Poke PR Announces Closure; Seen Group Debuts Sustainability Initiative
Agency closings, sustainability initiatives: change is afoot in the beauty public relations landscape.
Emily Parr, the entrepreneur behind skin care brand HoliFrog and p.r. agency Poke PR, has announced the closing of her firm. Parr came to the decision after running both businesses simultaneously, and prioritizing the growth of her burgeoning skin care brand.
More from WWD
HoliFrog, which had only been on the market for six months before the onset of the pandemic, is at the precipice of a larger international expansion. The brand is set to launch at Sephora Australia and New Zealand next month, and Parr hinted at other retail partnerships that would bring the brand to the U.K. Sales are predicted to reach $5.5 million at retail in 2021.
“All of these things take time and planning, as well as a cadence of all new launches for these supporting retailers,” Parr said. “The unpredictability [of p.r.] makes it tough for me to grow HoliFrog. Poke PR is a baby of mine, but it’s a full-grown child at this point. I’ve never been one to say no, and I don’t want to have to start saying no to clients if HoliFrog is taking up more of my time, but something has to give.” Without the pandemic halting in-person commitments for her p.r. business, Parr said running both operations would not have been possible.
Inking retail partnerships and eyeing new geographies isn’t Parr’s only priority. As previously reported, HoliFrog will be relaunching with new branding in September.
HoliFrog isn’t the only company rethinking its strategies. P.r. firm Seen Group has announced a beauty product recycling program for beauty influencers and members of the media.
Called Seen Again, the program was created in partnership with companies such as ReBound, which facilitates returns for online retailers, and Handle, which helps beauty brands, salons and retailers recycle emptied packaging.
The company will now send out products with Handle recycling bags so that emptied product packages can returned, via ReBound’s return management, to be recycled. The program has launched in the U.K., with plans to expand to the U.S. in 2022.
Last month, Seen Group announced Community x Seen, a new division of the company that serves as a collective for microinfluencers.
For more from WWD.com, see:
Sephora at Kohl’s: The Big Reveal
Children’s Wear Looks to Be More Sustainable, Eon Nabs New Funding: Short Takes
EXCLUSIVE: Kate Beckinsale Named Spokesperson for Mrvl Skin Solutions
Sign up for WWD's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.