TheIndustry.beauty Awards Winners' Interview: Adam Reed, founder, Arkive

In this series, TheIndustry.beauty continues to celebrate the achievements of the winning brands from TheIndustry.beauty Awards 2025 through a collection of dedicated interviews.

With the Awards dedicated to 'The Innovators' of the industry, we set out to uncover the forward-thinking strategies behind their success. From our winners, we discover everything from the importance of innovation and the trends influencing the next wave of beauty to the biggest opportunities and challenges facing the sector today.

Arkive Headcare, created by industry-renowned stylist Adam Reed, delivers luxurious haircare solutions that combine effortless styling with deep nourishment. Born from Reed’s passion for innovation and his expertise in hair, the brand focuses on natural ingredients and sustainable practices, promising salon-quality results at-home.

After winning the award for Engagement, Reed shares the strategies Arkive uses to foster customer loyalty and maintain high engagement in a competitive market. He also highlights standout community initiatives that have delivered remarkable results and explains how Arkive continues to strengthen its position as a leader in the industry.

What are the core values that drive Arkive and how are they reflected in the business?

At Arkive Headcare, we’re building and nurturing a community rooted in engagement, connection, and conversation. Central to our ethos is the concept of "Headcare" - the idea that every wash or style offers a moment of reconnection and emotional uplift - and the belief that an authentic, thriving community and self-care are intrinsically linked. This philosophy has fostered a deeply engaged, growing community both online and offline.

What strategies does Arkive employ to maintain customer loyalty and engagement in such a competitive market?

We've prioritised immersive, face-to-face experiences to engage our audience and strengthen in-person connections. For example, we have hosted countryside hikes and charitable supper clubs, enabling our community to physically engage with the brand and our Headcare philosophy. These interactive events, alongside imaginative content partnerships and genuine influencer collaborations, have enhanced Arkive's impact and visibility within both the haircare and wellbeing spaces.

How important is community to Arkive and how do you actively engage with your audience? How effective is this?

As an LGBTQIA+-founded business, Arkive champions inclusivity and diversity as foundational brand values, authentically embedding these principles into our community interactions. This commitment has resonated strongly with our audience, fostering a safe, supportive, and celebratory environment for community members of all identities. By amplifying diverse voices and promoting representation across our communications and initiatives, Arkive encourages genuine conversations and strong community bonds, creating a uniquely inclusive and empowering brand culture.

In 2024, ARKIVE experienced remarkable growth across our social platforms:

• A 519% surge in video views and a 586% increase in reach on TikTok.
• A 116% boost in reach and a 97% rise in content interaction on Instagram.

Both of the above underscore Arkive's success in creating highly engaging, shareable content that has captivated and expanded our community, as well as ARKIVE’s effectiveness in sparking conversations, encouraging audience participation, and cultivating lasting relationships through authentic storytelling and compelling visuals.

Content partnerships and authentic influencer collabs also play a significant role for Arkive. Can you tell us more about your approach to these partnerships and why they’ve been successful for the brand?

Arkive has strategically partnered with platforms such as Marie Claire Beauty Drawer and Odore to drive discovery, brand advocacy, and engagement. Through our partnership with Marie Claire Beauty Drawer, we were able to get our products into the hands of over 2,000 consumers and generate over 700 positive product reviews. Impressively, 64% of these participants chose to join Arkive's CRM database, laying a solid foundation for ongoing engagement and loyalty.

How does Arkive Headcare maintain its position as a leader in the industry? 

Arkive Headcare exemplifies excellence in brand engagement, seamlessly merging innovative digital strategies with genuine, inclusive, and interactive community experiences. With remarkable digital growth, dynamic content strategies, and authentic consumer engagement, Arkive has demonstrated a commitment to creating real-world and digital spaces where people can come together, feel seen, and feel good. Furthermore, our dedication to inclusivity and innovation ensures sustained relevance and resonance with our growing audience. Ultimately, Arkive Headcare not only embodies excellence in community engagement but also sets a benchmark for how beauty brands can meaningfully connect with, involve, and empower their communities.

As the Engagement Award was presented by Revieve, we asked the company why it is crucial for brands and retailers to provide standout, engaging experiences in today’s competitive beauty retail landscape.

In today’s saturated beauty market, offering standout, engaging experiences is no longer optional - it’s essential for relevance and growth. Consumers are more informed, selective, and digitally fluent than ever. They’re not just purchasing products; they’re seeking brands that can deliver personalised guidance, build trust, and reflect their individual values and goals. What sets leading brands apart is their ability to create meaningful, immersive experiences that resonate with each consumer on a personal level. Whether through tailored recommendations, virtual try-ons, or real-time beauty guidance, these experiences foster deeper emotional connection and significantly influence purchasing decisions. In such a fast-moving and emotionally driven category, brands that prioritise personalisation, relevance, and seamless engagement will not only stand out - they’ll build lasting loyalty and future-proof their business.

How does Revieve help brands drive engagement and increase sales through personalised experiences? Tell us about the services you offer. 

Revieve is a global leader in personalised beauty and wellness technology, helping over 150 brands and retailers in 40+ countries deliver smarter, more relevant consumer experiences. Our platform leverages AI, AR, and computer vision to offer highly personalised product recommendations based on selfie analysis, lifestyle inputs, and individual preferences. Our core offerings include:

• AI Skincare, Haircare, and Makeup Advisors.
• True-to-Life Virtual Makeup Try-On.
• Generative AI-powered Shop by Inspiration and Conversational Assistants.
• AI Brand Philosophy, ensuring recommendations align with a brand’s identity.
• BeautyIQ, our proprietary insights engine for zero- and first-party consumer data.

These solutions seamlessly integrate across digital and physical channels - e-commerce, in-store, mobile, and social - allowing brands to engage consumers at every stage of their journey.

How does this benefit both brands and consumers?

For consumers, Revieve creates a guided, personalised journey that replaces confusion with clarity. They receive expert-driven product recommendations tailored to their skin, hair, or beauty goals - without needing to see a professional in person. Whether it’s trying on makeup virtually or building a skincare routine that evolves over time, the experience is empowering, educational, and deeply personal.

For brands, this translates into measurable business outcomes - higher engagement, stronger conversion rates, and increased basket sizes. It also fosters deeper consumer trust and loyalty. Most importantly, brands gain access to real-time, privacy-safe insights that help shape everything from marketing to product development.

The value is mutual: consumers feel understood and supported, and brands build relationships that go beyond transactions.

How does Revieve leverage data and consumer insights to benefit both brands and its services?

While Revieve does not capture or store personal consumer data, it plays a vital role in helping brand and retail partners unlock meaningful insights. Revieve’s platform is powered by zero- and first-party data gathered ethically through user interactions. With over 60 million sessions and 12 million analysed selfies, our BeautyIQ engine offers brands unparalleled insight into consumer behaviour, needs, and trends - without storing or sharing personal data. We analyse over 200+ skin and hair metrics using selfie-based diagnostics, factor in environmental and lifestyle inputs, and deliver insights that inform everything from personalisation logic to inventory optimisation. For example, we know that 81% of Gen Z consumers prioritise ingredient transparency, and 58% engage with selfie-based beauty tools - data that allows brands to refine experiences with precision.

Beyond insights, our AI dynamically adapts in real time - learning from user behaviour and evolving recommendations accordingly. This creates a virtuous cycle of improvement that benefits both the end-user experience and brand performance.

In essence, Revieve turns data into action - responsibly, intelligently, and always with the consumer’s best interest at heart.

TheIndustry.beauty Innovators Awards is back for 2026 to recognise beauty brands and retailers who are pushing boundaries and driving positive change.  

This time, we have a new home: The Nobu Hotel, London Portman Square. We’ve added more categories to celebrate all of the achievements of our beloved beauty industry, including ‘iconic product categories’ as we recognise innovation doesn’t just come from new products.

We’ve also launched a new SUPER EARLY BIRD RATE, letting you save £100 on each entry!

ENTER NOW AND BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE.

For partner and sponsorship opportunities, please contact partnerships@theindustry.beauty for further information.

Supporters of these awards will not only benefit from being associated with supporting leading lights but will also gain from meaningful in-person networking, profile raising, and the positive association gained from supporting innovation.