Beauty has always been a hot topic in the media because no matter who you are, you always want to look and feel your best. I remember my introduction to the beauty space as someone in Gen Z, shopping at a local drugstore to get my first ever makeup products. This got me thinking about how many children I have seen roaming around Sephora and Ulta recently, and how brands are marketing towards them.
In the 2010s, I started to see Youtube beauty gurus become very popular in the online beauty community. As a young girl going through my own struggles with growing into myself, finding an outlet online that guided me into early womanhood was very important to me and millions of young girls alike. Beauty gurus would post makeup tutorials, skincare tips, life advice, fashion inspiration, DIY activities and everyday vlogs. Beauty conventions were a huge pull for young beauty lovers to meet their favorite online personalities and were usually sponsored by big beauty brands, driving more traffic to these events. Back then, beauty guru and influencer marketing was at its beginning stages, and we were following the trends as they came. Eyeshadow palettes with 12-14 shades were extremely popular during this time for beginners and professionals. It was like unlocking a door to creativity and self expression. Beauty gurus promoted certain products in their videos and made follow-along style makeup tutorials that were easy enough to follow, which ignited a spark in so many of our young, beauty enthusiast minds.
Now with the resurgence of influencer marketing and with the addition of TikTok, beauty influencing has become an entirely new entity. There are thousands of beauty influencers, some of the most popular ones being household names already. We see A-list celebrities are starting beauty brands more and more often, marketing to millions of existing fans and slowly taking the industry by storm and starting trends. Independent and small beauty brands often find the most challenging part of building a brand is the beginning stages and startup marketing. These smaller entities can really take a hit when it comes to trying to climb the beauty hierarchy, competing with A-list celebrity brands. Although this is widely seen as a smart business move on the celebrity side, it leaves the rest of the industry questioning just how they can compete with a brand of that scale.
Today, beauty brands have cracked the code when it comes to marketing to younger Gen Z/ Gen Alpha consumers. Bold packaging, child/teen friendly tutorials, trending aesthetics, inclusivity, and interactive company sites are some factors these companies are utilizing. Instead of beauty gurus on YouTube, most of the beauty influencers today use TikTok and Instagram. These platforms allow creators to make short and concise videos, a lot of the time they are sponsored or branded content. Influencer marketing is a phenomenon whether it be major or micro influencers. Micro influencers have less followers but can be helpful for brand engagement because they target specific consumers and usually build strong B2C relations. Major influencers with large followings give brands the opportunity to market their products to a massive audience. We often see these social media influencers doing popular “PR hauls” where they open packages from brands and post it to their followers, especially when the company is launching something new, so that the followers can get a first look at the products.
Beauty brands and products for more mature audiences have also been increasing in popularity. These companies highlight the easy use of products, ethical practices, sustainability, and emphasize skincare. We see many instructional videos, quizzes, tutorials, and graphics on these sites to ensure the proper use of products. Soft, clean, natural makeup looks are popular with Millenials, Gen X and above, contrary to bold, experimental glamor that has become popular amongst a younger crowd. “No-makeup-makeup” and “soft and glowy” looks have become very popular with these generations to promote a youthful glow.
As a small business, it challenges us to think: What is our aim? Who should we be marketing to? When marketing products to specific or multiple generations, promoting safe products and giving clear directions is necessary at all times. Many beauty websites have multiple informational tabs to help you find the products that work best for you. When considering consumer behavior, we have to assume that many beauty lovers today grew up in the age of the internet and social media, they most likely see digital advertising every day. Use this to your advantage! Appealing to consumers generationally and finding out what your customers are really looking for in a beauty brand is a great way to market to your target audiences.
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