When and why did the Sirop family take over Thalgo?
My father was a shareholder who thought the potential of Thalgo was huge and under-exploited. In February 1999, he acquired the company, intending to develop a leading French cosmetic line in the professional beauty market, with a reputation for strong innovation and marketing.
What was the most interesting aspect of Thalgo for you?
We were attracted by the ‘brand territory’, because the concept of marine cosmetics is powerful and easy to understand, meaning Thalgo has clear positioning in the market. The brand also had a strong reputation for quality products and protocols and was already in 60 countries and doing 70 per cent of its turnover abroad.
Also, the portfolio included two strong flagships: Thalgo La Baule, one of the best thalassotherapy centres in France, and the Villa Thalgo Spa, which was the first marine beauty spa in Paris.
What changes have you implemented at Thalgo?
We modernised the brand image. Then we extended Thalgo through the development of nutritional supplements, cosmetics for men, new spa treatments, new ranges and medi-cosmetic equipment. We also implemented a new beauty formulation chart (free of parabens, mineral oils, propylene glycol and GMOs) and launched an organic skincare range, terre & mer by Thalgo in 2009. The same year, we built a new Villa Thalgo, in the heart of Paris, which reflects the quality image of the brand.
Besides the cosmetics range, Thalgo has a number of different business strands. How do they all work together?
Over the last 12 years, the company has moved from a single brand entity to a multi-brand, diversified group. Some of this change has come through external acquisitions and some through launches. Firstly, we acquired the professional skincare brand, Ella Baché, in 2003, followed by depilatory company, Perron Rigot, in 2004. Then the Terraké spa brand, which is targeted at the hotel and day spa market, was launched in 2006.
Last year we acquired 45 per cent of Nature Cos, an organic French make-up brand. We believed it would be complementary to our skincare brands, given we had no make-up brand within Thalgo.
We’re not only a manufacturer and supplier of products, but also offer a wide range of services. Owning a beauty school –Ecole Thalgo – gives us a strong competitive advantage, and the basis to develop partnerships with other beauty schools.
In 2001, we created a consulting service – Thalgo Spa Management – which is targeted at spa operators who are looking for management advice. We also have a spa operations division, which runs our spas and beauty salons in France. It’s a real competitive advantage, because it allows us to have a better understanding of our clients’ expectations and needs.
What’s the motivation for running many different businesses?
We thought it was necessary to expand our brand portfolio, because expansion opportunities are limited with just one brand. We thought our clients would also benefit from a broader offering, such as wax and make-up. We aim to be the best supplier: not only a brand, but a group with many possibilities.
We have our own integrated research centre, headed by a pharmacist. To boost our marine intelligence, we work closely with renowned algae specialists, who help us to develop exclusive marine active ingredients. We also have a strong partnership with three dermatologists and one university professor, with whom we work to develop active ingredients and innovative products. We also carry out effectiveness studies to back up the efficiency of our formulae and support our claims.
What’s your most successful line?
Our anti-ageing line, which launched in 2011. This has three ranges: the Collagen line is aimed at the first stages of wrinkles. It boosts collagen and is supplemented by a youth drink, as we like to work from the inside out. The second range uses hyaluronic acid to plump out deeper wrinkles. The third range – Silicium – smoothes, tones and lifts the skin when it starts to lose tone. This has been tremendously successful and we feel it offers an alternative to invasive surgery.
What trends do you predict for the industry in 2013?
We’re seeing a significant shift in consumer attitudes and a focus towards wellness and preventative health treatments and services, rather than just pampering. Consumers are more demanding and they want to see tangible results.
Everybody is stressed, so spas need to provide consumers with effective and achievable ways of destressing, not just
with treatments, but by offering relaxation exercises, such as yoga, t’ai chi and meditation, as well to make it more effective.
The male market continues to grow, with an increased interest from men of all ages in facials and nail services, as well as massage, which has always been popular. Spas must adapt to this growing segment to fully optimise their potential for growth.
What are Thalgo’s plans going forward?
We have a three year aim to grow worldwide by 25 per cent. This is ambitious in the current climate and we are focusing a lot of our efforts on Asia, which is a growth area. To this end, we created an office in Singapore last year.
The Middle East and North America are also likely to be strong markets and we will be building up partnerships with beauty spas and day spas. We see hotel spas as a strong source of image and brand awareness, so will also be looking to grow this area.
In the longer term, innovation will be the key to growth and we will relaunch our premium line – Exceptional – at the end of 2013. In 2014, we will revamp our slimming range and launch a scientifically proven medical cosmetics range.
We’re also planning to boost the brand visibility, with a newly launched website and a new social media strategy.
Excitingly, we have just teamed up with French free diver, Aurore Asso, as we have shared passions about preserving the marine bio-diversity. We are planning to film some TV documentaries in seven different locations which have important marine aqua systems.
