WORKWEEK

Tata Harper is not a new brand to me. I did, however, buy it yesterday for the 1st time in maybe 3 years? 

There I was – standing in the Vancouver Sephora, with Daniel BREATHING DOWN MY NECK telling me to make a decision. 

How could I??? I had just run out of cleanser the night before (I had been trying Matilda Djerf’s favorite – Dr. Barbara Strum cleanser I thought it was mid.)

I FINALLY decided my next cleanser. This one, because the reviews on Sephora looked really promising (I had my Sephora app open and was looking at the reviews of every product I considered), the sales associate said it was popular, I had tried another product from the brand years ago even though I can’t remember what I tried, and importantly – I was out of time Daniel was being so annoying.

So, for today, let’s funnel hack Tata Harper. I’m now 24 hours into my purchase (via Sephora)  – I’ve followed the brand on Instagram, I’ve used my new purchase twice!!!!, and I’ve learned a lot. 

Because, as I so often say, there’s no better way to study a brand, or a business, than to behave like a customer…

STEP 1: 

Run out of cleanser. Kidding! 

🍁 Search for the brand on Instagram. 🍁

I searched ‘Tata Harper’ and I found Tata herself! The brand account is under @tataharperskincare, but I have a confession before we continue.

I truly didn’t connect in my brain that Tata Harper was a person LOL. I thought it was just the name – I didn’t know about Tata. I didn’t know, well, anything about her. 

And, this brings me to my point. I still don’t know anything about her. You see, she’s missing an Instagram bio. 

That’s a big miss. If I worked at Tata Harper Skincare, the 1st thing I’d do on my 1st day is get a bio up! If your brand is your namesake, and then when you search the brand, you pop up – that’s not a problem! 

But, if the brand is your namesake, and you search the brand, and you pop up, and there’s not a link out, not a bio describing something about your life that the visitor can connect to, and if there’s no story – then there’s a gap. 

P.S. My title is Chief Growth Officer (I work at an agency). THAT SAID, IF I WORKED AT TATA, ON MY 1ST DAY, I’D STILL INSERT MYSELF INTO THE INSTAGRAM BIO DISCUSSION. Not because it’s in my role – but because moments and gaps like this impact the entire marketing funnel – bit my bit. 

STEP 2:

😉 Find the brand account. 😉

Lo and behold, I found it! And, it’s looking really great at 1st glance.

The bio taught me something I didn’t know – THAT THE BRAND IS MADE IN VERMONT! 

That is something I immediately connect to – I’ve been to Vermont, it’s American made (which lends itself to quality in my eyes), it has a story! 

Also, let it be known, I purchased Tata Harper yesterday (and 3 years ago) without knowing that A) Tata Harper is a person 😀 and B) that the brand is made in Vermont. 

I feel immediately more invested in the brand than I did before – but it didn’t ultimately sway my purchase. Which I think is an important note. I really bought this, if I’m being honest, because the bottle felt high-quality (glass bottle), the reviews were positive, I was shit out of luck on time, I ran out of the product I had been using, and the sales associate vouched for it.

P.S. I’d still change the @tataharperskincare bio – I think it needs to say this (my changes are in bold):

Made with 💚 on a farm in Vermont 

100% Natural, Nontoxic, & Cruelty-Free

By @tataharper

THERE’S A TATA HARPER FARM!!! I am learning so much! That is a big differentiator compared to a LOT of beauty brands – so many brands these days can claim 100% Natural, Nontoxic, & Cruelty-Free. BUT DO THOSE BRANDS HAVE A FARM?????? Iconic! Chic! Natural! Justifies the price!! 

Let’s move on. 

STEP 3:

👩‍🌾 Search for the brand on Google. 👩‍🌾

*you’re about to get set yourself up to get hit with a bunch of the brand’s ads – this is what we’re going for! You can also always stalk a brand’s ads via TikTok’s Creative Center and check out their ads via  Facebook Ads Library – free and shows you not only what creative is out and about – but where that creative leads (landing pages, collections, PDP, you name it).  

Tata Harper Skincare is running paid search. They’re doing an INCREDIBLE JOB AT IT. 

1️⃣. They’ve managed to block Sephora from the 1st 5 shopping slots. 

2️⃣. Notice that offer. Free Gift With Purchase!! Already, just by searching, I don’t as a customer feel overly inclined to go shop on Sephora. Sure, I see that Sephora is an option – notice those 1k+ reviews. But… I can get a free gift on the dot com. 

3️⃣. ^ That is a crazy big deal because to me, my experience with the brand before today has 100% been at Sephora and on the Sephora App. That’s great – but for Tata to own the customer and for them to take the sale or at least the 1st click on search away from Sephora is really important. 

Bravo! 

STEP 4: 

🎁 Click through to the brand’s website. 🎁

Upon click, the GWP (gift with purchase) is unveiled – and it’s a good one. 

Why I love this gift: 

❄️: It’s a 7-piece gift!! That’s a ton of trial. That’s a ton of value. That lets your customer fall in love with 7 products.

❄️: It’s time-bound to Winter. ‘Winter Beauty Event’ – meaning it’s happening now, in this season, but not forever. 7-gifts, this winter only (potentially). Urgency! 

❄️: It’s only valid on orders over $300. That’s REALLY prohibitive. Does your new customer want to spend $300 (buy multiple products) in order to unlock a gift? No, not really. Does your new customer (or current customer) want to spend $300 to get 7 FREE GIFTS THAT ARE ONLY AVAILABLE AS A SET THIS WINTER? Yeah, maybe.

❄️: Just because the gift has a threshold ($300) – doesn’t prevent the brand from saying Free Gift With Purchase on their Google PMAX. They get to have their cake (steal the customer from Sephora on search) and eat it too (protect their margin by only giving gifts to high-value orders).

I LOVE IT. MWAHAHAHAHAH. 

STEP 5: 

🧛🏻‍♀️ Judge the website. 🧛🏻‍♀️

Specifically today, the website’s tech stack. Here we can see a Shopify site equipped with: 

🧙‍♀️: Klaviyo as their ESP (Listrak would work better for them)

❄️: OrderGroove for subscriptions 

🌹: Microsoft Clarity for heatmaps (LOVE! It’s 100% free)

🏴‍☠️: Yotpo for reviews/ loyalty (no – absolutely recommend Okendo for Reviews and Tandym for Loyalty INSTEAD)

💚: Venmo Payments (awesome to see this payment option – more the merrier!)

What I like about this tech stack (that I looked up for free with Built With) is how unstacked it is. It’s also making a few mistakes – easy changes that will save them and make them more money. 

STEP 6:

🐴 Look at the subscription program. 🐴

I don’t say this lightly – this is the most compelling list of reasons to subscribe to a brand that I could ever hope to see.

1st order – rewarded.

2nd order – LOCKED IN TO THE BIGGER DISCOUNT (BIGGER THAN THE FIRST!!!!!) that discount then remains for perpetuity.

This, my dear sweet millionaires, is how it’s done. You know how annoying it is to have a customer subscribe to their order so that they can lock in the 1st order discount, only to then have them cancel that subscription the same day they subscribed (so that it doesn’t renew on them). 

This stops that. Subscribe and benefit. Subscribe and renew, and win. 

Love you Tata Harper Skincare! I’m 2 washes in and not be dramatic – my acne is way less noticeable today. You have a fan in me. 

P.S. Their subscription program is so clear they can distill the value props into a single IG caption! LOVE LOVE LOVE! ⤵️