Like many people fleeing New York during the pandemic, Jake Rosenblum expected to return soon.
He and his girlfriend Lauren came here to live with her parents. They figured a couple of weeks.
They’re now married. And still here.
But they left so quickly, Rosenblum did not even bring his “generic” CVS skincare products.
He started using his girlfriend’s. They were better than anything he’d ever tried.
Why, Rosenblum wondered, had they never been marketed to men?
Jake Rosenblum
He knows a thing or two about promotion. A former classical music agent who is now an executive at Live X, the Tucson native explored the world of men’s skincare.
He realized there were 2 types of products: “bottom shelf” like the ones he’d been using, or “overly masculine, with macho branding.”
Nothing was aimed at men who wanted great skincare, without heavy scents, demanding routines, or over-the-top promotions and promises.
Rosenblum assembled a team of experts. Over 2 years, they worked to perfect a line of products — called Dividends — that men would like.
And a marketing strategy that speaks to them.
They got help from StartUp Westport. The town’s public/private partnership for innovators and entrepreneurs offered networking and ideas. Ted Schachter — chair of the direct and interactive marketing program at the Fashion Institute of Technology, and a founder of StartUp Westport’s mentor-to-business program — was particularly helpful,
“It was nice to get perspectives from someone not in the skincare business too,” Rosenblum syas.
Dividends’ soft launch — including cleanser, moisturizer, retinol and sunscreen — sold out last month. It’s now been rolled out, to men on the wait list.
A full launch is set for July.
Dividends’ product line. (Photo/Handover Agency)
As for Westport: Rosenblum and his wife love it.
They’ve found a great group of friends. They’re near the railroad pedestrian bridge over the river, so they can walk to Saugatuck. There is plenty to do here, for them and their toddler (another is on the way).
Though there may be a future in other wellness products, Dividends remains a side gig. Live X is his day job.
Besides his foray into men’s skincare, there is one more unintended consequence of COVID: Rosenblum works from home.
Just a few steps from the bathroom, where Dividends products provide the routines and results Rosenblum believes millions of men want, and deserve.
(To learn more about Dividends, click here.)
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congratulations. good luck. Jake certainly has skin in the game