and spas as well as the larger pharmacy groups, with treatment rooms throughout Australia. We have several interested salons at the moment and two large pharmacy groups that we will be presenting to early this year.
Q. How has the industry changed from when the company started until now?
Twenty years ago there were only several big competitors, now we have hundreds. However most of the big lines are tending to turn into make-up houses because it is a faster turnover, hence more profitable. It also means that the skincare research and development budget is cut and tends to take a back seat. At Carole Franck our skincare is our first priority and always will be.
Q. Does your company have a mission statement? If so, what is it?
Education first, plus the purest product equals happy clients.
Q. What is your business philosophy and approach?
Consistency and professionalism breeds trust in both carriers of the product and their clients. As the distributor of Carole Franck, I make it my business to visit sites regularly and help with promotions and training in all areas from sales and marketing to the actual treatments. I make myself available to not only salon owners but to their staff for any help they might require.
Q. What makes Carole Franck products stand out from other similar ranges?
High concentration levels! Our products carry between six to 32 per cent of essential oils, where most of our competitors are using one to five per cent. The second thing is education – the fact that no matter whether a therapist is aged 16 or 66, they all have the same level of training with us. Even though a 16-year-old has never experienced menopause and the changes that ensue in the skin, she knows through her training and can recognise the symptoms to help alleviate them. Similarly, a 66-year-old would not have had “fast food’’ skins to deal with in her initial training 45 years ago but with the Carole Frank training it is covered and she is bought up to speed.
Q. What are the star products in your ranges and why?
It is the Aromatic Concentrate Essential Oil which is the world’s best seller. It has a multitude of uses. Applied as spot treatment for acne, diluted with demineralised water as cleanser, sprayed directly on face as a toner, it is this versatility that makes it the number one seller. The second would Creme Fulgurance for anti-ageing; it delivers very fast and excellent long-term results.
Q. Where do you position your product in the marketplace and why?
Because women are now much more aware of the “sun damage factor’’ in Australia and the pressure to preserve their skin’s beauty and suppleness, they are spending more time at the spa. So, our aim is to place the Carole Franck professional and homecare lines in the salon for the monthly professional treatment and then the homecare line in pharmacy so they are able to duck out at lunchtime to pick up products in an emergency from the pharmacy. We are confident the availability in pharmacy will not affect the salon retail end figure because studies show that most women who purchase “in salon’’ will always do so except in an emergency, say for instance if they have left their product behind on a holiday. However, some women just don’t have time to go to the salon due to work or family commitments so will always shop at a pharmacy. It is our aim to satisfy both areas of the market place.
Q. Do you have plans to further expand your market – within Australia and overseas?
The Carole Franck corporation are professionals and do not allow more than one distributor in one country. This counteracts any undercutting and non-professionalism. Australia is a big place and will keep myself and many of my representatives very busy for many years. As I have mentioned, being available for existing carriers is our number one priority; you have to walk before you can run!
Q. Do you monitor client feedback?
In the Carole Franck training there is an entire module on follow-up and its function and importance. When clients are in the salon they are very excited about getting their new products and about what they are going to achieve; most are not listening carefully to instructions. Every therapist is trained to place a call within two days of the sale to step through the correct use of the products for a second time, or if the client is time-poor, to email or fax an instruction sheet. Feedback comes to us in all manners from emails or calls to salons or phone calls to me personally. We have a minimal return rate, and those that are returned are usually due to separation of the product’s ingredients from being displayed in windows that get direct midday sun exposure. This is no good for any product!
Q. How many people are on your staff and what roles do they fulfil?
At this early stage we are represented in Queensland and New South Wales. We have two sales reps, a national trainer, an accountant and in-office manager. We are quite short-staffed at the moment and our client base is growing rapidly so we are sourcing new people as we speak.
Q. How important to you are retail sales of your product within salons? Why?
It depends on the demographic of the area we are in; some salons are treatment-oriented, others retail. As long as the education is passed on to our consumer we support either. It is up to the individual salon to set targets for their therapists. We never apply pressure to a carrier to “force feed’’ our products; we know ourselves that “word of mouth’’ is the best publicity because of the referrals we have received. Results sell the product, not a sales pitch.
Q. What training, benefits and ongoing support do you offer a salon or spa that takes on the range?
Firstly, we do the extensive training course with the therapist. This can take from two days to one week, depending on the experience levels of the staff. We do not leave until we are satisfied that everyone knows as much as our national trainer. We recommend full re-training every 12 months and book time for representative visits as required by a carrier. Our margins are very generous for carriers. I fought very hard with the Carole Franck Corporation to adjust prices to fit this template. Salons have many hidden expenses, particularly if they offer exceptional service to their clients. So, these margins are very attractive to all of our prospective and existing carriers to assist in meeting their weekly expenditure. Professional point-of-sale posters and materials play a vital role and we offer these in abundance as well as samples, branded bags, seasonal packages etc. We are negotiating priority positions in several major magazines including positional advertisements and editorials.
Q. What motivates you professionally and personally each day?
I am European and we are much more conscious about our appearance than the average Aussie male so I had tried many different product lines. Carole Franck impressed me the most to the extent that I was prepared to take on the distributorship in Australia. My biggest motivation is when I cold-call a salon that is unhappy or bored with their existing product line so they take on Carole Franck, and the ecstatic calls I receive over the next few months. The fact that they are all driving me crazy ordering every five minutes to refill their shelves keeps me moving as well, but it is a great problem to have.
Q. What are the keys to surviving – and being successful – in this industry?
In an industry that women hold the monopoly in, it is important that you satisfy their very thorough and inquisitive minds. They want to know how and why a product works; this is the most important thing. As I mentioned, many big skincare houses have turned to makeup for bigger profits, thus letting their skin care professionals down. With so much information available on the internet and informative television shows, people are much more educated now. The old, “tell them anything so long as they buy it’’ does not wash any more. I always say: “Education... Education... Education’’. It is the key to success.
Q. What are your plans for the future of your company?
We intend to be a trusted household name that everyone recognises. This is very important to the Australian market. Personally, I want to create as many job opportunities as possible. As a European immigrant, it is a great feeling to be contributing to the Australian economy after such a short time. It has been hard work but a great ride and I am very proud of what we have achieved so far.
Q. What do you see as the greatest challenge facing the beauty industry in the coming decade? How might your business meet these challenges?
We all know that we have very serious problems with the ozone layer worldwide and Australia is no exception. Research and development budgets are going to have to be increased to create product that we can protect ourselves with. I have a very firm commitment from the Carole Franck Corporation that this is their ongoing, number one priority; not only to their Australian customers who have some of the worst sun-damaged skins in the world, but to all of their customers with all matter of climates and pollution issues.
For more information, contact R&G Aromatherapy Pty Ltd (02) 9327 7743 or visit www.carolefranck.shopau.biz
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