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13 - 16 February 2024 // Nürnberg, Germany
VIVANESS Newsroom
U are OK: a brand for (self-)aware young people
Young innovative companies pavilion
Melanie Stein from Hamburg is 35, has a young son and has had a natural cosmetics company for one year. U are OK is the name of her brand and sums up what the brand is all about. The marketing expert has spoken to a large number of young people over the last few years and learnt that many of them are really not very interested in the “me too”, “like” and selfie behaviour their peers engage in. They prefer to focus on themselves and the world they live in. And it’s precisely these young people that have become Ms Stein’s target group for U are OK. Her slogans “Be yourself, not your selfie” and “The natural look suits you best” reflect her approach very well.
So how did Ms Stein come to found U are OK? She said: “During my pregnancy, I inevitably found myself thinking a lot about my diet, harmful substances in clothing and also harmful substances in cosmetics, of course. Lots of things changed in my life as a result of that.” After much careful thought and consideration, and many discussions with her partner and friends, she came to the conclusion that a young, modern and vegan natural cosmetics brand for young people aged 13 and over had to be created. A brand that conveyed this message: “You are completely OK just the way you are.”
The company was founded a year ago and has had a website and online store since August. According to the young entrepreneur, it is only down to a “fabulous team” consisting of product developers, graphic designers that her idea has become a reality. Ms Stein and her partner are responsible for the marketing. She said, “It was also important to us not to ignore boys – and to address them not by wagging a finger at them, but by giving them a wink.” She then added, “We want young people to use our products to do something beneficial for themselves and would like our little messages to help them find their place in society.”
The U are OK blog contributes to this and covers a wide range of topics.
U are OK (www.uareok.de) will be one of the exhibitors in the Pavilion for Young Innovative Companies. This pavilion is being supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) and is aimed at newcomers and start-ups based in Germany. 10 companies altogether will be presenting products there in hall 7A at VIVANESS, the International Trade Fair for Natural and Organic Personal Care, (www.vivaness.de), which takes place from 14 to 17 February 2018.