Crème Collective

Target is serious about Prestige Beauty — and it’s hard to ignore. Yesterday at WWD, Amanda Nusz (SVP, Essentials & Beauty Merchandising) made it clear: “beauty is central to Target’s new strategy” (i.e., its turnaround) and a key pillar of its $2B investment plan. What this means in practice: • 600 doors launching this August • Elevated in-store spaces with enhanced experiences and events • Specially trained beauty staff • A rewards program on the horizon By mid-2027, Target could realistically position itself as the fourth major beauty retailer in the U.S. — alongside Sephora, Ulta, and Amazon. The big question: can Target successfully bridge accessibility with prestige at scale? If they get the experience right, this could reshape how consumers think about buying beauty — and provide prestige beauty brands with another major retail partner. I, for one, am very excited. Thank you Jenny B. Fine for the discussion. #BeautyBusiness #BeautyIndustry #retail #retailstrategy #target #sephora #ulta

Is an acquisition near? There was a distinct aura around Mario Dedivanovic at the WWD event today. Huge congratulations to him and his team on building such an incredible brand. When asked how to win at SEPHORA, he shared a simple but powerful insight: never underestimate the power of beauty advisors. If they believe in your product, your brand, and you—that support can last for years. Worth noting: Mario started as a beauty advisor himself. He knows exactly how much that relationship matters. Thank you Jenny B. Fine for such a wonderful event. #privateequity #beautyindustry #beautybusiness #dealmaking #investing #consumerbrands

Many brands confuse differentiation with distinction — and it's costing them shelf space, scroll-stops, and loyalty. Differentiation is strategic. It's what you say you do differently — your positioning, your promise, your reason to exist in a crowded market. Distinction is sensory. It's what makes someone recognise you instantly — your colour, your shape, your texture, the feeling you create before a single word is read. You need both. But they serve different jobs. When refreshing pack design or building a brand from scratch, conflating the two leads to packs that look "on-trend" but feel like everyone else — or brands with a bold visual identity that nobody understands. The brands that win are strategically differentiated and visually distinct. And knowing which lever to pull, and when, is where the real craft lies. In this video I break down what each one actually means and how to use both as tools when developing or evolving a beauty or wellness brand. 💬 So — differentiation or distinction. Which do you think matters more when building a brand? Let me know below. I love a good debate. #brandstrategy #beautybranding #wellnessbrands #cpgbranding #brandidentity #packdesign #brandrefresh #brandingagency #beautymarketing

When Bryan Edwards and Phil Riportella launched Snif in 2020, gourmand fragrances were largely synonymous with traditional sugary vanilla scents. But by 2026, gourmands have become fragrance’s most dynamic category, including not just classic sweet smells but also experimental and savory notes like milk, pistachio, tomato and butter. And off-beat gourmands are in demand enough to get a front-and-center placement at as mainstream of a retailer as Ulta Beauty. On Monday, Snif launched its experimental, gourmand-heavy “Secret Menu” collection at Ulta. Full story: https://lnkd.in/e6gyDhJ9 Story by Emily Jensen.