New Look, New Functionality And Free Trial Period For Uplink In Anticipation Of Uplink Live
Beauty Independent has launched a new version of Uplink, its digital marketplace of solution providers.
Uplink will be free for visitors to the indie beauty publication’s website to use during a trial period that will extend through Uplink Live, an expo showcasing solution providers that’s a companion to Indie Beauty Expo, which will be held New York from Aug. 21 to 22. The Uplink web portal contains a new look that corresponds with Uplink Live and incorporates updated functionality. The changes are the result of a year’s worth of feedback from solution providers and brands, and make connecting brands with trusted solution providers easier.
“Innovation in beauty is powered by contract manufacturers and service providers adapting and developing new business models,” says Indie Beauty Media Group co-founder and Beauty Independent publisher Nader Naeymi-Rad. “The ideas start with the brands, but it’s more clear every day that, as indie beauty gains more market share and brands develop larger retail partnerships, they need increasingly more robust support systems. That’s why we’re excited about developing Uplink and Uplink Live. Because of the level of demand and interest, it’s a project that just keeps growing.”
The newest iteration of Uplink has enhancements that better inform the user and help communicate the capabilities of solution providers. They include:
- Tutorials: Pop-up tutorials guide users through the search process and explain new search tools.
- Content: A content carousel on the home page displays news about offers from Uplink Live exhibitors, featured vendors and new additions to the directory.
- Referrals: Uplink’s new referral program allows brands to recommend potential new Verified Vendors or Uplink Live exhibitors and vice versa.
Verified Vendors are at the core of Uplink. They are the dozens of trusted, indie-attuned solution providers that have undergone the three-step process of verification (supplying deliverables available for small brands, references and proper company contacts). Verified Vendors appear at the top of the main directory—a comprehensive listing of all the service companies in Uplink—and each category directory (i.e., Product Manufacturing). Uplink Live exhibitors are also identified so attendees can plan their coverage of the show floor.
In addition, all deliverables (the types of work performed), areas of expertise (Focus), and locations can be both sorted (in the directory view) and filtered via drop-down menus. Subscribers to Beauty Independent enjoy the additional services of Uplink Request—issuing a digital work proposal to qualified Verified Vendors—and Buying Guides.
“I wish I had this type of resource available when I started my brand,” says Jillian Wright, co-founder of Indie Beauty Media Group. Wright is leading outreach for the development of Uplink Link. “We’ve created a tool for brand founders to identify and find services seamlessly. It would have saved me many hours of research, heartache and do-overs. A vetted list of companies that particularly want to work with indie brands saves time and money; it is a game-changer.”
With curated tours and live presentations, Uplink Live also places a heavy emphasis on communication and guidance. “It’s so important to learn about new products and services and keep up with the competition. Uplink and Uplink Live speed the process,” says Wright. “We are facilitating these relationships by bringing in companies to meet brands and create deeper connections about pain-points and obstacles on the path to success.”
The Uplink free trial is designed to bring maximum awareness to the myriad options available to today’s brands from Verified Vendors and Uplink Live exhibitors. Beauty Independent web visitors will find updates about new exhibitors, Verified Vendors and the Uplink Live presentation schedule posted regularly through show week.
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