amika Reveals 2020 Charitable & Community Support Efforts
Here’s How amika Is Supporting Stylists, Charities & Community In 2020
amika, the Brooklyn-based haircare brand, has launched and maintained a series of charitable initiatives to support its community in 2020. Through various programs established and sustained during the COVID-19 pandemic, amika has strategized several ways to assist the stylist and healthcare communities while maintaining its longstanding involvement with HairToStay, a nonprofit focused on aiding cancer patients with hair loss, and launching a customer recycling program in Fall 2020, supported by their new partnership with TerraCycle®.
The brand has also taken measures toward the Black Lives Matter movement, not only through monetary donations, but with multiple internal and external initiatives. Keep reading for a complete breakdown of amika’s initiatives and support efforts!
The Brand’s Ongoing Commitment To Inclusivity & Diversity
From its inception, amika has maintained the importance of inclusivity and diversity. However, the brand also recognizes the crucial need for continued development and unequivocally states that Black lives matter. amika takes responsibility for not only internal diversity as a company, but also externally—whether that’s in the creative assets the brand shares, partnering with Black-owned creators and businesses among other factors. The brand has also hired a diversity consultant to review its processes.
Additionally, amika pledged to donate $25,000 in 2020 to organizations that uplift the BIPOC community. Its first donation was made towards the Know Your Rights Camp. This organization’s mission is to, “advance the liberation and well-being of Black and Brown communities through education, self-empowerment, mass-mobilization and the creation of new systems that elevate the next generation of change leaders.” The brand has committed to making consistent donations to organizations dedicated to supporting the BIPOC community in 2021 and beyond.
“While we are proud of who we have been, the Black Lives Matter movement has given us pause to truly reflect on how we can improve our industry and continue developing as a company when it comes to inequality and systemic racism. Everyone in the organization can play a role in fulfilling the commitments we have made, and the passionate energy from our staff around this subject is propelling us further, faster,” states Chelsea Riggs, amika’s Brand President.
“We’re holding ourselves accountable by tracking and reporting bi-annually on our progress for full transparency internally and externally. The name amika means friend in the Esperanto language, which is rooted in our belief in the power of community and the beauty of diversity. Even as our company has experienced hardships due to COVID-19, we are still committed to supporting our community in difficult times and coming together to rise above.”
How amika Is Supporting Stylists During COVID-19
In its time of need, amika additionally looked within its salon community during the COVID-19 pandemic to see how it could offer its assistance. Here’s what they’re doing to help:
1. Affiliate Programs & Commission Sales Opportunities
As salons were shutting down during the 2020 quarantine, amika was immediately able to aid its stylist network with its comprehensive affiliate program that allows hairstylists to capture commission on client sales. Hairstylists are able to register on the amika website and receive a personalized link to shop loveamika.com that can be shared with their network. Stylists earn 40 percent of every order placed through their unique link. These purchases are fulfilled through amika’s warehouse and sent directly to their customers. As loyal clients look to find ways to support their stylists through the pandemic, this program has the ability to provide stylists additional income and, for some, a significant opportunity of revenue while they are unable to work.
The amika stylist affiliate program launched in 2019 with a 20 percent commission incentive, which increased to 40 percent in March 2020 to meet the needs of stylists through this crisis. The increased commission will be provided until the end of 2020. The program’s registration increased 12,400 percent over the previous year and continues to grow. To date, amika has provided over $90,000 in commission to stylists in 2020, with a projection of $250,000 by end of year.
2. Salon Stimulus Package
To help salons across the nation as they begin the process of re-opening, amika has created a salon stimulus package for amika network salons. Approximately 3,500 salons will receive packages full of products and educational support free of charge to help ease the transition and alleviate competing cash demands upon reopening. In addition to gratis wash and styling essentials, aligned with the brand’s message of being a friend to all, amika will include an array of lifestyle and self-care elements to surprise and delight their salon partners during this time. amika estimates that it will provide $800,000 worth of support to its stylist community through this initiative in 2020.
3. Hosting An Online Sale In Support Of The PBA COVID-19 Relief Fund
“Supporting the hairdresser community, which has deeply supported us over the years, has been a core priority since the service industry has been disproportionately affected in this crisis,” shares Chelsea. amika has also been utilizing its e-commerce platform for promotions and sales that benefit industry charitable organizations. In May 2020, amika hosted a sale on its website for 20 percent off all purchases with an additional 5 percent of total sale revenue donated to the Professional Beauty Association (PBA)’s COVID-19 Relief Fund in support of hairstylists and salons.
The fund was designed to help assist licensed beauty professionals who have not been able to work or are experiencing financial hardships due to the COVID-19 outbreak by providing emergency aid for short-term, immediate needs. Through this web sale, amika donated approximately $50,000 toward the PBA COVID-19 Relief Fund.
How amika is Supporting Their Long-Term Charity Partnership With HairToStay
amika additionally plans to donate an estimated $120,000 throughout 2020 to HairToStay, its long-term charity partner. HairToStay is a nonprofit organization that aims to increase awareness for scalp-cooling technology—a system that works to prevent hair loss during chemotherapy—and provides financial aid for cancer patients to receive this hair-saving treatment. In 2018, amika began an ongoing initiative to donate 1 percent of all e-commerce sales from its website to HairToStay and will be launching a limited-edition version of its global best-seller, Perk Up Dry Shampoo, in September 2020 to support HairToStay, with $2 from every purchase going towards their mission.
Here’s What amika Is Doing To Uplift Healthcare Workers During COVID-19
While recognizing the devastating impact of COVID-19 on the stylist community, amika also initiated a program to uplift medical workers on the frontlines of the pandemic and has provided product donations to healthcare workers across the country. Beginning in April 2020, amika donated its Normcore Signature Shampoo and Conditioner as well as Soulfood Nourishing Mask to medical professionals actively treating COVID-19 patients with the hope it offered a small moment of joy in their care routine as healthcare workers are required to wash their hair every day.
The brand learned that shampoo and conditioner were requested donation items from hospitals, and its Soulfood Nourishing Mask works to mend damaged hair. Through this program, $44,000 in product donations have been sent. Furthermore, amika extended a discount code to healthcare workers (registered through the amika website) for a 40 percent discount on amika wash products on loveamika.com.
How amika Is Working To Reduce Environmental Impact
The brand is additionally taking proactive steps towards reducing its environmental impact, most notably through launching its recycling-focused partnership with TerraCycle. TerraCycle is an innovative waste management company with a mission to eliminate the idea of waste. Operating nationally across 21 countries, TerraCycle partners with leading consumer product companies, retailers and cities to recycle products and packages that would otherwise end up being landfilled or incinerated.
In addition, TerraCycle works with leading consumer product companies to integrate hard to recycle waste streams, such as ocean plastic, into their products and packaging. Customers will be able to send their empty plastic and glass amika packaging, along with complex closures such as caps, pumps and sprays, directly to the TerraCycle recycling facilities using prepaid shipping labels available through the TerraCycle website upon registration. This partnership is set to launch in Fall 2020.
For more information, visit loveamika.com.
