When Sally Beauty (NYSE:SBH) employees saw a viral video on TikTok in the spring, they realized they had found the right inspiration to fuel its business strategy.
In the video, Heather Chelan sang a catchy tune that celebrated her colored hair. Its refrain was one that many have embraced: “Having coloured hair doesn’t make you unprofessional.”
It has become the beauty retailer’s new anthem as it launches a marketing campaign and puts hair colour — especially vivid colors — front and center. During the pandemic, Sally Beauty has reached out to Gen Z consumers on TikTok and YouTube.
It has watched sales of bright colours and textured hair products jump. The company is betting that people’s desire for authenticity will outlast the health crisis, even as they return to social events and office cubicles.
“It really comes down to self-expression,” CEO Chris Brickman said. “The office is changing. Life is changing. Work is changing. … It was happening before and the pandemic gave it a kick in the butt.”
Vivid colours are now part of his look, too. His white hair is tinged with jade and shamrock in the front. “It does add a new dynamic to the boardroom,” he said.
A video spot, which debuts Friday, features Chelan and her jingle. It also includes the brightly coloured locks of other people that Sally Beauty discovered through social media — including Glecy Barquirin, a pediatric nurse, and 92-year-old Helen van Winkle, whose white hair has a tint of lavender — and the company’s own CEO.
SBH shares dipped seven cents to $21.30.