Estée Lauder Acquires Forest Essentials

c We work holistically with brands in our programme before they enter a market, helping them deeply understand it, and assessing a brand’s strengths, weaknesses and opportunities in order to lay the foundations for a successful launch and preparing brands and start-ups who are looking to scale up internationally. The programme also includes commercial introductions, communications strategies and profile raising within the industry.

Working closely with founder Mira Kulkarni and Executive Director Samrath Bedi our programme for Forest Essentials ensured a successful market launch and framework for growth. GSC conducted a pre-entry assessment of the local luxury beauty market to create UK-specific key messaging, talking points for key company spokespeople and a strategic road map for launch. A market education programme was developed to communicate the benefits and science behind Ayurveda and natural ingredients used in each product, harnessing UK-based South Asian influencers with paid and organic strategies to story tell around the rituals associated with the brand’s hero products. An editors programme built relationships with influential tier 1 titles and a community of loyal and engaged media, influencers and tastemakers was created via a series of events, from an intimate dinner in Jikoni for media, to a VIP party at The Lanesborough with The High Commissioner of India and South Asian and cultural tastemakers drawn from the luxury & beauty industry.

To celebrate its first UK boutique opening, influencers and media were invited for an immersive in-store experience to drive content, whilst a wider consumer engagement strategy encouraged trial and reviews via Vogue Insiders partners and activation of the brand’s installation at Somerset House‘s This Bright Land festival.

It was a privilege to work with the Forest Essentials team led by Sanya Dawar, to start their journey in the UK. Congratulations to the inspiring and visionary founder and philanthropist, Mira Kullkarni, on this momentous achievement.

Translation of international concepts and UK market entry has always been some of our favourite work. Read more about out market entry cases here: link to relevant case studies