Milton Pedraza’s Post

🗽✨ ICYMI - Earlier this week, Beauty Independent hosted its third edition of the Dealmaker Summit in New York City! This forum brought together industry professionals and beauty lovers to discuss dealmaking at a granular level, with a strong focus on past, current, and future trends backed by data. 💼💄 I wanted to participate because the beauty sector is highly attractive, with a significant volume of deal flow and incredible storytelling. Here are my TOP HIGHLIGHTS from the summit: 💡 What makes a beauty brand stand out in 2024? According to the “State of Dealmaking” panel, including Rich Gersten of True Beauty Ventures, two key factors stand out: AUTHENTICITY and SCIENCE INNOVATION in the forefront. Think about loyalty, customer retention rate, community building, and clinical studies. These are crucial indicators aka green flags for beauty investors. 🌟 Celebrity Beauty Brands: Hit or Miss? It depends on the brand’s strategy for longevity. A crucial point discussed by moderator Taylor Bryant is that any celebrity beauty brand aiming to be a legacy brand needs to ensure it can stand on its own without relying on the celebrity's presence in the long run. 💖 It was also refreshing to speak with Kimberly Villatoro, CEO of Patrick Ta Beauty. The brand has top-quality makeup products, and the artistry resonates strongly through each launch. They are a great example of not relying too heavily on the celebrity's status for success—the product speaks for itself. 👀 Future Trends to Watch:  There is a significant amount of white space—or should I say brown space—for prestige beauty brands led by founders of color on a global scale. The beauty landscape overwhelmingly remains Eurocentric, but brown beauty has made and continues to make significant strides. I am eagerly looking forward to seeing this shift unfold. 💛 Lastly, I want to express my sincere appreciation to the team at Beauty Independent— Claire McCormack, Rachel Brown, Jane Carlson, and Nader Naeymi-Rad and everyone else—for curating such an exceptional summit. Attending my first Dealmaker Summit has been incredibly insightful and inspiring, setting a high standard for future engagements in the industry! #LatinaExcellence #DealmakerSummit #BeautyIndependent #EmergingTrends #WomenInBeauty #InclusiveBeauty #BeautyInvestment #LatinainVC

Great perspectives on Beauty M&A activity. My key takeaways: 1) M&A volume picked up and not slowing down. In contrast, the inverse is true for early stage funding in the category and the consumer product category at large. 2) With the typical sales exit mandate of $100M+ TTM, according to Andrew Ross, "means there’s going to be a gap soon if that pipeline does not resume or if strategic acquirers don’t start to innovate themselves in how they approach early-stage investments." More below.

In today’s fiercely competitive beauty industry, attracting new customers and retaining their loyalty is vital for success, but incredibly difficult to sustain.  Break through the routine by unboxing our 5-step guide to driving trial and loyalty in the beauty industry. https://bit.ly/48ioP12 #PersonalizedAdvertising #DigitalMarketing

Thank you Stacey Levine, for your invaluable contribution to my article, "Beauty Branding: Expert Insights on Mastering Brand Management." Your knowledge in the beauty industry is unparalleled, and it was an honor to include your voice. To everyone who has yet to read it, prepare for some enlightening perspectives, courtesy of Stacey and other esteemed experts in the field. #BeautyIndustry #BrandManagement #ExpertInsights To read the full quote, check out the link below! https://lnkd.in/e495sCNt

Great article below from Beauty Independent regarding the importance of NDA's in the Beauty Industry. Thanks for including IPG in the discussion! "We firmly believe that the formulator and manufacturer should be the behind-the-scenes silent partner, and that the external media and public spotlight should always be on the brand."--Tish Poling, President, IPG

"In our quest for innovation, we are dedicated to establishing enduring partnerships with truly revolutionary cosmetic brands. If your company is pushing new boundaries and redefining industry standards, we have the expertise and infrastructure to drive your success in the demanding Portuguese market. Together, we can amplify your brand's reach and make a lasting impact in the beauty industry. #CosmeticInnovation #CrediblePartnership #GlobalExpansion" #portuguesemarket

This Friday, at the Feria de Abril (Sevilla) 💃 , I had the opportunity to experience something revelatory that I want to share with my LinkedIn network, especially those in the cosmetic industry. Amidst laughter and Sevillanas, I was introduced to a colleague from the same industry. Upon discovering our professional connection, she asked me which company I worked for: I mentioned that I work at a private label factory. To this, the person responded with a gesture that suggested some disdain (to use an euphemism), regarding the company she worked for as if our work was of a lower level within the sector. In response to her reaction, I proudly explained that we collaborate with renowned international brands, to which she replied that this was "the worst of all." This exchange made me reflect not only on the lack of courtesy in her comment (it might be because of too much rebujito) but also on a broader and more significant issue: the perception of own brands in our industry. Some traditional brands tend to believe that they are the only ones innovating and offering quality products, but the reality of the market is changing. The "white label" is no longer just about copying or offering mediocre shelf products. In many cases, these brands are outselling the so-called A brands. Outsourcing innovation to private label (PL) manufacturers is redrawing the lines of what it means to innovate in cosmetics. It is no longer exclusive to those with large R&D budgets. This, I believe, is what truly frightens some in the sector. This encounter at the fair was a reminder that innovation can come from anywhere and that underestimating the less visible players in the market can be a mistake. PS: the woman in front of me in the photo is a friend of mine, she just made me laugh. Well, like the other woman actually. 😉 #Cosmetics #Innovation #CosmeticIndustry #PrivateLabel #FeriaDeSevilla #Networking #cosmewax

Reflecting on my recent fireside chat at INNOCOS USA with Nick Vaus, we discussed the importance of embracing the brand’s roots, especially as we celebrate 35 years.   -      BRANDS TOUCH YOUR HEART: Looking ahead, our focus remains to bring authenticity and innovation in celebrating our brand's heritage. We're reigniting our commitment to crafting experiences that resonate on a profound level. I always say, people do not buy products - they buy an emotion. FEKKAI’s goal has always been to bottle the salon experience – both the salon-quality, and most importantly, that feeling of transformation after an amazing service, when you walk out of a salon, feeling your most confident.   -      INNOVATION: Most of the innovation in the early days came from speaking to the woman in the chair and listening to her needs. My goal has always been to capture the essence of the bespoke salon experience and bottle it for our customers, offering salon-level formulas for home use.   -      EXPERIENCES MATTER: As the beauty industry embraces experiential retail, our salons stand as beacons of immersive brand engagement. Our salons are the soul of FEKKAI, offering not just hair services, but bespoke experiences that resonate with our clientele. These interactions fuel our innovation, ensuring our products capture the essence of salon luxury.   I am honored to have spoken yesterday at the INNOCOS USA conference and to continue this conversation with such inspiring industry leaders. #INNOCOS #LuxuryHairCare #BrandHeritage #InnovationInBeauty #ExperientialRetail #SalonLuxury #BrandEngagement #EntrepreneurshipJourney #BrandRevival #INNOCOSConference

The Estée Lauder family’s journey in building a beauty empire is both inspiring and cautionary. The Wall Street Journal peels back the curtain on some of the classic mistakes and divides that can dismantle a thriving family business. #FamilyBusiness #SuccessionPlanning

Our NEW Blog: Top Tips from Pinkfishes Brand Ambassadors is now live🔥 Are you a budding lash technician eager to make your mark in the beauty industry? Whether you're just starting out or looking to refine your skills, embarking on the journey of becoming a lash tech can be both exciting and challenging. To help you navigate this path successfully, we have pulled together some valuable tips from our Brand Ambassadors. Some of their tips are mentioned in this video✨ Head to our website to read the full blog 💕 #LashTechTips #LashTechnician #BeautyIndustry #LashTechJourney #LashTech #lashblog #beginnerlashtech