Richard

Gan General Manager of Schwarzkopf Professional of Singapore & Malaysia

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In 1893, Hans Schwarzkopf who was a qualified chemist in Berlin started a small drugstore. No one would have predicted that this business would eventually become one of the most influential hair care companies in the world.

General Manager of Schwarzkopf Professional of Singapore & Malaysia, Richard Gan told EZ that the brand was introduced to the Malaysia market over 50 years ago. It has since gained a very good reputation and currently rank No. 2 in the market.

Richard joined the company one and a half year ago with the responsibility to improve the bottom line. Besides, he is also expected to enhance the company’s structure and strengthen the brand positioning.

The General Manager also mentioned that although market competition is fierce, sometimes the biggest enemy is from within and not the competitors when the team is reluctant to adapt to market needs. “Consumers nowadays are very well-informed, we will still loose out if we do not evolve and use our innovative strength effectively,” he added.

Professional hairdresser Club (PH Club)                                          A good brand must play to its strengths, and to create a more efficient team.

“We have made improvement in restructuring the organisation to re-establish our market position. Basically, we are creating a new platform for our brand and business. Only then can we play the role of a good wholesaler, fostering seamless business relationship between the hairdressers and the brand.”

“Globally, Schwarzkopf Professional has launched its‘Essential Look’ App to match the digital trend…”

A good example is PH Club – Schwarzkopf Professional’s exclusive club for professional hairdressers, which aims to provide a range of value-added services to its loyal customers.

Schwarzkopf Professional provides technical support for the salon and helps to train the junior hairdressers. Business seminars are held monthly, experts from the regional team are invited to share their business expansion strategies of hair salon.

This year, the brand also launched a runway show together with the TV station. Contrary to expectation, it’s not just a hair show but a combination of fashion and other elements to feature the most popular hairstyles. The show was a big success.

Richard admits that the haircare and hair colouring market is constantly evolving, such as the e-commerce trend which they are still observing. “Globally, Schwarzkopf Professional has launched its ‘Essential Look’ App to match the digital trend. But I believe the most important thing for us is to get the confidence of our business partners. We are improving, one step at a time, to provide more value-added products and services to our customers. I’m glad to see we are starting to get the recognition from them.”

谈论美发品牌，怎能不提起Schwarzkopf Professional。

1898年，柏林一位化学家Hans  Schwarzkopf，开设了一家小药剂行。谁会料到这门生意有一天会发展成为享誉全球的美发护品牌之一？

Schwarzkopf Professional新马区总经理Richard Gan告诉我，该品牌引进国内已逾50年。这些年来，品牌稳打稳扎创下了良好口碑和信誉，目前在市场上占据第二位置。

约莫一年半前加入Schwarzkopf  Professional团队，Richard的职责除了提升公司的盈利，更关键的是重组公司和革新品牌。

毕竟，市场竞争再激烈，最大的敌人往往并非敌对品牌，而是一成不变的自己。“市场每天在进化，消费者每天吸收新的资讯，接触新的技术，即便美发护发技术上的革新仍是我们的强项之一，但面对如洪水猛兽的竞争压力，不进则退，改革是唯一的途径。”

专业美发师俱乐部(PH Club)
Richard表示，Schwarzkopf Professional必须发挥自己的强项，同时打造一个更有效率的团队。

“我们在组织上作了很多改革和调整，重新拟定我们的市场定位。换而言之，我们是在为品牌和业务建立一个全新的平台，唯有如此我们才能扮演好批发商的角色，和美发师合作无间，携手打造一个良好的伙伴关系。”

其中，Schwarzkopf   Professional独有的专业美发师俱乐部(PH   Club)，就旨在为一群对品牌甚具信心的客户提供专属的服务。

Schwarzkopf   Professional为美发院提供技术支援，给予新手美发师培训，教育他们最新的染发和护发技术。Richard表示，Schwarzkopf Professional每个月均会举办业务讲座，邀请区域的团队精英前来分享美发院的业务扩展策略。

今年，品牌亦构思了一场T台秀，不仅仅是美发秀，而是结合时尚等元素，与电视台和模特联手呈献一场精彩的时尚T台秀，展示当下流行的美发造型。

Richard坦言，美发市场瞬息万变，对于线上业务等全球趋势，他们仍抱持观望的态度。“虽然Schwarzkopf Professional已经推出‘Essential Look’等应用程式，赶上了全球数码化的趋势，但对于马来西亚团队来说，当务之急是先取得业务伙伴的肯定，重拾美发师们对我们品牌的信心。我们正在一步一步地逐渐改变中，让旗下的产品和服务不断增值，亦开始得到了不少客户的肯定。”

by Joshua