Q&A: Urban Hydration founder discusses the brand’s dedication to its fan base

Drug Store News: Tell us about what is happening at UI Global Brands.  
Psyche Terry: Urban Hydration was recently named one of the fastest-growing privately held companies once again by Inc. magazine. Our core brand assortment is growing rapidly and, according to Nielsen Data, is the fastest-growing brand in facial cleansers over the past 52 weeks. We recently launched clean beauty sun care and extended our HBL collection and skin treatment collection. One of our micellar waters recently won a Women’s Health magazine 2020 Skincare Award.

DSN: Why should retailers carry the Urban Hydration brand? What makes it unique?  
PT: Urban Hydration, which was new to many drug and grocery aisles in 2019, continues to see triple-digit growth year over year because of a few factors. The brand is agile and innovative, and led by moms and dads that truly believe that business is not transactional, it’s personal. Our leaders are of an old-school thought that honors business on a handshake or a text message. They come from heritage industries like banking and appliance manufacturing, and were taught by global business leaders from Whirlpool, Zappos, Best Buy and Helen of Troy. 

Urban Hydration is an extremely profitable brand as a result of focusing on its core customer, a specific group of customers that the brand calls its LUHVies. These LUHVies are committed to the cause of clean and conscious beauty and are aligned with the products and the retail partners that sell it. They not only shop it more regularly than the average beauty customer, but they provide valuable feedback.

DSN: How are you supporting the brand? What is your marketing pitch?  
PT: We support Urban Hydration with extensive storytelling. We tell our stories with social media campaigns that have earned our website over 1.5 million unique impressions per month of real and authentic engagement. We inspire bloggers and authentic grassroots influencers. We work with digital, on-air and print press to tell our story with relevance. Urban Hydration is constantly involved in mission based social causes that our customers care about. We also activate in stores with sampling, tutorials, spiffs and trainings. In addition, we support with creative designs for on-store shelving opportunities that are relevant and eye-catching. We help get customers in stores with our social media pages, newsletters, online and in-person sampling and event support, and even geo-targeting. We support digitally with images and creatives and high-fashion photo shoots that help drive increased likability to our brand on retailer platforms.

DSN: What should retailers do to build sales from this product? Placement? In-store support?  
PT: Retailers can help us by sharing our product with their online customer and in-store customer. Online retailers can help send our product samples out to their influencers, and tagging and even reposting and resharing our social media posts. Digitally retailers can help by allowing retail takeovers, introducing our customer to their site and platform. Finally, retailers can partner with Urban Hydration with shelf talkers, off-shelf and sampling opportunities. 

DSN: Do you have new products coming down the pike?  
PT: Urban Hydration’s customers are growing in their love for travel and outdoor activities, and asked us for clean sun care that absorbs into the skin quickly and isn’t chalky and doesn’t smell bad. We introduced Urban Hydration SPF 30 Sun Screen that is moisturizing and great for eczema prone and dry skin. Also, we are proud to not only offer clean beauty aloe vera hand sanitizers, but also to now have new natural coconut oil based lemon, vanilla and rosehip extract hand creams for these colder months. We cover skin naturally in both warmer and colder seasons.