BBR9 Thought Leader Q&A: Scott-Vincent Borba “Innovation in Branding”

Beauty industry veteran,  Scott-Vincent Borba, had much to share at his Beauty Biz Roundatble BBR9 roundtable.

With his roundtable topic on “Innovation in Branding“, Borba carefully outlined his ideas on:

• Design Ideation
• Ethnographic Research (True Consumer Use)
• Formulation Development (Formulation Profile v/s Packaging Performance)
• Functionality of Delivery System and Mobility of Component
• Graphic Treatment and how that influences RTB’s and Branding
• Pro’s and Con’s with new development v/s utilizing existing components

For those of you who didn’t get the opportunity to sit with Borba at his roundtable, you’re in for a treat! Check out our post BBR9 interview with Borba below:

Please tell us about your career path/progression. The road to… where you are now? How did you get started?

I  am a 20-year health, beauty and wellness veteran.   I got my big break while working as a Ford model and a commercial real-estate agent at CB Commercial Real-Estate. My beauty industry career began at Hard Candy when I helped the owners find their office space. 

I then re-launched Sebastian brands, and moved forward to lead the re-branding of Joico for Shiseido.  I became much more involved in consumer product goods by launching Neutrogena Men, Neutrogena Cosmetics and re-launching Murad. Afterwards, I decided to develop my own Scott-Vincent Borba beauty brand and BORBA nutraceuticals. I also  co-founded e.l.f. cosmetics!

Currently I’m  involved in multiple projects ranging from the launch of my self-funded Omani-Media Scott-Vincent Borba. acting as the Creative Director and EVP of Marketing of Toppik Inc and Xfusion brands.  to continuing to provide Esthetician services to my celebrity clientele.  I’m also a published author with 3 books out and a fourth in the making. 

Why did you choose this career? Why the [beauty] industry?

It was both an industry calling and God’s destiny for me.  I had created the first  lip gloss ring and pendant  called ” Liquid Love Cosmetics,” and when I visited a well-known LA hot-spot, I heard these LA hipster girls talking about my product! Hearing their rave reviews convinced me that I was in the right industry.

Who/what are your biggest career influences?

 My family, especially my father,  were my biggest career influences. Watching my parents build a large corporation without any funding or support has made a deep impact on my career. My father served as my industry mentor and taught me to challenge myself to be the best I could be and to make a mark in this world. 

Who is today’s [beauty] consumer? How are they changing?

The consumer is shopping in all outlets, well-educated in beauty products, and can smell BS.  That’s my SVB customer!

What do [beauty] professionals need to do to continue to connect/attract with today’s beauty consumer?

They need to conduct ethnographic research at any level and/or budget.  They need to work on all levels, be humble, be intuitive, conduct industry research, and more importantly – they must listen to and learn from their consumer.  

What do you see as the latest trends in your industry?

I still think it’s “inside out” beauty, new form development,  and innovation in prosthetic insights for skin and cosmetics.

What attributes make a great leader? Tell me about your leadership style.

A great leader needs to be  humble, insightful, kindly tenacious, knowledgeable in multi-industries (quantitatively and qualitatively) and more importantly, they must be honest. 

What kinds of qualities do you look for in an employee/when hiring a candidate/someone to join your team?

I like someone who brings a different perspective.

What is the best way/strategy for someone interested in your company to employ to get a foot in the door? What makes a candidate stand out?

Be prepared, research and understand the brand/company, offer strategic examples that  are helpful to the company, and also identify areas of potential opportunities. 

Any other advice/words of wisdom?

Don’t be afraid.  You should be more scared about being a “me-too” brand.  There are many businesses that do extremely well  as industry copy cats.  Your goal should be to create  new space in the market, and to showcase cross-pollinated ideas.  In order to achieve success, it requires extreme hard work, great insight and a lot of faith!

Read about other BBR9 Thought Leaders like Dan Obegi (CEO of DermStore Beauty Group), Maria Rush (Purchasing & Brand Development at Beauty Collection), Jennifer Goldfarb (President of ipsy), Cesar Arellanes (Center for International Trade Development),   Amy Liu (VP of Marketing for Josie Maran Cosmetics), Eleanor Keare (President of Circle of Friends) and Fabrice Croise (Global Business Development Director for SelectNY)

Click here for more details about BBR9

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About Mazur Group
Hosted by Mazur Group in Los Angeles, the Beauty Biz Roundtable (BBR) series brings together 100 Mid to Senior Level Beauty Executives in a roundtable format that fosters networking and idea sharing.  Attendees are given the opportunity to sit down in small group settings with industry peers. Past BBR attendees and Thought Leaders have come from every major beauty company here in the West Coast. For more details, visit: https://mazurgroupla.com/wp/bbr-events/