Because of barbers we can!
TheCut is a mobile app platform launched in 2016 by co-founders Obi Omile Jr. and Kush Patel. The best friends were fresh out of college and away from home for their new jobs when they decided to get haircuts after a random game of basketball. The experience was pretty bad. Both Omile and Patel left with terrible haircuts and a new idea that they hadn’t thought of before. What if they took the guesswork and risk out of choosing a new barber?! That’s how TheCut was born.
Today the app is one of the leading mobile platforms for customers seeking new barbers, offering a modernized approach to the barbershop experience. Clients are able to see work with real barbers that have reviews from real people. And barbers are, in turn, able to boost their clientele with built-in marketing, scheduling, booking, payment processing, and income reporting tools.
The app has fast tracked many barbers to success while also helping with their business development and digital footprint. Now the app is hoping to expand its reach by creating community around the user experience. In a new heartwarming campaign entitled “Everything is Better with a Fresh Cut,” the team hones in on the culture and community that exists around the barbershop experience and a good haircut in the African American community.
“‘Everything is better with a fresh cut,’ is a statement that needs zero explanation in the Black community. But it has rarely been visualized by a brand. Most marketing in our industry targets barbers, barbershop culture, and how to book appointments. I want to capture the hearts and attention of consumers by showcasing everyday experiences – from casual to magical – where they can see themselves so when they hear that tagline, they think of theCut,” theCut Senior Content Manager Eric Payne told Because Of Them We Can.
For Payne, anxiety around bad haircuts is a real thing that he’s personally had first hand experience with as a child. The goal of the campaign is to showcase the upside of a good cut and its impact on the Black community and culture at large.
“For the culture, a haircut is the entry point to looking good. Being nice and lined up with a tight fade is the equivalent of having a clean car with shiny tires. It just makes life better…The barber is literally the medicine man/healer/high priest when it comes to looking good,” added Payne.
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The campaign highlights the mundane moments made that much sweeter by a haircut — from the first day of school to game nights with friends and even a wedding day. Payne’s goal was to capture that moments and inspire all people through the endearing power of a haircut, inviting more everyday people to try the app and get acquainted with its services.
“The relationship between a barber and a client is so personal. After all, they’re trusting someone with their hair, trimming their beards, giving them facials, and performing big chops. Subtly I’m putting out there that barbers are out here saving lives. They are true artisans who love what they do and love helping people live their best lives. And for the barbers in our network, hopefully, they can say, ‘Yeah, I’m a part of all this. That’s my app!’ and [they will] continue to rock with us and refer their peers to sign up with us,” explained Payne.
The app helps users filter barbers out by location, cost and availability. And it has helped many take out the hassle of finding a new barber. TheCut is now working on another version specifically for shop owners that allows them to manage their barbers, expanding upon the open barbershop and salon booth rental opportunities already present on the app. This campaign is the first of many planned to continue to highlight the importance of a barber and their clients as they continue to expand their imprint in the community.
Checkout the “Everything is Better with a Fresh Cut” campaign and download theCut app today!
Photo by TheCut