'One of the very biggest challenges on our plate is to make the Paula's Choice brand more widely known in Europe.' Eduard Brenninkmeijer is director of commerce Europe at the originally American cosmetics company. 'To expand the brand further, the basis has to be easily scalable. We are working hard on that now,' he says ahead of his presentation at the Cross Border E-commerce Event on Sept. 7.
Paula's Choice was brought to Europe ten years ago by Dutch former lawyer Janine Tillema. She was initially looking for a solution to her skin problems, as was founder Paula Begoun. 'This may have created the image that Paula's Choice only sells products for people with skin problems, the opposite is true,' says Brenninkmeijer. 'That is something we must and will break through.'
Further international rollout
Together with Emakina, Brenninkmeijer is building an e-commerce site on a Demandware platform. which will be ready by the end of this year. Brenninkmeijer: 'We have an ambitious business development model for the coming years. From the Netherlands we continue to build on our international rollout. Based on the cross border experience Paula's Choice has gained over the past ten years, we have developed a working method that helps us decide at what time and in what form or degree we should localize.'
In his presentation at the Cross Border E-commerce Event, the director of commerce will elaborate on that. 'There is no one size fits all,' he says. 'Your strategy depends on your case, your brand, the organization and of course your budget. I would like to give visitors a glimpse into our kitchen. Show what works for us.'
Storytelling
Paula's Choice has grown rapidly in Europe in recent years. 'Since 2009 by 50 percent a year and last year even by 90 percent,' says Brenninkmeijer. 'That is an extraordinary achievement, because every investment had to be carefully weighed. The current company structure offers more opportunities to further expand the brand in Europe. There is definitely competition, but at a time when storytelling is more relevant than ever, we have important building blocks. We have an honest story, the product does what it says and we know what we are talking about.'
The story in brief: Paula Begoun, an American journalist, struggled with acne and eczema since childhood. She tried really everything. The turning point came at age 25; when she glanced at the ingredients list, she discovered to her horror that the fourth ingredient was acetone. From that point on, she started researching everything she could find about skin care, resulting in a skin care routine that totally changed her skin. She then began writing books and appearing on TV to share her experiences. Since 1995, Paula Begoun has been developing and selling her own products, under the name Paula's Choice.
Beautypedia
'There is a real no-nonsense philosophy in the company,' says Brenninkmeijer. 'Very transparent too. Paula and her team have been doing research for thirty years and have documented it in the Beautypedia. There won't be a product in our range that hasn't been developed based on that research. That really is a key pillar. All the claims we make are real and reliable.'
Opinion
Brenninkmeijer, who previously worked at jeans brand NYDJ, thinks Paula's Choice could also learn a thing or two from the fashion industry. 'The consistent brand thinking and the high level of creativity play an important role. On the other hand, we again excel in knowledge and advice; that's really in our DNA. The challenge is how and when we bring that advice along during the customer journey.'
Eduard Brenninkmeijer speaks at Cross Border E-commerce Event on Sept. 7 in Utrecht. Other speakers include Paul Geraeds, ceo of Bakker.com and Sarah Hennecke, country manager of Mister Spex for the Netherlands and Great Britain.
This article previously appeared on twinklemagazine.co.uk.
