Effective brand strategy provides a central, unifying idea around which all behavior, actions and communications are aligned. It works across products and services, and is effective over time. The best brand strategies are so differentiated and powerful that they deflect the competition. They are easy to talk abou, whether you are CEO or an employee.

Brand strategy builds on a vision, is aligned with business strategy, emerges from a company's values and culture, and reflects an indeőth understanding of the customer's needs and perceptions. Brand strategy defines positioning, differentiation, the competitive advantage, and unique value proposition.

Brand strategy needs to resonate with all the stakeholders: external customers, the media, and internal customers. Brand strategy is a road map that guides marketing, makes it easier for the sales force to sell more, and provides clarity, content, and inspiration to employees.

Source: Designing Brand Identity - Alina Wheeler

Branding is a disciplined process used to build awareness and extend customer loyalty. It requires a mandate from the top and readiness to invest in the future. Branding is about seizing every opportunity to express why people should choose one brand over another. A desire to lead, outpace the competition, and give employees the best tools to reach customers are the reasons why companies leverage branding.

‍

Source: Designing Brand Identity - Alina Wheeler

Brand identity is tangible and appeals to the senses. You can see it, touch it, hear it, watch it move. Brand identity fuels recognition, amplifies differentiation, and makes big ideas and meaning accessible. Brand identity takes disparate elements and unifies them into whole systems.

‍

Source: Designing Brand Identity - Alina Wheeler

As competition creates infinite choices, companies look for ways to connect emotionally with customers, become irreplaceable, and create lifelong relationships. A strong brand stands out in a densely crowded marketplace. People fall in love with brands, trust them, and believe in their superiority. How a brand is perceived affects its success, regardless of whether it's a start-up, a nonprofit, or a product.

Source: Designing Brand Identity - Alina Wheeler

Cosmetic formulation refers to the process of creating a specific combination of ingredients to develop a cosmetic product, such as skincare, makeup, haircare, or personal care items. This process involves selecting and blending various raw materials, including chemicals, natural extracts, oils, and additives, to create a final product with the desired appearance, texture, scent, and functional benefits.

A preservative that is found naturally in nature, usually in balsamic resins (such as Tolu Balsam). The form used in this product is ‘natural identical’, simply because the price of extraction from a natural resin is prohibitively expensive. CIR Expert Panel: Concentration or other limitation on use for safe with qualifications conclusion: safe for use in all cosmetic formulations up to 5%, safe for use in hair dyes up to 10%

Within the fresh outer leaf, there are natural materials, which are of benefit to the skin, and these are carefully extracted to leave behind those materials, which would serve no useful purpose.The resulting extract has moisturising and skin soothing benefits.The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel has evaluated the safety of the ingredients derived from the Aloe barbadensis species of plant (which is commonly called Aloe Vera). These are the ingredients made from aloe plants that are most often used in cosmetics . The CIR Expert Panel concluded that they were safe for use in cosmetics. (CAS: 85507-69-3/EINECS: 287-390-8)

Is the peptide fraction isolated from the Oat, Avena Sativa L., Poaceae, Protein Extract by ultra membrane filtration. Concerns over possible allergic reactions to wheat or gluten make these oat peptides attractive alternatives for natural cosmetics, as the product is negative when tested for a typical gluten response.Have outstanding emulsifying properties and water binding capacity. They exhibit excellent foaming properties, making them a useful addition to shampoos, shower gels and other surfactant based products.The benefit of using these peptides in skin or hair products hinges on their ability to penetrate the cortex with only a single application. In hair care, claims  such as repairing damaged hair and improving hair shine and silky feel could be supported by the inclusion of this material.(CAS: 84012-26-0/EINECS: 281-672-4)

This plant is commonly known as Marshmallow, White Mallow or Althea and is listed in the British Herbal Pharmacopoeia as well as in most of the European Pharmacopoeias. It contains very high levels of mucilage (polysaccharide sugars), which make it emollient, demulcent and vulnerary (wound healing). It is used topically for the treatment of abscesses, boils, varicose and thrombotic ulcers. Marshmallow is the perfect choice for skin smoothing, soothing and for its anti-inflammatory properties. Used in soothing herbal compresses and in bath preparations for skin disorders and cuts and bruises.(CAS: 73049-65-7/EINECS: 277-254-6)

It is a potent antioxidant, in addition to its anti-enzymic properties, it may prevent melanin synthesis by suppressing inflammation and by inhibiting the auto-oxidation of dopa and dopaquinone. Studies shown to reduce the inflammatory response of skin, which has been exposed to sun. The absorption of Vitamin C through the skin was proved by the increase in vitamin C content of milk following an application of a 30% solution of ascorbic acid to the surface of the skin of the mammae.The safety of Ascorbic Acid, Calcium Ascorbate, Magnesium Ascorbate, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Sodium Ascorbate, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate has been assessed by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel. The CIR Panel reviewed the scientific data and concluded that Ascorbic Acid and its salts were safe for use in cosmetic and personal care products. (CAS: 50-81-7/EINECS: 200-066-2)

D-Arginine is extensively used in studies on L-arginine/nitric oxide pathway as an inactive form of L-arginine, even in man.It has previously been reported that this D-amino acid appears to have pharmacological activity.Function: Antistatic/hair conditioning,masking, skin conditioning. (CAS: 74-79-3/EINECS: 200-811-1)

It is a flowering herb from the Asteraceae family and also known as paracress or toothache plant because of its analgesic benefits. Its neuro blocking, numbing properties are believed to inhibit involuntary micro-contractions involved in facial muscle movements, providing a rapid botox-style, wrinkle-reducing, smoothing action.the anti ageing properties of an Acmella oleracea extract have been demonstrated and can be attributed principally to a mechanism of myorelaxation, which treats the causes of fine line formation. The results on the skin are an immediate smoothing effect with significant reduction of wrinkles. (CAS: 90131-24-1/EINECS: 290-335-0)

Historically the seeds and bark of horse chestnut used for the treatment of piles (haemorrhoids) and as an external application to slow healing ulcers. In addition , the plant contains a material called aescin, which is very useful for the treatment of oedema, varicose veins and the swelling in bruises. There is good evidence to show that it helps remove the dark circle under eyes. Uses are listed as astringent, expectorant, treatment of leg ulcers, varicose veins, haemorrhoids, tonic, ‘anticouperose’(CAS: 8053-39-2/EINECS:232-497-7)

A material found quite widely in nature, especially in plants like comfrey. This material is also known as glyoxydiureide or 5-ureidohydantoin and its history is very interesting. During World War I it was observed that the wounds of soldiers in trenches appeared to heal more quickly than those kept under sanitary conditions. It was found that the trenches were infested with maggots which infested the wounds of many of the combatants and that the maggots secreted a material that improved healing. This material was found to be allantoin.It also occurs in tobacco seeds, sugar beet, wheat sprouts and comfrey (0,8%) as well as in rice polishings and in the bark of horse chestnut. Allantoin is a topical vulnerary and is a skin ulcer therapy. In skin care products it is used to help clear up skin blemishes and other skin irregularities.(CAS: 97-59-6/EINECS: 202-592-8)

Acer Saccharum is a species of maple native to the hardwood forests of northeastern North America.The Sugar Maple is one of the most important Canadian trees, being, with the Black Maple, the major source of sap for making maple syrup, although Sugar Maple is regarded as slightly better. In addition to providing maple syrup, its extract behaves similarly to tannins, plant-based compounds that trigger protein production and have healing, soothing and toning properties and water-binding abilities which provide the skin with renewing, hydrating and texture-improving benefits. It is therefore used in a wide variety of cleansers, masks and moisturisers, including those for ageing, oily and also sensitive skins. Sugar Maple has mild astringent properties and has been used to make a wash for skin problems and eye wash for sore eyes. The inner bark of the tree, containing the sweet sap, can be used as a dressing for wounds. (CAS: 91770-22-8/EINECS: 294-807-7)