Client Spotlight: The Winning Formula Behind NZ Skincare Brand, Velettà

An ethical skincare brand with its own winning formulas, today we celebrate the special bond between PH client Velettà and their first official face, Antonia Prebble. Speaking to this significant milestone, Velettà founder Sarah Bacon shares her insights on influencer marketing, authentic connections, and the value of outsourcing certain things to the experts.

Launching Velettà was a hard pivot away from an established career in corporate law. What was your impetus for making such a significant life change?

Just before I turned 40, a friend posed a question that made me pause. She asked whether I wanted to stay in my current job for the next 25 years, or change. The intensity of my own reaction took me by surprise – I realised I no longer wanted to practice law. It was a job I’d once loved, but at 40 I was a different person to the young woman that chose law, and I wanted something different from my career. I wanted to create something of my own.

You effectively moved from a world you knew like the back of your hand, to a whole new industry. What did creating a skincare range teach you about the necessity of engaging with experts in their field?

Finding experts is everything. They make life so much easier and the path ahead so much clearer. Starting a small business comes with many, many challenges, so having the right people in your corner is key. 

Over the past five years I have been very lucky to connect with people who are all excellent at their craft, and who want Velettà to succeed as much as I do. This includes my designer, Lisa Noble, my formulator extraordinaire, Stacey Fraser, and the team at Peerage, Velettà’s manufacturer. Also, social media agency Daring Digital, web agency Plus 5 Designs, my 3PL partners, Maxwell Logistics, and of course, PH Digital. All are very supportive and easy to deal with. 

How would you apply this to your approach to business now? 

I am still very much aware of the need to focus on the things I am good at and to spend as much time as possible working on the business, rather than in the weeds. Working with experts allows me to do this. 

I decided early on to outsource work, rather than employ people in-house. I don't particularly enjoy managing people and I don't think it’s one of my strengths. Outsourcing work streams means I get a high level of performance and only have to pay for what I need. 

How has outsourcing your performance marketing strategy to PH Digital enhanced your knowledge of the paid digital landscape?

Honestly, I have done my best to avoid knowing too much about the paid digital landscape! PH Digital gives me excellent reports about market performance, but frankly they are wasted on me. The fact that PH Digital takes this task on for me and stays accountable has been gold. My PH Digital strategist, Keni, is always available and both proactive and reactive. 

In the initial stages of our partnership, I really appreciated working with PH Digital on a six-month strategy which involved a very comprehensive digital marketing plan that allocated specific tasks to each of us. Additionally, it contained practicable strategies to improve the Velettà website and to make gains in organic and paid social media. It was incredibly helpful. 

How has paid digital advertising contributed to your business growth?

It would be almost impossible to make a business like mine work without paid digital advertising. The mix of Google and Meta advertising seems to hit a large percentage of my target market (women 35+) and is the most practical way of increasing brand awareness. Perhaps most importantly, the metrics are totally transparent. This allows us to tweak strategies that aren't working and be fully aware of our ROI. 

You've just appointed your first official brand collaborator, the wonderful Antonia Prebble. What do you hope to achieve from this partnership?

Antonia is the perfect person for Velettà to collaborate with. First of all, she is gorgeous and a lovely human being. She’s a New Zealand icon, has an amazing career, is a mother and, importantly, she has just turned 40. 

At Velettà, we say that as you age, your skin changes, and so should you skincare. Antonia has identified what her skin needs and chosen Velettà to nurture her skin for the next phase of her life. We are so thrilled about this partnership and look forward to her social media followers finding out about Velettà and discovering how it can make fundamental, positive changes to their skin. 

An authentic connection is mission critical when it comes to influencer marketing. What were your non-negotiables when choosing a brand collaborator to partner with?

Velettà is an ethical brand. We are natural, vegan, halal-certified and cruelty-free. We also do our best to step lightly on the earth with circular packaging and ethical ingredients. Anyone we partner with has to uphold these ethics. 

Another non-negotiable was finding someone who wanted to work with us because of their belief in Velettà. There are lots of influencers out there who will promote anything they are paid to promote. For me, that lacks a level of authenticity that undermines the purpose and value of collaboration.

Did you have any reservations about influencer marketing before exploring it as a possibility? If yes, what helped you overcome them?

It's always a little frightening publicly partnering with someone. However, I don’t consider Antonia an influencer as such, and I don't think she would see herself as one either. I think of her as a personality and a personification of the brand. 

The fact that Antonia is so authentic and is equal parts aspirational and relatable quelled any concerns I might have had. 

We love that Velettà is designed for "skin that's lived". What does this mean to you?

Velettà was formulated for those whose skin reflects the life they have lived. So-called middle-aged women are a hugely underserved customer segment. Some skincare brands make a token effort to include older women in their demographic, whereas Velettà is all about making older skin glow. The range has hydration and nourishment at its core and our products work synergically together to give you the best skin of your life. 

What are your three keys to a life well-lived?

Love, friendship and experiences. I am very lucky to have all three.

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