Dr. Miracle's is using direct response print, television, the Web and unconventional advertising wisdom to make a name for itself. And it seems to be working: The Brooklyn, NY company, which markets hair-care products to the African-American community, has grown from $1 million two years ago to $10 million for the just-ended fiscal year.
Dr. Miracle's offers 20 products, mostly through retailers. Its Web site (www.drmiracles.com) is used essentially for promotion, getting feedback on products and selling to customers in remote locations. But president Brian Marks said the firm eventually may do more selling online.
It all began in 2004, when the company launched a DR print campaign in beauty magazines showing women of African descent having a “bad hair day” before using these products and the results afterward. Marks — who started Dr. Miracle's after selling off his former company African Pride Products to Revlon in 1998 — noted that this before-and-after approach is not tried often in the ethnic hair-care market.
Following the print effort an 11-city “bad hair day” tour was conducted in August 2005. Women were invited to show off their hairstyles in front of audiences in local malls to win a chance to be the next “everyday woman” in future print ads, which Dr. Miracle's promoted on its site.
To further broaden its reach, from this past June through the end of August the company ran DRTV spots on BET (Black Entertainment Television).
Marks believes Dr. Miracle's current success may bring its annual revenue up to $35 million.
