Tigi's anthony mascolo and tom monaghan talk brand tactics

When Tom Monaghan joined TIGI as president in August last year it marked a major turning point for the brand. TIGI co-founder and international creative director Anthony Mascolo admits he and the brand lost their way a little after the high profile buy-out by Unilever in 2009, but since Tom’s arrival, the spark appears to have returned to Anthony’s eyes and, judging by the creativity on show at the recent TIGI World Release 2013 event in London, his recharged enthusiasm has reignited the entire team. What is the main focus for TIGI now that Tom is onboard? Anthony: Re-affirming the mantra that TIGI is “by hairdressers, for hairdressers” and being creative and innovative again. Tom has given me that excitement back. He has faith in what we do. We have been put in a position where we have to start creating again. I feel we had lost that for a while. What difference has Tom’s joining made? Anthony: When Tom joined last year he was brought in to turn the business around. We weren’t connecting with the hairdressers anymore. It had become more about marketing and launches. Tom has 33 years’ experience with hair products, including Alberto Culver, which was another family company before Unilever bought it. This has made a massive difference. Unilever saw he was the right fit for TIGI. Tom: Sometimes in business we forget what is important. We needed to think again about how we communicated with the hairdressers. I looked at some of the history of TIGI on YouTube and felt excited by its amazing creative heritage. World Release was part of the plan right from the start. It was an example of how to showcase TIGI’s creativity. It was a real opportunity to connect. It included education and fashion. And the last part was almost like a Broadway production. Anthony: We started planning it more than a year ago, however the catalyst was Tom coming onboard and having faith in our ideas. Apart from World Release, how else has this new focus been demonstrated? Anthony: We organised a tour to showcase the new TIGI copyright©olour, presenting in cities across the UK to an audience of around 60 hairdressers. Apart from introducing them to copyright©olour, this was about reconnecting with the industry. I took Tom on the tour with me and introduced him to hairdressers. It was a great chance for him to get to know them. This business is all about relationships and making the customer part of what we do. The tour was about showing hairdressers that we are about creating ideas which they can use in the salon. How important is copyright©olour to the TIGI brand? Anthony: Colour has always been important, but with copyright we will put the heart back into colour. Having Christel Lundqvist with us as technical creative director is a great fit for TIGI and shows our commitment to colour. Tom: We have made great strides with colour, but we are still the challengers in this area. However, TIGI has an edginess about it. I’ve always admired that about the brand. It’s something that still excites me and that we need to build on. How does being part of Unilever benefit the brand? Tom: Unilever offers TIGI access to some amazing technology. Anthony: Yes, they have contributed a massive amount of resources and knowledge. Tom: They employ 650 chemists just on hair products. The world’s best technology aligned with an edgy professional brand. Anthony: I’m very proud of what my brothers and I have achieved with TIGI, but we couldn’t have made the next leap without Unilever. It has taken time to get it right but, now we have, we can take on anybody. So no plans to make TIGI a consumer brand then? Tom: Absolutely not. Unilever bought the TIGI brand to be connected to the professional sector. There are no plans to go retail. How much creative freedom does Unilever give you? Anthony: TIGI is run as a separate business – we are given a lot of creative freedom. We have a strong group of people with a lot of passion, including global creative director Nick Irwin who is doing a fantastic job of leading and motivating the creative team. Tom: Anthony is also an inspiration to the team. Anthony is the personification of TIGI. When I talk to him about ideas he is so knowledgeable and instinctive. When he looks at an image, for example, he sees something other people don’t see. He is a superstar of hairdressing and a talented photographer. Every collection image is either shot, directed or selected by Anthony. So, TIGI is set up for an exciting future then? Tom: We’re having fun and we’re winning, although we still have a long road ahead of us. Our vision for the future is to continue to innovate and maintain our strong connection with the hairdresser. Anthony: TIGI is a sexy brand with a lot going for it. The excitement has been brought back. Tom is working tirelessly to ensure the sales team understands what we are doing. TIGI needed to be an open book again. Everyone at TIGI needs to share the mantra “by hairdressers, for hairdressers”. TIGI will be Salon International, which takes place at ExCel London from 12 to 14 October. For more information and to book your tickets, visit www.salonexhibitions.co.uk or call 0844 894 2000. Don't forget to follow @Salon_Intl and #salon2013 for all the latest updates, or like the Facebook page here.