I was searching, VB Cosmetics on Techorati today when I found a link to VB Cosmetics blog by Aliza Sherman from her post: Benefits of Blogging. Aliza gives great advice on the benefits a business would reap from blogging.

As Aliza asserts in her post, “The VB Cosmetics blog is clearly being creatively used as a marketing tool for their products site.” I would like to add VB Cosmetics blog also services to shape the customer relationship voice. The familiar relaxed writing style used by Lorre Boyd, helps to create a more approachable company, one a customer can get to know, feel comfortable with, and/ or talk to. Abrione, VB Cosmetics’ skin care line, is not a familiar brand; VB Cosmetics must work hard to foster customer relationships. One way is to respond to comments on VB Cosmetics blog either through posts or by adding to comments.

Of course blogging is not a strategy that works for every busy, or should I dear say every business person. It is a reach tactic like any public communication strategy that a business must seriously consider.

I had the pleasure of working with Dr. Vivian Valenty to help her launch her new skin care line, Abrione. Dr. Valenty built the successful cosmetics company, VB Cosmetics. Her new line, Abrione is a testimony to the science, nature and art she puts into formulating and creating her new skin care line.

The relationship between scientist and marketer is often one that needs communication, definition, and explanation. Opposite personalities and disciplines easily clash is I experienced in the past when I worked with BP, who are engineers like scientists, don’t often appreciate creativity nor understand the importance of the creative process. It takes patience and whole lot of discussions to gain understanding and trust.

Dr. Valenty had many apprehensions and negativity towards marketing. In the past she hired professionals claiming to be marketers but often they were inexperienced and had little or no knowledge of marketing. Marketing is more then just making sales, though we know sales are very important to the life of any business, marketing is the getting the answers to product, promotion, placement and pricing to make informed business decisions. Also to create a great brand a dedication must be made to understanding your customers and their needs. Dr. Valenty’s dedication to integrity of her product line is most refreshing and knew we could work together to successfully bring her products to market.

Working with Dr. Valenty, her team, Lorre, Teresa and Chris, we put together the marketing plan to launch Abrione. The plan contents included the usual market research, objectives and strategies; we added a section on brand strategies and guidelines. One of the most useful word of mouth strategies we implemented is a blog to discuss skin care issues. Lorre does a great job of writing and maintaining Cosmetics Blog. Her more recent topics are natural vs synthetic, disgusting compounds put in cosmetics and anti-aging. To further our market planning we know we need attention from trade publications. With care and consideration we recently choose Trent, to implement PR strategies.

To further help Dr. Valenty understand the art and science of marketing I suggested she read these two very helpful books: Lovemarks by Kevin Roberts, to spark creativity; and Marketing Management: A Strategic Decision-Making Approach, by John Mullins, Orville C Walker, Jr., Harper W Boyd, Jean-Claude Larreche to understand science behind the art.

We launched VB Cosmetics as a direct marketing business, because Abrione’s sales channel is through online sales, phone and walk-in. This strategy helps Abrioné establish credibility in the market place before going to retail stores. Revenue from sales can be put back into an advertising fund for later use. Building any business from the ground up there are hurdles to get over. To help get over those hurdles sound market planning is advised. Dr. Valenty makes it her mission to understand marketing so Abrione will survive an already over saturated category and rise above the noise.