Dr. Marnie Nussbaum Renames, Refreshes Brand

Dr. Marnie Nussbaum’s skin care brand is getting a makeover.

The dermatologist, who entered the market last year with a trio of multitasking products, then called Lines, is shifting the name to better reflect both its founder and the patients she serves in her practice, opting for a simple one: Dr. Marnie.

“I’ve learned so much not only about being an entrepreneur, but getting into the world of commerce and being a businesswoman — learning to listen to my feedback, pivot and refine,” Nussbaum said. As that relates to the brand’s new name, “People were saying that the thread was missing connecting my dermatologic expertise, my name, myself, my aesthetic world and the brand. Renaming it just clarifies the source and the credibility I have.”

Though the products remain the same — a wrinkle pen, a facial serum and a lip serum — the refresh is also intended to broaden the shoulders of her customer base.

“I’ve given my life to figuring out what women need, how they want it, and giving it to them the way they want it,” Nussbaum said. “I use my office like an R&D lab, and I’m seeing three generations of women. We’re not abandoning the above-35 [demographic], but we’re more inclusive of the younger generation. Preventative Botox, for example, needs the highest efficacy of skin care.”

As part of that, Nussbaum has brought on a new chief executive officer, Jodi Kaplan. “What we found is we get a lot of people coming to the brand, but then there was a bit of confusion when they got there,” Kaplan said. “This is about clarifying. The products were developed to be multitaskers, and very broad in terms of who could use them. I think the messaging needs to change, but we’re still going to be very considerate about new product development and making sure we stand by those stakes we’ve put in the ground.”

Despite that, Kaplan said the brand has “amazing repurchase rates, and great word of mouth. Those are great indicators of what kind of business we could build from here, but we are going to take it slow. We’re launching exclusively on our d-to-c and we’re building social.”

Nussbaum sees the quality and composition of her formulas as the key differentiator. “I see often that people confuse complexity with care, and women of every age think that the more skin care they have, the better,” she said. “This skin care is formulated with a derm and rooted in aesthetic dermatology, and we call it a Swiss army knife in a Chanel suit because it’s so precise, multitasking and beautifully refined. The new packaging has that clinical look, but with the care and warmth I give to my patients.”