CASE STUDY 1:

HD Hair and Makeup

Repositioning a Brand to Win a New Market

Brand Strategy | Brand Repositioning | Creative + Art Direction | Editorial | Copy + Messaging | Production Management | Team Leadership | Hiring | Training | Event Management

THE ORIGIN - BUILT FROM THE INDUSTRY UP

HD Hair and Makeup began with my work as a freelance makeup artist and grew alongside my career through cosmetology school, salon ownership, fashion, editorial, and creative vision.

At Salon H, A Paul Mitchell Focus Salon and Day Spa, I led a team of eight. I later served as Director of Stylists for New Orleans Fashion Week, directing a team of over 30 hair and makeup artists, and produced the event for the Fashion Week Preview at Hard Rock Biloxi.

A NEW MARKET AND A BRAND THAT DIDN'T TRANSLATE

When I moved HD HMU from New Orleans to Denver, I brought an established brand, years of industry experience, and a strong body of work with me. But the brand didn’t translate to its new market.

I approached Rocky Mountain Bride about advertising and was declined because the brand still felt directly New Orleans.

RATHER THAN TREATING THAT AS REJECTION, I TREATED IT AS MARKET INTELLIGENCE

THE CHALLENGE WASN’T TO MAKE THE EXISTING BRAND PRETTIER. IT WAS TO CHANGE ITS MARKET POSITION.

To compete within Colorado’s luxury wedding industry, HD Hair and Makeup needed to look, sound, connect, and operate like a brand that existed in that world.

EXISTING BRAND ➡ NEW MARKET ➡ NEW POSITIONING

THE REPOSITIONING

OVER THE NEXT YEAR, I DELIBERATELY REBUILT THE BRAND’S MARKET PERCEPTION THROUGH ART DIRECTION, STYLED SHOOTS, EDITORIAL WORK, STRATEGIC COLLABORATIONS, INDUSTRY NETWORKING, AND A NEW VISUAL LANGUAGE DESIGNED FOR THE LUXURY WEDDING MARKET.

The repositioning wasn’t confined to a new identity. It required creating a body of work, relationships, experiences, and brand signals that would establish credibility within an entirely new niche.

Brand Strategy | Art Direction | Editorial | Styled Shoots | Collaborations | Industry Relationships | Brand Voice | Customer Experience

creating a new visual language

Repositioning the brand required creating an entirely different visual world. I developed and art-directed shoots designed not simply to showcase beautiful work, but to communicate the taste, sophistication, and editorial quality expected within the luxury wedding market.

SUGAR HILL STYLED SHOOT

Concept - From Wake Up to Wedding

My Involvement -

  • Full Creative + Art Direction

  • Team Coordination

  • Model Selection

  • Sourcing All Items Needed

  • Location Scouting

  • Full Styling

Photo by: Jose Villa
Through industry networking, I was able to work with legends such as Jose Villa - Named by Vogue Magazine as the most influential photographer in the world.

Social media became an extension of the repositioned visual identity. In an era when Instagram was primarily photo-based, I curated a cohesive stream of polished imagery with consistent look and feel - using the feed itself to reinforce the brand’s new luxury positioning.

The Brand 
had to sound
 different too.

The visual repositioning was supported by an evolution in brand voice and messaging. Customer communications, promotional language, digital copy, and brand storytelling needed to reinforce the same elevated position being established through the industry.

FROM REJECTION TO RECOGNITION

〰️

FROM REJECTION TO RECOGNITION 〰️

I was asked to become a part of the Rocky Mountain Bride Vendor Collective - one of only 14 hair and makeup teams in the region, and my relationship with the publication expanded into full styling direction with the brand in selected styled shoots.

The Reposition Worked

  • Rocky Mountain Bride Vendor Collective

  • Styling Direction - RMB Styled Shoots

  • Styling Direction - Paid advertising shoot - Vogue Magazine

  • Editorial Shoots

  • 200+ Five-Star Reviews

  • Multiple Industry Awards

BEFORE ➡ STRATEGY ➡ AFTER

BEFORE: ESTABLISHED NEW ORLEANS BRAND

STRATEGY: YEAR-LONG MARKET REPOSITIONING

AFTER: LUXURY WEDDING + EDITORIAL BRAND

HD Hair and Makeup demonstrates my ability to recognize when an established brand no longer aligns with its intended market - and then strategically change that perception through positioning, art direction, messaging, relationships, editorial strategy, and customer experience.

THE GOAL WASN’T SIMPLY TO LOOK DIFFERENT. IT WAS TO BELONG IN A DIFFERENT MARKET. THE RESULTS PROVED THE REPOSITIONING WORKED.

repositioning is more than just a redesign

BRAND STRATEGY | REPOSITIONING | CREATIVE + ART DIRECTION | COPY + MESSAGING | EDITORIAL | PRODUCTION | CREATIVE LEADERSHIP

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