Specifics of a hairdresser’s work with brands

So, during the last broadcast, we talked with international-class hairdresser Vika Pisarenko about the specifics of a hairdresser’s work with brands. Vika spoke about her creative path and work with brands, shared tips on how to attract the attention of a brand, and inspired never to give up after the first failure.

Vika Pisarenko , international class master, expert hairdresser, makeup artist-stylist, director of the Bellmar Beauty Space salon

It is very important for every master to know how to cooperate with brands and how to “knock” on them correctly. I have highlighted several points that brand representatives pay attention to and that will definitely be useful to the master.

So how do you get a brand's attention? First of all, you need to have a good quality business card in the form of your Instagram and Facebook pages. This is important even from a clientele point of view.

In order for clients to have the opportunity to get to know you before they come for service, they must understand your handwriting and your color perception. Some clients like bright colors, while others prefer pastel colors. For example, someone would like to do a quality ombre/shatouche/balayage and you specialize in that. Provide complete, beautiful information on your page with a focus on exactly this: tell us in more detail about the techniques, their differences, demonstrate all this with your works. Specialization should be your calling card .

If you work in several directions, for example, hairstyles and haircuts, then try to mix both directions on the page with a certain order. Be sure to include additional information, because the picture does not always give the client complete information. What is important to the client is your vision of why you made this particular form. If there are photos in the “before-after” format, that’s generally great.

In order to interest a brand, you definitely need activity : participation in championships, in Beauty Battle, in all sorts of competitive and demonstration performances, in everything that will provide an informational opportunity for people to write about you or find out about you. Participation in competitions is important even from the point of view of comparing your work with the winning results in case of loss and drawing the right conclusions.

I want to tell you one story. A few years ago I worked with Arnold Schwarzenegger. This meeting helped to systematize and change the idea of creativity, and gave, so to speak, a “magic kick-start.”

He talked about how he never managed to win the first time. This is a good example for those masters who once took part in a competition and gave up after losing. It’s a shame to admit that you didn’t take a prize, or a feeling of internal disappointment when those around you say: “Okay, that’s it, you tried and that’s enough.”

In such situations, you cannot leave with the attitude “I am a failure.”

When Schwarzenegger came to participate in the Mister of the Year competition, his physical shape was far from ideal. As he says, he was 15 kg more than necessary, there was a lot of fluid in his body, he was not so well built, plus he deviated from the norms and rules. But he came because it was important for him to get expert opinion from world champions. And only at the competition you can see 10 world or European champions in one place, who judge and specialize in a certain category.

He says: “I wrote down every word the coaches said to me. No offense, no unconstructive experiences.” Then he began to work hard on himself and bring himself to the state that, in their understanding, was the standard. And a year later he returned again with a new picture.

Within a year, his self-criticism as an actor was already at such a level that he expected a maximum of 100th place. After all, it seemed to him that there was still a lot to work on. And when they announced that Arnold Schwarzenegger was Mr. of the Year, I simply didn’t believe it. It was a similar story with his famous run for governor.

The conclusion suggests itself is the following: when you receive feedback, there is no need to say that you were misunderstood, underestimated, or that everything was bought. You need to draw conclusions and work on yourself.

This is determination and popularization of oneself as a brand.

A brand requires a brand person just like the brand itself. For the right collaboration to work, the person must be a brand. The brand will never simply invest in a specialist who does not provide feedback. It must be a symbiosis.

Third. In order for TM to know about you, you need to tell her about it. A brand will never come to your home and offer you a job. This is exactly the same job application, you must have a creative resume, which you must also mention on your pages on social networks.

Brief information about all achievements. What could it be? What prizes have you won in competitions, what publications have you collaborated with (online publications, portals). Information about which stars you have worked with. These should not be exclusively the stars of the capital. Each city or region has its own celebrities with whom you can collaborate. Brands often look for professionals and opinion leaders from regions to be represented there.

4. Development of your own handwriting. This is very important for a brand because their product must have some kind of concept. If a brand associates itself with classics, with expensive beautiful waves, with aristocratic shines and shimmers on the hair, then it will look for a hairdresser. Agree, the brand is unlikely to turn to the artist who won the “Avant-garde hairstyle” category at the World Championships.

There are youth brands that challenge with their products: colorful jars, catchy names, bright strands of hair and everything like that. Brightness and fashionability are important for such a brand. They will look for a master with the same handwriting.

Another important point: in order to represent a brand, you need to really love this product. If you have controversial issues, if you don’t like something about the quality of the product, never compromise, because the person feels it.

The specifics of working with makeup and hair are different. When working with makeup brands, color rendition and the artist’s handwriting are more important. Both makeup and hairdressing brands have their own palettes, lines, and philosophies. And in order to cooperate efficiently, you need to love and understand them. There must be a symbiosis: you work for a brand, and TM helps you implement your ideas and implement creative plans.

Continue the interview on the topic on our IGTV