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Without wanting to sound like a stuck record - here goes!
Why would you go to retailers? They have a distribution channel online. With the right campaign it doesn’t need a retail outlet beyond high end spas.
I believe they will distribute samples with Birchbox or similar and have their produce directly shipped to door. I would like to think the first samples will land next week for oils. This aligns with the marketing and promotion and information threads on Birchbox. Since 25th of November they have been talking in general term about the benefits of “oil” and that it should form part of a healthy skin routine. What product do cellular goods currently have - that’s right, oil.
This team is top class they know what they are doing. I would then imagine other samples in January, with serums in the February birchbox - so on and so forth.
I don’t think the soft launch has been as bad as some have suggested - at least they have products and have a selling platform live.
What many of the comments have highlighted is that the communication needs to improve. Clearly the reality of this launch was not what the majority expected. If this was the real plan then it should have been explicitly detailed prior to the launch. If the intention was to have more products going live then an explanation that supply chain issues or development delays or whatever affected it should have been communicated.
I would like to think that going forward this will be an area that the company recognise improvements are needed (ie plenty of updates on progress between now and February with no surprises at the last minute).
February is a short wait in comparison to what we’ve done in the past. We’ve got this. I’m sure they’re be a proper launch party then that we can all see. Maybe night of demonstrations etc with a glass of champagne that we could all go to (I’m up north so probably couldn’t make it). Now the dust has settled I really feel February will be great (or I’m out like any others). It’s hard not to get vocal when you’re losing money. I think cbx will be fully aware of our grievances and will have learnt from the way they’ve perhaps handled things in the past. I’ve learnt.
They can do the numbers but the customer acquisition cost through digital marketing will be high. I’m seeing it pop up all over the place now which is good. It’s expensive though.
Amran, I’m just starting the think they’re just not quite ready. Perhaps the soft launch was just ordering enough stock to appease us all a bit, but they are going to re design the packaging for the big push in February. Perhaps that’s why there was no launch party…. We’re not too happy with it all yet…it needs to be perfect etc. I’ve calmed down and happy to watch for now. (I’m not a calculated troll everyone btw) I just get a bit anxious. They’ll need to sell enough of what they’ve got in tho to make it look good for investors. One thing I will say is, their narrative on the marketing and advertising all sounds a bit too academic. Advertising is to an extent about the art of persuasion. But I think we’re through the worst of the drops now. Should steady out and people will wait to see how the next month or so plays out. But rest assured I don’t think anyone will forgive if there’s any more delays or they don’t deliver in feb. But we’re not there yet, glass is still half full.
My concern at this stage is what is the actual operation. Somebody else is manufacturing, there doesn’t seem to be any premises so I assume the distribution is also being done by someone else. If we go down the retail route someone else is selling for us also. How big are the margins and what is our actual piece of the pie once all these partners have taken their chunk?
Amran - one of the interviews in the early autumn stated direct to consumer.
So I don’t think this will hit the shops any time soon.
Amran, part of me thinks they’re just not ready yet, and they’ve not got the stock. I had a good look at the websites of the agencies they’re going to work with and it’s calmed me down a bit, as I think we will see some stella promotional work on February. I still think we are gonna see some insta posts soon and hopefully some better advertising. Glass is still half full for me, but only just. GLA. Maybe another rns next week fingers crossed.
Ditto, I've tried being patient and staying positive but now my patience is wearing thin and all the positive I had of the company are starting to turn negative, most people I guess feeling this way looking at the SP
‘ we will be launching our products at the very end of February. Our experts and partners believe this is the best and optimal time for our products. We feel this is the best time to spend your money on a Omni channel progressive educational uplift where we can see measurable and granule results. however a full-scale advertising campaign will be launched at the end of August when we feel this is optimal for the winter audience.’
We need some level of enthusiasm from the company and some movement on the advertising and marketing ASAP. Then go full steam ahead in February. That’s a kinda make me happy. I’m just a bit fed up of being hoodwinked and bamboozled by this company. GLA