Brand Architects: Robbie Salter of Jupiter

He was sitting in his office one day, absentmindedly scratching his head. As he looked down, he noticed flakes on the table. That moment of realization sparked a journey that would lead him to co-found Jupiter, a company reimagining scalp care for a new generation.

Join Bora Celik as he chats with Robbie Salter, co-founder of Jupiter.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS Feed

"I saw the dandruff and thought, 'This is interesting. Let me look into it,'" Robbie recalls.

His curiosity led him down a rabbit hole of market research. The numbers were staggering: 50-75% of people get dandruff, with 20% experiencing it chronically. Head & Shoulders dominates as the #1 shampoo brand globally. Yet something was missing.

"Neither of those products really spoke to me," Robbie says.

From Hollywood to Hair Care

Robbie's path to scalp care was anything but straightforward. He spent six years in Hollywood, working alongside legendary producer Jerry Bruckheimer on hits like CSI and Pirates of the Caribbean.

"I was hearing about storytelling, the three-act structure, hooking audiences," he explains. "That taught me a lot about structuring thoughts and prose."

But as streaming disrupted the industry, Robbie felt the ground shifting. "I wanted to be a chess player, not just a chess piece," he says. So he headed to Northwestern for a JD/MBA, determined to learn the business side of show business.

After graduation, Robbie found himself working with major brands, hearing whispers about digitally native upstarts disrupting industries. He filed that intel away for future use.

Testing the Waters

When inspiration struck in the form of those pesky dandruff flakes, Robbie and his business partner decided to test the waters before diving in headfirst. They created a fake brand called Headway, complete with a website offering shampoo, conditioner, and serum.

"We drove about $15-20K of our own money in ads towards the website," Robbie explains.

The results were eye-opening. It wasn't men like Robbie searching for new options - it was women who felt left out of the conversation. They wanted products safe for color-treated hair, free from harsh chemicals, with salon-quality formulations.

"We just took that data and handed it to our formulators," Robbie says. "We said, 'Make that.'"

Easier said than done. It took 18 months to create launch-ready products that met their exacting standards.

"We said we want to own our formulas. We want to be innovators," Robbie emphasizes. "We started from scratch."

A Delicate Balance

Branding a dandruff product presents unique challenges. As Robbie puts it, "We really dance between efficacy and brand."

Make it too pretty, and people question if it works. Make it look too clinical, and customers worry it'll destroy their hair. Jupiter aims for the Goldilocks zone - effective yet approachable.

Even the name Jupiter carries layers of meaning. "Jupiter the planet is the largest in the solar system. It has a storm that's been burning on its head for 300 years," Robbie explains. "We wanted to borrow from the science world, but make it approachable."

Launching into Lockdown

With formulas perfected and branding dialed in, Jupiter was ready to launch. Then COVID hit.

"S*** hit the proverbial fan," Robbie says bluntly.

But in some ways, they got lucky. As a digitally native, needs-based product, Jupiter was well-positioned for the new reality. They quickly found traction on platforms like Google and Meta.

"We were the first to talk about scalp concerns next to Head & Shoulders and Nizoral," Robbie notes. "We were the first new age brand."

That first-mover advantage paid off. Soon, Jupiter products were gracing the shelves of Bergdorf Goodman and trendy barbershops.

Challenges and Triumphs

Of course, building a brand around a stigmatized issue presents unique hurdles. Some influencers embrace talking about dandruff openly. Others shy away despite personal struggles.

"Dandruff has no income bracket," Robbie points out. "Whether you're rich or poor, you can get dandruff."

Jupiter's expanding product line reflects this reality. They're launching a dry scalp system to complement their original dandruff-focused offerings.

Looking ahead, Robbie sees both challenges and opportunities. Competing with influencer-led brands keeps him up at night. "If one thing is perceived as bad, it can hurt the entire category," he worries.

But he's playing the long game, confident that Jupiter's expertise and quality will win out. As for what's next? "2025 is going to be a big year for us," Robbie hints.

From Hollywood scripts to scalp care formulations, Robbie Salter's journey proves that sometimes scratching your own itch can lead to unexpected places. For millions dealing with dandruff and dry scalp, Jupiter might just be the solution they've been waiting for.

Help build the opportunity economy for creators and brands. Request your invite at collabs.io