Mama Mio - Supercharged women, supercharged beauty products

Don’t expect sweet talking words from Mama Mio. This beauty company gives it to you straight. If you recognise lizard legs, turkey neck or saggy butt, Mama Mio is for you. Stars like Jennifer Lopez, Rachel Weisz and Victoria Beckham can’t get enough. The good news is that this brand is within the reach of us mere mortals. 

History books will note the major turning point for the four year old company was department store Debenhams stocking Boob Tube, the cream that offers a gorgeous, toned, beautifully textured cleavage. It was stocked in 15 shops nationwide. In July 2009 the Daily Express ran a rave review. Debenhams didn’t sell out overnight – it took just two hours.

“We’re an incredibly selfish brand,” says Sian. “We create the stuff because we need it at the stage of life we’re at.”

“We had a call from head office saying can we have it in all 48 stores immediately,” says Tanya Kazeminy Mackay, the company’s marketing guru and only American of the group.  “It was amazing, sales went stratospheric. It went global; there were calls from India and Africa. We had this massive uplift in sales on the website and we still feel the effects. Over 80% of the women who purchased came back and bought a second Boob Tube.” Not bad going for three friends who started out in business 16 years ago bringing their individual talents to bear on a number of projects all in beauty, design and branding.

It was an aromatherapist who brought Tanya, managing director Sian Sutherland and creative director Kathy Miller together. Since then they’ve won awards and have grown up sharing experiences, passions and the odd margarita. When they had children in their thirties they started developing the pregnancy products they needed, which became their Mio range. “We’re an incredibly selfish brand,” says Sian. “We create the stuff because we need it at the stage of life we’re at. So, 16 years ago we were all about having kids.

Now I’m not thinking pregnancy, I’m thinking about gravity. The pregnancy stage was a good entry point for us, but we received all these calls and emails from women of all different ages and stages. There was an overwhelming feeling of, hang on what about me now?” When Mama joined Mio it already had a devoted clientele eager to keep using their products.

A french woman commented that finding Mama Mio was like finding a sister.

That the products are popular is in no doubt. Why they work is down to a few simple things. It’s a range for women, by women. Not just any women, but ones who really understand what we want. “It was very important how we spoke to people. I think not getting bogged down in the sciency, technical look and having something that made you feel good, made you smile and had a nice mix of colour. We always come back to not wanting to wrap things up in mystery or making things more complicated than they need be,” says Kathy.

All three agree it’s about transparency. As Tanya remarks, “All the actives and what they do are listed on the side panel. You’re spending money on this product, why is it going to make a difference? Ladies, we’re smart, we want to know.” And when it comes to ingredients the ‘formulations are way, way too expensive to have any budget left for advertising’. Their chemist in New Jersey will say, ‘it’s ridiculously expensive, $400 an ounce, you only need to use 1%. Once Sian knows she can use 4% she goes for it. “We want it to work, I want my butt to look better.”

Mama Mio’s unique selling point is the working relationship built on friendship. “I know that what makes us work,” says Tanya enthusiastically, “which is cheesy but true, is that our friendship comes before anything. We’ll never let money get in the way.” Combine that with honesty and you have a winning recipe. The ‘telling it like is’ filters down to the brand, giving it a fresh feel that women relate to. The website isn’t just a selling platform, it’s a direct line to their customers who email in on a regular basis. A french woman commented that finding Mama Mio was like finding a sister. “That’s just a cream in a jar in a box. She’d never met any of us,” says Sian. Online has always been a big part of their business. “It’s 21st century selling,” says Sian, “and we’re a 21st century skin brand.”

The camaraderie propelling the business extends to their fourth partner, Jill Dunk, who handles operations stateside. A new German website ‘is doing really well’. And a big ‘point of validation’ came two years ago when they received emails from ‘a guy called Bob Nielson’ who was interested in them. When they googled him they realised he’d been the force behind brands such as Estée Lauder and Mac. Now he’s chairman and an investor.

The Mama Mio women all knew they wanted to work for themselves. Sian admits to being a ‘serial entrepreneur’ with a Michelin star restaurant among other things in her business past. Tanya’s family are entrepreneurial and she knew she’d work for herself. And Kathy always ‘wanted to be in control’ of what she was doing, rather than being in an ‘anonymous corporation in a grey office’.

Grey is the one thing you wouldn’t level at these three. Their conversation is sprinkled with ohs and ahs, laughter and positivity. Like sisters they occasionally finish off each other sentences, and one thing they agree on is the need to be focused on something enjoyable. “For us we decided this was it, no dabbling. This was where we were going to put all of our work, our effort, and energies. To stay focused on one thing for five years and not be drawn to the glittery baubles on the side – because they always appear don’t they. This has been a completely Zen exercise,” says Tanya.

There’s no doubting the passion they feel oozes into their products. When I say I’ve used the cellulite thigh cream and yes, it really does work, they all lean forward like excited parents. But there’s no cause for concern, this is one baby that’s growing up really well. 

For more information visit  www.mamamio.com

By Michele Nevard