weCare: Wella India’s Drive Towards COVID support
Wella India, taking into account the fact that the salon industry was among the most affected of industries during the COVID 19 pandemic and hairdressers had to struggle immensely to cope with indefinite lockdowns, limited hours of operations, hygiene concerns and reduced client spending power brought forth a bevy o several programs like ‘Salon Safety Protocols’, ‘Small Salon Reopening Packages’, ‘Sessions With Medical Experts’ and the recently concluded ‘Free Vaccination Drive’.
In line with their core value of care, the company organized a vaccination drive across 5 major cities – Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkata. With this initiative, thousands of got their COVID vaccination dose.
With the tagline – #MakeChange, after the first wave of the COVID pandemic, the company created an ecosystem of safety led business, based on three pillars of Education, Inspiration and Innovation. To begin with, the team organized a curriculum on salon readiness and hygiene, actively educating owners and staff; and helping them stay connected with industry leaders for knowledge-sharing sessions.
Wella also facilitated seamless reopening through innovative digitization and sanitation techniques. As a next step, the stylists were presented with certifications for compliance with safety and hygiene protocols. In fact, the team shared steady guidance for client delight during uncertain times, and insights on creative service upgrades to address the consumers’ changing needs. They also enabled small salons and hairdressers with a host of safety kits and product boxes, to resume operations with a bang.
Mr. Manish Bhagat, GM, Wella Company (Indian Subcontinent) said, “At the Wella Company, we have been committed to make change for the hairdressers’ community and beauty industry as a whole. We recently concluded a massive free vaccination drive across major Indian cities and absorbed the cost as our way of giving back. We have continued to stand with the salon owners and hairdressers during these times.” After the second wave, the company organized an informative session with Dr. Gaurav Desai, to help community members understand the impact of vaccination and steps to take in order to recover from a COVID infection.
Once again, recognizing a need for inspiration, the company organized India’s Biggest Online Hair Color Event as salons started reopening. Through this virtual event, Wella Company offered free training on Illuminage, new age balayage color services developed for the ‘new normal’ lifestyle. The session covered 5 looks and 3 separate techniques, demonstrated by renowned hair stylists Natasha Naegamvala, Elton Steve and Rohan Patel. Over 6,000 hairdressers from across the country came together to learn and witness these Wella Passionistas create magic.