Ya’ll, Beyoncé Is the Founder *Not* The CEO
Let's actually get into it.
First of all, I need to apologize for my delay in posting. I was completely winded by NYFW, freelance gigs and honestly *life.* However, during that time, Queen Bey (Beyoncé) decided to drop her haircare line Cécred on us — and the amount of misinformation that has been spread online is BEYOND me.
For many of you that know me + my work and my thoughts, I’m not the biggest fan of celebrity-founded brands for a myriad of reasons, and although I’m a card-carrying member of the Beehive, I still have my critical thoughts. I won’t divulge too many of them here (you can book a time with me for the rest) but I think for starters, we need to understand her position within the brand.
Beyoncé is a the founder of Cécred.
Grace Ray is the CEO.
There are many things to business of it all, Beyoncé started the brand out of her own identity. Does Cécred speak to many textures? Intrinsically probably not — but, keep in mind, this isn’t a personal brand — this is a business to her. The CEO, Grace Ray + team has identitifed a slot in the market and has certain goals and points to reach. Beyoncé + her likeness is just a marker to attract hearts + dollars.
Who Is Grace Ray?
Ray has an impressive background but her name rings bells particulary in the complexion and haircare space. She spent 4 years as VP of Marketing at Smashbox, 2 years at Milani Cosmetics and 7 years at haircare brand Living Proof.
The verdict: She knows the haircare landscape.
Where things can get a bit hairy is that Bey, a Black woman identifies and I’m sure has experience with different textures of hair. I’m not sure entirely if it’ll be conveyed through the brand messaging or if Mama Tina’s years of salon experience will translate to this fast-evolving industry, but only time will tell.
My point here is to educate the masses on the important things: The difference between Founder + CEO. We can get into the politics of it all later.
After I’ve tried the haircare line for myself. Stay tuned. xxS