HOSTILE BRANDS PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
Hostile Brands helps founders, emerging businesses, and established companies evaluate opportunities, understand consumers, navigate product development, identify manufacturing partners, and pursue strategic commercial relationships.
Whether you’re testing a new concept, preparing for production, or looking for the right industry connection, our services are designed to help you make better decisions before committing more time, money, and resources.
CLEAR SCOPE. DIRECT INQUIRY.
Beauty industry consulting, fragrance industry consulting, and consumer intelligence consulting begin with a clear scope and a service request.
Published pricing applies to the specific services and deliverables outlined below. Corporate consulting, enterprise research, licensing, and strategic partnerships are scoped and quoted separately.
A focused 30-minute phone consultation or equivalent written consultation examining your concept, intended consumer, positioning, differentiation, purchase barriers, and potential weaknesses.
Includes practical observations and recommended next steps.
This is not comprehensive market research, financial feasibility analysis, or a guarantee of commercial success.
A 60-minute phone consultation or written equivalent focused on consumer behavior, product adoption, differentiation, pricing considerations, purchase objections, and repeat-purchase potential.
Includes a concise written summary of findings and recommendations.
Not statistically representative consumer research or a guaranteed sales forecast.
A fixed-scope independent written review of a product, service, or business opportunity. Examines the intended consumer, competitive landscape, differentiation, adoption barriers, and relevant commercial considerations.
Deliverable: a concise assessment identifying strengths, weaknesses, risks, and recommended next steps.
Not a financial audit, laboratory evaluation, legal opinion, or guarantee of viability.
A structured consultation covering product requirements, development stage, expected volumes, budget considerations, and manufacturing challenges.
Includes a written sourcing-readiness summary, recommended next steps, and manufacturer-selection criteria.
Does not guarantee manufacturer identification, introductions, manufacturing capacity, pricing, or production acceptance.
A fixed-scope sourcing engagement for businesses seeking potential manufacturing partners. Includes reviewing project requirements, researching potential manufacturing partners, developing a shortlist of up to three suitable manufacturers where qualified candidates are identified, and facilitating appropriate introductions when authorized and accepted by the prospective partners.
No guarantee of suitable candidates, manufacturer acceptance, pricing, capacity, contracts, or commercial outcomes.
Before accepting payment, the written engagement agreement must define the deliverables and applicable cancellation/refund conditions, including what happens if no suitable manufacturers are identified.
CUSTOM PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
For businesses seeking relevant expertise, product development partners, packaging specialists, operators, or other commercial relationships.
Potential connections depend on project fit, availability, authorization, and the other party’s consent. No guaranteed access to a named individual, company, or Hostile Brands advisor.
No fixed public price.
Support exploring licensing, co-development, commercialization, manufacturing partnerships, and other strategic business opportunities.
Scope and pricing are determined through a custom proposal. Partnership-development services do not include investment, licensing agreements, or transactions. No guarantee of partner participation or commercial outcomes.
No fixed public price.
HOW WE THINK. WHAT WE EVALUATE.
Understanding who buys, why they buy, what prevents adoption, and what might motivate a second purchase.
Evaluating differentiation, unmet consumer needs, category opportunities, and practical commercialization challenges.
Helping businesses understand development requirements, sourcing considerations, and potential commercial relationships.
HOW ENGAGEMENTS WORK
Every engagement begins with a conversation, not a transaction. We personally review each inquiry to determine project fit, availability, and the appropriate scope of work.
Once the service, deliverables, and terms are agreed upon, Hostile Brands provides a secure business invoice or payment request directly to the client. Work begins following acceptance of the engagement and confirmation of payment.
There is no charge to submit an inquiry, and no payment is collected through this website.
INDUSTRY COMMENTARY & MEDIA MENTIONS
Hostile Brands founder Kelly Rhoades contributes independent commercial perspectives to beauty and fragrance industry publications, examining consumer behavior, brand positioning, product innovation, and the business decisions behind emerging market trends. Her commentary has appeared in Cosmetics Business and Le Parfum Magazine, addressing luxury fragrance extensions, Gen Z purchasing behavior, and the commercial opportunities created by the growing dupe market.
COSMETICS BUSINESS
Amanda May, September 15, 2026.
Kelly Rhoades examines the commercial logic behind luxury fragrance extensions, the importance of meaningful product differentiation, and why celebrity attention does not automatically translate into sales or consumer loyalty.
LE PARFUM MAGAZINE
Kelly Rhoades discusses how fragrance dupes expose underserved consumer segments and why accessible alternatives can represent an additional market opportunity rather than simply replacing luxury fragrance purchases.
These are media commentary mentions, not client endorsements or completed consulting engagements.
SCOPE & ENGAGEMENT TERMS