JVN Case Study

Founded by celebrity hairstylist Jonathan Van Ness of the Netflix show Queer Eye, JVN is a haircare brand that transcends the typical celebrity-backed product line.

It’s a brand grown from the ground up – literally. The patented hemisqualane used in its formulations is derived from sustainable sugarcane grown and harvested for JVN. As a silicone replacement, the proprietary hemisqualane boosts softness, slip and shine without compromising hair health. Other natural ingredients, like cassia bark and moringa oil, aid in styling and boast impressive clinical claims.

The “Come As You Are” tagline is reinforced by its affordable price point. It’s accessible and affordable salon-quality haircare that’s impressive down to the molecular level.

Van Ness’s platform promotes inclusivity, positivity, and self-care. JVN is the physical embodiment of that ethos by shifting the industry towards empowering messaging paired with impeccable product quality.

To educate, entertain, and connect with JVN’s target audience to grow brand authority, build a loyal community, and drive sales.

The first few months of a brand launch are crucial for building authority and credibility, especially in the saturated beauty & haircare space. We set out to apply a performance branding methodology to assist in JVN’s official launch, lay the grounds for sustainable growth, as well as develop the brand’s ethos and voice as a standalone brand outside of Jonathan Van Ness. Despite the challenge of growing in a highly saturated beauty vertical, we designed our strategies with the goal to acquire significant market share and position the brand as a dominant player.

We executed multiple creative and growth experiments to identify the channel mix and conversion journey that best resonate with the audience.

We set an ambitious timeline to plan, execute, and launch a go-to-market strategy for the brand within 1 month. In addition to launching the brand, we also aimed to develop, organize, and execute  pivot product launch strategies for 3 new SKUs based on prior learnings, and to grow JVN’s following on TikTok at a cost-efficient rate.

From a sales perspective, the key objective was to identify and leverage key digital channels to drive traffic and revenue with profitable ROI. This involved a need to identify conversion rate optimization opportunities for increased conversions, and to implement various experiments within new & existing advertising channels to drive growth. We also set to launch and manage advertising campaigns to support B2B channels such as Sephora in both the US and Canada in an effort to increase brand awareness and cross-channel sales, as well as penetrate the Canadian market once shipping to the region became available.