Launched: 1997
Founder: Brook Harvey-Taylor
Key Executives:
2024 Full Year Expected Revenue Range: $100 to $125 million
Primary Category: Facial Skincare
Other Categories: Haircare, Fragrance
Primary Distribution Channel: Prestige
Other Distribution Channels: Mass
Funding Rounds: Private Equity
Notable Investors / Funding Partners:
When we launched Pacifica in 1997, there wasn’t a brand that spoke to my core values and hit all the marks: affordable, beautiful, compassionate, vegan, cruelty-free, with effective formulas based on science that used natural ingredients. My husband and I are surfers and the name Pacifica and the visual language we use for the brand were inspired by our love of the ocean and beach life. I grew up on a ranch in Montana, and my experience with animals and nature is also a huge inspiration. A seeker of wellness myself, I apprenticed as an aromatherapist while I was in college. I learned a lot about scents and natural ingredients, and how they impact our mental state and skin. This led me to perfuming. Pacifica’s first products were a collection of seven perfumes. Indie perfumes didn’t exist yet, so we carved out a new category. Taking our brand into other categories was a natural trajectory. When we developed skincare, I was lucky to work with an incredibly innovative cosmetic chemist who was an expert in the formulation, development, and manufacturing of cosmeceutical formulations that used natural ingredients. The time I spent in his lab, learning about ingredients, skin health, and his perspective on science-led formulas, was incredibly formative and is the standard for all of our product development. We continue to meet our customers' needs as we create innovative wellness that is effective, irreverent, affordable, and fun (oh, and it smells good, too).
Insight shared by: Brook Harvey-Taylor, Founder and CEO
What are your key business initiatives for 2024?
One of our key initiatives for 2024 is telling our brand story. Over the past several years we have gained so many new customers, but we no longer talk about who we are. We have been here for 27 years, so now our work is communicating what makes us special. There is a lot more competition now, and it is important that we use our platforms to talk about points of difference. The other is team building and spending more time together live. We have been a fully remote company since 2020, and it continues to be a challenge. Spending time face to face has become a key focus. And, of course, serving our customer in every way remains key. Our customer is the only reason we exist.
What are you most proud of having accomplished?
I am most proud of our longevity. After 27 years, we are still a meaningful brand in a very competitive space, and I am proud of that. I also think we have been an inspiration for a lot of brands, and we really led the charge around being vegan. I am also proud of being fearless around our position on social justice and supporting our customers' human rights as we continue to work with the ACLU.
What has been the biggest surprise?
The shutdown from Covid was the biggest surprise for me, and one of the craziest things I have lived through (I think we would all say the same). Who would have known the impact this would have and the lasting effects. I think we are all still realizing the intensity of this massive change.
What fuels your competitive advantage?
Fearlessness, curiosity, and flexibility are a part of our brand's DNA. This fuels us, whether it is our gritty ways of working quickly, staying customer focused as things constantly change, and embracing new technology in ingredients and communication. When it comes to product, functional fragrance is a key part of our DNA, and scent is always in the top three reasons our customers love us.
Please share your insight on the future of the beauty industry.
From my rose colored glasses, I think that the beauty industry has a bright future. I love the trends in longevity and wellness and the changes in animal cruelty policies as well as the innovation in biocompatible and lab grown ingredients.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
Take time to enjoy the moment and be grateful.
Paying it forward, what advice would you give someone contemplating launching a beauty brand?
This is a hard one. I could talk for hours on this. But I always tell founders to be a brand; don’t worry about creating a company to sell. Create a company that will have longevity and meaning to the consumer for more than five years. Focus on being a BRAND first and foremost.
If you could change one thing in the beauty industry what would it be?
I think that sometimes marketing in beauty preys on people’s fear. Fear of not being good enough or beautiful enough. Fear-based marketing can be so toxic and would be one of the things that I would change. We talk about this a lot as a team. We need to market positively.
