Hair-color specialist brand DpHue has found a way to create in-real-life experiences that translate to digital engagement.
The brand, started by Donna Pohlad in Minneapolis, Minn., as a way to keep hair color fresh in between professional salon visits, has leveraged the influence and celebrity following of cofounder and colorist Justin Anderson in order to further its digital presence. With Anderson, DpHue has created an invite-only color experience called DpHue House, Mark Ferdman, DpHue's chief marketing officer explained.
Anderson, who provides color services to celebrities like Jennifer Aniston, Miley Cyrus, Margot Robbie and Charlize Theron, invites clients to the DpHue-branded house for private color services, which has resulted in a big influx of celebrity and influencer posts on social media.
The idea came to Ferdman and the DpHue team after watching Katy Perry tweet about Anderson's color services without mentioning DpHue.
"He is a well-known educator in the hair-color industry…we knew we had an easy way to reach that community," Ferdman said. "Knowing this is who Justin was, and he had this clientele around him, and thinking about this strategy, one day I saw this image from Katy Perry…she was tweeting was that she was sitting in the chair with Justin in Chris McMillan's salon and I was frustrated she was tagging Chris McMillan salon and not DpHue."
But the creation of DpHue House rectified those types of situations.
Quickly, the brand saw results. Chelsea Handler, one of Anderson's celebrity clients, came in for services, Ferdman said. "This was a great place for her to not have to go to the salon and face the public, often times Justin would make house calls, she didn't have to get her house cleaned up for Justin to come over, so she loved the idea of coming and she did."
But what really mattered, for the brand, was that Handler and other celebrities tagged them on Instagram.
"What we really had hoped would happen, happened," Ferdman said. "People are tapping and finding us on Instagram now."
DpHue, which is best known for its Apple Cider Vinegar line of products, then turned its attention to another digital product — one that served the broader professional community — and launched an app.
Centered around booth renters, the DpHue app will allow those stylists to recommend products to clients while they're in the chair. If the clients shop, DpHue ships them their order directly. Stylists receive a 35 percent commission, sent directly to PayPal, Ferdman said.
"It's a new way for us to help salon pros," he said. "If this takes off, it's going to be a great sales channel for us."
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