Olamide's Viral Video Proves People Only Care About Black Beauty When it's in Crisis
The future of Bread + why I hope this was all on purpose
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Last week I came across a Tiktok from Jalana Torres (whose content I’ve been enjoying) that I knew I had to save.
To sum it up, she analyzed Google search volume for Black-owned beauty in order to prove her hypothesis that crisis is driving discovery for Black-owned beauty brands. What she discovered is that over the last 10 years, the spikes in search volume all cluster around moments of crisis for the community ( we saw it most prominently in 2020, for example). She contrasts this with K-beauty, which is associated with best in class innovation and excellence, while when it comes to what she coins “B-beauty,” the perception that we’re seeing is its association to discovery through distress and vulnerability.
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Truly everything is connected. Because just 2 days later, Olamide Olowe, of Topicals fame posted a now viral video saying the launch of her new brand Bread (which she acquired from Maeva Heim last year via her holding company The Cost of Doing Business) flopped and that she needs our help rebuilding Bread.
To intersect with Jalana’s theory—of course this video got a lot of attention.
But my first thought—because you know I’m a natural skeptic— was, wait….is this all on purpose?
Is Olamide in on it?
Honestly…?? I hope so!
Given this post she made late last year on IG ( visually in a manner that our brains associate with a brand shutdown) girl knows how to tug on a heartstring.
Personally, when I first saw this post go live, I can’t lie my heart sank out of reflex.
When I first saw the flop video, what shocked me most was that I knew nothing about the latest launch.
Indeed there were a number of people in the comment section who also said they knew nothing about it. I honestly thought Bread was just on a cute little hiatus until the flop video came out.
If I’m honest, I do have a hard time wrapping my head around how Olamide—arguably one of the most well-known beauty founders, and certainly the most decorated (having raised like the most money of all time as a Black female founder)—struggled to land press for this launch. My subversive little mind who thinks everything is a scheme set up by Todd was wondering if there was any announcement at all. Was the silence a part of the plan? I truly don’t have the answer, I’m just asking.
Olamide’s video has all of the dramatic elements of a perfect bounceback
By the time I hit publish on this there will have been countless think pieces, brand analyses and “here’s what I think you should do’s” that we will see ad nauseam.
Literally everyone’s talking about Bread right now.
As I’m sure was predicted, all of the marketing gurus who never waste an opportunity to demonstrate that they know best jumped in the comments—some actually with points that almost made me second guess my own skills. Genuinely, some of y’all could seriously work for McKinsey. (Among the more stupid contributions were droves of people saying what’s hindering the brand is its name and that she should change it. When we have successful brands with names like Lululemon out in the world I think that’s frankly the least of Bread’s issues.)
Can I just say—I love a girl who can accept a little feedback, because I, for one can not!
But even if Olamide didn’t ask for feedback, she would have still gotten it.
And what better way to gain discovery, crowdsource a brand audit, and stress-test your positioning, than to post a vulnerability video and let the internet’s self-appointed marketing experts do the work for you without having to settle up on a single invoice for billed hours. Lowkey, I love it. It’s masterful.
I mean my favorite former Love Islander is literally in the comment section asking how she can help, so….
Could this video have been any more effective?
What Should a Post-Acquisition Bread Look Like?
I can’t lie. Post acquisition, the creative took a hard turn for me and I’m not the only one who thought so.
We have to admit it was very Topicals for hair for a moment (hyper-cool, a bit moody, dark, and a little heavy compared to Bread’s original feel). I had trouble finding examples as it looks like all evidence of the Topicals 2.0 phase has been wiped. I think that aesthetic works for a brand positioned to treat unique skin conditions, but not for an Australian-born brand whose identity was built on being the easy, free-flowing, low-lift option for lazy naturals.
A lot of commenters had pointed out that a piece of what made them fall in love with Bread was that it was a sanctuary for them where they didn’t otherwise see their coils and curls associated with whimsy, softness, femininity and ease; that was refreshing.
I also think that was the brilliance of Bread from Day 1.
I agree that Olamide brought perhaps a little too much of her own vision for Topicals to Bread which she owns up to in her video.
Looks like Bread is getting closer to its former DNA // via Bread Instagram
(Only since she asked) I’ll add that I don’t think Olamide doing what she did best in growing Topicals into the category defining brand it is—is what’s going to get the latest iteration of Bread to turn the corner.
For Pinterest-y brands like this, the strategy MUST be heavily identity-led (think identity as top of funnel) with the actual product conversion as the result of this identity seeking behavior (I have been building out an entire thesis on this for a following newsletter and I can’t WAIT to get it to you, but the long and short of it is—many of today’s consumers are no longer sifting through hundreds of products comparing notes on what to buy. They are looking for identities first, a blueprint that follows, and THEN product that represents said identity + behavior). Bread is the perfect brand to match this latest iteration of consumer behavior. Ideally there is a brand world built with product demonstration woven in naturally. This will be unlike how Topicals is positioned which is more problem-solving.
I enjoyed reading this piece from A Few Minutes. I LOVE how Ellice calls Bread the Sandy Liang of haircare and referenced that they’ve even collaborated in the past. I want future Bread to continue to pull on this thread.
You guys are going to think I sound Republican for what I am about to say. BUT.
A: From here on out, I don’t think Olamide should be in front of this brand. I don’t think she’s the messenger.
And B: I wouldn’t focus so heavily on winning the 4C customer at all. Sorry!!!
Here’s why. So many have commented saying they weren’t aware the brand was even for them because they never felt their hair type was represented (mostly through the models /content depicted). Isn’t it obvious what needs to be done? Stop trying to force a connection with this customer.
The truth is Black women become skeptical when we see a hair product and think “is this shit seriously supposed to be for me?” It’s far too much of an uphill battle to try and win trust there. Worst case scenario, it might even cost a reformulation. Who has time!
Yes, it’s its own challenge to get inspo-y brands to conversion, but like…let THAT be the challenge.
Personally, I think the positioning leans a little more Crown Affair. Cannot tell you a single hair benefit Crown Affair offers. Can tell you the brand is wildly popular and successful. They’re winning at that thing I told you about with building a blueprint through identity, not necessarily problem solving. Again, more on that in a following letter.
I think the future of Bread requires the re-founding team to be honest about who it’s talking to.
I do think a lot of Black diasporic brand leaders are hesitant in saying the quiet part out loud (that they’re afraid to alienate the Black customer despite wanting a wider audience). Not that Olamide gives me that indication, per se. This is just something I have the privilege of pointing out. But she has already proven she knows how to talk to her people through cultural cues, while simultaneously talking to everybody else. The proof is in the sheer (and shocking) number of comments I see from brand evangelists who never realized Topicals was Black-owned.
I know that she is more than capable of cultivating the right audience for Bread. Her challenge is just that now she has to do it again, but in reverse. LOL.
If you’re in the early stages of building and want to think through your consumer brand strategy together, I work with a small number of founders directly. You can reach me here or at essence@essenceiman.co if you have more questions.
GIRLAHHHHHH
such a great take!