David Craggs Tackles Diversion

I was stunned.  In the professional industry we are so “tuned in” to diversion that it’s kind of shocking to meet anyone in the beauty world NOT familiar with the unauthorized sale of products at non-salon retailers. Wow.

The Web and Blog editors assemble in the Theater.

As we filed in to the theater in the Tribeca Grand Hotel in NYC, I realized I was surrounded by 30 web editors and bloggers totally oblivious to our diversion drama. David Craggs, US President of  L’Oreal PPD, greeted us and then presented a seven minute “Anti-diversion Investigative Film”. The mini-movie was done from the perspective of an investigative reporter going in depth and reporting on not just the reasons to buy professional products in a salon, but on the potential hazards on buying outside an authorized retailer.

In this video I was able to talk to David about the "3 Cs."


The event was designed to get these members of the press on board and to address the situation to their readers. Based on the questions and comments after the presentation, it was obvious that the film offered frightening enlightenment to most of those in the audience.

The editors and bloggers were invited after the presentation into a special room to see, touch, feel and ultimately take the real undiverted products under the L’Oreal Professional umbrella.  We were introduced to the PR and Marketing teams working with Matrix, L’Oreal Professionnel, Logics, Pureology, Artec, Mizani, Redken, Kerastase and Shu Uemura Art of Hair products.

Maggie meets with David Craggs.

Shopping all the PPD products.

“We are totally committed to fighting diversion,” David Craggs said to me during our shopping spree. “We’ve developed a secondary coding system that is 100% in tracking products.”  Putting his money where his mouth is, Craggs has cut off diverters and more than $30 million in product sales.

Maggie hits the shopping room and checks out the latest and greatest products.

As the editors and bloggers departed, toting suitcases filled with L’Oreal PPD products, we were asked to sign a “PLEDGE BOARD” signifying OUR commitment and (for most) newfound realization of the diversion problem.

The “Pledge Board.”

Here is David Craggs President’s blog (davidcraggs.com). It’s totally worth a look.