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Dr. Miracle's Take on Acne
NEW YORK
--A pretty black woman with out-of-control hair screams into her mirror that she needs a new hair treatment. An arm pops out of the mirror with a box of a Dr. Miracle's product -- her hair is saved and so is the ethnic hair care industry.
That's the hope of Brian K. Marks, partner, president and chief executive officer of Dr. Miracle's, an ethnic beauty care company founded four years ago. The scene described above is from one of several commercials airing on BET that have helped build a following for the line, which will soon include an acne kit.
Many ethnic companies are now owned by megafirms, such as L'Oreal and Alberto-Culver Co., and those companies are often pumping the majority of their efforts into general market products, according to buyers. Sensing a need, Marks -- who had founded and sold other ethnic brands, including African Pride -- prowled the market for a unique positioning. "I was very intrigued with lines such as PerriconeMD Cosmecuticals, DDF and Murad," he recalled. His eureka moment came with the idea to create a physicians-style line of ethnic items. He created the Dr. Miracle's persona and launched with five stock-keeping items in the hair...