Keune Haircosmetics in tie-up with Brushman India  ( August '1,2001, FE)

The Dutch group Keune Haircosmetics — global makers of Keune hair cosmetics — has entered the Indian market through a marketing tie-up, surprisingly, with paint brush manufacturers, the Rs 4-crore Brushman India.

In addition to launching hair cosmetics in India, Brushman is in talks with Keune and UK-based Denman International to jointly set up a Keune Hair Care Academy in India. This is expected to come up in Delhi by February 2002.

The move is aimed at imparting education to the masses on hair care and styling as regards the entire range of Keune’s hair care products, their ingredients and usage.

According to Brushman India managing director Mr Kapil Kumar: “The company intends to have an equity participation of not less than 50 per cent stake. The overall investment in the project will be Rs 50 crore. Hair styling experts from various countries will represent Keune’s hair care and styling techniques to students.”

In a bid to tap the Rs 400-crore hair cosmetics market, Brushman India has entered into a marketing tie-up with the Keune Haircosmetics — part of the Rs 1,000 crore Keune group of companies — to market the Keune range of hair cosmetics. Keune targets to expand the marketing base to other countries such as Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh, very soon.

As regards the marketing strategies, adds Mr Kumar: “Brushman will market 25 per cent of Keune’s products through retailers and 75 per cent through the saloon route. In order to train professional hair dressers, the company has partnered with 500 saloons in Delhi, 750 in Mumbai, 150 in Bangalore and 90 in Pune. Brushman will invest 15 per cent of its overall sales turnover on training.”

In order to meet the target to sell 75 per cent of the Keune’s products through the saloons, Brushman has signed an agreement with Lifespring chain of retail stores, based in north India, to set up 20 exclusive Keune’s Careline Saloon within the Lifespring retail stores in India to exclusively promote Keune’s products.

According to Mr Kumar: “The store-in-store concept will enable customers to purchase Keune’s range of products from the Lifespring retail store and pay for the services rendered by Keune’s Careline Saloons based within the Lifespring store. Thus, the concept will provide value for money to customers as they will have to pay only for the service rendered.

Keune’s range of hair cosmetics are priced between Rs 125 and Rs 525. L’Oreal’s hair cosmetics are priced 20 per cent higher than Keune’s, whereas Sunsilk hair colours are priced at Rs 325.

Informs Mr Kumar: “Brushman India targets to achieve a turnover of Rs 25 crore in the next three years, by when the company will achieve break-even.” The Keune products will be advertised mainly in print media. However, plans are afoot to go on air by next year. The company targets to garner a market share of five to 10 per cent in the first year and touch 25 per cent in the next three years, claims Mr Kumar.