Kriti Sanon Steps Down as Chief Customer Officer of Hyphen: What the Change Means for the Brand and Celebrity-Driven Beauty Businesses

Key Highlights:
Introduction
What Hyphen Said — and What It Didn’t
The Chief Customer Officer Role — Real Responsibilities Behind a Title
Celebrity-Backed Beauty Brands: Typical Governance Models and Precedents
Why A Celebrity Might Step Down from an Executive Title
Implications for Hyphen’s Customers and Retail Partners
How Communication Choices Shape Perception
Potential Legal and Contractual Considerations
Strategic Scenarios: What Might Be Happening Inside Hyphen
How Competitors and the Market Might Respond
Consumer Psychology: Celebrity Association Versus Product Trust
Lessons from Past Transitions in Celebrity Brands
What Hyphen Should Do Next (Recommended Actions)
What This Means for Kriti Sanon’s Public Image and Career
Broader Industry Takeaways for Celebrity-Backed Ventures
What Stakeholders Should Watch Next
Risks and Opportunities for Hyphen’s Market Position
How Investors Evaluate Leadership Changes in Consumer Startups
Scenario Planning: What Could Happen Over the Next 12 Months
The Role of Third-Party Validation in Restoring Trust
How Consumers Can Interpret the Announcement
Final Observations
FAQ

Key Highlights:

Hyphen announced on April 24 that Kriti Sanon is no longer serving as Chief Customer Officer, describing the move as part of a broader “transition” without providing further operational details.
The change raises questions about governance, strategic direction and consumer confidence for the celebrity-backed skincare label; industry patterns show similar transitions often reflect investor demands, professionalization or role redefinition.
How Hyphen manages communications, leadership clarity and product continuity over the coming weeks will determine whether the brand preserves its early momentum or faces reputational and commercial headwinds.

Introduction

Hyphen’s brief social media statement announcing that actor-entrepreneur Kriti Sanon will no longer function as Chief Customer Officer landed with immediate public interest. Launched in 2023 with Sanon closely associated with product positioning and outreach, Hyphen cultivated a high-profile identity that leaned on the actor’s visibility and credibility. The company framed the change as a significant “transition,” offering few operational specifics. That lack of detail leaves a gap filled quickly by speculation, opinion and a range of plausible strategic explanations.

Leadership shifts in celebrity-founded businesses are hardly novel; they often mark a pivot from founder-led storytelling to institutional management. The stakes for Hyphen go beyond an executive title. Consumers, retailers and investors watch such moves closely because founder involvement frequently functions as both brand differentiator and a liability. This article unpacks what Hyphen’s announcement means in practical terms, places the decision within broader industry patterns, examines likely drivers behind the move, and lays out the consequences and recommended next steps for the brand and its leadership.

What Hyphen Said — and What It Didn’t

Hyphen used its official social media handle to disclose the decision on April 24. The post read in part: “This is not a statement we make lightly. After careful study, we believe that this should be addressed honestly. The road ahead represents a tremendous transition. Certain painful but important decisions were taken. With that, we publicly announce that Kriti Sanon is no longer functioning as our Chief Customer Officer.”

The language is deliberate. Words like “transition” and “painful but important decisions” communicate gravity while avoiding specific explanations. The company confirmed the administrative fact but withheld context: no explanation about whether Sanon retains equity, whether she will remain associated as a brand ambassador, whether a successor has been appointed, or whether the move was voluntary, strategic, or driven by external pressure.

Public responses surfaced almost immediately. Fans and industry peers reacted with a mix of surprise, support and curiosity. Entrepreneur Parul Gulati commented, “She was never a customer officer.... She is the brand herself…. 😍 we love @kritisanon way too much,” reflecting a common public perception: celebrity founders are often treated as the living embodiment of the brand.

The absence of granular detail created an information vacuum. When companies do not explain leadership transitions clearly, stakeholders fill that vacuum with speculation. For Hyphen, the short-term consequence is a reputational challenge to manage, along with operational questions about product continuity, customer service and strategic priorities.

The Chief Customer Officer Role — Real Responsibilities Behind a Title

Titles in startups and young consumer brands can vary widely in meaning. “Chief Customer Officer” (CCO) traditionally describes an executive accountable for aligning an organization around the customer. Responsibilities often include:

Owning customer experience strategy across channels (retail, e-commerce, social).
Managing customer relationship management (CRM) systems, loyalty programs and feedback loops.
Coordinating product feature requests and service improvements with product and operations teams.
Representing customer insights at the leadership table to guide product roadmaps and marketing.

In celebrity-led beauty ventures, founders sometimes hold elevated, symbolic titles that blend marketing presence with nominal oversight. A celebrity CCO may function primarily as brand face, lending authenticity and visibility to launches and campaigns, while day-to-day customer operations are handled by professional teams. Conversely, some celebrity founders take deep operational roles—driving product formulation choices, packaging, pricing and community engagement.

Determining how deeply Sanon was embedded in Hyphen’s customer operations requires access to internal structures and workflows Hyphen hasn’t disclosed. Public appearances, campaign involvement, and product endorsements show she served as more than a passive investor. Whether her title corresponded to hands-on customer operations or a strategic ambassadorial role remains unclear.

Celebrity-Backed Beauty Brands: Typical Governance Models and Precedents

The beauty and personal care industry has seen numerous celebrity-founder models. Patterns include:

Full operational founders who remain active (e.g., some independent niche labels).
Founders who serve as public faces while professional teams run the business.
Founders who sell stakes to major players (retailers, strategic investors or corporates) and accept redefined roles.
Founders who return to strictly creative or ambassadorial positions after initial involvement.

Examples that illustrate these patterns:

Kylie Jenner’s early leadership at Kylie Cosmetics gave way to a major stake sale to Coty in 2019. The deal restructured leadership and investor dynamics while preserving brand association.
Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty launched with significant industry partnerships, and while Rihanna stayed publicly associated, corporate partners often manage operational aspects.
Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty has emphasized mental health initiatives tied to its business model, with professional management supporting day-to-day operations while Gomez remains central to brand identity.

Those examples show a spectrum that ranges from continued celebrity control to operational handover. Brands often choose professionalization once growth demands scale, regulatory complexity or investment commitments require deeper institutional governance.

Why A Celebrity Might Step Down from an Executive Title

Several legitimate scenarios could explain a celebrity’s exit from a formal leadership role in a consumer brand:

Investor Pressure and Professionalization As startups attract external capital, investors frequently demand experienced executives to ensure scalable processes, compliance, and predictable growth. Investors may push for leadership roles filled by career managers if they believe that professional operators will better deliver financial returns.
Strategic Repositioning Companies pivot as market data accumulates. A celebrity’s role may shift from executive leadership to creative consultancy or ambassadorial responsibilities to align with a new strategy focused on product credibility, clinical validation or international expansion.
Time and Opportunity Costs Celebrities juggle creative careers, endorsements and personal commitments. A formal executive title can carry obligations that conflict with other ventures, leading the celebrity to step away from daily responsibilities while retaining an ownership stake or advisory role.
Governance and Liability Considerations Executive titles come with fiduciary obligations and legal exposure. Celebrities may choose to reduce legal and financial risk by surrendering executive responsibilities while maintaining brand association.
Performance and Operational Issues If customer metrics, product quality or compliance problems surface, leadership changes often follow. Companies may replace figurehead executives to reassure stakeholders and signal corrective action.
Public Relations and Reputational Strategy Sometimes the optics of a leadership change serve as damage-control or a reset. Rebranding the company’s executive team can be a deliberate signal that the company is maturing or changing course.

Hyphen’s statement signals a weighty transition but does not confirm which of these motivations (or combination) prompted the change. The absence of detail leaves room for multiple interpretations.

Implications for Hyphen’s Customers and Retail Partners

A celebrity founder’s exit from a formal title can produce immediate and longer-term market effects:

Short-term implications

Consumer Uncertainty: Customers who associate product efficacy and trust with the founder’s involvement may pause purchases or seek reassurances.
Social Media Volatility: Conversations and sentiment can swing quickly. Supportive fans may defend the brand, while skeptics amplify concerns.
Retailer Caution: E-commerce platforms and retail partners monitor consumer sentiment and may demand clarity on leadership stability, fulfillment and product quality.

Medium- to long-term implications

Brand Credibility: If Hyphen manages the transition transparently and the product quality remains consistent, credibility can remain intact. Conversely, opacity or operational disruptions may erode trust.
Operational Stability: Retention of customer service staff, supply chain continuity and product availability will determine whether the change influences customer experience materially.
Marketing Focus: With or without Sanon as an operational leader, Hyphen can leverage her continued public association, content collaborations, or new spokespeople to maintain brand momentum.

Brands that navigate founder-level transitions successfully typically address customer concerns proactively—reaffirming quality guarantees, clarifying leadership responsibilities and presenting a credible operational handover.

How Communication Choices Shape Perception

Hyphen’s statement used careful, somewhat somber language. That approach acknowledges seriousness but fails to satisfy early demands for specifics. Communication strategies in these situations follow a trade-off between legal caution and reputational management.

Best practices for communication after a founder role change include:

Immediate reassurance on product availability and quality controls.
Clear explanation of governance: who will handle customer-facing functions, who assumes the CCO responsibilities, and what checks guarantee continuity.
A timeline for future disclosures if certain details cannot be shared immediately for legal or contractual reasons.
A visible continuity plan: showcasing existing teams, leadership bios and operational metrics that reflect stability.

Hyphen’s “transition” language preserves flexibility, but prolonged silence on successor arrangements or Sanon’s ongoing relationship to the brand increases the risk of negative narratives filling the space.

Potential Legal and Contractual Considerations

Leadership changes in a young but public-facing enterprise involve contractual and legal mechanics. Common areas that merit attention:

Equity and vesting

Founders often retain equity with vesting schedules, buyback clauses, or performance-linked conditions. Sanon may hold equity that remains unaffected by title change, or the change could coincide with a reallocation.

Image and licensing rights

Celebrity involvement frequently includes rights to use the celebrity’s likeness in marketing or product names. Contracts can stipulate length, territory and usage conditions, and may allow the brand to continue using the celebrity’s image under certain terms.

Employment and fiduciary duties

Executive roles can impose fiduciary duties to the company and its stakeholders. Relinquishing an executive title can reduce such obligations and legal exposure.

Non-compete and non-disparagement clauses

Contracts may include clauses that restrict either party’s public commentary or future ventures in the same category.

Without access to Hyphen’s incorporation documents and contracts, these points are descriptive rather than definitive. Still, they describe the likely architecture behind how the company and Sanon could formalize a role change.

Strategic Scenarios: What Might Be Happening Inside Hyphen

Based on industry patterns and the language in Hyphen’s statement, plausible internal scenarios include:

Scenario A — Role Reclassification: Sanon shifts from an executive role to a strategic or ambassadorial position. The company retains her as the public face while professional teams assume customer operations.

Scenario B — Operational Leadership Change: Investors or the board appointed a seasoned consumer executive to run customer functions, prompting Sanon’s exit from the formal CCO title.

Scenario C — Ownership Realignment: A capital raise, partnership or partial sale triggered governance changes and role reassignments as part of new investor terms.

Scenario D — Performance-Driven Reset: Customer metrics, supply chain or compliance concerns forced rapid corrective action and executive shake-up.

Each scenario carries distinct implications for communication, continuity and stakeholder confidence. Hyphen’s use of “painful but important decisions” nods toward scenarios involving board-level deliberations, which often arise during investor negotiations or when operational corrections are required.

How Competitors and the Market Might Respond

Competitors will watch Hyphen’s next moves closely. Where a brand relies on celebrity association, rivals may emphasize clinical validation, dermatologist partnerships or price-performance narratives to capture consumers seeking reassurance. Retailers may temporarily shift shelf focus or promotional dollars toward brands with cleaner governance signals.

Hyphen’s opportunity lies in converting attention into trust. The brand can leverage transparency, customer service assurance, third-party endorsements and product efficacy claims to stabilize demand. A well-managed transition can also be a pivot point: repositioning Hyphen from a celebrity-led label to a product-first player with mainstream credibility.

Consumer Psychology: Celebrity Association Versus Product Trust

Consumer behavior in beauty rests on two pillars: emotional connection and rational proof. Celebrity founders provide the emotional hook—aspiration, recognition and story. Product efficacy supplies rational proof—visible results, safety and value.

When a celebrity steps away from an executive title, the emotional anchor shifts and must be replaced or reinforced with rational proof. Brands that survive such transitions do so by preserving one or more of the following:

Ongoing visible association (ambassadorship, campaign appearances).
Robust clinical validation and transparent ingredient claims.
Community testimonials and influencer endorsements independent of the founder.
Consistent retail performance and supply stability.

If Hyphen can present continued product performance and maintain visible endorsement from Sanon or other credible voices, it can offset the diminished emotional anchor of an executive title change.

Lessons from Past Transitions in Celebrity Brands

A few observable lessons emerge from historic transitions in celebrity-led businesses:

Maintain product continuity and availability first. Consumers notice stockouts and inconsistent quality more than titles on a leadership page.
Lead with transparency. Even limited, repeatable updates help manage narrative drift and prevent rumor proliferation.
Reinforce credibility through third-party validation. Dermatologist endorsements, clinical studies and certifications reassure skeptical consumers.
Recast the founder’s role publicly if necessary. Declaring a new, clearly defined role—advisor, creative director, brand ambassador—helps set expectations.
Showcase the professional team. Presenting experienced executives with relevant track records instills confidence among partners and investors.

These steps do not eliminate short-term turbulence but dramatically reduce long-tail reputational costs.

What Hyphen Should Do Next (Recommended Actions)

If Hyphen wants to minimize disruption and preserve brand equity, the company should prioritize the following operational and communications measures:

Publish a clear short statement explaining immediate operational continuity: who is now handling customer experience, and where customers should direct queries.
Reassure customers publicly on product formulation, safety controls, and supply assurance.
If Sanon retains any formal or informal association (equity, ambassadorial role), state it clearly to retain emotional capital.
Introduce or highlight the professional leadership handling day-to-day operations—display bios and track records.
Share a forward-looking brand plan that signals stability: product launches, clinical validations, retail expansion timelines.
Engage proactively with high-value retail partners and distributors to address concerns face-to-face.
Amplify independent validation: dermatologist endorsements, ingredient transparency, and third-party lab reports where applicable.
Monitor social sentiment and respond to misinformation quickly with facts and supporting data.

Effective execution of these measures will determine whether Hyphen’s transition becomes a manageable leadership reconfiguration or spirals into a sustained reputational issue.

What This Means for Kriti Sanon’s Public Image and Career

Stepping away from an executive title does not necessarily reduce a celebrity’s brand equity. Public figures routinely reallocate their time and responsibilities to align with evolving career priorities. Four likely outcomes for Sanon’s public relationship with Hyphen are:

Continued Public Association: She might remain the brand face and creative driver without holding operational responsibilities, preserving visibility while reducing obligations.
Transition to Investor/Advisor: Sanon could retain equity and adopt an advisory role, benefitting financially without daily management duties.
Full Exit: She could divest entirely and focus on acting and other ventures; this would separate her public identity from the brand.
Temporary Retreat: The change could be a short-term pivot while the company reorganizes—Sanon might return to a role with different responsibilities later.

Which outcome occurs depends on contractual arrangements, personal preference and business imperatives. The public response to her role change will follow these developments; a transparent path forward reduces rumor and preserves personal brand value.

Broader Industry Takeaways for Celebrity-Backed Ventures

The shift at Hyphen underscores a broader reality: celebrity cachet drives early attention and trial in consumer categories, but long-term brand health depends on systems, processes and governance. Founders with high-profile visibility must align their personal brand commitments with the operational realities of scaling a consumer business.

Key takeaways for celebrity founders and investors:

Define roles early and make governance clear to investors and consumers.
Plan for professionalization at scale; identify when to recruit career executives.
Preserve public association through clearly defined ambassadorship or creative roles, even if day-to-day operations move to professionals.
Ensure legal agreements around image rights, equity and exit conditions are robust and anticipatory.
Build product credibility beyond celebrity endorsement through validation and third-party proof points.

These practices protect both the brand and the celebrity’s reputation, ensuring a smoother transition when structural changes become necessary.

What Stakeholders Should Watch Next

Several developments will reveal the direction Hyphen has chosen and the seriousness of the change:

Leadership announcements: Identifying who assumes CCO responsibilities or customer operations clarifies governance.
Statements from Kriti Sanon: Any public comments from Sanon about her role will signal whether she remains associated as an ambassador or investor.
Operational continuity indicators: Continued product availability, retail listings and campaign activity indicate stability.
Investor communication: If Hyphen has outside investors, their statements or filings (in jurisdictions where disclosure is required) will indicate whether the change links to funding or ownership realignment.
Regulatory or compliance disclosures: Any product recalls, safety alerts or regulatory interventions would raise different questions about causation.

Observers will interpret these signals to evaluate whether Hyphen’s transition reflects normal growth, a strategic pivot, or deeper governance changes.

Risks and Opportunities for Hyphen’s Market Position

Risk factors

Short-term consumer churn driven by uncertainty about product direction.
Potential retail hesitancy if the brand lacks clear senior leadership.
Negative press cycles amplifying speculation and undermining trust.

Opportunity factors

A professional management team can optimize operations, broaden retail partnerships and accelerate scale.
Repositioning as a product-first brand with clinical validation can win skeptical consumers.
A clarified, ongoing association with Sanon as an ambassador can preserve aspirational appeal while freeing the company to professionalize operations.

Hyphen’s ability to convert ambiguity into a coherent strategic narrative will determine whether risk or opportunity dominates in the coming quarters.

How Investors Evaluate Leadership Changes in Consumer Startups

For investors, founder role changes are data points rather than definitive judgments. Investors evaluate:

The composition of the replacement executive team and their track records.
Continuity of product performance and customer metrics (retention, repurchase rates, NPS).
The financial impact: sales trends, customer acquisition costs and lifetime value shifts.
Legal and contractual risks tied to image rights and equity arrangements.

A transparent, well-executed leadership change that preserves operational momentum typically satisfies investors. Abrupt departures without clear handoffs prompt deeper due diligence and, in some cases, renegotiation of governance terms.

Scenario Planning: What Could Happen Over the Next 12 Months

Near-term (0–3 months)

Hyphen clarifies operational responsibility and reassures customers. Sanon either issues a supportive statement or remains publicly quiet, depending on contractual constraints.

Medium-term (3–9 months)

Hyphen might roll out a product roadmap emphasizing clinical claims, new partnerships or retail expansions to pivot the narrative toward product credibility.

Long-term (9–12+ months)

Depending on performance and investor appetite, Hyphen could attract further capital, engage in a strategic partnership, or experience leadership stabilization under professional management.

Each path requires consistent communication, operational rigor and attention to customer sentiment.

The Role of Third-Party Validation in Restoring Trust

When celebrity association shifts, third-party validation becomes essential. Hyphen can strengthen trust by:

Publishing clinical study results and safety testing.
Securing endorsements from dermatologists and skincare professionals.
Displaying ingredient transparency and manufacturing standards.
Leveraging independent reviews and consumer testimonials.

This third-party evidence often carries more weight with skeptical consumers than celebrity endorsement alone.

How Consumers Can Interpret the Announcement

Consumers should evaluate the announcement on two fronts:

Product Experience: Has anything changed in product formulation, availability or safety? If not, continuity on shelves and in e-commerce stores is a strong signal.
Brand Future: Will the brand continue to use Sanon in campaigns or shift to new spokespeople? Ongoing visible association suggests continuity of brand personality.

Prudent shoppers will watch for official follow-ups from Hyphen clarifying both areas. Until then, consumer behavior will reflect individual loyalty thresholds and risk tolerance.

Final Observations

Hyphen’s move to remove Kriti Sanon from the formal CCO role is a turning point that invites scrutiny. The company’s language indicates a serious and possibly complex internal recalibration. Whether that recalibration produces improved operational strength or prolonged uncertainty depends on the speed and clarity of Hyphen’s next steps.

Celebrities and investors often navigate these transitions differently, but one constant holds: brand health depends on consistent product performance and effective communication. Hyphen can preserve the value of its early momentum by combining transparent governance, operational continuity and renewed focus on product credibility. The company’s handling of this moment will serve as a case study for how celebrity-founded beauty brands evolve from launch-era glamor to institutionally scaled enterprises.

FAQ

Q: Did Kriti Sanon leave Hyphen entirely, or did she only step down from the CCO title? A: Hyphen’s statement confirmed Kriti Sanon is no longer functioning as Chief Customer Officer but did not clarify whether she retains equity, an advisory role, or continues as a brand ambassador. The company has not released further operational details.

Q: What reasons did Hyphen give for the leadership change? A: The brand described the move as part of a “transition” and referenced “painful but important decisions.” The statement did not provide specific reasons or context for the change.

Q: How common is it for celebrity founders to give up executive titles? A: It is common. Celebrity founders often assume public-facing roles initially, then transition to ambassadorial or advisory positions as the company scales or as investor expectations evolve. Professional managers frequently replace celebrity founders in operational roles to support growth and governance needs.

Q: Will Hyphen remain available in stores and online after this announcement? A: There has been no public indication of product discontinuation. In general, product availability depends on supply chain and retail agreements; consumers should check Hyphen’s official channels and retail partners for current availability updates.

Q: Could this leadership change affect product quality? A: A change in title does not inherently alter product formulation. Product quality depends on manufacturing, quality controls and ingredient sourcing. Hyphen could reassure consumers by publicly reiterating testing protocols or third-party validations.

Q: How should Hyphen respond publicly to minimize damage? A: Hyphen should clearly communicate who will manage customer functions, reassure customers about product continuity, and disclose any ongoing relationship with Kriti Sanon. Highlighting professional leadership, clinical validation, and operational continuity will help stabilize sentiment.

Q: What signs should customers and investors watch for next? A: Look for leadership announcements specifying responsibilities, clarifications from Kriti Sanon about her association with the brand, continued product availability, third-party endorsements or clinical data, and any investor communications that might indicate changes in ownership or strategy.

Q: Could this indicate financial trouble at Hyphen? A: Not necessarily. Leadership shifts can reflect strategic repositioning, investor-driven professionalization or personal choices by the celebrity. Only additional disclosures about financials or investor activity would substantiate claims of financial distress.

Q: If I’m a customer who likes Hyphen’s products, should I be worried? A: If you value product performance and have not observed changes in quality or availability, there is no immediate reason to worry. Monitor official updates for clarity on leadership and product assurances. If you rely heavily on a founder’s personal involvement as a credibility indicator, watch for continued association via campaigns or endorsements.

Q: How do similar transitions affect a celebrity’s personal brand? A: Outcomes vary. Celebrities who manage transitions transparently and retain clear public association often preserve their personal brand. Those who sever ties abruptly without clarification can face negative speculation. Maintaining consistent messaging and visible support for the brand—or clearly communicating a strategic exit—protects personal reputation.

Q: Where can I find official updates about Hyphen and Kriti Sanon’s role? A: Official updates will likely appear on Hyphen’s social media, press releases, and potentially interviews or statements from Kriti Sanon. Reputable news outlets and Hyphen’s retailer partners may also publish follow-up information.

Q: Are there regulatory implications for a leadership change in a skincare company? A: Leadership changes themselves are not regulatory issues, but skincare companies operate within regulatory frameworks that govern product safety, labeling and claims. Any operational changes that affect manufacturing or claims could attract regulatory scrutiny if they alter compliance status.

Q: What lessons should future celebrity founders take from this? A: Define roles and governance early, plan for professionalization as you scale, secure robust contracts for image and equity rights, prepare transparent communication strategies for leadership changes, and prioritize product credibility through scientific validation.

Q: Will this news affect Hyphen’s retail partners? A: Retail partners will monitor the situation and may seek assurances about supply, product quality and marketing support. Strong, proactive outreach by Hyphen to retailers will mitigate partner concerns.

Q: How long do such transitions typically take to stabilize? A: Stabilization timelines vary. Clear communication and operational continuity can limit turbulence to weeks. If legal, investor, or operational complexities exist, stabilization may take several months.

Q: Could this lead to Hyphen being acquired or merging with another company? A: Leadership changes sometimes accompany strategic discussions with investors or partners, but no evidence currently suggests acquisition talks. Future consolidation depends on performance, investor appetite and strategic fit with potential partners.

Q: If I’m an investor in a celebrity-led brand, what should I do now? A: Seek clarity from management about continuity plans, leadership appointments, and customer metrics. Assess the replacement leadership’s experience and evaluate whether the company’s strategic roadmap remains intact.

Q: How can Hyphen reassure customers who are skeptical about celebrity-led products? A: Provide clinical validation, transparent ingredient information, third-party endorsements, customer testimonials, and visible professional leadership committed to product quality.

Q: Where can I learn more about governance practices for consumer startups? A: Look for resources on startup governance, board responsibilities and consumer-brand scaling from reputable business schools, investor associations, and industry trade groups specializing in cosmetics and consumer packaged goods.