Did you know that oceans are predicted to have more plastic than fish by 2050? That’s where the need for new products like HiBAR comes in. HiBAR is a salon-quality shampoo and conditioner brand with no plastic or sulfates, eliminating the need for wasteful single-use plastic packaging.
HiBAR was started by four friends, one of whom is Dion Hughes, founder of Minneapolis-based creative consultancy, Persuasion Arts & Sciences – which led the positioning and marketing efforts.
The entire enterprise was inspired by a beach vacation where Dion came face-to-face with the damage we are doing to our planet with a seemingly unstoppable addiction to single-use plastic. To try to get rid of plastic in the bathroom, HiBAR developed a line of shampoo and conditioners that skip the need for plastic packaging, while caring for your hair. Available in clarifying, moisturizing and volumizing formulas, HiBAR is cruelty-free, phthalate-free and sulfate free. It has been carefully designed to stand up in the shower, shed moisture, feel luxuriant in the hand, and feel comfortable when applying directly to hair.
Advertisement
As Dion does when starting all Persuasion projects, he assembled a long list of collaborators and mentors, three of whom went on to become partners in the new venture.
Together, they worked on formula, manufacturing, product design, distribution strategy, pricing strategy, ingredient procurement, investment strategy, legal clearance, and more. Persuasion developed the brand identity, including name and position. They pulled in experts to help out on tweaking the formula, on brand ID and packaging design, and some of the finer points on brand positioning and market size, web design and development.
HiBAR was launched at the end of October as an online, direct to consumer brand, and we have now expanded our distribution to co-ops, salons and subscription boxes.
Advertisement
Since launch, HiBAR has seen excellent sales in both the online store and placement in salons, co-ops and zero-waste retailers.
Persuasion Arts & Sciences has never seen itself as an advertising agency. They use creativity to solve problems. As such, they are on a mission to address root business issues through the lens of creativity.
To them, plastic pollution is just another problem, albeit the biggest one they’ve ever squared off against. And, in this case, they decided to not do it on behalf of a client, but on behalf of themselves, to really put their money on the line, and to learn a lot more about the intricate realities of running a consumer goods business.
Advertisement
To learn more or to purchase HiBAR shampoo and conditioner visit www.hellohibar.com
Editorial Note: This post was shared by a member of the Brand Experience magazine community using our Community Voice tool.
Our website community uses the tool to post articles, thought-leadership reports and analyses, white papers, case studies, blog entries and op-eds, press releases and events about branding, design or marketing. These posts are vetted and edited by our editorial staff for editorial relevance and decorum for branding, design and marketing professionals. Approved and edited content then lives side-by-side with other editorial content. Overtly promotional content is not accepted, but we do have advertising options available for those interested in promoting their services or products.
Do you want to become a contributing author to the BXP website? Click here to learn how you can become a contributing member of the BXP Magazine community.
