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Stylish, Hip New Websites From Redken, 5th Avenue NYC Reinforce Brand's Leadership Position

February, 2008

New York, N.Y. - February 8, 2008 - Redken, 5th Avenue NYC has just strengthened its web presence with the launch of two, new sites that continue to raise the bar for how beauty brands market themselves online. Following the successful website launch for Redken's edgy urban experiment line, the company's interactive agency Digital Pulp has created a duo of innovative sites for the consumer and industry professional that reinforce Redken's position as a state-of -the-art category leader.

The revamping of the consumer (www.redken.com) and salon professional sites (www.redkensalon.com) include the latest technology yet to be seen in this industry, user-friendly navigation, improved features and a sleek new design underscored by sophisticated New York City imagery. Consumers and salon professionals will be immersed in the stylish world of Redken as the websites educate, inform and engage. "Every detail on the sites, such as the "Question of the Month" area, was evaluated for its usefulness as well as user engagement value," says Rachel Weiss, senior director, interactive marketing for Redken. "After much research, evaluation and creative design, the resulting websites are destinations that we know consumers and professionals will want to visit again and again."

Inherent to both sites is Redken 5th Avenue NYC's theme line "Fashion. Science. Inspiration." According to Weiss, "Our mantra 'Fashion. Science. Inspiration.' impacts everything we do - from the products we develop to how we communicate with our customers." Describing the brand's guiding principles, she says that Fashion is conveyed through the urban creativity drawn from the spirit, energy and style of New York City - both websites underscore this with New York imagery and fashion and style news. Science is reflected in the groundbreaking products developed through pioneering research and patented innovations, as seen in the detailed product descriptions presented on the site. Inspiration is based in the marriage of artistic expression and education through The Redken Exchange, the industry's leading resource for learning, which is featured on the professional site through online education like Redken Creates and the Salon Success Stories section.

Personal Stylist At Your Fingertips
One of the new and unique features consumers will find on redken.com is the "Your Hair Profile" section. "Your Hair Profile" features video recommendations from Redken's Education Artistic Director Sam Villa. By interacting with videos of Villa, users receive product and styling advice as it relates to their specific hair texture, style and condition, guiding them to new concepts they can explore with their own stylist. The tool is highly customized, with Villa prescribing the best product recommendations and concepts for each individual customer. The consumer site also shares fashion and beauty updates, and provides a backstage look at the hottest happenings, such as reports from Fashion Week, and insider news about retail and industry events.

Destination for the Pros
Redkensalon.com, Redken's professional site, demonstrates the brand's commitment to stylists and salon owners by providing information and education to support both their day-to-day business operations and their long term needs. It allows stylists, salon owners, students and distributors to create personalized versions of the site to respond to their specific needs and interests. "Redken's point of difference compared to other brands is that we work intimately with industry professionals at all levels, encouraging product and style experimentation, and offering tools to help enhance their skill set. The new website supports that beautifully," says Weiss.

For example, The "My Redken" section creatively enables salon owners to construct their own, tailor-made 'action plan' to enhance communications with clients and strengthen sales. The new address book option allows email list maintenance of customer and stylist contact information so owners can easily send thank you notes, information on salon promotions via e-cards and newsletters to their clientele. The section can also help salon owners monitor the performance of their marketing efforts. An additional dynamic component on the website is a "community forum" that allows stylists to interact together and share information on hair color techniques and formulas.

With experience in the beauty category for brands including Lancome and L'Oreal Paris, Digital Pulp has conceived and built websites usually geared to the general consumer. This complex, two-prong effort for Redken, with its multiple audiences and objectives, was a unique assignment resulting in two contemporary -- and complementary -- websites.

"While we've designed websites for beauty leaders like Lancome, focusing on two different audiences being served by the Redken sites made this a truly unique project that has yielded very exciting and effective results," says Gene Lewis, Partner and Director of Web Development, Digital Pulp. "For the professional audience, redkensalon.com helps salon owners more effectively run and grow their businesses, educates stylists on trends, and connects salons and distributors to streamline operations. For consumers, redken.com delivers a more exciting and personalized resource for style and product solutions, packed with inspiration from the pros and tons of content to explore. Both destinations will foster a stronger conversation between Redken and its core target audiences, ultimately elevating and enforcing the Redken brand."

Digital Pulp is a New York-based interactive marketing agency that specializes in website development for clients including Bausch & Lomb, Continental Airlines, The New York Botanical Garden, Lancome, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Harvard University, and the Natural Resources Defense Council. The agency's work has been recognized annually with awards from industry shows and groups including The Webby's, The Interactive Media Awards, and The Web Marketing Association.

Redken 5th Avenue NYC (a division of L'Oreal USA) is a leader in backstage beauty, editorial and technologically advanced salon products that meet the needs of both salon professionals and consumers. Working with industry greats like Guido Palau, one of the world's most conceptual hairstylists, Redken is backstage at fashion shows in New York, London, Milan and Paris working with designers Marc Jacobs, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Prada, Versace, Balenciaga, Louis Vuitton and Chloe, to name a few. Redken's team of talented session stylists work in film, television and print and have contributed to the trendsetting hairstyles of Jennifer Lopez, Lindsay Lohan, Reese Witherspoon and Cameron Diaz.

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