Wouldn’t you also just cringe if you fatefully had frizzy hair on a ‘shampoo’ day and were to meet the business head of L'Oréal Professionels? Still — my tress’hassles apart — I concentrated on understanding the hair-fashion icon called Smira Bakshi. Meeting Smira is all about live-breathe-talk L'Oréal. What strikes you straightaway is her unwavering strong sense of belief in what she does.
After doing a one-and-a-half year course in cosmetology (full-fledged with theory and practicals), from the San Jacinto School of Cosmetology, Houston, Smira did MBA in International Marketing and International Business, from the University of New Haven, Connecticut. A little later, she entered the world of L'Oréal — never to leave it again — and quite happily so, even after 11 long years.
So why did an MBA marketing and business opt for a career in cosmetic fashion/care?
“I believe one must implement one’s course of study in the career chosen or else it is just a waste of time and effort,” she emphasises.
“I always wanted to work for a cosmetics firm and what better than to work for the best cosmetics company in the world.” Smira returned to India in 1996. She brought L'Oréal Professionels to India the next year.
She was promoted as Consumer Services Manager in 1998. In 1999, she worked as a Brand Manager for premium brands like Garnier, Synergie, Ultra Doux, Nutrisse and Colour Naturals. In 2003, she joined the L'Oréal Professionnel Products Division for care, style and texture. And was promoted as Manager Marketing Integrated Communications in 2005.
Smira has the distinction of being responsible for introducing L'Oréal Professionals as well as L'Oréal Professionnel Colour Trophy in India. The Colour Trophy completed its third year recently, something, Smira, as its Director, is very proud of, being so passionate about the whole hairstyling industry.
Change of focus
Commenting on the cosmetic priorities of women when L'Oréal first came to India, Smira says at that time the focus was on skin not hair.
“The ‘challenge’ in 1997 was to stop Indian women from using henna and start using hair colour. Fresh henna is fantastic. But henna manufactured or processed in shops and factories has high content of PPD, Para-phenylenediamine, (added for better colour) which is bad. While henna coats the cuticles of the hair, hair colour penetrates base of the cuticles,” she conveys very vociferously, (making me a wee bit uncomfortable again, considering she could probably detect the fading tinges of henna in my hair). Luckily, she doesn’t comment on the same and continues.
“The second challenge is to get women to condition their hair.” She compares using a conditioner to using a cleanser for the face.
So how has the hair styling industry changed in India for professionals, from the time Smira and L'Oréal ventured into India?
“There was a time 10 years back when people getting into this career had just passed 10th std, or who were flight attendants who had quit their jobs and come into this profession. But the situation has, of late, changed drastically for the better.
Today, it has become a full-fledged career,” feels Smira. Not only is the profession being taken seriously, it has also included another global comparison, that of, offering the customers a global experience in the decor as well. “It involves remodelling the entire salon experience,” explains Smira, who also works with local architects for interior design. She feels there is now a developing architect breed for which there is a lot of demand.
Flexibility
And how flexible is the Indian cosmetic market?
“Marketing is very challenging and different in India,” confirms Smira. Not one to be dissuaded by anything difficult or negative, she announces - “I have three missions for L'Oréal here. One is to build retail in salons; the second is to have a vision, be proactive and build a hairstyling market here; and third (but not the least), promote correct hair treatment.” She also mentions communication workshops that are held all over the country by the company to promote the importance of hygiene and AIDS awareness, in collaboration with UNESCO.
The company has internationally launched a line for ‘Mature People’ (Senior Citizens), she adds, stressing the need to promote hair treatment for people of all categories. Luxury is the future, predicts Smira. True, at least for the financially robust clientele!
With the flourishing 40,000 odd salons in India that have L'Oréal Professionals, and an ever increasing DINKY population (short for Double Income No Kids Yet) — what’s not to believe!
