Breaking Barriers and Building a Brand: Inside Topicals’ Genius Brand Strategy
A Closer Look at the Story of Olamide Olowe and Topicals Skincare. The Leading Brand Changing the Game, Empowering All Skin Types and Taking The Beauty Industry by Storm.
Topicals, a skincare brand that focuses on creating science-backed, no-gimmick skincare solutions, has been making waves in the beauty industry. Founded in 2019, Olamide Olowe, noticed a gap in the market and later, co-founded and launched Topicals, a product range that makes self-care luxurious whilst treating taboo yet common skin conditions, from eczema to hyperpigmentation. After an impressive venture financing round, Olowe raised $10 million in funding, making her the youngest black woman ever to raise more than $2 million in venture funding.
Since its inception, Topicals has been immensely popular among consumers as Olowe has successfully tapped into an underserved market with products that effectively address common skincare concerns. From products to people, the brand has remained authentic, inclusive and focused on empowering all skin types. By leveraging the healing benefits of quality ingredients, the cult skincare brand has achieved remarkable success with its customers and is steadily expanding its user base. The brand has gained a reputation as a darling skincare brand that is genuine, inclusive, and committed to empowering individuals of all skin types.
Olowe’s success with Topicals has not gone unnoticed. She has been featured in numerous publications, including Forbes, Vogue, Essence and more recently recognised by Shea Moisture in their International Women’s Day campaign.
With eye-catching packaging, the skincare brand stands out amongst its mature competitors. Topicals has resisted the rising trend amongst drugstore brands that are embracing a minimalist approach with monochromatic blue and white tones. The industry’s move towards blanding and minimalism has unfortunately resulted in a loss of collective brand identity and creativity. By incorporating imagery and colour schemes reminiscent of medical-grade products, skincare brands can position themselves as offering prescription-grade cosmetic items. In recent years, the cosmetic industry has witnessed a shift in marketing and branding strategies. A new generation of “clinical” products have emerged, blending powerful ingredients with digitally adept marketing techniques, to seize the opportunities presented by the burgeoning skincare market.
One key factor in Olowe’s success has been her PR team, which involves Ah-Niyah Gold and her team at A Gold Consulting. Gold is a PR expert who has worked with numerous clients in the fashion and beauty industry. In an interview with Snobette, Gold described her approach to PR as being “more about building relationships than just getting placements.” This philosophy has helped her foster a strong network of contacts, which has been instrumental in getting Topicals in front of the right audiences.
The digital boom has provided multiple avenues for companies to organically reach new audiences. By leveraging user-generated content (UGC) videos, the Topicals brand has achieved new heights of success. Satisfied customers share positive feedback and demonstrate the various ways they use the skincare products with their own virtual communities of followers on social media. These videos perform exceedingly well across social media platforms, specifically TikTok and Instagram, receiving significant likes, saves, and thousands of comments. Topicals has built a successful product and scaled it across the world, through the sheer strength of quality products and the power of social media communities, Olowe has committed to producing products that are universally and inclusively designed to represent the every woman (and man).
In early 2021, Topicals launched the “Funner Flare Ups” campaign, led by creative studio house ‘The Digital Fairy’. The campaign utilised social media platforms and billboards to showcase the unedited reality of skincare. The launch of this campaign is particularly timely, as frequent social media users reportedly experience higher levels of insecurity due to filters and unrealistic beauty standards. Studies show that 32% of teenage girls experience increased feelings of insecurity due to social media use (Fox News).
By focusing on building a community, promoting inclusivity, and investing in targeted advertising, Topicals has built a loyal following and expanded its customer base across the globe. It will be interesting to witness how this skincare brand continues to roll out innovative, brand and marketing campaigns.
Looking ahead, Olowe has big plans for Topicals and strengthening her personal brand. Her success alone has opened doors for young black and brown women looking to pursue entrepreneurship in a space which has been dominated by conglomerates.
“You really do need to live in your purpose and in your gift because someone else’s destiny is tied to you becoming who you are.” — Olamide Olowe, Too Smart For This
Olowe’s success with Topicals is a testament to her hard work and entrepreneurial spirit. By focusing on a specific market and creating products that address real needs, she has built not only a brand but a community. With the help of her PR team, Olowe is poised to continue making waves in the beauty industry for years to come.
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