TricorBraun Partners with Kenra Professional as they lead the Way in Snail CC Creme for Hair Care

Kenra Professional landed on the idea of a Snail CC Creme for hair after spotting the trend of snail essence in Korean spas overseas. "With skin being so similar to hair, we thought it could benefit hair as well. We began testing for multiple benefits such as frizz control, smoothness and compatibility with color. We tested it with our in-house stylists, friends, family and consumers. Even though initially, the ingredient was strange to many, the benefits it had on hair sold the concept," explains Smith. She goes on to say that millennials were intrigued and not afraid to try it. Kenra Professional also explored the idea of multi-functional hair care products for 2-in-1 or 3-in-1 benefits. "We were able to complete the research fairly quickly so when we were ready to work on the packaging, we needed a partner that could keep pace with us," says Smith.

Following the product research, Kenra Professional needed to start thinking about the package. They landed on a 2.5 fluid ounce tube and a 1 fluid ounce tube. There are plans in process to grow this line to include a shampoo and conditioner. Based upon the success of other Snail CC Creme products on the market for skin care, they were confident they could push the price point and they wanted to replicate the look of the premium, commonly oval-shaped, airless tube packages. Known for aerosols, this dispensing type was expected to bring attention to a new category for Kenra Professional.

They also needed to figure out how to elevate this premium Kenra Platinum brand above the established Kenra Professional brand. That's when TricorBraun stepped in and got to work on the packaging solution and graphic design which included a custom snail icon.

So Many Colors
Kenra Professional is well-established and recognized as the silver package but the objective for Kenra Professional was to stand apart from their own products with this new Snail CC Creme for hair. "We constantly strive for excellence in execution. The largest obstacle we faced was choosing the color of the tube and matching it across multiple substrates," explains Smith. According to Terri Sheppard, Packaging Consultant at TricorBraun, "I think we looked at 27 different colors. TricorBraun International was instrumental in providing the highest standard of options."

"We landed on the blue base color because it had a premium look and stood out on shelf," says Smith. Sheppard states that they looked at metallics, blues, greens, gunmetal, bright blues, silver and more but there was a specific blue that everyone on the team at Kenra Professional fell in love with. While it was a huge step away from silver, the color research that was conducted pointed to the blue. Kenra Professional explains that they wanted to create a mood and evoke a high end, classy appearance.

With the package's graphic design, "We went way, way out there and then came back in. We talked about gradients. We took a deep dive into exploring snail patterns and icons. Molly provided us with so many unique options," says Smith. It was important that we not only differentiate but also have the ability to carry through the snail art and colors to the line extension.

The Snail
Molly Fuehrmeyer, Graphic Design Manager at TricorBraun explains, "The many iterations of design that I presented really pushed the envelope for Kenra Professional but we ended up keeping it fairly close to home. My goal was to give them everything they asked for and more. It was truly a creative evolution of ideas but so much fun to explore. They provided great feedback. Knowing that this is a first of its kind product makes it that much more exciting." She goes on to say, "Initially, they didn't want anything that looked too much like an actual snail so what I developed was influenced by the shell shape or Fibonacci spiral – a much more abstract look. Later, it was decided that we collect different options of a realistic snail illustration and in the end that is where we landed."

Other challenges included understanding the die line and where art would land on the package in relation to the curve of the tube and the crimp, scientifically and visually matching the blue of the larger polyethylene and smaller polypropylene tubes, and the visual appeal of offset vs. silkscreened art. Fuehrmeyer explains, "We ended up with a combination of silkscreened graphics in white on the front and back and the words "Kenra Platinum" hot stamped in silver on a matte blue tube." The larger stock tube has a customized metal overshell on the collar and an airless pump dispensing system with a clear over cap. The smaller stock tube has a snap-on, flip top closure and is a squeeze dispensing system.

After the pilot launch of undecorated tubes with Kenra Professional's field and in-house teams to test stability and compatibility, the tubes went into production with deco. This product was positioned as the catalyst for more to come with an initial launch exclusively in Ulta Beauty where consumers could experience the product. "Consumers have been receptive to the ingredient and love the product," according to Tim Johnson, Liquid Supply Chain Manager at Kenra Professional.

Johnson goes on, "The TricorBraun team is really good at taking out any complications in the process and that is a tremendous relief and advantage to us. They warehouse, coordinate orders and distribute for us. The design and engineering team offers great ideas on what's new and innovative. They are the professionals – engineering experts – we lean on them to call anything and everything to our attention that could potentially cause an issue. TricorBraun has worked with us for so long that they understand our needs before we do; helping us with speed to meet our timelines and letting us know what is realistic or unrealistic. They also find the right fit for us with manufacturing partners and this is key."

According to Smith, "Being the first professional hair product enriched with snail essence, we have had a lot of media exposure. Kim Kardashian's stylist, Michael Silva, has been promoting and using the product on multiple celebrities. But beyond this, the product has been outperforming expectations."

About Kenra Professional
Kenra Professional - serving the professional hair industry with high performance and high quality products. Founded in 1929, Kenra Professional has a passion for developing award-winning, performance-driven products. Recognizing the power of our unique relationship with stylists who rely on our products; Kenra Professional gives the trust and confidence stylists need to achieve any desired look and style. Kenra Professional is positioned with three unique lines, Kenra, Kenra Platinum, and Kenra Color, each with their own distinct personality. Innovation, performance and trust drive each of our brands with high-quality, performance-driven products that are simple, straightforward and easy-to-use.

About TricorBraun
TricorBraun Design & Innovation Group is a business unit of TricorBraun, one of North America's leading providers of rigid, corrugated and flexible packaging. The Design Group's primary mission is to design, engineer and manage the development, production and commercialization of custom packaging solutions for personal care, cosmetics, healthcare, food and beverage, industrial household chemical and animal health products. It is supported by TricorBraun's more than 40 offices globally, holding one of the largest inventories of rigid packaging components worldwide. For more information about TricorBraun Design & Innovation, contact Charmaine Laine, Marketing Communications Manager, at [email protected] or 630-645-1208.

SOURCE TricorBraun

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