Savoring Simplicity: Consumers’ Shift Toward Authenticity and the Effect on Skin-Care Habits Liz Grubow and Valerie Jacobs discuss the short- and long-term effects of the current economic downturn on the skin-care industry.
		In the April 2009 issue of GCI, Liz Grubow, vice president/group creative director of LPK Beauty, and Valerie Jacobs, group creative director of LPK Trends, investigate the opportunities for skin-care brands to strengthen their presence in the recession-era marketplace with products that offer authentic and lasting value to consumers. Trusted brands, such as Olay, are introducing luxury-quality products to the market with innovative offerings like the new Professional Pro-X line. Global Cosmetic Industry (GCI) magazine is a business and marketing magazine for the cosmetics, fragrance and personal care industry.
		About Liz Grubow Liz Grubow is vice president, group creative director of the LPK Beauty Group. Throughout her 20+-year career, she has led brand identity programs for the world’s leading beauty brands including Pantene, Olay, Max Factor International and Cover Girl. Intimate involvement with these brands has afforded Ms. Grubow the opportunity to work in and travel frequently to Europe, Asia and Latin America. Ms. Grubow often lectures and consults on regional and global branding issues in the categories of skin care, hair care and beauty care in North America and abroad. Ms. Grubow also frequently authors articles for the Design Management Journal and Global Cosmetics Industry Magazine. Ms. Grubow has been recognized internationally by the prestigious London International Advertising Awards for Design and has been bestowed with the Procter & Gamble CEO Design Award. She has also been named a CLIO finalist and a finalist for the DESI Award at the New York Art Directors Show. Ms. Grubow, whose first language is Russian, has lived in the U.S. and Europe. She is the design director of the Cincinnati Opera and has donated her design talent to many other cultural and civic organizations, and has been recognized with over two-dozen design awards for her ongoing contributions to these organizations.
		About Valerie Jacobs Valerie Jacobs, vice president, group director of trends at LPK, is a seasoned design forecaster focusing on the development of trend analysis for LPK client brands. Ms. Jacobs’ strategic approach includes research, analysis and translation of trend data into actionable strategies as they relate to design for consumerbrand initiatives. In addition to her 15 years in the marketing communications and design fields, Ms. Jacobs has been an assistant professor at the University of Cincinnati College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning since 2001. In her coursework, she facilitates the learning of complex ideas in the areas of trend forecasting, branding and product development. Ms. Jacobs is often called upon to present her provocative thinking to industry and academic audiences at Clemson University, In-Store Marketing Institute, IDSA (Industrial Designers Society of America), among others. She is sought after for her thought leadership by industry and business media alike. She has authored white papers for the Design Management Institute, Innovation Magazine and Interactions Magazine, and is often quoted in Shelf Impact!, Retail Touchpoints and Global Cosmetics Industry magazine. Ms. Jacobs has a Master’s of Design in fashion design and product development from the University of Cincinnati College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning and holds a Bachelor of Science from Birmingham-Southern College, Birmingham, Alabama.
		About LPK LPK is an international design agency where remarkable people Build Leadership Brands. By integrating strategy, design and innovation, LPK leverages relevant consumer, shopper and market insights to create value, sustain leadership and transform businesses. The agency’s portfolio of category-leading brands and long-term client relationships attracts some of the best and brightest creative minds in the world. LPK’s combination of strategic skills, creative disciplines and cross-cultural perspectives results in brand-building innovation across media, geography and time. With a presence in North America, Europe and Asia, LPK is the world’s largest employee-owned brand design agency. LPK has developed and managed brand design franchises for some of the world’s most successful businesses, including Gillette, Pampers, Olay, 3M, Jim Beam, IBM, Hershey, Coleman, U.S. Bank, AT&T, Kellogg, Novartis, Samsung, PepsiCo, and Kraft Foods. LPK’s independent spirit champions a vibrant creative culture, recognized by The Wall Street Journal as a “Winning Workplace” and described by HOW Magazine as “one of the largest and most influential branding agencies on the planet.” Contact: www.lpk.com.