Q&A with Balense® GM & Brand Director Nicola Kropach

23.09.26 | By Willow & Blake | blogs

Q&A with Nicola Kropach on relaunching Balense®

GM & Brand Director Nicola Kropach shares her reflections on the catalyst for (re)building the brand, the customer reaction to surprising product names, and the power of packaging design.

A rebrand is a leap of faith.

It requires a client who is confident in their vision. Who’s willing to see an opportunity before it’s confirmed by the results.

GM & Brand Director Nicola Kropach approached us to rebuild the Balense® brand. A skincare line, formulated with patented HylaTech® technology, that puts cosmeceutical science into the bathroom cabinet of a new Gen Z customer.

Together, we developed Brand Strategy, Brand Voice, Naming, Visual Identity and Packaging, taking Balense® from clinical to colourful category antidote.

Now, Nicola shares her reflections on the catalyst for (re)building the brand, the customer reaction to surprising product names, and the power of packaging design. The Q&A below is an edited transcript of our interview.

A good story starts at the end. Let’s begin with the results.

Since launching, how has the new brand performed?

The new Balense® is ticking every box you would want. If we look at our sales numbers, the brand is doubling sales year on year.

You shared this statistic with us. “Since we began the phased relaunch of Balense in July 2026, the brand has delivered 53% year on year growth.” Wow.

How did the team react to the rebrand?

I really wish I had my phone out when I introduced the brand. The reaction was just surprise and delight. People were absolutely ecstatic to see new colours and something super exciting that moved away from the clinical white. They absolutely loved it.

Now let’s tell the story from the beginning.

Balense® already had a loyal following. What was the catalyst for embarking on a full rebrand?

We wanted to merge two skincare brands into one. And we wanted to deepen our relationship with Gen Z shoppers. The brand needed to be easy to navigate. A shopper should be able to identify a specific colour range on shelf for their specific skin concern. And we wanted it to be simple for the therapists working with our brand in a clinical space.

What was the biggest tension in evolving the brand for Gen Z without alienating the DNA and efficacy credentials that built trust in the first place?

When we rebranded Balense®, it was really important to retain the cool USP. That’s our patented HylaTech® technology. We own the patent for this material across the entire range, bar three products. But then we completely reimagined and reformulated every other product. We deepened efficacy, we made it more sustainable, and we pitched it towards the customers who are probably our biggest audience in the clinical space.

Why does Gen Z need this brand?

Our younger customers think ingredients like retinol with acids and vitamin c are normal, but in fact, they’re probably far too complex for their more fragile skin. We wanted to create a skincare range that was uncomplicated for troubled skin. Think skin that has a compromised barrier from using too many products or too much aggression.

Let’s dive into the creative choices.

We created a Brand Personality that’s equally committed to effective results and empowering confidence. We called her The Skincare Architect. In an oversized blazer, brogues and gold jewellery, she ensures cosmeceutical skincare makes sense.

We created a naming formula. The recipe is [made-up word] + [product format] = [product name]. The suffix denotes its product range. Energee Day Serum. Glowtini Brightening Exfoliant. Plumpini Repair Moisturiser. Lumini Night Serum. This is a bold, playful departure from typical cosmeceutical naming conventions. What was the internal reaction when we first pitched this direction?

When we first heard the names, I thought they were really cute. I thought our Gen Z customers would love them (which they do!). When I pitched it to my team though, some of the beauty therapists and product trainers were a little nervous. They felt it was too much of a departure from our science-led naming convention. But the names grew on people. They're really cute. Our customers resonate with them.

The visual reimagination to gradients like pearl, pool, oyster and champagne is a significant pivot as well. How does that new palette actually function for the customer? How are you seeing that play out in how people shop the range?

The previous Balense® brand was the typical clinical white. It was really difficult for customers to self-navigate and for beauty therapists working with the brand. Looking at all that white on the shelf can be quite confusing.

What we did was develop something called the Core 4. There are four products for each skin problem and each skin problem matches a specific colour. For example, we have a beautiful champagne orange for our brightening range.

It just makes it so easy for a customer to shop according to their concern. They might think to themselves, oh my skin is dull or I have some post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. They find the colour that suits their skin and then they simply take the cleanser, exfoliant, serum and moisturiser in the colour way for their skin type off the shelf.

It sounds like packaging was a big part of this brief. How much power do you think packaging design holds?

Packaging design is increasingly more important in our industry. We know Gen Z loves a more aesthetic type of product and they look for things that are fully sustainable.

We created vessels with a rounded base that sit beautifully in the palm of the hand. It’s soft to the touch. We also studied sustainability trends. Now, the whole mechanism of each vessel is mono material, which means it's the same plastic from lid to pump. The entire range is completely curbside recyclable.

24 SKUs. 53% year on year growth. One beautiful new brand.
Any final words for us?

The new Balense® is ticking every box. People are gravitating towards it. And we’ve got lots of new product development in the pipeline!

Q&A with Nicola Kropach on relaunching Balense®

A rebrand is a leap of faith.

A rebrand is a leap of faith.

A good story starts at the end. Let’s begin with the results.

A good story starts at the end. Let’s begin with the results.

Now let’s tell the story from the beginning.

Now let’s tell the story from the beginning.

Let’s dive into the creative choices.

Let’s dive into the creative choices.

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