This vacuum company is targeting your hair

Dyson has had great success in the hair styling field. Photo: The Verge .

In 2015, mechanical engineer Ben Hogan joined Dyson after working on a speed bike. Instead of developing motors, as he was known for, his first job was to study hair. Hogan developed a swivel cord for the Airwrap styler, which helps prevent tangles, and later went on to study the properties of conditioners.

Dyson tried to expand into washing machines and electric cars, but failed. Its real breakthrough came when it entered the beauty industry. In 2016, Dyson made a splash with the $400 Supersonic hair dryer. It was light, quiet, energy-efficient, and had better heat control than traditional models.

Supersonic quickly redefined the price point and expectations for a hair care device. After its success, Airwrap was launched and went on to become a “phenomenon” with the ability to curl, straighten, and dry in a device that only cost $550 .

Dyson's secret to success

By 2023, hair care devices will account for 30% of Dyson’s US revenue. The company continues to expand into other products such as conditioners, styling creams and anti-frizz sprays. Dyson says it is developing four new products slated for launch in 2026 that may use ingredients from Dyson Farming, a large tech farm in the UK that the company has operated for more than 10 years.

At Malmesbury, Dyson’s birthplace, R&D remains highly secretive. Kathleen Pierce, head of global beauty, joined Dyson in 2022 after nearly 20 years at Estée Lauder. She provides direction but empowers engineers to solve problems using design thinking, rather than a market analysis-driven product development model.

Founder James Dyson always prioritizes technology in products. Photo: Bloomberg .

Pierce was also directly involved in the packaging design, testing over 80 bottle designs to finally settle on a pump that dispenses exactly 0.22 ml at a time.

Dyson spent four years developing the Supersonic, spending $71 million and filing more than 100 patents. His team tested the device on more than 1,000 miles of hair, wearing eye-tracking goggles to study how users judged hair straightening. The project was so secretive that engineers had to cover themselves in black cloth when moving prototypes around campus.

Upon its launch, the Supersonic immediately sold out in the US. Dyson also partnered with stylist Jen Atkin to promote and increase its influence. Meanwhile, the Airwrap, launched in 2018, was a bigger “gamble” thanks to its complex styling mechanism, but created a global craze with a waiting list of more than 130,000 people.

Ambition to dominate the market

Dyson’s success has led to numerous copycats, including low-cost devices like the Revlon One-Step, which have also been a huge hit. Dyson even sued Shark after the FlexStyle was released, before the two sides reached a settlement earlier this year.

In Malmesbury, Dyson built a hair lab to study moisture, hair loss, and hair structure at the nano level using X-rays. It also has an acoustic chamber to assess the comfort level of the machine's sound when used. At the same time, engineers are sent to professional hairstyling courses to understand user behavior.

Not stopping at hair dryers, Dyson is also developing hair care products. Photo: Bloomberg .

Although James Dyson stepped down as chairman in 2010, he remained deeply involved in the development process, from advising on label placement to testing the products in homes. However, not all of the devices were well received.

The Airstrait, a $500 hair straightener, has been criticized for potentially damaging hair, despite being a hot seller during year-end sales. The company’s hair care products in the form of oils, sprays, and creams have not been as popular as the device. Analysts say that in this product group, users are more interested in ingredients and effectiveness than in technology, which has traditionally been Dyson’s strength.

However, Dyson said it will continue to invest in in-depth research, considering this the foundation for long-term steps in the beauty industry.

Source: https://znews.vn/cach-cong-ty-may-hut-bui-thong-tri-linh-vuc-tao-kieu-toc-post1602745.html