How to differentiate with brand?

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1. Background

In the realm of brow and pigmentation businesses, competition is a constant challenge. Depending on your geographic location, the level of competition can vary from moderate to downright intense. In 2023-2024, very few can claim that succeeding in the Powder Brows business is a walk in the park.

The insights for this article are gathered from interviews with 26 top-earning artists in their respective regions. The majority of these artists are based in the EU and the UK. One common thread among them is that they all transitioned into the beauty industry from unrelated fields within the last four years. Despite this, they quickly rose to the top tier of earners in just two years. Additionally, this article incorporates valuable data from projects by the PowderBrows.com Research Center, which consulted artists with five or more years of experience in the field. The primary focus here is to discuss strategies for building competitive advantages that are difficult for others to replicate. The interviews utilized for this project span from 2019 to 2023.

2. Standing out with quality of work

Two identical women in as mirror images in the back and an attractive woman in front and center.

While many artists see the quality of their work as a unique selling point, this factor only carries weight to an extent. Clients believe quality is crucial, but the challenge arises when artists try to "prove" their high-quality work based solely on images, usually displayed on social media.

Understanding the Client's Perspective

Research shows a significant gap between how artists perceive the technical aspects of creating Powder Brows and how clients see it. According to an ongoing study that commenced in 2020, clients are generally less interested in the technical details of the Powder Brows procedure than artists might think. Specifically, of the 271 clients surveyed, over 78% could not distinguish between the quality of work produced by an artist with one year of experience compared to three or five years.

Bigger Differences Than Artists Imagine

Nearly all artists agree that "most clients" or "the vast majority" do not understand the technical nuances associated with Powder Brows or other pigmentation procedures. Artists often fail to grasp just how limited the client's ability is to discern the quality of their work. While nearly all artists believe that showcasing their work through photos can at least partially differentiate them based on quality, the reality is quite different. The situation is more binary: either potential clients from the target demographics can perceive the quality difference, or, in most cases, they cannot.

Photo Editing and Correction Application Revolution

The rapid advancement of photo editing tools between 2020 and 2023 has further complicated artists' ability to differentiate themselves based on the quality of their work. A/B tests conducted over these years increasingly demonstrate that even artists find it nearly impossible to assess the quality of work based on retouched photos accurately. Clients are even less likely to discern these differences, even if they were to invest more time and effort into examining the pictures, though there's no evidence to suggest they would.

Tuned Work and Natural Beauty - An Unbeatable Combination

Moreover, when photos of clients with naturally pleasing facial features were edited—especially those featuring Powder Brows done by less experienced artists—it became clear that most potential clients preferred these images. In fact, almost 88% of the target demographic found these edited images "more attractive," "better," and more beautiful compared to work by artists with over four years of experience.

This reaffirms the point that the quality of work alone cannot serve as a differentiating factor in attracting clients.

Conclusion About the Quality of Work as a Differentiating Factor

Thus, it's fair to say that only the most well-known and highly experienced artists can use the quality of their work as a unique selling point, and even then, it's usually in combination with their personal brand and overall image. Quality can be better assessed and appreciated when demonstrated live to an educated audience rather than relying on social media images—especially when those images have been edited. In such scenarios, an artist's level of expertise doesn't come through clearly.

The Reality for Most Artists

For most artists who aren't celebrities on either a local or international level, differentiating themselves through quality has become increasingly challenging. This is due to modern technology's ability to "copy" and effectively "nullify" what could have been a unique aspect of their work. As technology continues to improve, the need for uncopyable differentiating factors has never been greater. In the following section, we'll explore practical steps that seasoned artists have taken to create such advantages.

3. Differentiation Through a Brand Name

A group of women with different clothing and hair colors but with identical faces at the back and an attractive woman in front.

While it might seem like common sense, it doesn't make it any less true—choosing a brand name is one of the most significant ways to differentiate yourself as an artist. However, making this choice isn't a spur-of-the-moment decision; it requires long-term planning. That's because the brand name usually doesn't benefit the artist immediately. Instead, it demands investment in the form of time, money, and energy to become a valuable asset. So, what does this mean in more specific terms?

Critical Rational Analysis

Multiple studies on branding have shown that investing in brand development often initially leads to reduced revenue. The duration of this dip in profitability varies based on the sector and market conditions, ranging from one year to three years or more. In the Powder Brows business context, most successful artists in their regions seldom reported a period shorter than a year where branding efforts negatively impacted profitability. As a result, this issue requires careful assessment and a long-term perspective.

4. Case Against Personal Branding

Local ambitions

If you plan to work locally, stick to the same services, and not go international, you may wonder whether building a heavy-duty brand is worthwhile. But remember, that doesn't mean you can be the "lady at the corner of X and Y doing powder brows." In this situation, you have two main choices: you can use your own name as a minimal effort to create a brand, or partner with a recognized international academy that lets you use their brand.

Using academy's brand

However, you must decide what to emphasize - your name or the academy's brand. Numerous studies affirm the saying that "a one-eyed girl can be the queen in the kingdom of the blind." If you're the only artist in your area associated with a reputable international brand, you can quickly build a customer base and become profitable just by that association.

Let's not forget this is generally more cost-effective and a faster route to profit than starting a brand from scratch. Creating a logo with your name using a free tool like Wix Logo Creator or associating your name with the logo of an international academy can be enough to strike deals with local salons and create a credible image for local customers.

It can be quite good until it lasts

Additionally, this form of differentiation tends to last. That is until a direct competitor decides to train with the same international academy and challenge you. Sometimes, this never happens, but it's rare. Either way, there's often a profitable "honeymoon period" before that occurs.

5. The Case for Creating Your Brand

Building your brand name is practically necessary if you're looking for long-term differentiation. Various studies show that long-term differentiation strategies are few and far between without a strong brand. In the Powder Brows business, seasoned artists generally agree you can't effectively differentiate without a good brand name.

It's not easier than creating any other serious brand

The challenge here is that establishing a brand in the Powder Brows field doesn't differ much from building a brand in any other competitive industry. You face the same obstacles and competition as you would in any tough business landscape. You must register trademarks, secure domain names, and establish a visual identity. The silver lining? In the beginning, you don't have much to lose, so taking these steps isn't as daunting as it may seem.

6. Basic Game Plan for a Starting Artist

An attractive woman is on the left, and an image of a woman looking at a chessboard with human size chess-pieces on the right.

If you're a new artist keen on building your brand, here's a simple three-step game plan to guide you.

Register your personal domain name

Register a ".com" domain name with your own name. A personalized domain is crucial for successful branding in the Powder Brows business. Owning your domain gives you a web presence and reduces the risk of someone else claiming it. Also, if you haven't done so yet, register your handles on the major social media platforms.

Choose a brand name

Consider using advanced brand launching systems like brandsnap.ai to find a suitable brand name related to Powder Brows. The process can be quick; sometimes, just an intensive night of searching will yield a list of available options. It's important to pick a name that resonates with you personally. Brandsnap provides information about the availability of top domain extensions and social media handles. Remember that if someone else owns the ".com" domain or key social media handles, it could pose a future risk. Also, take some time to ensure that your chosen name doesn't conflict with any registered trademarks. In the European Union, you can use the EUIPO trademark database and its TM View interface for this. In the U.S., consult the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) database, particularly their TESS (Trademark Electronic Search System), for this purpose.

Visual identity and photos

Focus on creating a visual identity closely tied to you. The initial step is to invest in professional photos. Don't skimp on this, even if the only immediate benefit is gaining clarity on where you stand. To get started, look at international superstar brow artists you admire and, frankly, borrow ideas from their visual style. Use similar makeup and styling without worrying about the obvious inspiration. Getting these artists to even notice would be a minor miracle.

7. Reality check

An overweight woman in horror with a scared face on the left and an attractive woman on the right smiling calmly.

Once you get your photos, do a little test. Place your best picture alongside those of your international favorites. Examine the lineup critically to see if you fit in. If there's a glaring difference, don't blame the others; take a critical look at what you can change about your own appearance. In most cases, physical fitness is a factor. While you might think this is irrelevant, it often reflects your overall ability to commit and take responsibility.

If your photos reveal that you're overweight, this could signal a lack of readiness to put in the work needed to succeed in the brow business. One artist who has now climbed the ranks to international stardom said, "When I first saw my photos next to artists I admired, spit out my coffee, drenching the keyboard. I realized how much I had to change." She went on to lose 24 kg.

These are just the starting points. What comes next is building your credibility through aggressive content creation and showcasing your captivating personality on social media. You can find more detailed advice on this in the next stages on websites like powderbrows.com.

8. Conclusions

In today's competitive landscape for the Powder Brows business, especially for 2023-2024, merely doing high-quality work is not enough for differentiation. Various studies have shown that the ease of photo editing and other presentation methods make it nearly impossible to prove the actual quality of your work to prospective clients. Once an artist reaches a basic level of quality, it's hard to distinguish between someone with one year of experience versus five based solely on edited photos.

This amplifies the importance of branding. An artist must critically evaluate her long-term goals when considering building her brand. If the focus is strictly local without any international aspirations, investing in an international brand may not make financial sense. However, if greater ambitions are on the horizon, then branding is not just a choice—it's a necessity.

There's a basic three-step plan to start with a differentiating brand. First, secure social media handles and register a ".com" domain with your name for online presence. If ".com" isn't available, consider other domain extensions. Second, use platforms like brandsnap.ai to generate ideas for an international brand name, choosing one that resonates emotionally and is backed by initial AI analysis. Invest in professional photos to gauge whether you "fit in" among international brow superstars. Often, these initial photos provide valuable insight into what might need to be changed to align your image with your aspirations.