Halle Berry turns entrepreneur
| end when they enter the fragrance market. But Coty's research prescribed a different approach for Berry: "What came through loud and clear is she was all about accessibility, authenticity. We just didn't see her as a celebrity that only [the] elite could purchase [from]," explains Marsha Brooks, a vice president for marketing at Coty.
Berry's multifaceted professional and personal record is part of her approachable appeal: She has played superheroes in Catwoman and X-Men, and the downtrodden wife of a convicted murder in Monster's Ball; she's a face of Revlon and a new mother at 43. But life has been more than red-carpet engagements: Berry has been through two public divorces and is a survivor of domestic abuse. Coty's Mormoris says, "She's paradoxically very feminine, a very devoted, even traditional, mother but at the same time she's a woman who is very successful and applies herself and is driven. What's distinct about Halle is she's not a snob and she's worked her way up, and the consumer knows this." For her part, Berry was thrilled that her product was presented to the mass market instead of high end. "My dream was to have this product be able to go to all women. No matter what economic class you [come] from, you should be able to buy these products," explains Berry. NPD analyst Karen Grant says Berry's line could be a blockbuster given her consumer capital. Indeed, in a 2006 NPD consumer survey, Berry was the celebrity name most associated with fragrances, despite her absence at the time from the fragrance market. Still, looking ahead, Berry will have to prove her longevity in a market where it is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain momentum for more than a year. "A fragrance may do really well for three to six months after its launch, but by the end of the year, the consumer may have moved on," Grant explains. Halle is no longer No. 1 across the board, according to Coty, but remains in the top three in i |