SEEN GroupUnder CEO Jane Walsh’s leadership, SEEN Group has grown to represent top beauty brands. The female-led, female-first business stands by a series of commitments around inclusivity, diversity and representation. The agency recently debuted SEEN Community – a proprietary network of nano and microinfluencers within the beauty space – in the US market, solidifying SEEN’s dedication to inclusion and the mantra of “beauty for all.”' SEEN has also tripled team size and client roster over the last several months, as well as expanded digital communication offerings for both US and UK markets to further service global clients. On the client front, SEEN recently launched cult-status brand MONDAY Haircare to the US market, building the successful MONDAY movement via a multi-layered strategy, including paid influencer content and MONDAY Muses Series. The highly successful launch led to MONDAY selling 10 bottles per minute nationwide and full stock sell-out within three months of launch.
Notable long-term clients
Revlon, L'Oreal, Charlotte Tilbury, Pierre Fabre, FENTY, Unilever, TATCHA, Tan Luxe and Isle of Paradise
Recent client wins
BYREDO, L'Oreal Professional, Shiseido Fragrances and Dose & Co.
What are you most proud of as a leader?
Without question, I am most proud of my incredible team of talented, courageous and brilliant women who make up this powerhouse agency. I was super fortunate to be supported by progressive female leadership, returning from maternity leave and continuing to grow my career whilst bringing up a family. Instead of viewing my obligations to my family as a hindrance, which occurs all too often in the workspace, it was seen as a benefit to my working style and my ability to inspire.
As an agency we give pro bono support to The British Beauty Council, which was founded to represent the voices, opinions and needs of the British beauty industry, an industry that over-indexes in female employment, if not leadership. Millie Kendal MBE consistently strives to ensure that the beauty industry is recognized and valued at all levels of government, throughout the wider economy and by consumers. Yet another example of women driving for change in business and using the financial impact of the beauty industry to affect seismic change in the future.
The cynic in me might say that female leaders across the beauty industry are finally getting recognition simply because they actually exist now and numbers make good reading but regardless, this metric still represents the transitioning of old ways of doing business, to new. There's still a long way to go to ensure that the unconscious bias that exists within the industry is continually challenged to eradicate it completely, but it’s an incredible industry to be a part of when so much positive change is being made because of powerful women.
Is there a big industry trend you’re backing in terms of your agency offering, and why do you think this area will continue to grow and influence the PR practice?
Absolutely without question, sustainability is top of mind for SEEN Group. The need for a brand (and we consider SEEN its own brand) to be green today, and beyond green in the future, will become non-negotiable at all levels of the business funnel, starting with design. The consumer is demanding everything from fair and sustainable ingredient sourcing to responsible packaging solutions; a well-treated, well-paid supply chain to responsible and regenerative energy used to create products. We are currently transitioning to a more sustainable model in both US and UK business, which at first seems complex, labor intensive and expensive to some but ultimately green value is good for business.
