While other brands were busy migrating to digital platforms when the pandemic struck, local beauty company Pili Ani was looking to bringing its products on the global stage.
“For years, we’ve been sprucing up our digital platforms and social media channels. This has helped a lot especially during the lockdowns when shops were indefinitely closed,” said Pili Ani chief executive officer Mary Jane Tan-Ong.
Good planning has helped the brand—which brought to the market the first skin care and beauty products made with pili and elemi oils extracted from pili tree—survive a tumultuous 2020 and even find a way to expand.
When Ong saw the announcement from the Home Shopping Network (HSN) in the US for The Big Find, she knew it was their chance to further extend their reach abroad and connect with consumers in a more dynamic manner, which Mary Jane believes is what’s lacking in the digital sphere.
Pili Ani is already exported to the US and was featured in several programs years ago. “We launched three years ago in Las Vegas at the Cosmoprof Show and got a lot of positive feedback. We met with buyers from HSN, Nordstrom, Credo, Saks Fifth,” recalled Ong.
“The Big Find is the best thing to happen to us this whole pandemic,” she enthused.
She continued, “It is likened to Shark Tank but instead of pitching to investors or mentors, you are talking directly to consumers of Home Shopping Network and QVC. I didn’t think twice about submitting. If they think you are a good fit, you get a golden ticket and move on to the next level.”
On February 24 and 25, Ong and her mother, Rosalina Tan, the founder and the reason behind the utilization of pili and elemi oils in their skincare products, debuted on HSN.
“The HSN experience was really nerve-wracking,” recalled Mary Jane. “We were only given 10 minutes which was a very, very short time to get a new product on the market and explain what it is all about.”
Through the show, they were able to talk about the benefits of pili and elemi oils when incorporated into a daily routine. Both oils are extracted from the “stress-loving” pili tree endemic to the Bicol region. Pili oil comes from the skin of the fruit, while elemi oil is extracted from the bark of the tree.
The combination of the two oils creates a potent blend rich in moisturizing and anti-aging properties.
According to Rosalina, who founded the company simply to educate and support local organic farmers, pili oil was initially used as massage oil (pang-hilot) and even before that, she found “the pili tree was not given much importance, only the fruit was harvested.”
“I discovered the many benefits of pili tree and pili oil which further ignited my passion. I talked to the DOST; they have research but nobody was acting on it,” shared Tan.
In fact, Ong revealed, a famous French company has long been buying elemi resin from the Philippines which it uses in its lifting cream.
Relying mostly on word-of-mouth, Ong said they’re planning to offer branded subscription boxes to promote the pili-based products. “Our promotional efforts is geared toward getting our products straight to the buyers.”
Pili Ani will return to HSN in April.