USA. Shiseido Americas Corporation has acquired MATCHCo, a privately-held company utilising what the Japanese beauty giant described as “revolutionary” technology and innovative digital tools to provide consumers with individually customised foundation.
Shiseido said that the synergy between its R&D capabilities and MATCHCo’s innovative digital tools will enhance a business model that captures a major consumer trend: cosmetics customisation.
MATCHCo was founded in 2013 by personalisation and technology experts Dave Gross and Andy Howell and backed by patented technology. It lets customers scan their unique skin tones through its mobile app and uses the data collected to individually blend a suitably matching custom foundation.
The MATCHCo app is distributed through Apple’s App Store and was featured as ‘Best New App’ and ‘Best of November’ at launch in November 2015. Since then, it has also received beauty breakthrough awards from Teen Vogue, Good Housekeeping and others.
Shiseido CEO Masahiko Uotani* said: “We are thrilled to welcome MATCHCo, a company possessing innovative digital technologies, into our Group. Creating innovations is an area of special strategic focus for Shiseido Group, and we look forward to offering more unique value to consumers around the world. This will now be made possible through accelerated innovation in rapidly evolving digital tools and customized products.”
MATCHCo will remain based in California, with its engineering team in Palo Alto and its marketing and operations hub in Santa Monica. It will become part of Shiseido’s Global Makeup Center of Excellence, led by Jill Scalamandre and based in New York.
Shiseido Americas commented: “The combined efforts of MATCHCo and Shiseido Group will result in a roll-out and enhancement of a business model that quickly responds to changes in consumer needs and the rapidly growing market.
Expected results include:
・ increasing focus on customisation of cosmetics products;
・ advancing digital technologies aimed at consumer skin measurement and analysis;
・ expanding direct marketing; and,
・ improving consumer marketing by gathering insight through direct contact.
Shiseido is already taking steps to reinforce its Skincare, Makeup, Fragrance and Digital Centers of Excellence (COE). Collaboration among these COEs will take this model beyond its initial category, skin foundation, and further drive business expansion, the group noted.
Shiseido Americas Corporation CEO Marc Rey said: “MATCHCo is a unique company with a transformational technology platform, go-to-market strategy and approach to engaging with consumers. We are very excited to leverage their technology and tools across Shiseido’s brand portfolio and continue to build on their innovation.”
[“Find your perfect match” – Click on the YouTube icon to view customised cosmetics MATCHCo style]
MATCHCo Co-Founder and CEO Dave Gross said: “Shiseido is the perfect platform to increase our product offering and expand our technology. We are honoured to join an organisation that has such a rich heritage of innovation. We look forward to working with our new colleagues in addressing the individual needs of each and every customer in a way never before possible.”
Fellow MATCHCo Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer Andy Howell commented: “Today our MATCHCo customer experiences her own bespoke foundation individually made to match her skin tone from the comfort of her own phone, but this is just the beginning. As part of the Center of Excellence, we look forward to collaborating with the brands in Shiseido’s global portfolio to usher in a new age of personalisation, A.I. for Beauty.”
*Note: Masahiko Uotani was featured in a major interview by Martin Moodie recently. Click here to read.
