On this week’s edition of #NigerianBrands, I will be talking about the beauty and wellness brand – Arami Essentials.
#NigerianBrands is a bi-weekly series where I share my thoughts concerning Nigerian brands as regards to branding and marketing.
Looking for that Nigerian brand that connects the dots between beauty and wellness? Arami Essentials is that brand.
Through the power of branding and storytelling, they have built a strong brand that Nigerian millennial (myself inclusive) and Gen Z love.
Arami Essentials started in 2016 by its founder, Ore Runsewe. Ore is a Nigerian, who lived most of her life in the UK, but in 2014, decided to move to Nigeria, primarily for the almost compulsory NYSC (National Youth Service Corp) program.
Having moved to Nigeria, she discovered that she couldn’t get her hands on some of the products she used on her skin and hair. It was either they were unavailable or too expensive to afford.
As a result, she discovered natural materials in Nigeria that she could formulate to use on her skin and hair. Being a fan of DIY, Ore DIYed her creams and oils and this was the beginning of what has come to be known as Arami Essentials.
One day, a friend mentioned to Ore that she could actually sell what she mixed to people because they were that good. This was what gave Ore the idea to sell her formulas to people and in 2016, she started Arami Essentials officially.
Who is Arami Essentials?
Arami—which means ‘my body’ in Yoruba—is a beauty and wellness brand that believes in the wellness of the body holistically.
They believe ‘the body is a temple, a sacred place to be treated mindfully, and what touches the skin, seeps within, restoring serenity, purity and balance to the centre of our world’ as mentioned on their website.
Isn’t that thoughtful and beautiful?
They demonstrate these through the products they sell. Their products are handcrafted in Africa, with simple natural ingredients from Africa, giving your body what it needs to stay healthy and glow.
Arami believes in a simple skin care routine and ‘that truly glowing skin comes from a serenity borne out of respect for oneself and the world we inhabit’.
What makes Arami Essential unique?
A lot of things about Arami Essentials stand out to me and below are a few I find interesting:
Their brand story
The story of Arami is a remarkable one. It was born out of the need to get quality, non-toxic and affordable beauty products in Nigeria.
Because of this, Arami sources quality and potent ingredients from Africa, taking a less is more approach when it comes to production of beauty products.
What this means is that, they give you what your body essentially needs to do the work the product is intended to do.
What they stand for
Arami isn’t just another beauty brand but one that advocates love and self-care. Self-care transcends physical care but involves both the mind and soul. Because of this, they focus on wellness.
Eco-friendly
Arami Essentials doesn’t believe in the body alone but also the environment which can affect human health.
Arami recycles their product containers and also gives their customers the opportunity to do so through their recycling program—Arami Earth.
Doing this shows that they back what they believe with action.
Branding
This could have been the first point because you can’t help but notice how their branding stands out.
Going through their website and Instagram page, you feel a certain type of aura that speaks to who they are and what they do.
You’ll notice how Arami is able to show that they are more than just beauty but also wellness. You’ll also notice how peaceful, serene, earthy, simplistic and minimalist their website and Instagram page are.
It also shows in the minimalist packaging of their products that make you feel peaceful, mindful, and is aesthetically pleasing to look at.
Their branding doesn’t only show in their brand pages and packaging but also shows in their delivery.
If you order a product from Arami, it comes in amazing product boxes and with a card known as promise cards.
These cards are simply words of encouragement and it makes you feel uplifted and good generally.
How has Arami Essentials leveraged the power of branding and storytelling?
Apart from their quality and remarkable products, Arami has never failed to always communicate the ethos of their brand.
They have consistently communicated who they are, why they do what they do and their values. They do so in an honest and transparent way.
They have a real purpose and belief that they display, from how they market their products to how they are able to deliver and give back to people.
With great brands, people don’t only buy what you sell but why you sell it.
Arami has shown its audience that it’s more than just a beauty brand but one that prioritizes the wellness of the mind, body and soul.
They have shown this in the following ways;
- their messaging
- the way they deliver their products. They use beautiful packages and leave thoughtful messages through their promise cards.
- how they empathize and help their audience/customers. During the lockdown, they got involved in knowing and understanding their customers by raising conversations about mental health and wellness.
- their actions and in the causes they give to. Arami shows they care about the holistic self and not only physical skin care. They started the Arami Earth program and also support causes that represent what they believe in such as Sanitary Aid for Nigerian Girls Organisation and HelpMum. You can read about it here.
When it comes to building a powerful brand that people love, you need to make your customers feel like they are stakeholders in your company and this is what Arami Essentials does so well.
Arami makes their customers and staff feel as though they belong to the company itself and are listened to.
Customers get to buy into the mission and vision of the company. Little things like being able to choose a fragrance-free product, encouraging them to recycle, sharing user content about their products, having conversations about mental health and wellness, being thoughtful in the little things such as a promise card, all make the customers feel like they belong to something good and bigger.
Another way they make customers feel like they are part of the brand is through their honesty and transparency.
Arami can tell you if a product is good for your skin or not. They know that a product won’t work for everyone and so they educate you about your skin type and help you choose a product that works for your skin, whether it’s oily, dry, combination and sensitive or not.
Another way you see transparency with Arami is in their packaging. Their ingredients are visibly clear, showing there’s nothing to hide.
Because of all these, Arami has been able to build a community of customers that love their brand and it’s products.
Prior to reading and writing about Arami Essentials, I had only heard of them and seen a couple of reviews about their products from people. After reading about them, I truly admire and respect the owner and the way she has built the brand. I plan on getting their products for myself (eager actually) because I believe in what they are doing and I’d like to be a part of it. I’m especially looking forward to those promise cards haha. I love that they are gotten from the Bible, I think that’s awesome.
Have you heard of Arami Essentials prior to now? What do you like about the brand?