We recommended focusing strongly on product narrative in store, hiring good looking staff is a no-brainer but focusing deeply on knowledge, the chemistry, botany and design behind each product.

We had a CRM system that tracked what customers bought and we gave samples according to ‘scent families’ or ‘perceived areas of need (skincare or haircare’).

On digital, we recommended that we spoke in great depth about the design philosophy, rather that each product itself, to differentiate us from other brands in the segment.

We also decided to speak about other things that mattered to our TG, who appreciated the finer things in life. We wanted to be associated with more than a product, more than a lifestyle – we wanted for Aesop to be a piece of art that delights in the home, the handbag and lifestyle venues.

Our narrative became about literature, travel and art. We wanted to keep the brand exclusive and not inundate users with constant images. A carefully curated newsletter every quarter allowed our customers to keep in touch with the brand.

We created easy to ‘pin’ images, we designed stores that encouraged photography with the mobile. A mobile-first strategy where labels were designed for close-range mobile photography. We reached out to a lot of lifestyle influencers and got them to incorporate an Aesop product into their photographs of whatever they blogged about.