Maly's

Challenge

Maly’s, the third largest US distributor of salon quality products, noticed their consumers, hair stylists, demonstrated loyalty to individual brands they purchased, yet rarely to a distributor. Maly’s sought to rebrand itself and change this consumer behavior.

Strategy

MSLK’s strategy was to transform the faceless corporation by creating an emotional connection. Hair stylists needed a sense of community and we saw an opportunity for Maly’s to provide that. Maly’s could rebrand itself as a source of inspiration for these licensed professionals.

Design

MSLK redesigned the Maly’s logo, retail experience, website, and support collateral. We strived to convey the fact that there were people behind the corporation and create a sense of community. We did this by bringing John Maly, the President, forward and giving him a stronger presence in all of our design solutions. To further this personable approach, we utilized handwritten fonts in many of our designs to expose the human element behind Maly’s.

Success

The new brand identity evolved Maly's from strictly a distributor to a hub for stylists – a location where they could network with colleagues, get tips on the latest trends and fashions, and attend educational and social events. These rebranding efforts caught the attention of L’Oréal, the world’s largest beauty company, and led to the acquisition of Maly’s in 2007 for a substantial sum. The concepts created by our design team are currently being integrated into the new emerging brand.