An exclusive interaction with Ross Leibrandt, Regional MD-APAC, ghd (good hair day), about its debut in India and the vision for setting new standards in hairstyling.
By Rachna Virdi
With over two decades of expertise in heat styling, UK’s professional hairstyling brand, ghd recently made its debut in India, partnering exclusively with Nykaa. The cult British brand, renowned worldwide for advanced hairstyling tools with cutting-edge technology and a user-friendly design, is the go-to choice for professionals and beauty enthusiasts alike.
Estetica India met Ross Leibrandt, Regional Managing Director-APAC, ghd, who comes with 20 years of experience and an entrepreneurial spirit and strategic acumen. A seasoned e-commerce, retail and commercial leader, Ross has held leadership positions across various international markets. During this interaction, he reflects on ghd’s expansion on the global footprint, and how it is transforming lives with the power of good hair days.
Tell us about this professional hairstyling brand.
Ghd is an authentic professional hairstyling brand that started off in the salons 25 years ago. We have our presence in over 50,000 hair salons globally and work closely with 200,000 hairstylists. We design our own products for professionals, test them for quality and also service our professionals well.
What do you expect from its debut in the Indian market?
India has always been such a fascinating market—one that we know we should be in. we are so delighted to actually be taking the first few steps with our exclusive partner Nykaa and moving into this space.
What strategies have you drawn to capture new markets?
I am lucky to be in a position where I have got an incredible brand that has 7 million social media followers and won 450 awards on the beauty and design stage. A brand that has got incredible technology-led products of quality—products that create more shine and leave longer lasting results in your hair. The brand is incredible in innovation.
How do you see the world of hairdressing shaping up in recent times?
Hair styling is a fascinating space and there are different dynamics going on in this space. There is a lot of home hairstyling going on, thanks to the post-Covid transition towards home servicing and styling. Thereafter, we had salons coming back and we noticed that consumers still love going to salons and its experience and professional dynamics. So, it’s a story of two tales. The salons have come back and are doing well focusing on their services and giving the best immersive experiences as they want customers walking away with incredible hair. That plays nicely for ghd, as we have 25 years of hair technology on styling plates and give a better service. The industry is at an interesting point. The consumers are loving the experiences, and the presence of influencers and influential stylists is dynamic and getting us a lot of following which is helping the brand.
You are setting new standards in hair styling with breakthrough R&D direct from the labs in Cambridge, UK. Tell us about the innovation and commitment to excellence.
Innovation is at the forefront of our brand. The technology in our products is the fundamental pillar of our brand. We have got 100 engineers and scientists that work in the Cambridge lab that works solely on heat on hair. We don’t differentiate into any other area of development because of which we are able to create the best products. The algorithms in ghd products are second to none. Amongst the new ghd range, the Chronos hair straightener is three times faster than conventional stylers and delivers longevity of style. It comes with high-definition responsive technology that resets the plate temperature 450 times a second for heat consistency heat and perfect styling temperature and delivers 80% more shine. It locks the moisture with no damage to hair and styles exactly the right temperature. The Duet Style product is the world’s first two-in-one hot hair styles that combines airflow and heating technology on to the plate to deliver that sort of drying and styling experience. Overall, the brand, the products and their innovation speak for themselves.
How does the brand strive to be the go-to choice for Indian salon professionals? Which is your favorite?
The ghd foundation is built on hair straighteners and hair stylers with 25 years of innovation on heat styling plates. We are the industry leaders of styling across UK, Italy, Australia, and other dynamic markets. Our products are much faster. Even the consumers can do hair quicker and get perfect styling results from head to tip. I particularly like the Chronos styler. It’s a beautiful product that sits nicely in the Indian context of thicker and denser hair.
What challenges do you foresee in the Indian market?
Currently, the biggest challenge is letting the Indian consumer and professional know about the brand, the quality of our products and the innovation. The second challenge is to get them to try our products to feel the difference, the longevity and the shine.
Who do you look as your biggest competitor?
Globally, we have got a number of competitors that design for innovation. I think, where we differentiate ourselves is that we are a truly professional brand in the professional channel for 25 years. We know our products are professionally designed that will get great results and find their space in India.
Do you see any change in consumer behavior?
The consumers’ consideration is driven a lot by social media—that gives the hairstylist a voice to talk to their consumers. They are gaining insights and recommendations from hairstylists, professionals, influencers and content creators and that drives the sales as well. So it’s a dynamic change. Another big thing is that today’s consumers are not looking for quick-fixes with gimmicky products. They are aware of the environmental impact of products and hence looking for quality products with longevity.
Tell us about the brand’s sustainability initiative?
CSR is big for ghd. We support breast cancer awareness and have donated $24 million globally to these charities. We do an annual pink limited edition to support it. We are environment friendly, and our products are designed for longevity with less power consumption. With this, Due to longevity, you can use the product for a longer period and that results in less power consumption.
BOX
The Hairstyling Product Range
Chronos
Duet Style
Helios
Curve
