The Interview: Ella & Jo on creating functional and fun products as it targets global growth

Ella & Jo was created by makeup artist Charlene Flanagan and skin therapist Niamh Ryan in 2017. It came to life in Ireland after the co-founders noticed a gap in the market for functional and fun products that made the everyday lives of women easier, whilst delivering amazing results.

In this interview with TheIndustry.beauty, Flanagan and Ryan speak about the inspiration behind the brand, its expansion and growth plans, the importance of connecting with your community as founders, and what has worked well and not so well for the business so far. 

What inspired you to launch Ella & Jo?

NR: We were inspired to launch Ella & Jo from a genuine consumer need and a gap in the market - we were talking to customers about how often they cleaned their makeup brushes as part of their skincare maintenance and routine and the answer was next to never. We tried to find someone doing this well in the market - cleaning brushes quickly and easily and ready for use again - and there just wasn't anything on the market that was delivering, so we decided to create something. As busy working mums, the range started from the ground up, creating innovative solutions to pain points in our customers busy days.

Can you tell me about your product range and how this developed since launch?

NR: We now have an impressive 20 products in the range. It started out by creating innovative solutions to everyday problems for our customers and has evolved into a core skincare collection that creates moments of wellness and joy in our customers busy day. We put her back on the top of her to do list and make skincare enjoyable again.

How do you decide what new products to launch?

NR: We are always consumer focused - what does she not do that is a pain point? For example, evening cleansing - she was too busy and tired at the end of the day, so we created and enjoyable experience for her. This first step cleansing means she will do her next step and next step and will get the skincare results she wants while she enjoys the process. We don't create products for products sake; it has to have a key pain point for her or a moment to create an incredible experience.

Already available at Boots, are there plans to expand to other big retailers?

CF: We have lots of exciting news coming soon! We have no interest in being everywhere, but we are in discussion with some super retail partners. The right fit is so important for us. We are such an experiential brand - we want customers to be able to touch, feel and experience the brand, so that is really important to us when deciding who to work with in a new market.

How effective is third-party retail for Ella & Jo, compared to your own website?

CF: We work really well with our partners and the key for us is both parties offering something unique for the customer, such as GWP, samples, or loyalty programmes. There is a right for everyone and it’s about bringing our brand to where our core customer shops and making her experience as enjoyable and as stress-free as possible.

How do you feel about the brand’s progression since launch?

CF: We are over the moon with what we have achieved over the last number of years. We currently ship to over 50 countries worldwide organically without spending money on marketing and advertising in those markets. The product quality speaks for itself, and we have huge support from our community across the world, which is amazing. Winning incredible brand awards like the Best Brand in Ireland 2023 & Best New Prestige Brand UK 2024, as well as multiple brand awards for individual product quality, has also helped massively.

Can you tell me about how you’ve grown the business? 

NR: Start small, think big, scale quickly. We have a very different approach to growth market by market - we have incredible engagement online and super PR and organic engagement online in our core markets in Ireland and the UK. We also have an incredible community that supports our new product launches consistently! We are so fussy about the products that we launch, they have to be outstanding in their field and deliver exceptional results. People will recommend us to their family and friends time and time again and that's the real win for us.

What else has been effective for the brand?

CF: Organic growth - deep customer engagement and listening to the market region by region. We have had some incredible support since we launched. In particular, we have found in person events incredible for brand engagement. Our pop-up on London's Oxford Street in Q4 last year was a super learning for us.

What maybe hasn’t worked so well - and what have you learnt from that?

NR: Big trade shows and fairs can be hit and miss in terms of the depth of conversations. The follow-up is key and you need to have the energy and team post fair to engage.

As founders, you really make an effort to connect with your community (for example, frequently appearing on social media for the brand). Why is this?

CF: We love hearing from and engaging with our customers - we learn more in those engagement pieces than we ever do sitting at a desk. It’s easy to get lost in emails and meetings on a week-to-week basis and forget we are always talking to one woman choosing us time and time again as her cleanser, day cream, nourishing night oil of choice - and understanding why she chooses us is so important. We get incredible energy from our community, and they remind us on a daily basis why we started.

What are your ambitions for Ella & Jo going forwards?

NR: Global growth. We have our eyes firmly on looking at creating long lasting, engaging customer experiences by working with the right retail partners in each key market for the next three to five years. We love what we do, we love our products and the experiences they create, and we want to share that with the world!