Editor's Essay
CosmeticsDesign.com - staying home and staying connected with you
Of course, many beauty industry pros whose work is essential and isn’t portable are not able to work from home. All the same, precautions to prevent the spread of Coronavirus have changed everyone’s every day.
A year without tradeshows
As Editor of CosmeticsDesign.com, I’ve come to rely on networking events and beauty industry tradeshows as opportunities to have in-person conversations with many of you.
Attending global industry events are one of the ways I stay informed about what’s happening in beauty. Tradeshows are often where I discover industry trends, ingredient launches, and new packaging technologies. With so many of this year’s events canceled or postponed, I found myself reaching out on social media (with both private messages and public posts like this) more than ever.
And conversations such as this one on LinkedIn, have been very conducive to sharing business ideas, strategies, and challenges during the pandemic. Thank you to everyone who's been taking part; and if you aren't yet a part of the conversation, please feel free to join in.
Online events help us connect
As a digital-first publication, Cosmetics Design has always been accessible online. And in recent weeks, it seems that every supplier, manufacturer, retailer, and influencer has been turning to digital platforms to keep the beauty community informed.
For instance, IBMG launched an online resource center to share news and information of particular interest to indie beauty brand leaders and entrepreneurs.
As part of that initiative, IBMG is running a series of webinars called In Conversation that has to date featured discussions among retailers, brand founders, and beauty editors. I had the good fortune to participate in that first In Conversation webinar alongside Rachel Brown of Beauty Independent, well-regarded freelance journalist Cheryl Wischhover, and Allison Collins of WWD.
Today at 1pm Eastern Time, IBMG is hosting an In Conversations webinar featuring investors. Find a link to register for that event and to rewatch the past In Conversations events here.
Phone calls and FaceTime chats help too
Early last month, I began setting aside time each week to speak one-on-one with indie beauty brand founders by phone or video chat. And, it’s been a wonderfully educational and sufficiently social endeavor. I miss you; and it’s been nice to see so many of you even at the distance of digital.
Over the past weeks, I’ve gotten to speak with beauty brand founders from around the world, some with years of experience and success to their credit, others with only a dream and plan.
Now, I’d like to open my calendar up to all of you—if you’re reading this; if you work in the beauty industry and would like to speak with me directly: to share news, to trade insights, to brainstorm about the future of our industry, email my personal account (qrnaanhgebfxr@tznvy.pbz) and include “coffee meeting” in the subject.
Just know that I will still be reserving time each week to speak with indie brands. I’ve been covering the current indie beauty movement since day one of my beauty business news career; and I value the perspective this specialty gives me.
Your ideas are welcome
While now as always, I am working from home to bring you useful business information and meaningful coverage of the cosmetics, personal care, and fragrance industries; if there is something that would be helpful—a type of content, new format, a topic, an issue, anything…
Please do let me know: qrnaan.hgebfxr@jeoz.pbz
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Deanna Utroske is a leading voice in the cosmetics and personal care industry as well as in the indie beauty movement. As Editor of CosmeticsDesign.com, she writes daily news about the business of beauty in the Americas region and regularly produces video interviews with cosmetics, fragrance, personal care, and packaging experts as well as with indie brand founders.
