Why Dow is collaborating with hair care company, THE MOST, to address the needs of people with deep curly to highly coily hair
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Bridging the gap in the hair care market through inclusive collaboration
Why Dow is collaborating with hair care company, THE MOST, to address the needs of people with deep curly to highly coily hair
This collaboration is a true testament to how collaborating with other organizations, and internal employee groups, will allow Dow to grow as we address the toughest beauty challenges in society.
When you walk inside a drug or beauty store, the vast majority of personal care products available have been created with one type of consumer in mind. While about 60% of the world’s population has curly, coily, or wavy hair, also known as “textured hair”, only a small part of the products on the shelf space today address the need of this consumer group.
Strongly aligned with Dow’s business imperative of “Inclusion & Diversity”, we wanted to make a real change for consumers and address the needs of the underserved multicultural textured hair care market.
First, we looked within our organization
We met with representatives of Dow’s Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), including the Global African Affinity Network (GAAN), and listened as they guided us in the right direction. In conversation, GAAN emphasized barriers faced by consumers in the textured hair care industry and helped us connect this market gap with the broader societal issues faced. GAAN highlighted the need to develop improved products to address key performance factors such as moisture, frizz control, and shine. This dialogue inspired our strategy as we investigated the best approach to address these unmet needs. What an amazing example how inclusion may drive innovation and growth!
As a company committed to inclusion and diversity, Dow has the power to make a real and impactful change for consumers. Rather than going it alone, however, Dow decided the best course of action would be to empower the synergy of inclusion by seeking the perfect collaboration.
Next, we looked outside of Dow
Following our insightful discussions with our ERGs, we knew the ideal next step was to enter a collaboration with THE MOST, a start-up company owned and led by Dawn Myers, an African American female entrepreneur, who specializes in textured hair care solutions. Supported by the Venture Capital and legal team Dow started conversations with THE MOST. Both companies share parallel values and goals of serving unmet consumer needs, while promoting inclusivity and sustainability. This collaboration is mutually beneficial as Dow can provide the materials science expertise and innovation required to transform ideas into a business opportunity in the very competitive personal care market, and THE MOST offers an unparalleled understanding of what constitutes a valuable and authentic hair.
One key initiative THE MOST focuses on is their styling tool, The Mint. Through our collaboration, THE MOST will have access to Dow’s materials science expertise and Dow’s Manufacturing and Engineering Center to help them improve upon this device, while increasing convenience for consumers, and working to minimize the often-invisible pain points in ethnic haircare with easy and practical solutions. THE MOST’s vision for textured hair is grand and other industry players have often lacked the in-depth customer insights to develop these solutions. Seeing this expertise from THE MOST, we knew Dow should collaborate with them. This collaboration aligns with our strategic intent to provide real solutions for important human needs while creating an opportunity for Dow to significantly broaden our position within this market. This collaboration is a true testament to how collaborating with other organizations, and internal employee groups, will allow Dow to grow as we address the toughest beauty challenges in society.
Mauro Gregorio, President, Performance Materials & Coatings