Noelle Jasper
Loyola University Chicago
Nancy Landrum
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Eco Lips creates organic, fair trade, cruelty-free, and non-GMO lip care products. They are made locally in Marion, Iowa. The idea started by Andrea Danielson when she began brewing small batches of natural lip balm in her kitchen for her friends and family. She took great care in handcrafting the balm and packaging it in small amber glass jars to preserve the freshness of the pure ingredients. Danielson did this as a hobby and did not think that much would come from it besides the joy it brought her. Eco Lips has been the first company to market several innovative organic lip care products and packages. With environmental initiatives in place, a focused marketing and sales strategy, award-winning packaging, and a positive work environment, Eco Lips is making its way around the world, one set of lips at a time.
Eco Lips is a company that designs organic lip balm as well as other cosmetic products such as produce lip scrubs, sun protection lip balm, on-the-go sport clip balms, tinted balms, and balms with exotic oils. They are made locally in Marion, Iowa. The idea was started by Andrea Danielson when she began brewing small batches of natural lip balm in her kitchen for her friends and family. She took great care in handcrafting the balm and packaging it in small amber glass jars to preserve the freshness of the pure ingredients. Danielson did this as a hobby and did not think that much would come from it besides the joy it brought her.
Danielson eventually gave a sample of her natural lip balm to Steve Shriver. When he saw the product, he immediately imagined a great business opportunity. As Danielson noted, "as soon as he saw the first lip balm, he saw money." With his business and entrepreneurial background, he was eager to take this product nationwide. She and Shriver and a few others came together and created what is now Eco Lips. As they continued to work together, they ended up falling in love and getting married in 1997. Shortly after their wedding, their first product was on the market: Hemp Lip Buzz. They created this product by investing their life savings into ingredients and packaging. This product received lots of love from consumers, so they continued their journey of creating sustainable lip balm products. By 2003, they had become a leading natural body care manufacturer in the natural products industry.
Eco Lips has shifted the way people think about products in the beauty and cosmetic industry. By being the first USDA-certified organic lip balm on the market, they have created strong environmental impacts. Their product is packaged in a sustainable way and leaves customers feeling good about where their product came from and the environmentally friendly ingredients. In addition to the obvious environmental benefits, Eco Lips is reducing costs because of the recycled materials they use for packaging. Their cost-saving measures allow them to invest their money in other areas crucial to their brand, such as advertising. As a result, Eco Lips is able to invest more in satisfying customer needs.
With a focus on satisfying the needs of customers, Eco Lips has been the first to market several innovative organic lip care products and packages. Their focused marketing and sales strategies contribute to their success. Eco Lips started by appearing in small shops around Iowa where the company emerged. After some time, they started adding stores across the country. As of today, they appear in 12,000 retail stores. Their products are found in stores such as Whole Foods, Walmart, Target, etc. Eco Lips gives back to non-profits as much as they can. One example is Trees Forever, a nonprofit environmental group in Iowa. Eco Lips’ determination to serve its customers the best it can keeps them on top of their game. They are constantly finding new ways to satisfy their customers whether creating new products or finding more effective ways to sell to their market. Not only do they focus on expanding their own brand, but they also aid other organizations that have a mission to help save the environment.
Shriver wanted to create an eco-focused brand image and organic formula that would take market share from petroleum-based lip balm brands. This goal was met through several sustainability certifications. Their facility is approved to produce and label USDA, and their products are certified to the gold standard of the USDA’s National Organic Program. They also only source raw materials that have not been genetically modified. They use Fair Trade Certified™ ingredients in a variety of their products supporting fair wages and safe working conditions for farmers. They use cruelty-free practices when it comes to creating their products. Their tubes contain 30% less plastic than a standard lip balm tube and are manufactured in the USA. Lastly, they use 100% renewable energy for their manufacturing and office facilities. Overall, it is clear through these practices that Eco Lips deeply cares about its impact on the environment.
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Steve Shriver, Founder/CEO of Eco Lips
Eco Lips, a lip care company, searches the globe for the purest, highest quality, certified organic ingredients available. With the mission of satisfying the needs of customers, Eco Lips has been first to market several innovative organic lip care products and packages. With environmental initiatives in place, a focused marketing and sales strategy, award-winning packaging, and a relaxed, yet productive work environment, Eco Lips is making its way around the world, one set of lips at a time.