We live in the Era of Big Data (Happi, April 2014, p. 54). It enables suppliers to run thousands, no millions, of tests in search of new materials; helps marketers reach critical “go-don’t go” decisions on new product launches and makes it easier for retailers to allocate precious shelf space.

All good stuff, but I can’t help thinking that some people like to run numbers just to, well, run numbers. We have a couple of guys here who demand spreadsheets for everything—from website traffic, to subscriber counts to preferred coffee flavors in the lunchroom. All those spreadsheets get formatted, tabulated, printed (another waste of resources) and then…nothing. Some execs tend to sit on so many spreadsheets that their feet don’t touch the floor. That’s not the case with your well-grounded Happi team.

A couple months back, we asked readers to help us build a better magazine. Hundreds of you responded with suggestions of what’s missing from our pages and website, what you want to read more about and, thankfully, what you like about Happi as well. We are grateful to everyone who took the time to share his or her thoughts and we promise to deliver an even better product in the months ahead.

For now, we hope that you’ll give us a bit more of your time by reading this issue. If it’s May, it’s time for our annual look at the multibillion-dollar skin care market (p. 93), where Christine Esposito reports from the intersection of instant results and long-term benefits. Also this month, Melissa Meisel looks at the latest trends in hair color (p. 71), a segment still propelled by an aging population. To learn more about critical elements of household product preservation, turn to p. 79. To find out how suppliers are grappling with NGOs and others bent on hurting the preservative industry, see p. 86.

Thanks again for making Happi a part of your day or night. We won’t sit on our data and won’t rest on our laurels to create a more informative, engaging product.

Tom Branna
VP/Editorial Director
[email protected]