This article was taken from the Professional Beauty archives, and was originally published in May 2021.
How I got here with Jeffrey Daley, Australian agent for French beauty house Sothys-Paris
Jeffrey tell us how you got into the beauty/skincare industry?
“I was manufacturing vitamins and health food supplements for a pharmacy in 1980 and the new trend of that time was Health & Beauty combined. So, I went looking for a sophisticated skin care range in France. Sothys was the stand-out star because it was scientifically based and a particularly good quality product. After that it was then up to my hard work and determination, as all business is.”
Why did you choose Sothys as a brand?
“I had an instant connection with Sothys. Having been in the pharmaceutical industry for the decade earlier, I was particularly keen to work with a professional company that put a value on people first. Sothys has always been a family company and has the highest ethical behavior I have seen in any company over the past 50 years.”
How have you managed to remain such a market leader not just in Australia but around the world?
“Sothys is not merely a marketing brand. We do not rely on contract manufacturers… this is the fundamental difference of Sothys success. Sothys is possibly the only professional cosmetic company in the world that is in control of every facet of its product development and creation processes. This control commences with a dedicated Sothys team of scientists devoted to Original Molecular Research in the creation of new patented active ingredients.
From this original research, another Sothys team of scientists in the Applied Research laboratory then creates their unique formulations. From this scientific foundation, Sothys has its own manufacturing facilities where it makes all of its products. This gives Sothys the ability of flexibility for continual innovation and evolution, every year. This is what has enabled Sothys to ride the crest of change for over 40 years that I have been with them.”
Tell us the ethos of Sothys?
“It is guided by a philosophical base. One of the greatest values that we are identified with in the market is unfailing ‘integrity’. Sothys was created in 1946 by a Biomedical specialist… and we have remained exclusively professional ever since. Sothys is truly created by professionals for professionals and we have never shifted from this standpoint. We have always been loyal to the Beauty Therapist exclusively. We do not sell over a parallel online site directly to the end user, and we have never been in OTC pharmacy or department stores.”
You are launching 35 products this year and nothing in the range is over three years old, how important is it to be innovative in the market?
“Being continually innovative is the lifeforce of any company. Innovation is in the DNA of Sothys. With our full knowhow of scientific research ability, we are always turning out new and improved formulations all the time, we never rest on this.”
What lessons have you learnt along the way?
“Never compromise your guiding principles!”
Why are customers so loyal to the brand?
“They recognise that we are a genuine, people-focused brand (company) and that our ethics drive our relationships where we put people first. And, when you combine this with the fact that the product gives outstanding results, these two aspects have given great loyalty to Sothys in the marketplace for 40 years that it has been in Australia.”
What launches do you have planned for this year?
“Our major launch this year is ‘Intelligent Organics’ … in other words performance-based from actives derived from Original Molecular Research. Sothys created its own 40 hectare Organic Beauty Garden “Les Jardin Sothys” in the pristine high country of South West France which also operates as a Botanical Research station. This year will see the launch of the first new Intelligent Organics line as part of its future philosophical evolution towards a purer form of cosmetics in the coming years.”
The market is inundated with skincare launches how do you stay ahead of the competition?
“We just run our own race… Sothys is not for everyone. We supply to a sophisticated end-user where elegance and refinement is appreciated and sought after. We are always growing because people turn away from the harsher cosmetics seen everywhere today, preferring a results-driven skin care that also nurtures the soul as well as the skin. In our overexaggerated world, our understated marketing style is appreciated for its genuineness.”
Find out more about Sothys on their website, Facebook and Instagram.
This article originally appeared in the July-August 2021 issue of Professional Beauty Magazine.
Read the current issue of our digital magazine here:
- For more news and updates, subscribe to our weekly newsletter
- Follow us on Instagram
- Like us on Facebook
- Join Australia’s largest network of beauty industry professionals on LinkedIn
- Subscribe to our print magazine
Have an idea for a story or want to see a topic covered on our site and in our pages? Get in touch at info@professionalbeauty.com.au.