How Bobbi Brown Built a $100M Empire with Jones Road Beauty

1.1 A family affair: Bobbi Brown and Cody Plofker launch Jones Road Beauty

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Bobbi Brown launched Jones Road Beauty in 2020, after a 25-year non-compete with Estée Lauder, the company that acquired her eponymous brand.

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Alongside her son, Cody Plofker, they invested $2M of their own money to start the company.

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In the beginning, they had a small team of 12 staff only and no formal marketing team or launch strategies.

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1.2 Key differentiation: Clean beauty for everyone  

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Jones Road stands out for its clear brand identity. The brand was founded by Bobbi Brown, a name synonymous with quality makeup, and instantly gained trust and recognition. 

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Their philosophy? The world doesn't need more makeup, it needs better, healthier options that work for everyone. They achieve this by using clean, high-grade formulations and focusing on multipurpose makeup products, catering to a wide range of ages, skin types, and tones.

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“It’s for women who do their make-up in the car, or in the bathroom, but quickly because they understand the joy of putting it on in five minutes,” Brown says.

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Jones Road Beauty products go above and beyond EU standards by removing over 2,700 potentially harmful ingredients from their products. Plus, they're cruelty-free and everything is made in the US or Germany. 

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1.3 DTC first brand going omnichannel 

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Jones Road primarily sells directly to consumers through their website, allowing them greater control over their brand image and messaging. This direct-to-consumer (DTC) model fosters a direct connection with their customer base and enables them to gather valuable data to refine their product offerings and marketing strategies.

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They also went omnichannel and have opened 4 flagship stores and collaborate only with like-minded brands: like Liberty London, a department store known for its curated selection of independent brands, aligning with their commitment to authenticity.

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While many brands utilise celebrity partnerships, Jones Road prioritises maintaining its voice and avoids associations that might not resonate with its core values.

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2.1 Website built for conversions

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Jones Road's website reflects its brand values and prioritises a smooth user experience. 

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The navigation is intuitive, and all product information, including clean ingredients and multi-use functionalities, is readily available. 

You can also see shade swatches, customer reviews, and recommendations for complementary products, all designed to encourage purchase. 

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They have a limited product range. This may seem counterintuitive, but it simplifies the shopping experience for customers, making it easier to find the right product.

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“Get The Look” encourages customers to explore product groupings based on the model’s look, like "Adelina’s Soft Focus Sparkle" or "Shana’s Bad Ass Beauty". 

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2.2 Personalised shopping experience with quizzes and expert advice 

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Taking personalisation a step further, Jones Road utilises quizzes and expert advice to help customers find the perfect products for their individual needs.

These quizzes are short, and intuitive, and recommend specific products along with helpful tutorials, fostering trust and confidence in the brand.

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Jones Road listens to customers' feedback and targets the right audience with quizzes and ads to understand what products to make and who to sell them to. Jones Road targets its ideal customers through daily TikTok ads ($8,000 per day!), directing all that traffic to the quiz.

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This clever strategy not only attracts potential buyers (top-of-funnel) but also gathers valuable customer insights for future product development, creating a win-win situation.

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3.1 Leveraging Bobbi Brown's influence 

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In 2022, Bobbi Brown, at 65, surprised everyone by becoming a successful TikTok influencer. 

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Her genuine approach, makeup tips, and relatable personality resonated with a new generation, driving massive traffic to Jones Road (196% increase in website traffic in 2022!).

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Brown made some tutorials and tips videos for women over 50, and it went viral! It does showcase that TikTok is not only Gen Z! 

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This unexpected move not only generated buzz but also showcased the brand's ability to cater to a wider audience.

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The hashtag #jonesroadbeauty has over 144.7M views on TikTok! 

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3.2 "Friends of Bobbi": Jones Road's recipe for authentic marketing

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Jones Road takes a unique approach to marketing, skipping traditional influencers. 

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"When I saw the content of girls with nails out to here digging their hand in Miracle Balm or doing makeup that was so over the top, I just was like, 'No, no, no, no, no, we can't do this. There's got to be people out there who are on brand.' And we found them," Brown said.

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Brown believes their brand doesn't need typical influencer content, and instead, they rely on "Friends of Bobbi." 

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These are everyday people who naturally align with the brand's vision, as a local restaurant hostess that Brown met, for example. These "Friends" model products and collaborate with the brand, but they're not paid influencers in the traditional sense.

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3.3 Catering to a diverse audience with authentic beauty

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Jones Road takes a refreshing approach to beauty by moving away from the traditional focus on a young demographic and heavily edited visuals. They target a wider audience, including individuals who often feel overlooked in the marketing of other beauty brands.

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By promoting self-love and confidence at any age, Jones Road champions the idea of embracing your natural beauty and individuality:
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• Featuring models of all ages and ethnicities: Their website and social media channels showcase diverse models using their products, demonstrating that they cater to all skin tones and ages.
• Promoting "embracing your lines" aka wrinkles: Bobbi Brown herself advocates for self-acceptance and celebrates natural beauty, even encouraging customers to embrace their unique features.

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3.4 Building a strong following through education and transparency

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Jones Road prioritises educating its customers about its products and their philosophy.

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They leverage social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram to feature Bobbi Brown herself, demonstrating product application techniques and sharing her expertise on various beauty topics.

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• "Bobbi Explains" videos: On their social media platforms, Bobbi Brown personally demonstrates product applications and shares valuable makeup tips and techniques.
• Detailed product descriptions: Their website provides comprehensive information about each product's ingredients, benefits, and usage instructions.‍
• Responding to negative reviews: Instead of shying away from criticism, Jones Road uses negative reviews to engage with customers and offer educational responses, addressing concerns and clarifying product use.

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Bobbi’s answer got appraised and reposted by many makeup/beauty influencers like Manny Mua or James Charles. 

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Jones Road Beauty's success story in the beauty market showcases the importance of authenticity, innovation, and inclusivity.

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Led by Bobbi Brown's vision, the brand's focus on clean makeup and customer-centric strategies has resonated strongly, inspiring both consumers and industry peers alike.

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Jones Road Beauty's marketing strategy is a must-follow for all DTC brands! 

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