Background
For over 12 years, as a designer and creative director, I played a pivotal role in launching and establishing Batiste Dry Shampoo in the Polish market, helping to position it as a category leader. When Church & Dwight acquired the brand, dry shampoo was largely out of fashion, and there were no marketing assets or creative brief to support its introduction. The Polish market initially rejected the product, and the official distributor for Poland declined to handle it. This presented an opportunity for Oceantrade, a new company with a bold vision for the brand, who offered me the opportunity to shape the creative strategy for the Polish market.
Challenge
The primary challenges were not only to introduce the concept of dry shampoo to Polish consumers, who were unfamiliar with its benefits, but also to convince retailers to carry the product. The limited budget posed further constraints, making creativity and resourcefulness essential in the marketing efforts.
Strategy
I began by identifying key areas where Batiste could improve the lives of Polish consumers and designed customer personas to target various demographics. This led to the creation of the "Four Seasons with Batiste" campaign, aimed at specific lifestyle groups. These included professionals, busy mothers, athletes, and high school or college students, each of whom had a distinct need for a quick and convenient solution to maintain their appearance.
Their needs also change with the seasons: in summer, it's about capturing the perfect selfie after a challenging hike; in fall, it's about skipping a hair wash in the cold bathroom on dark, gloomy mornings. In winter, it's a constant combat with "hat hair". During holidays or other busy events, it's about saving time.
Working on a budget
To maximize the limited budget, I employed unconventional strategies. For instance, when the funds allowed only for a single billboard, I proposed to strategically place it near the headquarters of Poland’s largest beauty chain. Similarly, thanks to my experience in a deadline-driven daily newspaper, I acted quickly when the PR team secured discounted, last-minute billboard or magazine spots. My ability to create an ad within the same day made it possible to capitalize on these opportunities..
Creating demand
Drawing on my newsroom experience, I also created a user-friendly press kit with accessible assets that were widely adopted by lifestyle media. Additionally, I focused heavily on cost-effective social media campaigns, collaborating with influencers and engaging the target audience through contests and tailored content for each demographic group. We took a personal approach in our social media, building strong connections with consumers, which made them love the brand. Over time, our fans became organic brand ambassadors, amplifying the buzz and spreading the word about Batiste. This approach built consumer demand and, crucially, convinced retailers that there was a growing market for Batiste.
Excerpts from the B2B presentation:
Execution and Expansion
As Batiste gained traction, the competitive landscape shifted, with competitors entering the dry shampoo market. This period coincided with the launch of Batiste's first £2,000,000 global campaign, celebrating the sale of 100 million cans worldwide. While the global campaign was based on the UK market research, I worked to adapt it to the Polish market, ensuring it resonated with local consumers while maintaining Batiste’s brand image.
Global campaign: Creative adaptation
In Poland, dry shampoo was still a relatively new concept, so while the global campaign highlighted benefits without much explanation, I created additional educational content to bridge this gap. The campaign’s messaging was tailored to address the specific needs of the Polish audience. This educational approach helped differentiate Batiste from emerging competitors and copycats and helped to maintain its leadership position in a rapidly growing, yet increasingly saturated market.
In addition, the assets from global campaign usually have limited copyrights, so on top of translation and adaptation, this part of the job included commissioning music and replacing models, where necessary.
Language barrier
Another challenge arose from the package designers: the packaging was designed for an English-speaking market, where customers were already familiar with the product. As the product range expanded from 7 to around 50, with more custom variants introduced, the packaging became increasingly detailed. Instead of simple, catchy names like 'Batiste Wild,' new variants were given longer names, such as 'Batiste Overnight Deep Cleanse.' This presented an additional challenge for design for the foreign market, as it became harder for customers to differentiate between the products.
Batiste in action
Part of our educational efforts included selected events such as fashion shows, music festivals, beauty trade shows, and sporting events. I designed the look for our booths-on-the-go — portable systems that were easy to spot, thanks to bold colors, and designed to mix and match depending on the venue's size and character. The visuals, tailored to match the products, became our signature style, enhancing brand recognition and engagement at each event.
Outcome
These efforts culminated in Batiste becoming a household name in Poland, maintaining its position as the number one dry shampoo brand for four consecutive years, as confirmed by Nielsen. Our innovative and adaptable approach, combined with local market knowledge and a strong personal connection through social media, helped drive long-term brand success. Fans became ambassadors, and Batiste cemented its leadership position in the Polish haircare market. According to Nielsen, as of 2024, Batiste is a dry shampoo number 1 in Poland for 5 consecutive years.