| Type | Privately held |
|---|---|
| Industry | hair styling |
| Founded | 2001 |
| Founder(s) | Martin Penny, Gary Douglas and Robert Powls |
| Headquarters | Bridgewater Place, Leeds , United Kingdom |
| Revenue | ₤50,360,000 (2006) |
| Net income | ₤9,600,000 (2006) |
| Parent | Jemella Group |
| Website | http://www.ghdhair.com/ |
Good Hair Day, commonly referred to as ghd, is a manufacturer of hair care products. It is based in Leeds, UK.[1][2][3]
Contents |
The company was founded in January 2001 [4] by Martin Penny, Gary Douglas and Robert Powls, who collaborated to purchase the rights to produce a particular style of hair straightening iron from a South Korean inventor.[5]
The company initially sold its own products exclusively through hair salons.[5] In the first two years, the company did no advertising. By the end of their second year, revenues for the business stood at £12million, against a forecast of between £3million and £4million.[5]
In 2004, the company entered the North American market, with total worldwide sales generating £37million in revenue.[4]
In 2006, the Jemella Group, which owned the ghd brand, was bought by Lloyds Development Capita for £55m.[6] It was sold on just 11 months later to Montagu Private Equity for £160million.[7]
ghd claimed not to have undertaken any advertising in the first two years of operation, instead relying on the recommendations of the salons that sold the brand’s products and word of mouth.[5]
In 2003, the company launched its first televised advertising campaign, becoming the sponsor of British reality TV show The Salon.[4] The company has also featured prominently on Australia’s Next Top Model.[4]
In 2008, a series of television advertisements for ghd were banned by the Advertising Standards Authority, who deemed that they could be offensive to Christians.[8]
The brand has attracted endorsements from celebrities, with Victoria Beckham, Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jennifer Aniston users of ghd products.[6]
Since 2004, ghd has raised approximately £2.5million for the Breakthrough Breast Cancer charity.[9] The company produces a limited edition pink hair iron every year, with £10 of the sale price being donated in support the charity.[10]