How I Built This with Guy Raz – Jack Black Skin Care: Curran and Jeff Dandurand

Intro

In this episode of “How I Built This with Guy Raz,” host Guy Raz interviews Jeff Dandurand and Curran Dandurand, the co-founders of Jack Black, a successful men’s skincare brand. They discuss the challenges they faced in entering the men’s skincare market and how they built a $100 million brand. From their initial struggles to their eventual success, Jeff and Curran share their journey and the lessons they learned along the way.

Main Takeaways

Entering the Men’s Skincare Market

• Men’s skincare is a tough market to crack, but sales of men’s prestige skincare brands grew by 21% from 2018 to 2021.
• Jack Black was designed specifically to appeal to men with its rugged branding and was founded when almost no one wanted to touch men’s personal care.
• Jack Black used department stores to give samples to men and win them over.

Building the Brand

• The founders focused on creating high-quality products that targeted affluent men.
• They positioned the brand as luxury and did everything differently than previous attempts at men’s cosmetics.
• They relied on their previous relationships with contract manufacturers to create their custom formulas.
• The founders made key branding decisions based on gut instinct and limited resources.
• They chose the name “Jack Black” for its timeless, masculine, and relatable appeal.
• The brand’s blue and black color scheme stood out from competitors’ packaging.
• The founders created lightly scented products with fresh, spa-like fragrances.
• They focused on creating products with light textures that didn’t feel heavy or greasy on the skin.

Overcoming Challenges and Achieving Success

• The founders faced skepticism from advisors and lawyers who were wary of working with a married couple.
• They struggled with initial sales and had to pivot their strategy from golf shops to department stores.
• Celebrity endorsement by Matthew McConaughey in InStyle magazine brought publicity to the brand.
• Partnerships with NFL teams, such as the Dallas Cowboys, expanded the company’s reach.
• Jack Black products gained popularity through word-of-mouth and educating customers one by one.
• The company was acquired by Edgel for around $100 million, allowing the founders to retire.

Summary

Entering the Men’s Skincare Market

Despite the challenges of the men’s skincare market, Jeff and Curran Dandurand took a gamble and founded Jack Black with the goal of targeting men’s personal care. They used department stores to give samples to men and win them over, eventually gaining traction in a market that almost no one wanted to touch.

Building the Brand

Jeff and Curran focused on creating high-quality products that appealed to affluent men. They positioned the brand as luxury and did everything differently than previous attempts at men’s cosmetics. They made key branding decisions based on gut instinct and limited resources, resulting in a timeless and masculine appeal.

Overcoming Challenges and Achieving Success

The founders faced skepticism from advisors and struggled with initial sales. However, celebrity endorsement, partnerships with NFL teams, and word-of-mouth helped the brand gain popularity. By educating customers one by one and focusing on customer satisfaction, Jack Black became a successful brand in the men’s skincare market. The company was later acquired, providing the founders with the opportunity to retire.

Conclusion

Jeff and Curran Dandurand’s journey with Jack Black showcases the importance of perseverance, strategic branding, and adapting to market challenges. Their success in the men’s skincare market serves as an inspiration for entrepreneurs looking to enter competitive industries. By focusing on quality, customer education, and building strong relationships, they built a $100 million brand that continues to thrive.