I find it interesting how in the Black hair product industry, Blacks used to make and market the bulk of the products, but they don’t any longer. One would think that people of a particular grain of hair would always be able to market and develop best for themselves. But the influx of South Koreans into the Black hair care market has shown that many Blacks in the industry were asleep at the wheel. Now some Blacks accustomed to marketing based on Blacks’ texture of hair, are upset that in some cases people who don’t look like them are now telling them they won’t work with them on selling products to Black people. It’s just an interesting series of events.

Now it seems that another group is starting to gain a foothold in the Black hair care market. Welcome Pakistani Shia Muslim immigrants. It seems to be starting with the very successful efforts of Dr. Ali N. Syed. He is the founder and President of Avlon Industries Incorporated. I first head about Avalon’s KeraCare line of products from a former barber of mine. My old barber sought out what he felt was the best hair care products for his clients and he came up with KeraCare, because of Dr. Syed’s patented formula, that has proven effective on Black hair. Not that I know if my old barber knew who owned Avlon, since he was simply looking for the best care for his customer’s hair. That’s why I liked him as a barber, because he would do all he could to take care of his customer’s hair, beyond simply cutting it and he looked for quality, not race bait. (So I knew he was never going to stir me wrong in the name of playing on my skin tone just to make a buck.) Just the same, it shows that Dr. Syed has found inroads and formulas that Blacks themselves did not develop and patent. It’s just a little amazing that Blacks could do so much in the way of selling each other hair products for so long and still not come up with what some non-Blacks have developed for Blacks in modern times.

In hair salons that specialize in Black hair care (beauty shops and some barber shops), the professional line of Avlon products has various names. From the previously mentioned KeraCare, to Affirm, FiberGuard, MoisturColor and Ferm. All these products have become quite popular in Black beauty shops. It shows that anyone willing can do well for themselves in the market and it is interesting how Blacks themselves are unable to continue capitalizing on most of it.

Dr. Ali N. Syed is encouraging his fellow Shia Muslim associates to make the most of opportunities in America and is pointing out how to be successful in the “ethnic” hair care market. On May 27, 2006, Dr. Syed gave a presentation at the 4th annual Universal Muslim Association of America conference. You can get a copy of his presentation slides here. On one slide he mentions:

International Environment
Example of Ethnic Hair Products

• American Technology of Ethnic products has always been superior to European, African, and South American Products.
• Rest of the world looks to Americans for the leadership role in this segment
• Once a product is successful in the US, it is easily acceptable in rest of the world

His slides also show how he built his company in the Black ethnic hair care market and he’s encouraging other Shia Muslims to build their own businesses. Another of his slides mentions:

Implications for the Shia Professionals

• Start a new Shia-owned Business
• Start a new Shia-owned chain of companies (Mass Production Concept)
• Develop your business into a Multinational Business
• Help others in the community starting or developing their businesses.

You can read more about the Universal Muslim Association of America’s ties to the Bush Administration here.

Another presentation slide shows how Dr. Syed came up with his business strategy. He built it off the failures of others who market to Blacks.

Macro Environment Analysis – Example of Avlon

Various Manufacturers did not provide top quality products to Hairstylists in Ethnic Market

The products’ exclusivity to Hairstylists was not guaranteed because of Manufacturer Greed

This analysis provided Avlon with the formulation of its strategy

Soon I think Blacks will be going to seminars run by non-Blacks, just to figure out how the best market products to Blacks. But I guess the idea of offering the best and standing by your product works no matter the race being marketed to. It’s just interesting to see how it all plays out in the Black hair care industry.