9 minute read
Interview with Eelco Keune
How it all started
Eelco (48): “It all started in 1922 with my grandfather, Jan Keune, who had a drugstore at Oudezijds Voorburgwal in Amsterdam. He was a chemist, an army barber and, in 1923, the first European to make perm lotion. He took on three sales reps for the North, Center and South of the Netherlands. We now operate in almost 100 countries, all driven by my father’s commitment to continuing to grow and expand the company. So it started with the passion for making something that didn’t yet exist, for giving barbers what they need. A hundred years have since passed, but we see ourselves as ‘a start-up with a 100 years of experience’. And we’re still not resting on our laurels, even after all that time. My father’s favourite quote is: ‘it’s only the beginning’. To me, that’s remarkable coming from a man who is now 92 and is still working after a 70-year career.”
Ode to my grandfather
“Since we felt that barbers deserved their own line, we launched ‘1922 by J.M. Keune’. We’ve taken the time to include grooming, meaning not only hair care, but also beard care. We created the men’s line ‘1922 by J.M. Keune’ as an ode to my grandfather.”
Strong belief in entrepreneurship
About his support for BarberSociety, Eelco explains: “You took a risk with the event, but your belief in it was tangible. And we believe in entrepreneurs with good ideas. That is why we gave you our support. It’s quite something that you’re now celebrating your 5th anniversary. For the first few years, we were an anonymous sponsor whilst still working on our men’s care line 1922 by J.M. Keune. We didn’t need anything in return at the time. But we became so close that you asked us to help refugees on Lesbos, Greece, by setting up a barbershop in the refugee camp and giving them barber training. In no time at all, we’d arranged a container and turned it into a cool barbershop. It just felt right, and it’s great that we can build on each other.”
From TV production to hair care
We asked Eelco how he got into the business. “I grew up with the family business, so it couldn’t be closer to home. I always worked in the factory during my school holidays doing unpaid work on the assembly line and so on. My father thought that I was already getting enough, and of course he was right. I soon realised I’d have to earn my spurs first before taking my first step in the family business. And that’s exactly what I did once I’d finished studying. I ran an advertising agency/TV production company. I planned to do that for two years, but I liked ‘creating’ so much - not unlike a barber - that I ended up doing it for seventeen years. I’ve produced Dutch TV projects such as Draadstaal and 6pack, which launched Dutch talents such as Sophie Hilbrand and Jeroen van Koningsbrugge. In fact, that formed the basis for what I do now with Keune. I was wondering what the best working conditions for a good presenter were. I answered that question myself: give them the space to do their job. In other words, make sure that everything around them is well organised, from the camera to insurance and the broadcast location. The way I see it, there are strong similarities with the barbering trade!”
Letting barbers focus on their core business
He continues: “You want barbers to do what they enjoy most: making people look good. We contribute to that by making a good product – one that got us where we are today – that barbers can use to do what they have to do. But there’s even more. I’ve noticed that it’s very beneficial if we take everything off barbers’ hands that isn’t directly related to barbering. Our partnership with salon automation tool Aimy helps barbers to get bookings and repeat appointments more efficiently, and the data we generate gives them a better understanding of the business.”
“We give our customers access to a Keune Quick Scan. This is custom software you can use to view all relevant salon data in real-time, such as average customer spending, your inventory, and how the business is doing compared to other barbers. And if there’s a downturn? We carry out an analysis to see what aspects of the barbershop you can improve to increase earnings. And then we offer ways of making it happen. Ultimately, everything is aimed at getting more out of your business. And we keep a close eye on that. We check that you are achieving the goals we set together. If not, we look into other ways of making sure you do. That makes us a true business partner. We don’t play the entrepreneur; we give advice and make suggestions. After all, who knows better how to run a barbershop than a barber? But what we do know is how your business compares to the market average.”
We wake up in the morning for the barber
Our own webshop
“Since barbers are our only source of income, everything we do centres on them. That’s the idea we wake up with every day. We’re not in the retail or wholesale channel or available everywhere online. If the barbers are successful, then so are we. Their success is our success. And that’s what motivates us to do whatever we can for them. We do that by giving them insights with the automation tool and making sure they get the earnings they are entitled to. The barbers are the ones who recommend our products to their customers. It’s unfair if a barber’s customer searches online and is directed to another business’ site. We help with this by offering them a free e-commerce platform to set up a professional online store. That enables the barber’s customers to order the products online via a QR code linked to the barbershop. The system recognises that the order comes from that particular barber, and we make sure they get the revenue just as if they had sold it through their own barbershop. The barber is supported with promotional marketing materials with a QR code to attract customers to online sales via the online store.” Eelco proudly explains – now he really thinks he sounds like Tel Sell – that even on his Keune website, the barber’s customer is directed to his own barbershop so that the revenue goes to his barber. “We’re the only brand that is cutting out the wholesale channel. We’re going head-to-head with all the online price fighters to close all those doors.”
Highlights
Asked about the highlights of 100 years of Keune, Eelco explains that the launches of the perm lotion and hair mousse are especially important. He adds: “More recently, we started a year ago making the most environmentally aware and best hair cosmetics line. This line is called So Pure and is due for launch next year. By continuing to innovate, we can establish a brand with the best performance and the smallest possible footprint. No other brand contributes as consciously to the environment in every way as we do. We use residual waste from the sugar beet as a nurturing element, half as much water, recycled plastic, and so on.”
This year, we applied for a B Corp certificate. That is the hallmark for entrepreneurs who take people, the planet and society as their starting point. It is the most complete and stringent sustainability certificate there is. That aligns well with our previous activities and is something we prioritise. We make a conscious choice to manufacture in the Netherlands rather than low-wage countries, and we’ve been offering job opportunities for people with disabilities since 1995. We’re already working fully carbon-neutral, and with our 3,682 solar panels on the roof, we generate more electricity than we consume. Now it’s more about how else we can contribute. I am happier helping people in the Favelas in Brazil by training them to become barbers than setting up shop in another country. Making a difference by giving people the opportunity to earn their own living.”
Their success is our success
100th Anniversary
The company will be celebrating its 100th anniversary throughout 2022. Eelco: “For our new packaging, we’ve started working with a rising star among artists. We’ve always done this ourselves up to now, so it’s an exciting move. This year we’re also launching a large-scale brand campaign to mark our 100th anniversary and are holding a big event in the summer to meet up again with all our partners from all over the world. I’m really looking forward to that.”
Loyalty to the barber
There’s no doubt that Eelco’s heart is in his family business. He says: “We’re the world’s only family firm that is still loyal to the barber after 100 years. It’s a privilege for me to continue that as the next generation. What could be more special? We think in generations, not in quarterly periods. There are also times when we do things that cost a great deal of money, such as closing the wholesale channel. We took that even further when corona struck, and no revenues were coming in. At that time, we also started a ‘Support Your Salon’ campaign to generate cash flow for all barbers in the Netherlands, not just the Keune barbers. We stood our ground, kept a cool head and stayed true to our mission even when the going got tough. Now we’re reaping the rewards: after two years of crisis, barbers tell us they know we’re there for them, even in times of need.”
“When my grandfather was interviewed by a trade journal, one of the questions was whether he would also sell his products and lotions elsewhere. ‘No,’ he said, ‘we only want to supply barbers.’ That literally made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. This is where everything comes back together: the circle is complete after 100 years! Staying true to the barber, staying the course - that is the common thread running through our family firm. And I hope to continue doing this with my father for a long time to come.”
