MODERN EXCLUSIVE: An Update on ABBA Pure Performance Hair Care

ABBA Pure Performance Hair Care, one of the first professional salon brands to feature vegan and gluten-free formulas, was founded in the 1980s by hairdressers and entrepreneurs, Jim Markham and Alan Benfield Bush. Today, the team behind the brand is headed-up by Chief Marketing Officer Austin Baskett and Vice President of Sales Denise Shedrick. They shared an update on ABBA with MODERN SALON.

MS: What’s new about ABBA?

AB: ABBA is under new ownership with an enthusiastic team dedicated to invigorating its pioneering heritage. It was launched over 25 years ago by industry icon and was one of the very first haircare brands to be vegan and sulfate-free, long before those terms became the marketing buzzwords we all now know.  We are getting it back to speed and giving it the attention it deserves. This includes improving the branding, marketing support, delivering better salon promotions, and making sure more consumers are aware of it. We are also launching a new product Spring/Summer 2016.

MS: Do you feel that the hairdresser today is better educated on vegan and gluten-free haircare than when the brand launched, initially?

DS: Both hairdressers and their clients are much more informed about ingredients and formulations than in pre-internet years where information was harder to access. Not only are salon pros and consumers better informed about what it means for haircare to be vegan and gluten-free, they are better educated in general about their health, fitness and nutrition. In today’s market, consumers care as much about what goes on their hair as what goes in their body to feel like they are performing as their best selves.

MS: Is there education behind the relaunch? 

DS: Yes, we currently working on videos and content that will be easily accessible through the new brand’s new website.

MS: Is ABBA seeking further distribution?

AB: Yes! We are looking forward to it and recently partnered with a new distributor in Canada (Artist Choice) to expand the brand’s availability in North America.