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Verb’s quality comes at an attractive price
M
comes time for my young kids to get their hair
products. A woman who spends hundreds of
ichael Portman and Jayson Rapaport are
brushed after their baths, we use it as a
dollars on her hair at a salon is never going to
lifelong friends and the owners of Birds
detangler that they ask for by name. At $12.00,
give up the bond she has with more expensive
Barbershop, the re-imagined unisex salon
mom’s Verb Leave-In Mist pulls double duty.
products that give her great results. She is not
chain that has been named to Elle magazine’s
BIR: Where did the name Verb come from?
Verb’s customer and never will be. It all comes
“Top Salons” list five years running. After
MP: Verb’s name has to do with taking
back to the 94% of people walking out of
observing that the lack of affordable
action. We wanted to grow the hair product
salons nationwide without
professional products in their retail mix was a
market, and we did something about it. Verb
buying anything.
hurdle to retailing effectively at their five
was made for take-action people like us, all of
locations in Austin, TX, they
them living fast, on-the-go lives.
decided to do something about
BIR: What made you take the leap from
it. As a result, they created the
salons to hair products?
Verb product line, which is
JR: As the employers of nearly 100
lower at retail than most
stylists, we knew the salon side and the
professional brands. They
stylist’s perspective well. We have the best
recently shared their story with
test lab any company could ask for, and
Beauty Industry Report (BIR).
we are in constant contact with the hair
BIR: Welcome, Michael and
The Verb line targets the 94% of clients who leave a salon without
needs and wants of a diverse, styleJayson. Exactly what is Verb?
buying a product, only to purchase hair care at a mass retailer.
conscious clientele.
Michael Portman (MP):
BIR: How did you start the Verb project?
BIR: Who is Verb’s target customer?
Verb is a hair product brand that speaks to the
MP: Jayson’s background is as a trader on
MP: Our demographic trends toward the
customers who are taking their business to
Wall Street, and I come from marketing at
younger, style-conscious crowd, many of them
mass retailers, because there isn’t an
Disney and working for other big brands on
armed with phones, scanning bar codes in
affordable, high-quality option on the salon
the agency side. We formed an experienced,
retail outlets to find where they can get
shelf. The Professional Beauty Association’s
hungry team with experts in development,
products cheaper. The recession did not
annual report (June 2012) stated that retail
art/design, logistics and sales and filled in the
bypass our industry. People have changed their
accounted for just 5.8% of total salon sales.
gaps ourselves. We believed that a brand like
buying habits. As a salon owner, I worry that
That means 94 out of every 100 clients leave a
Verb could generate a market of its
the integrity of the professional
salon without buying product. Verb speaks to
own. So we raised the money, formed a
hair market is at stake if we don’t
that 94%.
tough board of directors and did it right.
Jayson Rapaport (JR): We make safe, good- start diversifying.
JR: We’ve had great mentors. John
BIR: What exemplifies the Verb
looking, professional-grade hair products that
Mulgrew, the former president of
hair care line?
are all color-safe, free of sulfates, parabens
American Crew, helped establish us
JR: We’ll start with our three
and gluten and are made in the United States
with a great stateside manufacturer with
new products. Verb Ghost Oil
without animal testing. All but one is vegan.
a green approach. He also helped
(2 oz./SRP $14.00) is a weightless
BIR: What made you think that there was
secure our manufacturers’ rep sales
blend of argan and moringa oils
room for another salon hair care brand?
force, CFN, who introduced us to our
JR: As a salon owner, you learn to become a that vanishes in the hair, hence
first distributor, Paramount, then
the name. It is smoothing,
hair product retailer. Since introducing Verb to
Beauty Craft, plus several others
restorative and gives incredible
our own salons, we’ve seen overall product
launching in the spring. It took three
shine without feeling like you
sales go up by five times. We carry Verb, along
years to get to this point, after testing in
have product in your hair. Verb
with other top-tier lines at higher price points,
our own salons, seeing the demand
Volume Spray
(8 oz./SRP
and they saw the same bounce. We realized
Verb’s Ghost Oil
$14.00) gives an instant body
that if replicated, Verb could help grow the
combines argan and internally and making necessary tweaks.
At Cosmoprof North America, we saw
boost to fine hair. The feeling of
professional market by getting people to trade
moringa oils.
that the interest in a brand like ours was
weightlessness and touchable
up from the mass market. For a few more
broader. We added a sales force to
hold were stylist imperatives in creating it.
bucks, they can get something that is actually
supplement the areas CFN didn’t cover and
MP: Verb Leave-In Mist (8 oz./SRP $12.00)
good for their hair, and the kind of innovative
embodies Verb’s ability to reach new markets— will soon have coast-to-coast distribution.
professional styling products that were
BIR: How does Verb partner with both
and it is happening in my own house. My wife,
previously out of reach.
who never bought a leave-In conditioner in her distributors and salons to help your
MP: A great stylist establishes lasting bonds
products sell through?
life, is now a complete convert. But when it
with clients, and the same holds true for hair
8 MARCH 2013
knew in Austin. I asked him where he bought
salon product shelf, which is fast becoming an
JR: Having a national distributor is alluring,
afterthought, especially to younger consumers. his groceries, did his dry cleaning, got his
but we want to grow each region
haircut—all the new kid in town stuff. The
MP: DSCs are excited to be able to walk
methodically. Fast growth looks good on
haircut stumped him. At the time in Austin,
into a salon with a variety of product
paper, but to truly support everyone from the
everything was either an expensive salon or a
distributor salon consultant (DSC) to the stylist offerings, allowing them to walk out making
discount chain. We built Birds Barbershop in
extra sales that wouldn’t have
behind the chair, you have to act
response. Six years and five salons later, here
been made otherwise.
like a start-up every day. Working
we are with Verb products, applying our same
BIR: What’s the thinking about
with like-minded regional
proven model, offering professional quality at
what goes into the bottle?
distributors fits that mindset.
an affordable price.
MP: We don’t lower our
Michael and I like rolling up our
BIR: What is your vision for Verb?
prices by giving the client less. In
sleeves, riding along on sales calls
JR: Before Verb, when I used to buy
many cases, we try to put even
and getting to the heart of what
products in the local professional
more inside to stay
everyone needs, face to face. We
salon store, I felt so overwhelmed.
true to our
don’t take a one-size-fits-all
Same thing, different bottle,
quality/value
approach. We customize our tactics
written in a language a stylist
proposition. People
for each market.
couldn’t even understand. The
scrutinize the
MP: The feedback from our
cornerstone of the Verb brand is
ingredients on
stylists is instrumental to success in
honesty. That starts with quality
products they buy
the field. We’ve tapped that talent
and ends with price. Luxury—and
today more than
to create a network of Verb
I’d consider a $20+ hair product a
ever. Women,
educators for any sales or styling
luxury—has long resisted
especially, are
demonstration a distributor might
democratization. But in the postlooking for the
need. The stylists are also the stars
recession Information Age, that is
safest, healthiest
of our online education
Verb’s new Volume Spray alternative that still
changing. Fashion is in the midst of
(verbproducts.com/demonstrate)
gives an instant body
a pricing sea change in response.
delivers
on
efficacy.
and the styling how-tos across Verb
boost to fine hair.
Professional products are next; it is
JR: The line also
social media. From education to
just a matter of when.
includes six core products priced at
marketing to product development to
MP: For Verb, I’d like to
$12.00 each: Hydrating Shampoo
designing the bottles, we are so in-house and
maintain the bedrock of honesty
and Hydrating Conditioner,
hands-on that we can meet the needs of the
and simplicity always. You’ll always
Sculpting Clay and Forming Fiber
distributor, the DSC, the salon owner and the
Verb’s Leave-In Mist know exactly what our product
for shorter styles and Styling
stylists separately and very specifically. I know
pulls double duty for does by reading the label. But on a
Cream and Finishing Polish for
first-hand what kind of turnaround it takes
the family as a
personal level, I’d just like to keep
longer, heat-treated hair. They are
when you’re outsourcing to a marketing
conditioner for moms
water-based, vitamin-enriched and
agency, so we’re able to act at lightning speed
and a detangler for working with my lifelong friend in
this exciting industry. It is a
contain a natural UV protectant.
in comparison.
kids.
business that hasn’t changed much
Featuring a modern, barely-there
BIR: How do you help salons sell through
for most of our lives, so if we
scent, the products leave a clean, crisp finish
beyond the quality and price point?
can bring about some new
that won’t linger. All of our products are made
JR: Farouk Shami pioneered the “stylistperspective improvements while
in the United States, cruelty free and free of
first” idea with his ammonia-free color line.
having a good time, and do
sulfates, parabens and gluten.
Stylists are the ones using products on their
some good for the industry at
BIR: How did you join together?
bare skin. We broadened Farouk’s philosophy
large, that would be the icing on
JR: Our families were friends before we
to include the salon client. The movement
the cake.
were born. We were in the same grade in
toward natural ingredients and safer
Michael
Reach Michael Portman, cosmall-town Texas, grew up together, went off
alternatives is the norm today. To get that in a
Portman
founder of Verb Products and
to college near each other and ultimately
cleanly-designed hair product geared toward
Birds Barbershop, at
found ourselves back in Austin looking for
usefulness and simplicity only makes the price
[email protected].
something new to do after our stints on Wall
point more attractive for people to trade-up
Reach Jayson Rapaport, coStreet (me) and at Disney (Michael). We
from buying at mass market.
founder of Verb Products and
realized we’d make a good left brain/right
BIR: What has the response been?
Birds Barbershop, at
brain combo with our Fortune 500 experience.
JR: We’re hearing a lot of, “I’ve been waiting
[email protected]. To
MP: I’d been living in Los Angeles for some
for something like this.” Verb is not the kind of
learn more, visit
time, and the first night I arrived, I went over
thing you are used to seeing on a salon shelf—
Jayson
Rapaport verbproducts.com.
and we like that. It brings attention back to the to Jayson’s because he was the only friend I
MARCH 2013 9