Since 2001, Ghd Australia has continuously innovated in the haircare space. In 2008, the British company brought its innovation team in-house to remain at the forefront of the highly competitive industry. Here, Ludovic Dellazzeri, managing director of Ghd Australia, discusses the secret to customer satisfaction and whether or not the brand plans to establish a direct-to-consumer bricks-and-mortar offering in pursuit of delivering an impeccable customer journey. Inside Retail: How does Ghd’
Since 2001, Ghd Australia has continuously innovated in the haircare space. In 2008, the British company brought its innovation team in-house to remain at the forefront of the highly competitive industry.Here, Ludovic Dellazzeri, managing director of Ghd Australia, discusses the secret to customer satisfaction and whether or not the brand plans to establish a direct-to-consumer bricks-and-mortar offering in pursuit of delivering an impeccable customer journey.Inside Retail: How does Ghd’s commitment to innovation and developing new technologies contribute to your overall business strategy?Ludovic Dellazzeri: It is both paramount and symbiotic.To ensure full control from concept to the finished product, our own research and development laboratory in Cambridge, England, was established in 2008.This is to ensure that Ghd continues to delight professional and consumer expectations.Our investments have been incrementally multiplied each year. Our pipeline for the next few years is full and is being rolled out at pace, whilst new technologies emerge and continue to be integrated. IR: Ghd has dominated the hair styler industry for over 22 years. How has the brand remained at the forefront of customer satisfaction throughout this time?LD: Our purpose has always been to empower everyday people with a good hair day, as our name indicates. We have never deviated from this — creating products that always respect hair condition and enhance styling, from the hands of professionals to consumers.This is due to Ghd’s innovation and technology, ultimately providing unmatched results. This, combined with our brand attitude at the forefront of fashion, beauty and trends, has been key to our success.IR: What trends in the hair care and styling industry are you currently observing, and how is Ghd responding to these trends?LD: Hair and beauty trends are changing continuously under the influence of a new digital environment and generation of consumers.In the past 10 years, Ghd has invested in the digital space well ahead of many companies and is listening, monitoring, and predicting these [changes] ahead of time.We are not just responding to trends, but creating these trends.IR: How does Ghd balance innovation with maintaining the core qualities that customers have come to expect from your products?LD: The core qualities of Ghd are at the core of each of our innovations.We believe innovation is a built-on, not an add-on. We never compromise.IR: How does Ghd ensure the quality and reliability of its products to maintain high customer satisfaction, especially in comparison to competitors like Dyson and Cloud Nine?LD: The establishment of our own R&D division and over 15 years of experience ensure that all aspects, including high-grade components, energy, efficiency, and ergonomics, make Ghd the best in class in our category.IR: Can you share some insights into how Ghd engages with its customers to understand their needs and preferences?LD: We conduct extensive research and are consistently engaging with hairdressers and consumers all over the world to ensure we capture the needs of all hair types.We conduct physical and social listening and testing groups on location to gather, discover, verify, and ultimately create projects that will in time respond to consumer needs and trends.IR: How has Ghd’s marketing strategy adapted to the changing landscape of retail and consumer behaviour?LD: Ghd is an omnichannel brand and as such, has adapted to manage all its channels in a balanced ecosystem, focusing on the physical and digital consumer journey to ensure all steps — from awareness, consideration, conversion, and loyalty — are met to inform and ultimately delight our clients.IR: Can you talk about any notable partnerships or collaborations that have enhanced Ghd’s brand presence and customer engagement?LD: Our digital focus to inform [customers] and our event-based activity to demonstrate [our products] are our north stars, and our results speak for themselves.This brand megaphone ensures that we are not just maintaining, but also inviting and increasing engagement from our consumers.IR: What are the key priorities for Ghd Australia over the next year?LD: Our priority is to further build this iconic brand by continuing to lead in our existing categories while initiating new ones.Breakthrough innovations, engaging new generational consumers, and maximising our reach and demonstration within our selected channels to enhance consumer usage [are top of mind].We will also continue to inspire and support our causes such as the National Breast Cancer Foundation with whom we have been partnering for the past 20 years through our annual Ghd Pink Collection.This initiative fuels groundbreaking research, empowers breast cancer survivors, and drives progress toward a shared vision of a world without breast cancer.IR: Will Australia see a Ghd concept store anytime in the future?LD: Great question, never say never but for now we value our partnerships with our selected partners who demonstrate our products with professionalism.IR: What have been some highlights while leading a team at Ghd Australia?LD: Leading a fantastic team of individuals through major transformations, external challenges and fast-paced adaptation internally, as well as building memorable partnerships around an iconic brand that has been in the heart of many for the past 20 years with a spirit of relentless “new and better” for you.IR: How does Ghd plan to continue driving growth and maintaining its leadership in customer satisfaction in the coming years?LD: Customer satisfaction is at our core — driving growth through loyalty and recommendation. In addition to an exciting innovation calendar, brand communication and attitude encompass and reflect all consumer levels.Growth is the byproduct of providing [everybody] with a good hair day.When one could not think a styler could be better, Ghd has achieved more, with new technology for precise heat monitoring adapted to each unique use — to deliver safety, efficiency, speed, and ultimate styling with incredible shine that lasts.The best can always be better, that is our motto and we are delighted that this is being recognised.IR: What advice would you give to retail leaders aiming to achieve similar success in customer satisfaction and business growth?LD: Passion, innovation, and consumer centricity are the recipe for empowerment and transformation, and it is infectious — lead with it.