OPI: Our Peoples Investment

When I think about investors, I think of big tall buildings run by Georgio Armani suited men, that drive Mercedes and have time share in the Bahamas. But obviosuly investing is more than that, and incredibly important to any company that wants to be successful. Without investors OPI wouldn't have become the leader in nail products in the beauty industry. Likewise, staying in touch with the surrounding community is equally as important as keeping the investors happy. The beauty community is where OPI gets its support, which is why staying in constant communication with them is imperative.


For starters, we know OPI reaches out to others beyond the beauty barriers. Their website's "Giving Back" page gives a run-down of all the charities and organizations that OPI is affiliated. The Schaeffer Family Foundation was created in order to give support to charities like The American Heart Association, the American Red Cross, City of Hope, the National Kidney Foundation, and money others. OPI has also dedicated specific nail lacquers to some organizations like the American Red Cross and to cancer research in hopes that they may raise awareness and offer financial support when each respected color is purchased. Having the Family Foundation and giving back to other organizations outside of the beauty industry shows investors, the community and the government that OPI is serious about company responsibility.

Additonally, the "Giving Back" page touches briefly on the importance for safe and happy employment within the company. They have provided "George's Place" where employees can enjoy healthy and fulfilling meals. They also provide health insurance for employees, a 401k retirement plan and a mandatory Employee Safety Program.

"When asked why OPI as a company feels so compelled to give so much back, year after year, George Schaeffer has a simple answer. 'Because it's the right thing to do.'"

 OPI reaches out through their blogging, their social media sites (facebook and twitter,) and by always bringing in good reports from consumers.  Reaching out to the community doesn't pose a problem as they have maintained good rapport within the beauty industry and continually produce top quality products. Beauty magazines like Cosmo and InStyle continue to print their full page ads every month and write OPI as the leader in nail lacquers.

When it comes to a crisis, it seems OPI would have to use its social networking sites to help steer the problem away. They rely heavily on magazines to speak for the companies progress and performance that utilizing a printed article in a magazine most definitely would help simmer any issue. We don't see a lot of in-depth articles written about nail polish, or OPI for that matter, and unless you are a nail polish fanatic, you have no clue what OPI is or what it stands for. Any nail polish crisis would consist of OPI producing a harmful product. But so far, OPI has no complaints and is continuing to become as green as possible with their lacquer creations.

OPI: Taking Turkey to the Tips

As blogs start to slowly take over company's leading form of communication between employees within corporate walls and consumers on the outside, OPI by Nicole makes sure not to miss their holiday blog how-to's. Their latest, "Taking Turkey to the Tips" features step-by-step instructions for properly painting a turkey on your thumb-nail. They even give you specific OPI colors to use (My Empire, My Rules should be used for the thumb). At the end they give us (the consumer) the ability to comment and interact with others reading the blog. We can also like it on facebook directly from that page, re-tweet, or post on other social networking sites. OPI by Nicole has their own blogs while they provide links to other fashion and beauty blogs they feel their costumers/readers will enjoy. These external blogs keep OPI fresh and fashion forward, and give us new content to read so we don't get bored. Additionally, OPI by Nicole is partnered with the Kardashian family. They have their own line and have done quite a bit of promotion from interviews to photo-shoots and mentions on Twitter.

OPI, the parent of OPI by Nicole, blogs via Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, the company's EVP and Artistic Director. Suzi's Beauty Blog gives you all the latest on "Beauty, Fashion, Travel, Wellness, and More!" Blogging categories start at Affordable luxury and end with Your Perfect Shade. I find odd however that some of her most recent posts date back to May even January 2011. This might be the case because OPI focuses on only a few launches per year and once 2012 hits the blogs will be updated? Like OPI by nicole, these external blogs are for the consumers to get involved and see whats happening not only with nail polish, but in the beauty and fashion worlds as well. It allows us to see a beauty professionals take on our own personal interests.

As far as I can see, there aren't any internal blogs set up within the company. In order to even become an employee of OPI, you must obtain a proper education within the beauty arena. OPI offers help in jump starting your career in cosmetology and/or Nail Care. But both fields require a 3-6 month program. OPI even has it owns program with scholarships available called the OPI National School Program offered at certain beauty schools around the country.

It seems that if OPI was to integrate an internal blog, they should focus on topics about maintaining what they already have. OPI is incredibly successful which means the company is doing things right internally as well. Our book talked in Ch. 5 about the need for successful companies to continue blogging in order to maintain company camaraderie. It's true you shouldn't try and fix something that isn't broken, but there's nothing wrong with a few tune ups. The blogs OPI currently have seem to cover plenty of topics interesting for consumers/readers. I would say Suzi might want to update more frequently through-out the year and not focus so much in the early months. Blogs should be like magazines in a way. We subscribe to magazines because we want to know whats new each month. We read blogs because we want to know whats new on a regular basis.

Although OPI has many celebrities endorsing their product (i.e. the Muppets, Niki Minaj, Pirates of the Carribean) The Kardashian's seem to have a strong hold within the OPI by Nicole branch. This is an incredibly smart move by both OPI and the Kardashian Family. Two very large brands have come together to create a line that is unique and stands out from the rest. Already thinking about Christmas and New Years, the Kardashian line features lots of sparkle and shine, perfect for a holiday party. Even if OPI customers don't necessarily "Keep up with the Kardashians," they for sure know who they are. And when you see an a bright sparkly pink shade on your co-workers fingers next week, who's to say it's probably not "Wear Something Spar-Kylie" from Kardashian line?

OPI: KISS This

When you think about it, OPI is kind of incognito. The only traditional media they use is magazine advertisements. In 1996, this headline came out: "OPI Expands Advertising Horizons." The kicker however is that their "expansion" in 96 was adding Instyle FULL page advertisements each month. I guess they had been working with half or quarter pages before this change. Take a look at the full page ad in 1996 and compare it to ads we see today in InStyle...

 

These two ads aren't really that different in content. The quality of Katie Perry's ad is a little more clear and polished due to our technological advancements.  I have yet to see an OPI commercial on TV or radio. Their website does get a lot of foot traffic, especially with the number of blogs they keep. And their twitter account seems fairly popular with 47,720 followers (me being one of them). With new media outlets like facebook and twitter, OPI chooses to partake in them, while keeping their tradition of print advertisements. Today however, the company primarily uses beauty magazines as their number one media outlet. Having females as their target audience, they know women will subscribe to and read beauty and health magazines. I know every time I go to the airport or take a long road trip,  Cosmopolitan, InStyle, Lucky, and Glamour are always in my bags. And I also know there will be one full page OPI advertisement. I actually get intrigued as to who will be the celebrity model. Lately they've been using high profile celebs for their campaigns and I always enjoy looking at the new ad. 

 

For OPI, This is the perfect foot traffic.With that, their reputation remains strong. OPI isn't trying to annoyingly push their way into every woman's heart commercial after pop-up after advertisement. Remember, OPI stands strong as classy and professional company. They push to be the best and most honest in their field at the same time to be fun and flirty. 

 

Ultimately, They want us to make the decision for ourselves. If we, consumers, take the time to search out OPI products (in magazines or on the internet) that means we have a personal attachment, or want an attachment possibly, to the company. But OPI doesn't need to flood every media channel to gain recognition. They definitely follow the KISS motto: Keep it Simple (and) Stupid.

OPI: Beauty, Brains, and Business

OPI, like most businesses today, uses social networking as part of their company strategy. On their home page are the two most popular social networking site icons: Facebook and Twitter. They encourage us (the viewer/consumer) to "Join us on Facebook" and "Follow us on twitter." nowadays though, who doesn't have these links? It's kind of a no brainer that Facebook and Twitter are the leading social networking sites to reach out to consumers and target audience.

What's interesting though is the amount of blogs they have linked to their site. Nicole by OPI has its own page and many links to blogs that discuss beauty, health and fashion. Honestly though, it makes sense. When women get dressed, we don't just throw anything on. There is careful planning and often multiple changes. Therefore, matching our nails to our wardrobe isn't too far fetched. We get our nails done for special occasions all the time. And also popular, which I myself do as well, is choosing colors based on the seasons. It's kind of an unsaid rule that bright colors are for summer, dark colors are for winter/autumn, and pastels are for spring. So yeah, matching matters and we need to blog about it.


OPI's website if very userfriedly. They have large icons at the bottom, easy to read tabs on the top and side, and overall is very appealing. Especially the "try-it-on" feature I talked about in my last blog. That feature makes the website interesting, fun, and gives you a feeling of wanting to return. There are also a lot of little links and hidden "treasures." There are quite a few blogs I wouldn't have found if I didn't go clicking on every tab. And once I opened them I was surprised at how much more information there was. I got extremely excited to see the Kardashian collection. (Yes, one of my guilty pleasure TV shows is Keeping up the Kardashians). But I kind of wish they featured them on the home page.

All in all, I love OPI's website. I went as far as to download the OPI iPhone app. I saw a little blurp about it on the side of a linked blog and thought, 'what the hell.'There are so many options OPI provides, lots of blogs to read and get involved with, easy to use links about products and services, and overall has an incredibly friendly, sheek, and inviting feel. OPI is built on professional fun. They aim to be a company that is taken seriously and respected at the same time leaving their customers feeling good about who they are (and what their nails look like of course). What helps add to OPI's success online, is their dedication to offering other products besides nail polish. They also have a line of skin care for hands, feet, and face. Additionally their "Beauty Consult" tab gives the consumer the chance to seek assistance on nail care, skin care, fashion, etc.

OPI kinda kicks ass in the nail polish field. They have it all: Beauty, Brains, and Business. Their content is up to date, user friendly, and fun peruse.

OPI is Boss.

What's in a name? Well, if we look past the literal definition of OPI (Odontorium Products Inc.) we see that OPI is not just an acronym, it's a brand. OPI is something that "customers feel they can become endowed with its qualities when they buy or is it." (Lindig, Lecture) For example, I walk into Pretty Nails Salon and look at all the colors, OPI and other brands. Say I want something with a little sparkle in it because I feel like I need more pep in my step, and OPI is the only brand that has any sparkle colors. I choose "Metallic for Life" which is part of the Nicki Minaj collection and well, now I feel kind of a like a bad ass myself. "Brands use distinctive imagery, language and associations to encourage customers to identify with the brand." (David Haigh)

Ok, so why is OPI so special then? I mean, it is just nail polish. And for all the gentleman out there I'm sure you don't sprint to the cosmetics section of target to browse the newest shades OPI just put out. However, for the rest of us females, especially those who enjoy a good red shade during the Christmas season, OPI isn't just a polish. Often times, a woman's appearance can be pulled together by her perfectly polished nails. And OPI has stood at the top as THE best lacquer for that perfect final touch.

As you recall in my first post, OPI's mission statement is grounded on this: dedication to excellence. And this excellence begins with the perfecting of their brand, their identity, their 'OPI' voice. This can only happen though with a good strategy. The stronger the brand, the better connections with customers, resulting in more hype for the brand itself. OPI successfully connects with its target audience and consumers through their array of celebrity inspired shades, modern, easy to use website, and successful advertisements online and in print.

OPI's uniqueness doesn't need to be explained. Instead of buying a red nail polish, OPI offers a category of reds. You can choose from "Love is a Racket," "Cha-Ching Cherry," "Thrill of Brazil" and about 15 other reds. OPI's greens aren't just green, they are "Gargantuan Green Grape" and "Did it on Em." Need the perfect shade for a wedding? Try their nudes collection featuring "Mimosas for Mr. and Mrs" or " At First Sight." Hell, if you want to match the color of your new Dell Notebook, try out "Austin-tatious Turquoise," "Dim Sum Plum," or "Conga-Line Coral." Yep, OPI is partnered with Dell so that you can coordinate the color of your computer to your fingers nails. If that's not thinking outside of the box, well, I don't know what to tell ya.

OPI's authenticity follows suite with its uniqueness. Everything OPI creates and manufactures is true to its identity. As a leader in the professional beauty arena, OPI takes care to make sure their products are nothing but authentic and carefully planned out. Creater Weis-Fischmann takes the time to screen each lacquer before it is marketed for consumption. Every shade must have a perfect corresponding name and it must fit with OPI's whole color collection.

Okay, so OPI is unique and authentic. But is it something people talk about? OPI may not be dinner conversation with the family, but its definitely something to discuss on a girls night in with luxurious mani and pedi's. As women, we notice when one of our fellow females get newly polished. And then the next question "What color is that?? I love it!" In the salon world, OPI is king...or Queen. I haven't walked into a salon to date, that doesn't provide OPI nail polish.

We have seen OPI's uniqueness, authenticity and talkability. Now its time to discuss OPI's personality. With the array of shades provided, you can feel flirty, fun, ambitious, dark, sparkly, soft or happy. But whats important to note is that no matter what shade you choose, you are always professional. OPI is professional in all aspects. On their website, in their content, and with each lacquer they create. They're logo is professional, their mission statement is professional, the look of their website is professional. They give back to the community, they support the fight against cancer, and support education needs. Although many bright colors make up a large portion of their collection, and their website is splashed with images of the Muppets and the Queen of HipHop Nicki Minaj, OPI still remains faithful to their professional personality. They are the boss of nail polish and every one knows it. 

OPI: Style, Sass, and Sparkle

I started thinking about this first blog post and I wanted to research a company or brand that no one would think of right off the bat. So as I sat in my living room taking off my already chipped nail polish, I started to make a list of things I enjoy. I came up with Starbucks, Grey's Anatomy, Nutella, H&M, Joes Jeans, and cereal. Then I looked down to pick out my next nail color and it hit me: OPI. A nail polish snob, I typically buy only OPI products (which are hard to find in general stores) and use them when at a salon. I've never even gone to the OPI website to see what they offer online, so this became the perfect first blog post. I've always wondered what OPI stands for anyways.

Unfortunately, OPI doesn't have as cool a name as I thought. But the quality and popularity of their products overrule any opinion about the company's name. OPI was founded through a dental supply company and originally began distributing acrylic nails to beauty salons. OPI stands for Odontorium Products, Inc. and is now one of the leading nail lacquer's world wide since its founding in 1981 by George Schaeffer. It continues to be a family owned business with the help of Suzi Weiss-Fischmann as Executive VP and artistic Director for the company. Also on board are Eric Schwartz, COO, and William Halfacre, Executive VP of sales and marketing. This team of four has helped OPI "...become the world leader in professional nail care." (OPI)

The company is committed to providing customers with the best quality products and services. They not only aim to be the best in the beauty industry, but also under their own roof. OPI takes employee safety very seriously. They want to ensure their employees experience a safe and energetic work environment at all times. Additionally, OPI works extremely hard in making sure their customers buy clean products that do not use animals for testing and put up a strong fight against diversion, "The sale of professional products outside of professional beauty channels." (OPI) More simply put, they want to be the best.

This can be seen through the hard work of Suzi Weiss-Fischmann as she continually creates bright, flirty, simple and professional lacquer colors. With over 200 shades, each color has Fischmann's personal touch and approval including the clever assortment of names given to each lacquer. It goes without saying that OPI's main target audience is female. However, the company prides themselves in reaching out to an audience of all ages globally. From their Texas collection to the Softest Shades, there's a color for every person, at any age, every season, all around the world. There's no doubt OPI has a color for Grandmother, Mother, and daughter, in Los Angeles, New York and Paris.


OPI's most recent color-tastic inspiration puts the Muppets and Nicki Minaj on center stage (Nicki Minaj colors soon to come). With shades like "Divine Swine," "Warm and Fozzie," and "Fresh Frog of Bel Aire," OPI hopes to excite a slightly younger audience this Thanksgiving.

After looking at the website for a while, I have to say the coolest part is being able to "try on" different nail colors. You can click on any color and see it painted on a virtual hand. What's most interesting is that you can adjust both the nail length and tone of the skin to match your preference. This feature seems odd at first, but its quite genius. OPI has made their product even more "user friendly" as you can see what color would look best with your skin tone. Unlike many companies, OPI wants customers to be satisfied with their purchases, not feeling guilty or bummed they burned more money on a color that they don't really like. They even provide a "How to" properly paint your nails.

"OPI’s reputation is built on its commitment to quality, safety, innovation and excellence – a commitment it honors with every product, every day." (OPI)