EDUCATION: What Big Brands Do Well & How you Can Do it Too

Big brands have dominated the education field in the beauty industry for many years. It hasn’t been until recently, the last 5 years or so, that independent education has really taken off. AND I’M HERE FOR THE INDEPENDENT EDUCATORS. Not because there’s anything wrong with the education big brands provide, but because there’s always a CATCH with their classes.

As someone who was a full time educator for one of North America’s biggest beauty companies for 3 years, I’m not knocking partnering with brands for classes. I’d be a total hypocrite if I did. But because of my experience, and knowing that most big brands operate in a similar fashion, I want to share why big brands put so much effort into the education they provide, what they do well, and how you can do it too – no strings attached.

To be clear, by “big brands” I’m talking L’Oreal (Redken, Kerastase, Matrix, Pureology), Estée Lauder (Aveda, Bumble and Bumble, MAC, Clinique), Kao (Goldwell, Oribe), Henkel (Kenra, Joico, Schwarzkopf, Osis), and Wella (Nioxin, Clairol, Wella, Sebastian, Kadus, OPI, System Professional). All the major players in the realm of professional products that dominate the shelves at your local beauty supply store – and whose products you probably use.

The thing all these brands have in common is that what’s most important to them is their bottom dollar. They’re BIG businesses, after all. And businesses, at the end of the day, are out to make money. Not saying they don’t care about the customers they serve, but they have shareholders to answer to. They know that investing in education is beneficial to their profits. Because when they teach stylists how to achieve the latest techniques using their products, they’re going to make more sales.

That’s the catch when it comes to partnering with big brands for education. They see education as an investment…and they expect a return on that investment. Meaning, how can what you’re teaching make them more money?

The problem that educators run into with teaching these brand-focused classes, is that sometimes it calls their integrity into question. When you’re partnering with a brand, you’re expected to sing their praises…for all their products. Even if maybe you don’t love something or prefer another brand’s product for a certain technique. Do you promote something even though you know there are better options out there? It’s a tricky spot to be in. Trust me, I’ve been there.

So if you’re considering partnering with a brand to teach a class and your value your integrity as an educator, I highly suggest you partner with one whose products you truly love and would use with or without the brand’s support. Otherwise you could find yourself in a precarious situation during one of your classes and kick yourself down the road for not giving your students the full picture.

Now let’s get into what big brands do well when it comes to education. Like I mentioned earlier, big brands see education as an investment. That means they put a lot of time, energy, and resources into the curriculum and class materials – which is a huge reason why their classes are often so successful. They make sure their classes are designed to be engaging, impactful, and most importantly, on brand. At the end of each class, they ask for feedback from both the students and educator(s) and make adjustments for the next class. When something works well, they stick with it. But if the timing was off, a segment didn’t quite fit in, or an activity was a miss, they’ll fix it. They stay up to date on trends and know that education needs to evolve to stay relevant and have the biggest impact.

As an independent educator, you can (and should) follow the same blueprint as the big brands! It starts with creating an outline that has a chronological flow and allocating the appropriate amount of time for each segment. It’s super important that you cater to all the learning styles in your class – auditory, visual, and kinesthetic. That means speaking your message, having key points written for students to read, and incorporating activities into your curriculum to help drive your point home. And everything – from the marketing materials to the presentation, to the handouts/training manuals should be cohesive and on brand - same fonts, logos, colors, tone of voice, and design elements. It might not seem like a big deal, but the branding is really what will elevate your class and put you on the same playing field as the big brands. Lastly, don’t forget to collect feedback from your students and spend some time reflecting after the class. As much as you plan and prepare, sometimes things just don’t go the way you thought they would. So make any changes you deem necessary for the next class.

Being a successful independent educator means you have to put in the work like the big brands do. But it’s well worth it not to have any strings attached to your education. You can simply and authentically share your knowledge, your craft, and products you truly love with your students. And with the proper preparation, branding, support materials, and reflection, you’re sure to teach an engaging and impactful class that caters to all learning styles.

If you’re looking to break into the independent education space, learn more about how I can support you by clicking HERE.

Thanks for reading!

-Lindsey