“Be curious and never stop asking questions; it is essential to stay relevant and find innovative solutions!”
– Echo Sandburg
Every once in a while, we come across a story that shows us it’s possible to connect the dots looking backward. And if you look for common traits in these stories, you’ll find that the protagonists excelled at marketing what they loved, and had curious minds that kept them
dedicated to their passion.
In every business landscape, awareness and growth lean on the able shoulders of marketing, which takes an idea from those four walls to the streets and into the minds and hands of common people.
While searching for an influential leader in marketing, we came across Echo Sandburg, Chief Brand Officer, CP Skin Health Group who steered her way into the world of marketing from the data-centric world of finance.
Without further ado, let’s have a look at Echo’s story, which spans across multiple industries, driven by inquisitiveness at every turn. She’s a leader that inspires curiosity in everyone she collaborates with, and motivates her team to perform at their best while enjoying the ride.
The Journey – A Curious Mind Ignited
Looking back at her story here’s what she has to say, ‘I started at the company as a finance intern which helped to build my data-driven foundation. I spent the majority of my career at the Colgate-Palmolive division of Hill’s Pet Nutrition, which is the US #1 Veterinarian Recommended pet food brand. Throughout my career at Hill’s, in addition to marketing roles, I held several positions in customer development, which in many ways helped to further refine my marketing skills. Prior to my roles within Skin Health, I was based in the Hong Kong office leading the marketing and eCommerce organizations across ten markets in Asia’
‘Colgate-Palmolive decided to expand their oral and pet health expertise into skin health, and acquired the EltaMD and PCA SKIN professional skincare brands in 2018, and later went on to acquire the French brand Filorga. In 2019, my career took a turn, and I pivoted to join EltaMD based in Dallas, TX, leading the brand globally. EltaMD is the dermatologist #1 recommended, trusted, and personally used professional sunscreen brand in the US, my years of experience at Hill’s really set me up for success in my new role.’
‘In January of 2022, the CP Skin Health Group was created to bring our skin health brands together and leverage synergies across the group. I then moved into my current role as the Chief Brand Officer for CP Skin Health Group US, where I am responsible for building the professional and consumer brand experiences for EltaMD, PCA SKIN & Filorga. In addition to leading the individual brand teams, I oversee education, communications & media, professional trade marketing, and our in-house creative cross-brand teams, to deliver equity-enhancing
growth for the skincare business in the U.S. market,’ she adds.
When Curiosity Drives Passion
Talking about her entry into the skincare industry and what drove her to keep growing and evolving, she says, ‘I became passionate about the field of marketing during undergrad after I took an intro marketing course. So much so that I decided to switch from pursuing a psychology major to pursuing a business major. I love that marketing is focused on people, and in that way, it includes an aspect of psychology in addition to allowing me to utilize my creativity. Skin health has been an interest of mine since I was a teen, so it has been very rewarding working in the category for the past four years. It is a very exciting and competitive category which makes the marketing even more interesting as you work to break through the clutter in the space.’
On a Mission to Protect & Care
Talking about her company’s vision and her journey with them, she explains, ‘Our mission at CP Skin Health is to be a caring, inclusive, innovative growth company that transforms and protects skin health through professionally endorsed skincare that improves people’s lives. We have the vision to lead the prestige skincare industry with scientifically proven advanced skin health solutions that are recommended by professionals, recognized by the scientific community, and chosen by consumers to transform the health and appearance of their skin.’
‘I have had the longest tenure with the EltaMD brand, and during that time the sales revenue has more than doubled in size. We have earned many recognitions, including Fast Company’s 2022 and 2023 “Brands that Matter” awards, WWD’s Beauty Inc. 2022 “Breakthrough Brand of the Year” award, Glossy Beauty Award for “Best Influencer Activation” and countless product awards from skincare industry Powerhouses,’ she further adds.
‘We have embraced relationships with the most trusted sources in skin health, dermatologists, and even established a new National Day of Recognition – National Dermatologist Day – on March 13th of this year to honor the profession. This inaugural event was recently celebrated by ringing the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange,’ she concludes.
Consistently Solution-Oriented
When asked about the challenges she faced during her career and how they became the milestones of her journey, she proudly shares, ‘We are all tested every day from business complexities to personal leadership challenges. While challenges are inevitable, they can be an opportunity for growth. My personal goal is to learn from the obstacles I face and apply those lessons to the future. It is important as a leader to stay calm and strive for a solution when facing difficulty.’
‘COVID-19 was an example of a dramatic change in variables that impacted not only marketing leaders and the skin care industry but the world. In our business, we work with many small brick-and-mortar locations including dermatology offices, medical spas, and day spas. These skin professionals were impacted in different ways, and we needed to pivot our marketing strategies to best support them and their clients’ needs.’
“We also needed to pivot our digital marketing consumer strategies to ensure we were delivering rich content in the places people were looking to consume it, like TikTok and Instagram. Skincare became self-care so we focused on helping people find the best products to meet their individual needs. In addition to content, we provided personalized AI recommendation bots via our brands’ websites, to create a stronger overall experience,’ she concludes.
A Proven Leader’s Advice
Advising young people who are trying to make it into this field Echo says, ‘Be open to evolving to stay relevant in today’s world. Modern marketing is dynamic, especially in this digital world we live in, so it’s important to not remain static.’
‘Let data guide your decisions and approach to your marketing mix, but leave some room in the budget for new tactics and find ways to place informed low-risk bets.’
‘Building a team requires considering the organizational needs now and, in the future, especially in a growth-oriented business in a highly competitive category. The marketing team at CPSH has undergone a lot of changes over the past four years, so I was focused on bringing in the right subject matter experts, assessing cultural fit, and ensuring a diverse point of view to make the whole team better.’
Roadmap For the Future
‘We have endless opportunities at CP Skin Health, so it is critical that we drive the discipline of focus within our organization. There have been so many positives that have come from bringing our brands closer together to learn from one another and build best practices, but a key focus of ours in 2024 is to make our brands easier to sell and recommend, which has become even more important as much of our internal team is working across multiple brands.’
Website: https://www.cpskinhealth.com/
