While in Milan, Estetica met Jeroen Temmerman, newly appointed CEO of ghd, for an exclusive interview
What are your short and long-term objectives?
JT: ghd is an icon in the beauty industry. Our commitment is to further strengthen the brand, innovation and relations with hairdressers to create the best professional tool brand in the world. Innovation is the focus of ghd and this reflects in quality, design excellence and performance of our products. Our future efforts go in this direction, in order to make the hairdresser's work easier and the way people take care of themselves by providing innovative solutions and premium products.
Tell us more about your latest launch, platinum+. How long did it take to develop this innovation?
JT: This technology was developed by ghd researchers and engineers in the R&D center in Cambridge for 5 years. With the new Platinum+ we brought maximum level technology and increasingly performing in terms of temperature. With a sensor covering the entire plate and algorithms intelligently predicting how to regulate heat, this styler guarantees a durable styling and a shiny finish, without damages. This is the first time that a ghd styler utilises ultra zone technology and is able to predict hair needs. Temperature regulation is fundamental to guarantee excellent results. ghd Platinum+ today it the most advanced styler available on the market.
Ghd’s great study and research never stop. A clear example of this is the new tool: ghd glide the first hot brush launched by the brand. This hot brush glides through dry hair effortlessly allowing you to be ready in a few seconds and providing impeccable styling rapidly and comfortably. Another revolutionary tool within the ghd world which will undoubtedly exceed expectations in terms of quality.
The ceramic technology with ionizer heats the brush uniformly to the optimum 185°C styling temperature for guaranteed healthier looking hair.
The ioniser restores balance back in the hair to eliminate frizz so that hair is perfectly smooth and glossy. The combination of high density shorter bristles and longer bristles allow large sections to be styled and leaves salon smooth natural movement. We believe this tool will be greatly successful both with professionals in salons as well as consumers.
How versatile are your tools?
JT: Our products, distributed worldwide (UK, China, USA, Holland, Russia, Italy to mention some countries) meet the needs of all consumers with the same marvelous results on different hair types (wavy, curly, very curly and coiled). For example, if you use platinum + styler on very curly hair, the results are the same that you get using it on fine hair. It is incredible that the perfectly smooth result is the same.
So this tool could revolutionize the professional salon.
JT: We call it “beauty intelligence” – a high-tech beauty device. The stylers are intelligent as they adapt to the hair needs. This is what differentiates the innovation and technology of this styler from others. Often heat is associated with speed, but controlling heat constantly is extremely important as it allows to obtain the same styling results regardless of the speed.
What are your intentions now as the new CEO of ghd?
JT: In the coming months I’m going to visit salons worldwide to meet the hairdressers and see what they think about our tools and understand from their feedback what we can be improve as a mean to better respond to their needs as well as those of their clients.
What are the specific characteristics of the Italian market?
JT: Italy is known worldwide for creativity and aesthetics. Creativity, together with entrepreneurial capacity, is also one of the fundamental characteristics of a hair stylist. Italian salons are true “beauty spaces”. There are famous Italian ambassadors around the world, renowned hairdressers who promote the industry, and amazing cut and colour artists who adapt to consumers.
How do influencers fit into the picture?
JT: ghd stands for “good hair day”. Beauty is seen as strongly correlated also with the well-being of hair and in this concept hairdressers play a key role. Influencers helps us communicate this approach to beauty as well as enhancing visibility for our products and sensitise consumers on the importance of taking care of their hair and relying on professionals to do so.
What’s happening in education?
Relationship with salons are in our DNA. We help Italian hairdressers develop their business as well as their creative side. Our education services will develop on both online and offline channels. We will provide training on how to better utilise everything that innovative communication allows to create: from the social presence to online education, to the importance of influencers and testimonials to enhance visibility during product launches. This also means teaching the hairdressers on how to utilise social media to communicate and share that they are skilled professionals, in particular in the services offered: colour, treatments, blow-drying, styling. We are proud to offer to our clients new opportunities of professional and business growth.
What plans are there for courses?
JT: The world is changing rapidly and also the ways people engage. We stand together with hairdressers to stay up to date with these changes also through education. There are two aspects to keep in consideration: online education and offline education, which is still as important. We need a combination. When you hold an event, you can take videos and post them. Today event management is also synonym of a new approach to content management. When I started wenty years ago, a show involved 200 people. Now we can do the same show, but we are able to film it professionally edit it to perfection with postproduction and post it on Instagram, YouTube, etc. to share it with many more people.