Portraits in Leadership
Jane and Jean Ford
Jane and Jean Ford, twin sisters and founders of Benefit Cosmetics, have propelled the brand into the $200 million global business that it is today. The Fords have created problem-solving products that are easy to use, with packaging that instantly conveys the product “benefit.” They have mastered the knack of injecting their own personality and humor into the brand’s image. Jane and Jean Ford have recently been given Achiever Awards by Cosmetic Executive Women.
The dynamic duo has been able to inspire a loyal, cult-like following all over the United States, since the launch of Benetint in 1976, a smudge-proof, natural-looking liquid blush packaged in a nail polish bottle.
Benefit’s unique products are known for delivering results. The photos and graphics used on the packaging have also helped contribute to the brand’s playful image. “A great package has to withstand the test of time,” says Jean. “It has to have an energy about it, a pulse, and something about it that strikes one’s curiosity,” says Jane.
The company began in 1976, as a 455-sq-ft store called The Face Place in San Francisco’s Mission District. The Fords opened the store with the money they had saved from starring in a series of national commercials for Calgon Bath beads in the late 1970s. “We flipped a coin. That’s how we ended up here. It was between casseroles and cosmetics,” says Jean. They began by selling their own line of products, focusing on using cosmetics in creative ways to solve problems. The Face Place quickly drew loyal customers in droves.
In 1990, the Fords changed the company name to Benefit. “We were about to launch our products in our first big department store, and we needed a name that didn’t sound like a destination,” explains Jane. She was inspired by a trip to Italy. “All I heard was ‘Bene! Bene!’ all the time. I told my sister that I wished we could think of a name like that, and Benefit was born.” In 1996, Benefit launched at Macy’s West. Another milestone was in 1999, when the company formed a partnership with LVMH. Now, Benefit has more than 200 employees nationwide and 50 in its corporate office, still based in San Francisco.
Benefit’s unique package design and marketing approach have set an example for other small companies with unique images. The Fords have proven that customers will still perceive a brand with a humorous image as one that offers serious products that work. Benefit also has a quarterly catalog with an annual circulation of 8 million.
Benefit’s products all have attention-grabbing names, such as Ooh-La-Lift under-eye depuffer and High Brow, which gives eyebrows the appearance of a higher arch. The twins hold product-naming sessions on Thursday afternoons. Unanimous agreement is needed for all new product and shade names. “We try to come up with names that will make people laugh,” says Jean. The name Dr. FeelGood was decided on for Vitamin C Face Balm when a team member tried it and exclaimed, “Whoa, baby, does this feel good!” From there, Jane explains, “We decided that FeelGood was perfect, because that’s what the product does. We added ‘Doctor’ and a vintage, romantic graphic.”
The pair is still carving their destiny one day at a time. “It still feels like a small company to us,” says Jane. Jean agrees, adding, “We were never an overnight success. It’s all about baby steps.”