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Case Study: Dove’s “Real Beauty” Brand Campaign

Case Study: Dove’s “Real Beauty” Brand Campaign 6 min read

In the world of skincare, Unilever’s Dove has not only solidified its position with products promising moisture and softness but has also reshaped the beauty industry through its groundbreaking “Real Beauty” campaign, launched in 2004 . This article delves into the multifaceted facets of Dove’s campaign, exploring its inception, objectives, social impact, marketing mix analysis, key elements, pros and cons, and the profound long-term implications it has had on the brand and the beauty industry as a whole.

A Revolutionary Approach to Beauty Standards

Dove’s “Real Beauty” campaign embarked on a revolutionary journey by challenging and redefining the prevailing beauty standards. Departing from the conventional models seen in beauty ads, Dove opted for authenticity, featuring real women of diverse body types, ages, and ethnicities. This bold move aimed not only to celebrate the natural beauty of women but also to inspire a global conversation on self-image and societal perceptions of beauty.

The Objectives: Beyond Skin Deep

The campaign’s objectives were multifaceted. Firstly, Dove sought to broaden the narrow beauty standards dictated by media and society, offering a more inclusive definition of beauty. Secondly, it aimed to stimulate a global conversation, urging people to reconsider their perceptions of beauty. Lastly, Dove sought to boost women’s self-esteem by featuring diverse women, fostering a positive self-image.

Impacting Society: Beyond Beauty Products

The social impact goals were evident from the outset – Dove aimed to change the narrative around beauty, inspiring women worldwide to embrace their unique beauty. Furthermore, the campaign sought to influence other brands and the advertising industry to adopt a more inclusive and realistic portrayal of women.

Analyzing the Marketing Mix

Dove’s “Real Beauty” campaign serves as a stellar example of a well-executed marketing mix, strategically incorporating the four Ps – Product, Price, Place, and Promotion.

• Product : Beyond skincare, Dove sold an idea – a new definition of beauty that was inclusive and diverse.
• Price : The brand maintained its value-based pricing strategy, reinforcing the message that real beauty is not a luxury but a right accessible to every woman.
• Place : Widely available globally, Dove’s products reached a broad audience. The digital presence further expanded its global reach, making it a conversation transcending borders.
• Promotion : The campaign leveraged unconventional strategies, featuring real women across various mediums, from TV commercials to digital platforms.

Key Elements of Authenticity

The campaign’s authenticity lay in its use of diverse models and the introduction of the “inner goddess” concept. By showcasing real women of different ages, sizes, and ethnicities, Dove aimed to boost self-esteem and change the narrative around beauty.

Navigating Pros and Cons

While the campaign successfully shifted beauty ideals towards inclusivity, it faced criticism for inconsistencies, particularly concerning Unilever’s ownership of brands with contradictory messages. Instances of racial insensitivity in certain ads also sparked public outcry. Despite these challenges, the campaign significantly impacted the beauty industry and resonated positively with consumers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpaOjMXyJGk

Results and Outcome of the Campaign

Dove’s “Real Beauty” campaign was not only a triumph in challenging traditional beauty standards but also an exceptional success in terms of its financial impact and long-lasting resonance. The results can be analyzed based on the information provided:

Free Media Exposure:

The campaign generated remarkable buzz, resulting in free media exposure worth 30 times Dove’s initial spend . This indicates the campaign’s extraordinary reach and effectiveness in capturing public attention.

Website Engagement:

The campaign’s website drew a substantial 1.5 million visitors . This high level of engagement suggests that people were actively seeking more information about the campaign, indicating a strong public interest and involvement.

Viral Videos:

Dove strategically released a series of viral videos that resonated with viewers. These videos aimed to showcase the self-critical nature of women regarding their appearance while highlighting their true beauty. The viral nature of these videos amplified the campaign’s impact and facilitated widespread conversation.

Inclusive Advertising:

Dove’s decision to feature women of all shapes and sizes in their underwear, with the tagline “ Tested on real curves ,” was a pivotal move . It challenged the conventional use of runway models in beauty advertisements and celebrated the diversity of everyday women. This approach resonated positively with the target audience, fostering a sense of representation and inclusivity.

Financial Impact:

The most tangible result of the campaign’s success was reflected in Dove’s finances. The company experienced a remarkable 10% increase in revenues within a single year. This substantial growth indicates not only a positive response from consumers but also the campaign’s effectiveness in driving sales.

Long-Term Sustainability:

The campaign’s enduring success is noteworthy, considering it is still running nearly 20 years later. This longevity underscores its sustained impact on Dove’s brand image and continued relevance in addressing societal perceptions of beauty.

Inspiring a Movement

The revolutionary impact of Dove’s campaign transcends the beauty industry. It has inspired other brands across various sectors, from lingerie with Aerie’s #AerieREAL campaign to cosmetics with CoverGirl’s #IAmWhatIMakeUp initiative. Even sports apparel, as seen in Nike’s ‘Better For It’ campaign, has embraced inclusivity, inspired by Dove’s groundbreaking initiative.

Conclusion: A Lasting Legacy

Dove’s Real Beauty campaign has left a lasting legacy in the marketing world, not only for its strategic approach but also for the profound impact it had on societal perceptions of beauty. The campaign’s success can be attributed to several key factors that set it apart from traditional marketing strategies.

Emotional Connection:

Dove’s ability to tap into people’s emotions played a pivotal role in the campaign’s success. By addressing a sensitive and prevalent issue – women’s self-image – Dove created a deep emotional connection with its audience. The campaign resonated with the insecurities many women face, fostering a sense of empathy and understanding.

Empowerment Over Exploitation:

Unlike some marketing campaigns that leverage fear, shame, or the desire to conform to societal standards, Dove chose a path of empowerment. The brand celebrated women for who they were at that moment, rejecting unrealistic beauty standards perpetuated by the media. This approach not only differentiated Dove from its competitors but also contributed to building a positive brand image.

Everyday Product Focus:

The decision to center the campaign around everyday products, such as soap and body wash, showcased Dove’s commitment to promoting realistic beauty standards in everyday life. This strategic choice allowed consumers to actively participate in promoting a new paradigm while purchasing products they regularly use. This broad appeal significantly contributed to the widespread success of the campaign.

Affordability and Accessibility:

Dove’s commitment to offering affordable and accessible products further amplified the impact of the Real Beauty campaign. By keeping prices reasonable and ensuring widespread availability in stores like Target, Walmart, and convenience stores, Dove made it easy for a diverse range of consumers to support the cause. This inclusivity ensured that the success of the campaign wasn’t limited to a specific demographic with higher purchasing power.

In conclusion, Dove’s Real Beauty campaign stands as a testament to the power of authenticity, empathy, and social responsibility in marketing. By addressing a societal issue with sensitivity and promoting positive change, Dove not only garnered customer loyalty but also contributed to a broader conversation about inclusivity and self-acceptance. The campaign’s impact transcended the realm of marketing, leaving a lasting legacy and setting a benchmark for brands aspiring to make a meaningful difference in society through their advertising efforts.

Also Read: Dissected: Snickers “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry” Campaign

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Case Study | Inside Beauty’s Biggest Disruptor

Key insights

• In the space of almost two decades, E.l.f. has gone from being a disruptor in beauty to the incumbent, overtaking 91-year-old Revlon as the fourth-largest mass company in the US.
• Its strategy is rooted in customer centrism, faster-than-ever product turnarounds, and an even quicker social media and marketing action plan.
• But for E.l.f. to further close the gap with bigger brands, it has to prove its proposition as a conglomerate, successfully carve out skin care and go global.

In 2004, the idea of selling $1 lipstick on the internet was radical.

But months after its founding, E.l.f. was transforming the way consumers thought about beauty doing just that. Co-founders Joey and Alan Shamah’s proposition of making inexpensive yet quality makeup for every eye, lip and face — e.l.f. — was paying off. Shoppers realised they didn’t have to spend more than $10 for makeup and they certainly didn’t have to go to stores to find their favourite new products. As for having to ask a store associate for information about a pencil or eyeshadow, forget it — consumers could just read reviews or look at ratings on eyeslipsface.com.

The buzz around E.l.f. was building and it could be found in all corners of the internet, from DailyCandy to YouTube. Those in the know, knew. In its first year, the brand generated $1.5 million in sales with an internal team of just seven. In 2016, E.l.f. went public and was valued at $1.1 billion.

“So much of [the] brand history happened somewhat accidentally,” said Vennette Ho, managing director, global head of beauty and personal care at Financo Raymond James. “But [E.l.f.] tapped into something before the rest of the beauty industry recognised it, which was the power of digital and virality. And from there, it forever changed the beauty industry.”

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With its fast product turnarounds of 26 weeks and digital savvy, it became bigger: By 2016, it had 22 retail stores and a slew of US partnerships with Target, Walmart and more.

But E.l.f.’s rocketship began to slow when mega-influencer brands such as Huda Beauty and Kylie Cosmetics popped up along with a new class of digital disruptors like Glossier. In 2018, the company reported that annual net sales were down 3 percent year on year. Investors like Marathon Partners Equity Management openly called attention to E.l.f.’s stock price, which had fallen 51 percent since its IPO on the New York Stock Exchange, and questioned the company’s leadership.

Tarang Amin, E.l.f. chairman, president and chief executive, having joined the company in 2014, decided to close all of the brand’s stores in 2019 to focus on national retailers and its digital footprint. Many in the beauty industry thought E.l.f.’s moment could be over.

Around the same time, E.l.f. put the pieces in place for a strategy called “Project Unicorn,” which repackaged products to make it easier for customers to find them on store shelves. It also worked to get more items onto those shelves. Project Unicorn also centred around hero products, or core items that could be leveraged to build category franchises in concealers, brushes and more. Amin acknowledged the company needed to be louder about its proposition — back then, it had no formal marketing department — and re-directed the $16 million it was spending on stores every year into awareness.

Fast forward four years, and E.l.f. mounted a hard-to-believe comeback. For the nine-month period ended Dec. 31, 2022, the company reached $95.5 million in profits on $391 million in net sales, marking its 16th consecutive quarter of sales growth. Also in 2022, the brand overtook 91-year-old Revlon to become the fourth-largest mass company in the US by sales, according to market research firm Nielsen.

But how did E.l.f. do it?

This case study unpacks the pillars underpinning E.l.f.’s strategy that other beauty companies can adapt for their own businesses, regardless of whether they are in turnaround or growth mode. E.l.f. became one of the fastest-growing and most profitable businesses in beauty by overhauling its product offering to be even more accessible and relevant across mass and prestige categories, and extending an aggressive first-to-market marketing and social media strategy. The company also held on tight to its digital roots, allowing its community to drive both sales and conversion; in 2023, E.l.f. made its television debut at the Super Bowl with a product that had been a viral fan favourite on TikTok. Operationally, it leaned on the right team — one that was able to make and execute decisions, regardless of risk.

Editor’s note: This case study was revised on Feb. 27, 2023, to correct the spelling of Vennette Ho’s name. A revision on Feb. 28, 2023, noted that E.l.f. has been operating for almost two rather than three decades; it had paid down a large portion of its debt when it went public; and skin care accounts for less than 10 percent of its net sales. An incorrect statement about its cash-to-debt ratio was also removed.

Priya Rao is Executive Editor at The Business of Beauty at BoF. She is based in New York and oversees BoF’s beauty and wellness coverage.

• Tarang Amin
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8 skincare marketing strategies for d2c brands, get the next guide sent to your inbox.

Skincare consumers’ needs and wants are changing faster than science can keep up.

In an environment like this, you either keep up with marketing trends or become invisible.

Skincare marketing is a unique challenge in many ways but in others, it’s just about getting the fundamentals right.

We’ve run beauty and skincare marketing campaigns for many D2C brands and have learned a thing or two about it along the way.

In this list, we’ve compiled the most successful strategies that skincare brands are using so you can adapt them to your marketing plans.

How To Market Skincare Products

We’ll start with the broadest strategy decisions and move along to more specific actions.

1. Know how to position your skincare brand among competitors

Moreso than in other spaces, knowing how you want to position yourself in a sea of competitors is crucial for skincare.

There’s no room for a brand that wants to be the best at everything. You have to find your audience and your strengths and leverage that strength to give them what they want just a little better than your competitors.

The more you can narrow down your value proposition, the more you’ll stand out in the eyes of your target audience.

Take a brand like Cheekbone Beauty. They promise to “…forge the path to true sustainability, in line with the teachings in our Indigenous roots, creating a perfect circular economy in the cosmetics space.”

In that simple statement, the brand tells you who they are, what they stand for, and how you fit into their story.

A good place to start is to find brands that are getting it right and take inspiration from their approach.

🤳Be careful though : Some brands rely on their founders’ selling power and industry clout. Because of this, brands like Rhode and Kylie Cosmetics will be difficult to emulate.

When you’ve found some brands that you like, ask yourself a few questions like these to refine your proposition.

• How do your skincare products stand out in terms of ease of use and effectiveness compared to competitors?
• In what ways are your skincare products environmentally friendly, and how does this commitment to sustainability differentiate your brand?
• What specific skin, hygiene, or cosmetic problems do your products address and improve?
• Are there any unique or all-natural ingredients in your skincare line that set it apart from others?
• Can you elaborate on the distinctive qualities or features that make your skincare line unique in the market?

2. Product bundling in skincare

Product bundling is a gold mine in the skincare space.

For every product, there are multiple accessories or complementary items that can go along with it. By bundling these items together, you can offer your customers more value for their money, and increase your average order value at the same time.

Take, for example, a face cleanser. On its own, it’s a valuable product. But bundle it with a facial brush and a moisturizer, and you’ve just created a complete skincare routine that’s not just valuable, but also convenient for your customers.

Here’s how one of our clients – a Hawaiian skincare brand – bundles products:

In addition to bundling products that are alike, you can create seasonal or occasion-related bundles.

For instance, a summer skincare bundle could include a lightweight moisturizer, a sunscreen, and a hydrating face mask. On the other hand, a festive bundle could include a rich night cream, a lip balm, and a hand cream.

This not only presents your products in a new light but also makes for an attractive gift option. You’re also encouraging buyers to explore products they otherwise wouldn’t consider or don’t even know about.

It’s a tried and true marketing tactic, but you’ll be surprised at how many brands choose not to use it.

3. Using social media for skincare marketing

Social media channels are just as, if not more, valid for skincare products are they are for other categories.

TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube are all perfectly valid. Narrowing down for more specific communities like Reddit is also a smart thing to do, especially if you have a narrow target audience.

The key to getting the most out of skincare advertising , though, is to make extremely snackable content that’s also high-quality.

Here’s a nice little 2023 recap done by Revive:

View this post on Instagram A post shared by RéVive Skincare (@reviveskincare)

You’ll be competing for advertising space with some of the biggest and oldest brands in the world. So, if you want anyone to take you seriously, you need to ensure your content is on par with or even surpasses theirs in terms of quality and engagement.

🧴Your content should not only be promotional but also informational and educational. Share skincare tips, how-to tutorials, product demonstrations, user testimonials, and behind-the-scenes footage to create a well-rounded content strategy.

Also, consider leveraging influencers in your niche to extend your reach and give your brand more credibility.

About ‘dem viusals…

Always remember that advertising is first and foremost visual. Food and beauty ads are uniquely dependent on visuals because they tap into foundational human needs and the neural circuits that support those needs.

For that reason, you’ll want to make sure your visuals are world-class to appeal to your audience’s senses and emotions. It’s not just about showcasing your products, but also about creating a mood, a story, or an aspiration that resonates with your consumers.

This can be achieved by investing in high-quality photography and videography, creating visually appealing graphics, and staying consistent with your brand aesthetics across all platforms.

Our client Pixi prides itself with some stunning product visuals:

4. Leverage the power of skincare influencers

Influencers’ well…. influence in the skincare space is so pronounced that many start their own skincare brands.

But that doesn’t mean that every influencer can get your skincare brand where you want it to go.

An influencer’s follower count often dictates their sponsorship fee. High-profile influencers with vast audiences might charge hefty sums, often requiring negotiations through agents or managers, offering extensive reach but at a higher cost.

Conversely, smaller influencers generally have lower fees and are more accessible, often reachable via direct message or email.

Interestingly, data, such as from Grin, shows that nano-influencers typically have higher engagement rates (around 18% per post) compared to mega-influencers (about 4%).

Choosing the right influencers requires research. Explore skin-care-related hashtags on social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat to find influential individuals in this niche.

When you identify potential influencers, contact them to discuss rates and suitability for your brand. Remember, you are pitching to them, so highlight why your brand aligns well with their image.

In influencer marketing agreements, it’s crucial to clearly define expectations – whether it’s for a single post, a series of stories, or a set of videos. A well-outlined contract ensures smooth collaboration.

For skincare products, influencers could demonstrate the product use in videos or share ongoing results.

Another strategy involves sending free products to influencers, known in the industry as PR gifts.

These can create excitement around new product launches. However, this approach is risky.

Influencers with significant followings may not necessarily provide positive feedback just for free products. Without a paid arrangement and contract, there’s no assurance of a positive review or even any review at all.

5. Content marketing for skincare brands

Content marketing is an essential strategy for any skincare brand desiring to thrive in this competitive industry.

It’s all about creating and sharing valuable content that resonates with your target audience and helps to establish your brand as a trusted authority in the skincare world.

However, that’s easier said than done. The reality is that you’ll be competing with just about every other skincare brand. Because content marketing isn’t exactly a secret.

The good news is that most brands don’t take it as seriously as they could.

That means you can create winning content fairly easily by exploiting weak spots in other brands’ strategies.

When crafting your content, it’s important to focus on topics that are relevant and interesting to your audience. But there is always a new or relatively obscure topic or angle that most brands are neglecting.

For instance, everyone has content about general skincare tips.

But you’ll find that far fewer create content highlighting skincare routines for (say) swimmers. Or how about skin care tips for people with vitiligo?

Those are examples of content for a much smaller audience, but it will be much easier to get the whole pie than to fight over the crumbs of a much bigger pie.

Content can range from skincare tips and advice, product reviews, behind-the-scenes looks at how your products are made, to the latest trends in the skincare world, and more.

Take the example of Cetaphil’s skincare tips resource . They invest an entire directory of their site to various guides, articles, and other resources about skincare.

And it’s not just about giving customers a reason to come to you.

It’s also a great way to demonstrate your brand’s commitment to expertise and authority in the skincare space.

6. Referral programs and subscriptions

Like bundles, subscriptions, and referral programs work exceptionally well for skincare products.

On the one hand, subscriptions offer a hassle-free shopping experience for your customers.

They don’t have to worry about running out of their favorite products or remembering to re-order them.

A subscription service takes care of all these concerns, providing a steady supply of your skincare products. This not only improves customer satisfaction but also ensures a consistent revenue stream for your business with predictable growth.

On the other hand, referral programs can help to expand your customer base organically. Word of mouth is still the single most effective form of marketing in terms of trust.

Satisfied customers are likely to recommend your products to their friends and family. By offering incentives such as discounts or free products for referrals, you can encourage your customers to spread the word about your skincare brand.

Some of the most successful brands in the industry, like Sephora, are known to heavily leverage affiliate and referral programs to grow their organic reach.

7. Innovative partnerships and collaborations

There are infinite ways to market any product category. The problem is that most ways are just plain inefficient.

Partnerships and collaborations have always been a bit of a gamble. You can end up with something that becomes a runaway success despite all odds, like the Covergirl/Star Wars collaboration .

Or, you can end up with one of the most misguided collabs of all time in the form of free Atkins bars .

The key things to remember for a successful co-branding or partnership are:

• You must choose a brand that your customer perceives as having the same values as yours.
• Ensure the collaboration offers tangible benefits to your customers.
• The partnership should enhance your brand’s credibility and reputation.
• Develop a comprehensive marketing strategy to promote the collaboration effectively.

In the skincare industry, one innovative and increasingly popular type of partnership is with beauty tech firms. For example, Neutrogena’s collaboration with FitSkin involves an AI skin analysis app that offers personalized skincare advice based on the user’s skin data.

Turn Beauty Strategies Into An Action Plan

The ball is in your court.

Now that you’re equipped with these diverse and effective skincare marketing strategies, it’s time to implement them into your unique action plan.

🤳USEFUL: Check out how we grew numerous skincare brands in our latest Beauty and Ecommerce Ads Case Study.

Remember, success in the competitive skincare market hinges not just on the strategies you choose, but also on how well you execute them. Tailor these approaches to fit your brand’s identity and values, and always keep the needs and preferences of your target audience at the forefront.

Written by Top Growth Marketing

What are you looking for, top growth marketing.

TGM has spent more than $300 Million across social & search advertising platforms. Let us help grow your business using the best, performance-based customer acquisition strategies. 

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Elesha Piper

Skincare content writer and strategist

Writing about skin is my thing

• Jun 11, 2023

Ultimate Guide to Content Marketing for Skincare Brands

This comprehensive guide will walk you through every crucial step of content marketing for skincare brands. From understanding the basics to diving into advanced strategies, I've got you covered. Let's get started!

Understanding Content Marketing

What is content marketing.

In a nutshell, content marketing is the process of creating, publishing, and distributing content to attract, engage, and convert your audience online. This isn't a one-way street; it's all about sparking conversations, building relationships, and becoming a trusted resource in the skincare world.

Why is it Essential for Skincare Brands?

Well, content marketing allows you to educate your customers, build trust, and showcase your products in their best light. Plus, it offers a fantastic way to stand out from the crowd and connect on a deeper level with your audience. You're not just selling products; you're selling an experience, a lifestyle.

Knowing Your Audience

Identifying Your Target Audience

First up on the content marketing journey is identifying your target audience. Whether your products cater to teenagers struggling with acne or middle-aged men looking for a great moisturiser, you need to know who you're talking to. Consider age, gender, skin type, skincare concerns, lifestyle—the whole package.

Understanding Their Needs and Preferences

Once you've got a clear picture of your target audience, it's time to get to know them better. Do some detective work through market research, surveys, or customer feedback. What do they love? What do they hate? What are their skincare goals? Understanding your audience will help you create content they'll love and find useful.

Creating Engaging Content

Choosing the Right Type of Content

What type of content tickles your audience's fancy? Is it informative blog posts, fun social media posts, interactive quizzes, or perhaps tutorial videos? Different platforms suit different content types, so play around and see what resonates best with your audience.

Creating Quality Content

Remember, it's not just about quantity; quality reigns supreme in content marketing. Your content should answer questions, solve problems, and offer value. It should also showcase your brand's personality, so don't be afraid to let your true colours shine!

Leverage Social Media

Choosing the Right Platforms

All social media platforms aren't created equal, at least not for skincare brands. Platforms like Instagram and Pinterest, with their highly visual nature, might be your best friends. Others, like LinkedIn, may not give you much traction. Choose platforms that align with your brand's vibe and where your audience hangs out.

Engaging with Your Audience

Don't forget, social media is a two-way street. It's not just a platform for shouting about your products; it's a space to interact with your audience. So, get chatting, ask questions, respond to comments, and build relationships.

Utilise SEO for Visibility

Understanding SEO

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) isn't just a fancy acronym—it's your ticket to higher visibility online. By optimising your website and content for search engines, you can make it easier for your audience to find you.

Implementing SEO Strategies

How do you do SEO? It's all about keywords, link building, and optimizing your content. For skincare brands, this could mean optimising product descriptions, using relevant keywords in your blog posts, and creating SEO-friendly titles.

Building Personality into Your Brand

Here's where we get creative. Your content should reflect your brand's unique personality. Be real, be authentic, and don't shy away from showing off what makes your brand unique. A dash of humor, a conversational tone, or a strong stand on a relevant issue can make your brand more relatable and memorable.

The Marketing Funnel Explained

The marketing funnel is a representation of a customer's journey, from their first interaction with your brand to the ultimate goal of conversion. This model visualises the process of turning leads into customers and can be broken down into stages: awareness, interest, decision, and action.

And yes, it applies beautifully to content marketing for skincare brands too!

Understanding this funnel can help you create targeted content that speaks directly to where your potential customers are on their skincare journey. Let's break it down:

1. Awareness

This is the top of the funnel, where potential customers are just discovering your brand and products. They're not ready to buy yet; they're exploring, learning about different skincare options, and becoming aware of their needs.

Content strategy for Awareness : At this stage, your aim should be to educate and engage. Think informative blog posts about skincare routines, social media posts about the benefits of your key ingredients, or YouTube videos addressing common skin concerns. Your goal? Position your brand as a credible, helpful source in the skincare world.

2. Consideration

At this stage, your audience recognizes their skincare needs and is considering different solutions. They're looking at various brands and products, weighing their options.

Content strategy for Consideration : Here, it's about distinguishing your brand from the competition. Create content that showcases your unique selling points, like in-depth product comparisons, testimonials, or 'how-to' guides using your products. You're aiming to convince potential customers that your brand is the perfect fit for their skincare needs.

3. Decision

The bottom of the funnel is where the magic happens—your potential customers are ready to make a purchase decision. Now, your content needs to give them that final nudge towards your products.

Content strategy for Decision : This is the time to roll out persuasive content like product demos, promotional offers, or customer reviews. Show your audience that taking the plunge with your skincare brand is the right decision.

4. Retention (Post-Purchase)

The journey doesn't end at the purchase. You want to nurture these customers into loyal brand advocates who'll return for more and spread the word about your brand.

Content strategy for Retention : Keep the conversation going with engaging content like email newsletters, skincare tips for using your products, loyalty rewards, or sneak peeks of upcoming products. Show your customers they're valued and keep your brand at the forefront of their minds.

Remember, every potential customer could be at a different stage in this funnel. The beauty of content marketing is that it allows you to create and distribute varied content that caters to all these stages, guiding your audience smoothly from awareness to purchase and beyond.

With a thorough understanding of the marketing funnel, you'll be on your way to creating more focused, impactful content for your skincare brand.

The Power of a Content Calendar

Roll out the red carpet for the quiet hero of content marketing: the content calendar.

Think of it as your roadmap for what, when, and where you'll publish content. It keeps you organised, ensures consistency, and allows for strategic planning.

Benefits of a content calendar for a skincare brand

Consistency : A content calendar helps you stick to a regular posting schedule, key to nurturing an engaged audience.

Planning : It allows you to plan content around important dates or events.

Coordination : If you're working with a team, a content calendar ensures everyone knows who's doing what and when.

Analysis : Tracking success becomes easier when you know exactly what you've published and when.

Creating a content calendar

No need for fancy tools here; a simple spreadsheet or project management tool can do the trick.

Identify your content themes, decide on the types of content, and set a posting schedule.

Plan your content ahead of time, making sure you have a clear overview of who's responsible for what and when it will be published.

Here's a simple example of what a weekly social media content calendar themes could look like for a skincare brand:

Monday : Skincare Tips and Tricks

Tuesday: Product Spotlight

Wednesday: Behind the Scenes

Thursday: Skincare Q&A

Friday: Skincare Routine

Saturday: Ingredient Spotlight

Sunday: Product Spotlight

Remember to tailor the content themes to align with your brand's unique voice and values, and adapt them based on the preferences and needs of your target audience.

Exploring Different Types of Content

Skincare is a versatile industry, and you can get creative with the types of content you create:

Blog Posts : Ideal for in-depth information and driving traffic to your site.

Social Media Posts : Perfect for boosting brand awareness and promoting new products.

Videos : Fantastic for tutorials, product demos, or behind-the-scenes peeks into your brand.

Email Newsletters : Great for sharing brand updates, new content, and exclusive offers.

Infographics: Visual representations of information or data that are easy to digest and share.

Create infographics that explain skincare concepts, ingredient benefits, or skincare routines.

Podcasts: Share your skincare knowledge and expertise through audio content. Host interviews with industry experts, discuss skincare trends, or provide tips and advice in podcast episodes.

eBooks or Guides: Create comprehensive ebooks or guides that delve deep into specific skincare topics. Offer valuable insights, tips, and recommendations to educate your audience and establish your brand as an authority in the skincare industry.

Webinars or Live Q&A Sessions: Host live webinars or Q&A sessions where you can interact with your audience in real-time. Share valuable information, answer their skincare-related questions, and provide expert advice.

Case Studies: Showcase real-life examples of customers who have achieved positive results using your skincare products. Share their stories, before-and-after photos, and testimonials to demonstrate the effectiveness of your brand.

User-Generated Content: Encourage your audience to share their experiences using your products by featuring user-generated content. This could include customer reviews, testimonials, or photos of happy customers incorporating your products into their skincare routines.

Interactive Quizzes or Assessments: Engage your audience with interactive quizzes or assessments that help them identify their skin type, skincare concerns, or the best products for their specific needs. This provides personalized recommendations and promotes user engagement.

Remember, the key is to experiment with different content types to find what resonates best with your target audience. Each content format offers a unique way to connect, educate, and engage with your audience, so feel free to mix and match based on your brand's goals and the preferences of your audience.

Spotting Gaps in Your Content

It's not just about creating content; it's also about identifying what your audience needs but isn't getting. These gaps are opportunities to provide valuable content that sets you apart from competitors. Stay on top of SEO keyword research, social media discussions, and industry trends to identify these gaps.

Maintaining Consistency

Being consistent isn't just about frequency; it's also about maintaining a consistent brand voice, style, and message across all your content. It helps build trust and strengthens your brand identity. So, whether you're writing a blog post or replying to a comment on social media, stay true to your brand.

Crafting Your Content Marketing Framework

Creating a successful content marketing strategy for your skincare brand requires a systematic approach. It's not just about sporadically posting content and hoping it sticks. To create a real impact, you need a comprehensive framework that guides your actions at every stage. So, let's get down to the details:

1. Strategy Development

Before you dive into creating content, take a step back to form a strategic plan. Define your target audience, conduct competitor analysis, identify your unique selling proposition, and set clear, measurable goals. This is your foundation, so ensure it's rock solid.

2. Content Creation

Now, armed with your strategy, you can dive into creating compelling content that aligns with your brand and resonates with your audience. Consider your audience's needs and preferences and explore different content types—from blog posts and social media updates to videos and emails. And remember, consistency is key, both in terms of frequency and your brand voice.

3. Promotion

Creating content is half the battle. The other half? Getting it seen. Promote your content across various channels. Leverage SEO to boost your content's visibility on search engines, share your posts across your social media platforms, and don't forget about email marketing. Consider collaborating with influencers or other brands to extend your reach.

4. Distribution

Alongside promotion, strategic content distribution ensures your content reaches your audience at the right place and time. Consider where your audience spends time online and align your distribution efforts accordingly. For instance, if your audience is primarily on Instagram, it makes sense to focus your energy there.

5. Analysis

Last but not least, keep a close eye on your metrics. Regularly analyzing your content's performance will help you understand what's working, what isn't, and where you can improve. Track metrics related to your goals—be it website traffic, social media engagement, conversion rates, or email sign-ups—and use these insights to refine your strategy.

Remember, this isn't a one-and-done process. Your content marketing strategy should be dynamic and evolving. As you gather more data and gain a better understanding of your audience, continually tweak your approach. Your content marketing framework is a guide, but it's not set in stone. Stay flexible, stay adaptable, and keep your eyes on your goals. You've got this, skincare superheroes!

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Building loyalty that’s beyond skin deep

Leveraging the personal touch to hook consumers in a crowded market.

With a century of history and distribution in over 129 countries around the globe, Maybelline New York is one of the world’s most recognizable cosmetics brands. However, the beauty industry landscape is constantly evolving, and consumer interest is even more driven by the latest and hottest trends than in other categories. To keep its brand perception fresh and reinforce its leadership position, Maybelline turned to AMP to encourage women to explore new looks by taking trends and colors from the catwalk to the sidewalk.

Here’s how we helped increase awareness and drive consumers to retail through a one-on-one beauty consultation like no other.

Standing Out in the Beauty Battle

The beauty and cosmetics categories are packed with thousands of brands offering similar products, all fighting for the attention of consumers. While a leading brand like Maybelline may be viewed as a beauty mainstay, it may also be viewed as tradition-bound and susceptible to challenger brands. In such a crowded category, inducing trial is just as essential for a leading brand as it is to start-ups in order to continue standing apart from the pack. However, getting consumers to experiment with cosmetics is notoriously difficult, particularly if the product is new to the market.

Glamour and Inspiration from a Fashion Icons

As the multitude of fashion and beauty media outlets demonstrate, a sizable percentage of female consumers look to fashion icons and celebrities for make-up inspiration, and Maybelline customers are no different. Many women yearn to be part of glamorous experiences like backstage at Fashion Week. We knew that by leveraging Maybelline’s long-standing connection to the fashion world, we could create events that would evoke a similar experience of glamour and exclusivity.

Taking the Red Carpet on the Road

To deliver the exclusive feeling of New York’s high fashion world to consumers, we helped Maybelline introduce the Color Studio Tour – a dedicated studio that treated visitors to an unforgettable VIP experience. Color Studio provided custom on-site makeovers and makeup consultations using Maybelline products, exclusive Fashion Week content, free product trials, and coupons to drive to retail.

Maybelline set out to reach consumers across the country by bringing Color Studio to events of all types and sizes for maximum reach.

Experiential

Fashion week nyc.

The Color Studio made a big splash at New York Fashion Week, with a 20’ x 40’ space that welcomed consumers not attending the show to get a glimpse into the allure of Fashion Week. The studio offered complimentary make-up consultations and an interactive Maybelline NY vending machine. Best of all, the ultimate fashion icon herself, Anna Wintour, made appearances on-site and distributed branded Fashion Week t-shirts and other VIP giveaways.

Walgreen’s Integration

We also created an exclusive Color Studio experience, built specifically for Walgreen’s, that transformed their in-store beauty sections into a backstage at Fashion Week experience. Monitors ran footage of the live runway shows while consumers were treated to on-site makeovers from professional stylists, driving immediate sales.

Shecky’s Girls Night Out

To establish reach on a broader scale, we partnered with nationwide promoter and media company Shecky’s Girls Night Out to bring Color Studio to its events. The Color Studio at Shecky’s events included an on-site retail partnership with Target that allowed consumers to purchase products on the spot. A custom-built catwalk allowed attendees to flaunt their new Maybelline NY look and share it with friends via social media.

College Campus Tour

Finally, Color Studio went back to school with a college campus tour that provided tips, tricks and makeovers during college fashion weeks. This tactic not only raised awareness among an influential female demographic, it also created a lasting bond with a new wave of brand loyalists: Millennials.

Our work with Maybelline New York’s Color Studio extended the brand’s reach both online and offline, reinforcing its credibility and market leadership in the category. More specifically, the campaign amplified brand awareness in desired demographics, encouraged product trial, and continued to drive consumers to retail through on-site sales.

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Skin Care Marketing Strategy: How To Cover All Bases in 2021

• Damien Bouvier
• February 1, 2021

It’s never been more critical for skincare marketers to have a 360° skincare marketing campaign. Why? Because the advancements in algorithms and possible advertising placements have provided us with many more customer contact points. Ensuring that your strategy is consistent with your brand image and what you’re selling has never been so important.

Not only have the tech advancements changed the way skincare and beauty companies can advertise, but so have the amount of beauty and skincare bloggers that are ready and willing to promote your products for a small fee. In fact, according to research Forbes conducted with beauty experts Poshly, 65% of millennials would rather listen to their favorite YouTuber than an in-store beauty advisor.

How to create a 360 ° skincare marketing campaign

Providing a 360°  experience is about creating a cohesive campaign with focused messaging across multiple customer contact points. This can be through print, in-store, digital, and social media; Marina Karasellos , a digital creative director at Ultra Beauty, puts it as, “ the customer will experience communication no matter where they are, so you have to think about leading them through the journey. “

As digital marketing is on the rise, the importance of developing a unique 360°  marketing strategy for skincare businesses has never been more critical. Here we will talk you through how to make the most of every moment of the conversion funnel.

How to ensure you’re covering all bases in 2021

Seo & content : lay the groundwork for organic rankings.

SEO stands for Search engine optimization. Essentially, it’s a set of rules for optimizing your website so that you can achieve higher rankings on search engines’ organic results. The first aspect of your 360 ° skincare marketing campaign for 2021 is to understand that investing in SEO is crucial for a website’s success; where do you start?

Understand your audience 

Conduct data analysis on your target audience, understand what makes them tick in terms of what they are searching for, and responding to on your website, social media, in-store, etc. A good example of tailoring your website to your user’s needs is how the beauty brand L’Oreal has made their site easy to navigate. The layout consists of a simple banner menu at the top of the page, which compliments the eye-catching video showcasing the most popular L’Oreal products.

Conduct keyword research

Begin your research by learning the competitive keywords used within your industry and noticing what keywords your competition is using. 

You can do this by making a list of relevant topics, for example, skincare, beauty products, cleanser, exfoliator, moisturizer, etc. You would then use a keyword planner tool to create a second list of keywords with a low keyword difficulty and a high volume to give yourself the best chance to rank. Once you have this list, you can start creating content, page optimizations, and product descriptions around these keywords.

Improve your beauty brand’s site architecture

There are quite a few factors that will always affect your site ranking among SERPs (search engine results pages), one of these being your site architecture – or site structure. Still, of course, these SEO ranking factors deserve some attention.

Optimize your product pages

You want your product page to be fully optimized and to have just as much love as the content you are posting on your homepage or in your blogs. Make sure these product pages are fully optimized and are delivering your brand tone.

For example, three different companies have optimized their page titles and meta descriptions to rank for the term ‘skincare.’

Develop a unique and exciting content strategy

Skincare businesses not only need to stay on top of their SEO efforts; they also need to focus on their content marketing. Content marketing in the skincare industry can be anything from beauty brand Fenty featuring a video of Rihanna performing a morning skin routine to promote Fenty products or releasing articles on what it’s like to work at the powerhouse L’Oreal in London.

Some businesses approach SEO and paid advertising with completely separate strategies, while they are different in many ways. When SEO and paid advertising are used together, their efforts can complement each other and lead to a more successful search strategy.

Google Paid Advertising: Reach new audiences and target people searching for your business online. 

Paid advertising puts your brand in the most shoppable position – at the top of the first page of Google. Paid advertising will allow you to reach new visitors and target your existing audience more effectively. It’s essential to use both SEO and paid advertising to ensure you’re laying the groundwork for long-term rankings and attracting new visitors to the site.

Paid advertising is commonly referred to as pay per click (PPC), including bidding on placements such as Google Ads and Facebook business. Where you advertise depends on your industry and what type of conversion you hope to attract: leads or sales. Google and Facebook have two of the most popular advertising platforms, which work very well for different reasons.

The 3 main reasons you should include Google Ads in your 360°  marketing strategy are: 

Increases leads and sales

Google Ads is currently the number one tool for effective lead generation. If your campaigns are set up properly, it has the potential to send extremely targeted leads to your website, opt-in form, or other online property. Secondly, Google Ads will allow you to focus on the people searching for what your business offers. This means you can continually refine your searches so that only people who want to buy your products or services are sent to your websites through this platform.

Fast results and easy to analyze

Google Ads is an extremely transparent and intuitive system, which means that it’s easy to analyze the progress of your campaigns because the dashboard gives you all of the information related to each campaign, such as the ads clicked, the keywords that website visitors entered, and the cost of clicks. Google Ads is an easy to use the platform and provides an optimization score for each campaign. When this optimization score drops below 100%, Google will offer recommendations on how to improve your campaign performance. This is why Google is known for delivering quick, straightforward results and reports of your campaigns.

Flexible marketing platform

Anyone who uses Google Ads regularly will tell you that it’s a very flexible marketing platform. You can easily customize campaigns to focus on specific types of online users. For example, you can target people by location, the type of device they’re using, and the Google-owned website they’re accessing (e.g., Google search, Google Maps, YouTube).

For example, you can see below how skincare brand Olay are advertising on both Google Search and Google Shopping:

Are you interested in improving SEO and advertising on Google but want to see proof that it could work for your industry? Please have a look at our case study on Skincare Jungle . In just seven months, they achieved incredible results.

And if you want to learn more about the importance of advertising on Google and how to start, check out our Google Ads guide .

Facebook Paid Advertising

It’s important to remember the key differences between advertising on a search engine and a social media platform. The difference is that though people on Google may be actively searching for a product to purchase, your target audience is using social media regularly and engaging with your skincare brand; this is why social media is great for brand exposure. Facebook, similarly to other social PPC platforms, uses audience targeting rather than keywords. Here are 2 reasons why you should be using Facebook ad campaigns:

Reach a wider audience

As of July 2020, according to Statista , Facebook had more than 2.6 billion users worldwide. That is more than any other social media platform and second to perhaps only Google’s search users. Facebook is no longer just for a younger audience, with 38% of its users aged 35 to 65+. For the skincare industry, Facebook provides the golden opportunity of reaching a wide audience, all of whom have shown an interest in Skincare.

Full-funnel targeting

Facebook’s ad formats, targeting options, and measurement capabilities align well with any marketing strategy. It is useful whether a user is in the later stages of the conversion funnel, casually browsing, or in a mindset to convert. 

Facebook tracks users through the conversion funnel, which provides a greater level of audience transparency. Audience transparency gives marketers a better understanding of who is engaging with their ads and a higher level of control of targeting them.

• Fans: Your Facebook followers.
• Friends of Fans: Users who are friends of your followers.
• Behaviors or Interests: Users who meet the criteria you selected based on self-reported criteria.
• Remarketing: Users who have previously visited your site.

Here are some skincare brands that have run successful campaigns in the past:

As you can see from above, both Briogeo and HUM Nutrition have displayed their products in entirely different ways. Briogeo is trying to get consumers to take a quiz to determine their hair type – which they will then sell specific products based on the answers. At the same time, HUM Nutrition has laid out its tablets and pills in a quirky way to entice consumers. Both brands have used emojis in their copy to make the ads seem organic and relatable to a younger audience.

Remarketing funnel

Remarketing is what will bring your skincare marketing strategy to life. Remarketing is a tactic that involves showing ads to people who have visited your website or engaged with your business in some way before. This strategy is an incredibly cost-effective way to increase your sales conversions because you’re reaching out to potential customers who have already expressed interest in your beauty products.

Still not convinced? Here are the top 3 reasons why you should be remarketing in your skincare strategy:

Stay engaged with your target audience

Remarketing helps you follow a user from site to site to re-engage them with your brand and bring them back to your site.

Attract your competitors’ customers

Jump on the coattails of your competitors! Remarketing allows your ads to pop up on a customer’s browser after they have visited your website or searched for a particular keyword, for example, if you’re selling a product that promises to get rid of wrinkles, then you could include keywords in your Google Search campaign to target a product like ‘Kiehl’s Wrinkle Remover.’ Doing this with the right bid and budget could mean that your wrinkle remover product appears before the brand itself.

Increase brand awareness

Remarketing allows you to establish brand awareness in the early stage of the purchase process and become your product’s authority. Establishing this authority with visitors early should bring your customers back when they are ready to purchase.

Overall, when it comes to remarketing, there are different strategies you could use, and each has unique benefits. For example, standard remarketing through Google AdWords shows ads to your past visitors as they browse Display Network websites and use Display Network apps. On the other hand, dynamic remarketing uses ads that include products or services that people have viewed on your website.

Social Media

In addition to advertising on social media platforms, it’s essential to understand that organic and paid social media are needed to be truly successful. In fact, social media not only builds trust that your business is legitimate to potential customers and contributes to your business’s presence or following, but it also supports your SEO efforts too. Since social media indirectly influences the factors that impact search rankings, it is important because it can drive quality web traffic to your blog. However, social media is not an SEO ranking factor. Instead, it correlates with the elements that influence SEO rankings, such as how many likes, comments, or shares your blog posts are getting.

Social media uses the free services and tools that each platform provides to its users. The purpose of organic social media is to build a community of loyal followers and customers through posting relevant content and interacting with those who interact with your brand.

Here are the 4 top reasons why you should be including organic social:

• Organic social boosts validity
• Social media is a good way to truly connect with potential customers once they’re followers
• Organic social media is cost-effective and a long-term solution
• If you don’t start your organic growth now, you’ll always be behind

Social media offers massive opportunities to drive success, as well as being a minefield for potential disasters. Whatever level you operate at, we’re here to help. Our experts are here to help every avenue into digital marketing or whatever query you have about social media .

Beauty powerhouse L’Oreal Paris demonstrates how to connect with their audience organically and give your content a personal touch – rather than just posting to promote products. Their product pictures and influencer marketing content connect with real-life issues and share their work with charities in their organic content. See the image below for their post about managing water sustainability and preserving forests.

Email marketing

Email marketing is also a very personal way of reaching your target customers. Messages from your friends and family are sitting next to email updates from your company. That’s why email marketing works at its best when it is personalized. Email can be tailored to customer actions so that every communication is relevant to their interest. You can cover topics like personalized offers, beauty and skincare tips, links to videos, or even reviews!

6 reasons why email marketing is an essential part of your marketing strategy

• Email marketing is more effective for customer acquisition than social media
• Email marketing is economical as it doesn’t cost anything to run
• Emails are both personal and customizable – meaning that you can build up a list of people to remarket to via email
• They are action-oriented, email is transactional by nature. You can use it to direct traffic to your website and ultimately drive sales
• Email marketing is measurable; when you use any email marketing software, you can track who opened your email, who clicked links, and the number of people who unsubscribed
• Mobile devices allow people to check their email constantly

Email marketing is a powerful tool, even more, powerful when partnered with a 360° marketing campaign. Make the first step in improving your email marketing conversion rates and re-design your email template. The skincare brand Moon Juice has a very simplistic email template that actually replicates their website (a smart branding move).

In conclusion, to cover all bases in your skincare marketing strategy, you need to include SEO for organic rankings and long-term organic results. The better you are at ranking on Google with SEO, the less you’ll have to spend on skincare advertising . 

Paid advertising should be used primarily to reach new audiences and to target your existing audience appropriately. Once you have gained new audiences, it’s crucial to remarket to them. Always keep in mind the rule of 7; a consumer will interact with your brand seven times before converting.

Once you’ve done the heavy lifting on SEO, PPC, and remarketing, it’s key to not forget about the importance of having an organic following on social media. Organic social media is what will keep your audience engaged and able to relate to your business. 

Finally, no skincare marketing strategy is complete without email marketing – a crucial aspect of your strategy which will allow you to engage with your new targeted audience more effectively.

At Zima Media, we are passionate about offering a comprehensive 360°  marketing strategy customized to your needs. Get a free consultation for your business today!

We'll discuss your business' strengths and pain points and recommend a custom marketing strategy that fits your needs.

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Customer Case Studies

Beauty & skincare brand.

How a beauty and skincare brand partnered with Later to gain audience insights from Black and Latinx creators.

Later Influence™

Turn influencer marketing into your #1 revenue generator.

The Objective

A new, diverse strategy

A sustainability-focused beauty and wellness brand wanted to revamp its brand strategy with messaging, brand positioning, and tactics that would appeal to culturally diverse Gen Zers and young Millennials.

To better understand this audience and earn their trust, it needed to collect insights from creator partners who connected with this audience and understood their followers, values, needs, and aspirations on a community level.

Because this brand had worked with Later’s influencer marketing platform before, they trusted us to help foster relationships with an inclusive group of creators who know how social media creates and reflects culture, particularly for younger demographics.

The Solution

Sourcing Actionable Creator Feedback

Because of its longstanding presence within the beauty, sustainability, and lifestyle spaces, the brand knew that creators active in these areas would provide valuable feedback. The brand pursued a mix of nano-, micro-, and mid-tier influencers with an established interest in an array of environmentally-conscious beauty products, wellness and lifestyle, environmental activism, and social justice.

Choosing the right influencers

The brand and Later also understood that young, underrepresented creators would have a strong influence on the purchasing choices, trends, and cultural nuances experienced by the demographic the brand hoped to reach. To help it gain the insights it needed to better reorganize its brand strategy, it decided to hone in on Gen Z creators who are Black or Latinx, and who identify as women.

Later and the brand were confident that this group of creators would be best to activate and achieve their goals because, in addition to their value as industry experts, they emulate the brand’s messaging for this campaign: “How culture extends beyond beauty”. So, the brand and Later proceeded with multiple touchpoints in their outreach plan to collect a mix of qualitative and quantitative research.

Conducting a focus group

Both creator discovery — sourcing and identifying creators based on the brand’s outlined persona — touchpoints were hosted and moderated by the brand’s consumer research agency partner. Later coordinated all screening, outreach, communications, troubleshooting, compensation negotiations, and payment directly with creators.

The first touchpoint was a 90-minute online focus group interview in an unbranded environment that did not disclose the brand’s involvement, to avoid biased responses. The agency asked questions centered around the beauty industry and its cultural impact.

Creator survey & interviews

The second touchpoint reactivated a segment of those creators to complete a survey, to decipher which beauty brands (especially within the clean beauty space), skincare brands, and retailers it felt would do well when it comes to inclusion and representation in its advertising and business practices.

Then, creators were asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) to participate in one-on-one interviews, during which the brand was revealed as the sponsoring brand. During these more personal interviews, the moderator discussed the creators’ survey answers with each respondent while representatives from the brand listened in. In addition, Later and the brand asked for feedback on creative concepts that the brand team had developed based on the focus group results.

The Results

Actionable, culturally-informed insights

The brand incorporated more inclusive practices by integrating its market research findings into its campaign plans. The information collected from authentic, raw conversations with influencers helped the brand revitalize its strategy for a renewed commitment to more representative future content.

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Inside Cerave’s marketing strategy, post-TikTok fame 

By Daniela Morosini

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One of the most-watched user-generated TikToks featuring Cerave, the affordable drugstore skincare line owned by L’Oréal, is not a skincare routine or an ingredient explainer. It’s a movie in miniature, featuring a protagonist treated to a facial by a man only wearing the top half of a suit, who paints his face like a clown, covers him in toast crumbs and then proudly displays Cerave’s cleanser by balancing it on his foot. 

Historically primarily distributed in dermatologist offices but now more widely available in drugstores, social word of mouth has been instrumental to Cerave’s rise in popularity in North America. In 2020, as consumers were largely stuck at home examining their pores on video calls and scrolling TikTok, Cerave surged in popularity: like-for-like sales rose 82 per cent in the first nine months of the year, according to the brand. Further boosted by price sensitivity and an increased interest in science-backed skincare among consumers, Cerave’s star ascended. 

In 2022, L’Oréal noted that Cerave was the fastest-growing brand in the Active Cosmetic Division (a sector also comprising Skinceuticals and French pharmacy brand La Roche-Posay), and that the division as a whole “substantially outperformed” the dermocosmetics market, which L’Oréal chalked up to both Cerave and La Roche-Posay. Growth was balanced between North America and the rest of the world, the company said, with Cerave also more than doubling sales in Latin America in 2021, and posting “very strong growth” with a launch into Sub-Saharan Africa in 2022.

Now what? Positioning as a derm-approved brand, solidified by simple product names, bland packaging and low price points (under $20) helped the company reach new heights, but agile thinking and quick pivots will be needed to edge out the competition and please consumers who also want to be entertained, not just educated, while they scroll on social platforms. While dermatologist relationships will remain a cornerstone for the company, says Tom Allison, the brand’s co-founder and senior vice president, going forward, the company will follow where consumer tastes on social media go — including the uncharted waters of comedians and other off-the-wall creators, such as the aforementioned video by creator Jericho Mencke (who was seeded the product). 

Right place, right time  

L’Oréal bet big on Cerave in 2017. “They paid $1.3 billion to acquire us, and we were doing under $200 million in sales in the United States,” says Allison. The deal included Cerave and two other brands, Acnefree and Ambi, which L’Oréal purchased from Valeant Pharmaceuticals. 

By Madeleine Schulz

By Vogue Business in partnership with GXO Logistics

By Laura Pitcher

Cerave launched in 2005 with just three SKUs — its hydrating cleanser, moisturising lotion and moisturising cream — and maintained just those three products for five years. Instead of securing a celebrity spokesperson or a flashy marketing campaign, Allison and the team chose to build relationships with dermatologists, trusting that in turn, they would convince consumers. “In a dermatologist’s office, you have a highly motivated consumer,” explains Allison. “They’re in that space because they have real concerns they want addressed.” 

Allison describes it as a purposefully slow build, creating a foundation based on the efficacy of the products rather than impulse purchases. In the pandemic, as medical appointments increasingly moved online, dermatologists and aestheticians began posting their recommendations to new-found audiences. Cerave was already in many a toolkit, the brand saw great success and many organic mentions of its product. Growth has continued post-lockdown: influencer marketing research firm Tribe Dynamics estimates that Cerave’s earned media value (used to quantify the value of social media content) rose 11 per cent year-on-year to $55.5 million in 2022.

According to social listening company Brandwatch, online sentiment towards Cerave is predominantly positive, especially towards the price and efficacy of products. Brandwatch also notes that any negative sentiment associated with the brand online is often about the experience of struggling with skin problems, rather than the effects of the products themselves.

“As an acquisition target, I believe L’Oréal saw a great opportunity especially within the US for how big the business could become with the right marketing strategy,” says Allison, adding that he believes L’Oréal has great storytelling capabilities and was able to “ignite” a bigger influencer strategy for Cerave.

Embracing the chaos

The climate of the 2020s allowed for Cerave to make strides on social media. Allison describes this as “the era of social media advocacy”, wherein there is the idea that anyone can be an influencer, and people want different tones of voice, humour and candour. “Short-form video has created an explosion in every individual's ability to influence not just the people around them, but people around the world,” says Allen Ortega, the brand’s global senior manager of advocacy, content and e-commerce, adding that for many consumers, there’s now little difference between a recommendation from a friend and an influencer.

However, the rise of short-form video, on Instagram Reels but especially on TikTok, has moved the needle away from simple educational content to entertaining and often eccentric, off-the-wall humour. Ortega says they talk about what is generally going viral, rather than just beauty trends. 

This is how Jericho’s TikTok post came about. “We noticed Jericho was getting over 10 million views organically on almost everything he posted,” says Ortega. “Once we’ve identified a creator like that, that’s where relationship building comes into play, seeding out products to them and letting them discover the brand. Then, with those Gen Z voices, we let them be creative and we try to be flexible and let them create the content that’s natural for them.” Ortega adds that such an approach is “pretty scary” for them as traditional marketers, but they believe it allows them to tap into the current zeitgeist.

Co-founder and SVP Tom Allison.

“When I showed the video [to the wider team] there were some long silences,” recalls Ortega of the Jericho content. “However, L’Oréal wants to be on the front lines of innovation and they are a very trusting organisation.” The video currently has over 5 million likes on TikTok, with overwhelmingly positive comments.

Satirical, irreverent marketing  has become popular among fashion brands who are finding that run-of-the-mill approaches make less of an impact on a Gen Z audience that spends a lot of their time online. “Meme culture” and oddball videos catch attention. For a brand like Cerave, the goal is to toe the line to appear in new ways to a younger audience without diluting what it originally stood for. “It makes sense for established brands like Cerave to push in this direction because of the insatiable appetite for new content on TikTok. If you’re not being adventurous and moving into different directions, finding new things to post is hard,” says Matt Moorut, a director analyst at research firm Gartner for Marketers. “If they — or any brand — gave up on their brand identity and just followed the trends in totality, then they'd be making a mistake, but Cerave still does lots of education and dermatology content,” he adds.

“We need the dermatologist content, that’s at the core of everything we do. But, to support that, there’s plenty of opportunities that are more playful, and less about brand messaging. That matters to Gen Z,” says Ortega, adding that advocacy is also important, wherein people who have had their lives positively impacted by the products share their stories. “All those pieces have to work together.”

According to research by Tribe Dynamics, 70 per cent of the brand’s mentions are from influencers with less than 100,000 followers, sometimes called ‘micro influencers’. Ortega says that the brand does not focus a great deal on a creator’s following size when deciding whether to work with them or not. “On platforms like TikTok, you see very little correlation between the number of followers and the ability to reach people. Instead, we ask: ‘Who are the creators who are speaking to the culture? And how do we unlock their creativity on behalf of the brand?’”

Beyond digital marketing  

New product development and more relationship-building is on the cards, says Allison. For the year ahead, the brand will be “active in the acne space”, embracing the opportunity to educate customers about the role ceramides have to play in acne care.  Ortega says the brand may not always need to launch new products to operate in new spaces. “It’s not always about developing new; it’s often about what testing you can do to get the product in the hands of people who might need it for different reasons,” he says. Cerave recently funded a global study into the efficacy of its cleanser and moisturising cream for diabetics. “We don’t have to necessarily develop a specific product for diabetics, but we can extend our existing franchise to them when they have the data to support its efficacy,” explains Allison.

While the brand has expanded beyond its original three SKUs, the product edit is relatively restrained compared to other skincare brands, sticking to the simplistic roots that made them popular with professionals. “We invest heavily in sales teams that go into dermatologists’ offices around the world, and we make a large investment of capital into sampling for those patients who come into the offices,” says Allisson. The company also funds a number of studies with universities and research institutions to support new uses and proof for its products. 

It’s these offline relationships that give the company the authority and name recognition to succeed online, says Allison. “The gift that keeps on giving is our relationship to dermatologists as it relates to beauty influencers, many of whom learn from dermatologists they watch, and then use that expertise and recommendations in their own videos. So as long as we can be top of mind with physicians, that flywheel enables us to get great content that mentions us without having to necessarily pay influencers to do unboxings or things like that. They become aware of the line through the physicians themselves.” 

Comments, questions or feedback? Email us at [email protected] .

Correction: This article was updated to correct the attribution of quotes in the final section to Tom Allison rather than Allen Ortega (8/2/2023).

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ESPA Skincare engages new customers with audio ads

Written by Spotify Advertising Team

ESPA Skincare turned to Spotify Ad Studio to create a custom, professionally-recorded digital audio ad that helped get the word out about their new product line and drive sales with a unique promo code.

The media mix

Brand vertical: CPG (Beauty) Objective: Brand awareness Target audience: Women aged 18-50 Ad Studio targeting used: Demographic and Interest targeting (Health & Lifestyle, Fitness, Travel, and Love & Dating) Market: UK Flight dates: 18 April- 8 May 2021 Ad formats: Audio Everywhere

Curated for all skin types, ESPA offers a suite of natural, holistic skincare products. With the launch of their new Active Nutrients collection, the brand wanted to understand how digital audio ads on Spotify could help them raise awareness for their products, drive trials, and engage new customers in their target audience.

The solution:

Using Ad Studio’s demographic and interest audience targeting , ESPA introduced its new product range to female listeners on Spotify aged 18-50 interested in Health & Lifestyle, Fitness, Travel, and Love & Dating. This is ESPA’s usual target audience, but with the help of Ad Studio’s precise targeting tools and an audio ad tailored to their intended audience, the brand reached new customers they hadn’t tapped into before on Spotify.

The creative sounds of success:

ESPA didn’t have a digital audio ad ready-made for this campaign, so they used Ad Studio’s free creative services to make one. They worked with a female voice actor who sounded like she might be part of their target audience and paired their message about their skincare collection with relaxing, acoustic background music . The Ad Studio team helped with recording and mixing the ad.

00:00 / 00:00

Hear the spot for yourself

Tailoring creative elements to match the campaign’s targeting—e.g., the target audience’s demographics, interests, and genre preferences—can help to boost engagement. Listeners want creative that speaks to them directly. And 65% say they like it when it feels like ads are made just for them. 1

Prefer tailored messaging

We’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating: clear CTAs are crucial to driving action from digital audio ads. Whatever you want your audience to do after hearing your ad—click through to a website, head to a brick-and-mortar store, or use an offer code—say it clearly and concisely. ESPA followed creative best practices as suggestions to help get them started and included a unique promo code for 20% off in their CTA at the end of their ad to help drive listener engagement and track conversions from Spotify.

The result? ESPA’s engaging creative and strong call to action drove a click-through rate of 0.38%, which exceeded Spotify’s U.K. audio benchmark of 0.06%.

The impact:

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Tropic Skincare is educating and assuring customers with Proof Points

The beauty brand is using proof-backed claims to increase brand trust and improve shoppers’ understanding of its social and environmental impact.

Tropic Skincare

Live on 135+ products

Shared with 20k+ brand ambassadors

Shoppers lacked understanding and proof of sustainability claims ‍

From donating to charity to double offsetting their carbon emissions, Tropic Skincare wants to be a force for good beyond beauty. But communicating this was no easy task: dense sustainability reports and complex certifications had left their customers overwhelmed. Tropic Skincare needed to give its customers – and its 20,000+ brand Ambassadors – greater clarity on its social and environmental impact, and to support every claim with clear evidence. In order to provide better education and assurance on sustainability, Tropic Skincare sought an e-commerce solution that made information and proof of impact easily accessible to shoppers.

Clear, interactive, evidenced claims at the point of sale

By embedding Provenance’s interactive Proof Points on their e-commerce site, Tropic Skincare is providing verified information about the social and environmental impact of products at the point of sale, empowering customers to shop in line with their values. With one click, brand Ambassadors and customers can now find real data supporting Tropic Skincare’s ethical claims. They can also find clear, shopper-friendly information explaining what the brand means when it says it donates to charity, that it’s CarbonNeutral® certified, or that a product is COSMOS Certified Organic.

The results

Increased brand trust.

By providing greater transparency around their social and environmental impact, Tropic Skincare is assuring values-led shoppers and building long-term brand trust.

Shopper-friendly sustainability claims

By communicating with the Provenance Framework, Tropic Skincare is avoiding jargon and turning complex supply chain data into easy-to-understand claims.

Educating shoppers on positive impact

Proof Points have allowed Tropic Skincare to easily educate both brand Ambassadors and shoppers on its sustainability progress.

“Today’s beauty shoppers want to be as informed as possible about products’ social and environmental impact, but they’re rightly wary of greenwashing. Through Provenance’s Proof Points, we’re making easy-to-understand sustainability claims, supported by easily-accessible data, to empower our customers to make purchases that truly match their values.”

Founder & Managing Director

Leading brands are growing brand value with Provenance

Pai skincare is driving brand trust with consistent sustainability claims across retail channels.

See how Beauty Heroes is boosting conversion by 20% with greenwash-free claims

Turn positive social and environmental impact into brand value.

Skincare Social Media Marketing 101: Ideas, Examples & Tips

It’s no secret that beauty marketing is fiercely competitive. Our guide to skincare social media uncovers the best ways for beauty brands to glow and grow.

We can’t think of an industry more synonymous with social media than skincare.

Spend a minute on Instagram or TikTok and you’re bound to encounter beauty brands. Skincare marketing offers brands endless creative freedom and opportunities to win new customers.

Eye-popping tutorials. New product drops. Tips from makeup artists. The list goes on and on!

The problem? The skincare space is seriously crowded. 

Fact: beauty brands post six times per week on Instagram on average. Sadly, they see the lowest engagement rate (0.32%) among all industries.

The takeaway here? Skincare brands must maximize their time spent creating content and interacting with customers. Below we’ve covered the bases of skincare social media marketing to help you do just that!

What Are the Best Platforms for Skincare Social Media?

Let’s start here! You need to prioritize the social platforms where your customers hang out. 

Thing is, skincare social media marketing is fair game on all of the major networks. 

The priority platforms for beauty brands right now are Instagram , TikTok and YouTube . Let’s look at why these three networks deserve your undivided attention:

Instagram: For Creator Content, Customer Education and Social Shopping

A whopping 85% of beauty professionals claim Instagram is their go-to social media platform. 

We totally understand why, though. 

Instagram’s aesthetic grid is perfect for polished product photos and videos. When done right, your Instagram presence serves as a flawless digital shopping window. 

Content formats such as Stories and Reels provide creative avenues to show off your products and educate customers, too. Coupled with product tagging and social shopping features, skincare brands can drive sales directly from Instagram.

Source: @drjart

TikTok: For Creator Content and Playful Videos of Products in Action

Don’t ignore the popularity of TikTok “skinfluencers!”

Skincare hacks, reviews and product shout-outs dominate the platform. From #DermDoctor to #FoundationHacks, there are countless skincare niches for brands to reach. Given that beauty hashtag usage grew by 186% on TikTok last year, the community is only getting bigger. 

Source: @withsaj

YouTube: For Videos and Reviews Showcasing Your Brand’s Best Side

From #sponsored reviews to makeup artist round-ups, YouTube remains one of the best skincare marketing channels for brands.

Google themselves noted that 86% of the top beauty videos on YouTube come from creators versus professional accounts a few years back. Fast forward to the present day and organic creator content still crushes it on the platform. 

Source: Mai Pham

Skincare brands have plenty of options when it comes to advertising. Still, juggling multiple social media channels is tough. This is especially true if your brand is late to the party and you’re starting a social presence from scratch.

Our advice? Start by prioritizing your Instagram and TikTok. Both networks are booming for beauty brands and creators alike. Chances are your customers are already there in droves.

Beyond that, there’s plenty of overlap between the platforms’ audience and content types.  Think about how Instagram Reels and TikTok videos can easily be tweaked and repurposed for either platform. This is a great example of how to squeeze more out of your content strategy. 

What Types of Posts Should Skincare Brands Prioritize?

Let’s say you’ve established your company’s social accounts and are ready to start posting.

Nice! Where do you start, though? 

Below are the types of posts that should be the cornerstone of your skincare social media marketing efforts. These posts are awesome for beauty content and can help you boost your brand’s organic reach.

Instagram Reels 

Short-form video is all the rage right now and Reels are no exception. 

Why are so many brands using Reels , though? Consider that:

• Reels are a prime format for bite-sized tutorials that keep viewers glued to their screens
• Creators and customers alike rely on Reels to find products and beauty trends (hint: 20% of all Instagram activity involves Reels )

Source: @tarte

In a competitive industry like skincare, anything you can do to earn reach and engagement is a plus. Reels are a proven way to drive discussion and get discovered. 

TikTok Videos

TikTok’s takeover of the beauty industry is impossible to deny. Everyday TikTokers and creators are constantly sharing their favorite products, hacks and tips. 

Oh, and they’re also earning millions of views in the process.

Source: TikTok

Food for thought: 67% of TikTokers are influenced to shop even when they weren’t looking to. Getting featured as a go-to product on TikTok starts with having customers shout you out. While the platform is popular for influencer marketing, the power of everyday creators on the platform is clear.

Instagram Stories 

Don’t sleep on Instagram Stories!

Although the format may have taken a backseat to Reels for many brands, Stories are a proven path to great Instagram engagement. Consider the features built into Stories that drive interactions between brands and customers. This includes:

• Picking people’s brains with polls to drive discussions and learn about what buyers want
• Conducting Q&As to have meaningful, one-on-one conversations with customers
• Using the Stories countdown timer to hype up time-sensitive announcements and product launches

If you’re looking for skincare Instagram Story ideas, polls are a prime starting point. 

For example, what are your customers’ favorite products? Ingredients? How intense is their skincare routine? How do they feel about your latest launch? 

Source: @cerave

Heck, 57% of Instagram users claim they enjoy being polled by brands. Coming up with questions provides an opportunity to gather customer insights and engage followers at the same time.

Instagram Carousels

Did you know that Carousel (slideshow) posts technically have the highest engagement rate of any type of Instagram content?

Aside from high engagement, Carousels serve as a way for brands to provide legitimate value to their followers. Some skincare marketing ideas involving Carousels include:

• Frame-by-frame tutorials breaking down how to use products
• Product recommendations based on skin type or tone
• Infographics and product explainers
• Behind-the-scenes photos of your brand (think: employee appreciation)
• Customer success stories (think: before and after photos)

That only scratches the surface, too! From education to entertainment value, skincare brands are spoiled for choice when it comes to slideshow ideas. 

Source: @drunkelephant

Sponsored YouTube Videos

Even if you don’t have an active YouTube channel yourself, working with creators on the platform is a great way to gain exposure. Getting an authentic shout-out from a YouTube creator is a huge accomplishment for beauty brands.

Google themselves has emphasized how well #sponsored content on YouTube performs for brands. In a skincare marketing case study for Schick , the brand cited a 229% lift in ad recall and 113% lift in purchase intent. This all happened through sponsored influencer videos that resembled organic content.

Source: Aspyn and Parker

That’s because beauty buyers rely on YouTube for in-depth reviews, explainers and how-tos. YouTube content is valuable because it’s more static than social videos. In other words, you’re more likely to attract ongoing, long-term business from the platform.

5 Skincare Social Media Content Ideas That Work for Any Brand

With a better grasp on platforms and posts, it’s time to dive deeper into content ideas.

Again, the skincare space offers a ton of freedom to brands. With so many opportunities to flex your creative muscles, you should never feel stuck in a box.

But creative freedom can also be overwhelming if you’re growing your account from scratch.

Don’t panic! Start by focusing on skincare content that :

• Naturally encourages discussion, feedback and interactions (hint: engagement is good!)
• Anticipates your customers’ questions and concerns
• Shows off your products in action
• Highlights your competitive advantage and what makes your product different
• Creates a sense of community among your followers

Below are five types of content that should be staples of any skincare social media account. No matter your product or niche, you can put your creative trademark on any of the following.

1. Before and After Videos and Photos

Seeing is believing for consumers.

That’s because potential customers want to be reassured of results. Chances are you’ve been disappointed by a promising product in the past, right? The same rings true for your audience. 

Before and after content is powerful because it provides a much-needed sense of proof. That is, proof that your products deliver. Check out this brilliant before and after video from Tula highlighting their acne toner pads.

Source: @Tula

Note how the creator behind this video depicts visible results. Not only that but the authenticity and vulnerability on display here are powerful. After all, few people are willing to show off their skincare progress on camera. This highlights the power of real content from creators versus promo photos.  

Before and after content is arguably the best way to sell skincare products on social media. Consumers want to see real results and this format is the perfect way to showcase them. 

2. Ingredient Explainers

Pop quiz: when’s the last time you made a skincare purchase without reading the label?

Now more than ever are putting ingredients first when it comes to beauty products. In fact, skincare ingredient searches have grown by over 229% year-over-year . Ingredient explainer content serves to educate customers and ease their minds when it comes to what they’re putting on their skin. This includes:

• The key ingredients of your product
• How your key ingredients work 
• Why those key ingredients produce results
• What irritants your customers should avoid

Source: @versed

This is a shining example of how to weave customer education into your skincare social media posts. Here’s another example from Herbivore that combines customer education with a sense of style. 

Source: @herbivorebotanicals 

Ingredient keywords and phrases can also increase your brand’s visibility in social searches. This includes terms like “vegan,” “natural”, “organic” or “cruelty-free.”

Oh, and use ingredient explainer content to highlight your competitive advantage! 

For example, clean skin brands often harp on harmful parabens and irritants to steer clear from. With skincare consumers becoming loyal to ingredients versus brands, don’t be shy about hyping up what’s in your products.

3. Product Reviews

Reviews are always a safe bet for skincare social media content.

After all, 99.9% of consumers claim to read some form of review when shopping online.

For skincare products, reviews can be make-or-break. Customers aren’t afraid to get savage and tear into underwhelming products that didn’t deliver. On the flip side, people will totally gush over products that save their skin (literally). 

If someone does give you a positive shoutout on-site or through a third-party review, be sure to promote it as part of your social media content. This is a seamless way to repurpose your UGC . 

Here’s an example from Glossier, using a review to hype up the restock of their You Solid Perfume.

Source: @glossier

Keep in mind that reviews can take forms beyond text. For example, consumers might take to TikTok to rave about how your product cleared their acne or otherwise blew them away. 

Social testimonials are arguably even more powerful than text reviews. That’s because they’re authentic, off-the-cuff and real . If your brand is earning shout-outs from customers, integrate that feedback into your social strategy ASAP.

4. How-tos and Tutorials 

When in doubt, show people how your products work. 

This means showcasing actual results and the step-by-step process of how to get those results. For example, you should show customers:

• How to apply products
• Suggested product combinations
• How to treat specific skin issues (think: acne or rosacea)
• How to build the best skincare routine for various skin types (think: dry or oily)

For example, Versed’s TikTok presence includes tons of how-tos and tutorials that teach customers the basics of using their products.

These types of posts are especially helpful if you have products that might not be self-explanatory. 

What do we mean? Note that skincare social media marketing involves reaching customers at various levels of awareness. Some people might already love your brand and products, sure. Others might be seeing you for the first time and don’t understand exactly what you’re selling.

As a result, your social media content should speak to those unaware audiences. 

For example, not everyone is going to know what a dermaplaning tool is (see below).  That’s okay! Consider how a video could illustrate why that particular product might be useful to someone, though. If you want to highlight products people never knew they needed, how-tos can do the trick. 

The key takeaway here? Videos and tutorials make it easier for people to imagine your products in their hands. Likewise, these posts make your product’s positive results more tangible. 

5. Challenges and Giveaways

With so much competition out there, engaging social followers is no small feat. 

That said, challenges and giveaways can give your brand the engagement lift it needs. There’s a reason why these posts are among the most engaged-with skincare social media content.

People can’t resist the power of “free!” The chance to win products or swag is always a strong incentive to get people to post. As an added bonus, contests can earn you valuable user-generated content to promote over and over again.

Following the launch of Ole Henriksen’s Plunge Pore Remedy Moisturizer, the brand took to TikTok to announce a giveaway. All followers had to do was follow the account and tag a friend. 

Source: @olehenriksen

Another awesome way to promote your giveaways and challenges is by featuring creators!  Creator-based content is proven to increase reach and engagement across social media. 

Whether a creator is sharing their own how-to with your products or their own before and after, your brand can piggyback on their audiences.

How “Niching Down” Helps Beauty Brands Stand Out on Social

We’ll say it again: competition in skincare social media is fierce .

Standing out from the crowd might seem impossible. That’s why niching down should be one of your key objectives. 

The takeaway? Don’t present yourself as just another skincare brand! Embrace what makes your product and audience different. For example, are all of your products organic? Vegan? CBD-infused? Cruelty-free? 

Also, think about your: 

• Product types (think: vegan, CBD-infused, cruelty-free)
• Key ingredients 
• Audience’s specific skin types
• Customers’ skincare pain points
• Price point (think: budget versus premium)
• Voice (think: sarcastic, playful, professional)

Look at a brand like Hempz for inspiration. From their logo to their bio and social content itself, they're totally upfront when it comes to how they’re all about hemp seed oil. They’ve attracted a dedicated Instagram audience of over 73,000 followers by doing just that. 

Source: @hempz

Don’t worry about trying to compete with big box brands boasting millions of followers. Carving out your niche is crucial to growing your audience in a crowded space. 

The more targeted your messaging is, the more you can tap into your audience's pain points and challenges. This creates a much-needed sense of trust and empathy.

For example, Statusphere's platform uses 250+ first-party data points to match brands and creators within our network. This is invaluable for skincare brands where there are  so many factors that influence whether a product is a good fit for a creator.

How to Delight Customers With Your Skincare Marketing Strategy

With your content strategy squared away, it’s time to think about day-to-day interactions with your followers. The more valuable touchpoints you make with followers, the easier it is to translate your skincare social media strategy into sales and loyalty.

The modern customer journey involves bouncing between multiple platforms and researching multiple brands before making a purchase. Chances are there are followers on the fence about buying from you but need one last little push.

To wrap things up, let’s look at some bonus activities you can do to delight your followers.

Listen Closely for Customer Feedback

From your best products to future skincare content ideas, your customers are your best source of inspiration. Make a point to consciously take note of their suggestions and respond to thoughtful comments. This shows that you care and also makes a positive impression on your audience.

Source: @drdennisgross

Answer Questions and Customer Concerns

Skincare social media is about so much more than just posting about your products. Consider that channels like Instagram often serve as a secondary customer service channel for brands. 

After all, it’s much easier to get a brand’s attention via public Instagram comments versus email or a lengthy feedback form on your company site. If someone asks a question, make a point to provide a personalized response. This is especially important when it comes to recommending products. 

Source: @paulaschoice

Also, note that if one person is asking a question there’s a good chance that others are thinking about asking it. Again, thoughtful responses can make a lasting impression.

Source: @peachandlily

Repost and Republish Customer Content

Impacting purchasing decisions for 79% of consumers , user-generated and influencer content (think: customer photos and videos) is invaluable for skincare brands. These forms of content highlight real people with real products that they legitimately love.

After all, social proof is a powerful motivator for product discovery. Given how eager consumers are to sound off about products they love, brands should leverage customer content when they can. 

If you want to show off the impact of your products or the audience you serve, who better to highlight it than your own satisfied customers? 

 Source: @sukinskincare_na

Not only do people want to see content from fellow customers but they also love getting shouted out themselves!  Reposting UGC is such a meaningful touchpoint between you and your customers. 

When someone tags you in a photo or video, you’ve also earned a powerful piece of marketing content for your brand. This is especially true if you plan to run ads using your UGC or influencer content.

If you can scale your customer content and republish it frequently, you’ll create a greater sense of community with your audience.

Boost Your Social Skincare Campaigns with Help From Creators

Whew! That was a lot of ground to cover, right?

Mastering skincare social media involves a lot of moving pieces. At the end of the day, proving your brand’s positive results for customers should be your top priority.

And making that happen means having hundreds of creators posting about your brands.

The challenge? Getting that authentic, customer content at scale without sacrificing quality.

Skincare in particular is such a competitive industry. Having a high volume of creator content is an absolutely must-do. Quality is also crucial when competition is so fierce.

That's where a platform like Statusphere can save the day. Our scalable micro-influencer solution has generated over 75,000 pieces of authentic content for our brands . 

Our advanced matchmaking algorithm is especially useful for skincare brands. That's because we match brands and creators based on 250+ unique, first-party data points. For example, our platform can match your brand with influencers based on skin conditions, skin type and preferred beauty products.

Since you only get matched with vetted micro-influencers from our network, your products always get into the hands of people that actively want to post about your brand. With Statusphere, brands get guaranteed content from authentic creators at scale.

Want to see how the platform works? Get in touch with one of our experts to see how we can help you scale your influencer marketing efforts in a fraction of the time.

This article was first published in July 2022. It was last updated May 20, 2023.

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Digital Marketing Case Studies For Beauty & Skincare Brands

by Digichefs | Aug 10, 2022 | Blog , Digital Marketing | 0 comments

Over the last two years, the beauty & skincare industry has witnessed an enormous rise and one of the crucial reasons behind it is the power of digital marketing. 

From establishing a strong brand presence in the market to using analytics for evaluating performance and expanding reach, all the way to tapping into the right audience and converting them into consumers, digital marketing has been a driving force for the beauty & skincare industry. 

In recent times, influencer marketing has become a prime aspect of digital marketing. So, let’s take a look at how some of our top beauty & skincare brands have maneuvered this feature for their own advantage.  

G&M Cosmetics , a natural, Australian skincare brand now available in India, generated brand awareness with the help of influencers across various social media channels, directing the audience to Amazon India, Myntra, and Flipkart.

The numbers secured through digital marketing were remarkable as mentioned below:

• G&M reached a colossal total of 2,943 distinct accounts
• G&M engaged with 11,921+ accounts

Coming to another leading natural skincare brand, that’s also vegan and cruelty-free, Sukin is an Australian skincare brand that’s now available in India. With the help of influencers and A+ content on Amazon India, Sukin garnered impressive brand recognition in the Indian market. 

The numbers accumulated through digital marketing were spectacular as you can see below:

• Sukin reached a massive total of 1.9M unique accounts  
• Sukin engaged with 3,03,114+ accounts

Another leading skincare brand that has leveraged digital marketing, specifically targeting the festive season is Bioderma India , known for their invention of Micellar water wherein:

• Bioderma India achieved an impressive reach of 5.75L on Instagram
• Bioderma India achieved an impressive reach of 28K on Facebook

But that’s not all as there was another exceptionally fruitful and mindful campaign for Bioderma India , whose sole aim was to generate social awareness amidst the pandemic scare. Bioderma India beautifully played a small but responsible role in the COVID era and that is reflected in the campaign. 

• Bioderma India’s posts garnered a significantly larger reach
• Bioderma India’s posts were shared 3.5X more

Let’s take a look at another organic skincare brand, Organic Riot . Formulated in New Zealand, Organic Riot is a vegan friendly, paraben-free, and cruelty-free brand. Being a fairly new brand in the Indian market, its aim was to establish brand awareness and aggressively drive online sales. 

• Organic Riot profitably impacted 1.65M relevant accounts
• Organic Riot’s revenue scaled up by 4X in 3 months while maintaining the cost per acquisition

In essence, all of these beauty and skincare brands had the principal objective of introducing themselves to the Indian audience, increasing visibility in the market as well as pushing their products. And these beauty & skincare brands actually managed to accomplish their goal promisingly by incorporating the right digital marketing tools and channels. 

However, there’s another beauty brand, Yuana that we successfully elevated with website development. Their objective was strong branding with an aesthetically pleasing, and easy-to-navigate website and we built their customized website within a span of 2 months.

Now, while numbers are definitely more fascinating and define the success rate of digital marketing for any brand per se, it is also crucial to have industry knowledge. So, if you want to know how these beauty & skincare brands have leveraged digital marketing so advantageously, then read this blog here !

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How to engage consumers now: insights for skincare brands

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For a long time, selling skincare products has largely revolved around providing interactive experiences for customers in store.

‘ Try before you buy ’ was a crucial aspect of most purchase journeys – before COVID-19 hit, sales in store accounted for up to 85% of beauty product purchases in most major beauty industry markets, superseding the appeal of shopping online . 

Today, with the enforced closure of retail stores globally, traditional brick-and-mortar skincare players will be feeling the effects for months to come. 

Unlike trends that can be forecasted, anticipated, and planned for, COVID-19 has forcibly taken center stage at a macro level.

The pandemic has accelerated the shift to online for a much broader cross-section of consumers. 

So in this ‘ new normal ’, how can skincare brands pivot to capitalize on a radically changed market and consumers? 

Through the lens of what matters to skincare buyers ¹ we offer analysis into the current state of the skincare market.

Knowing where to turn: the big insights

2 in 5 skincare buyers say they won’t visit shops for some or a long time after lockdown. .

In a pre-coronavirus world, maintaining footfall in store was arguably more important than growing your presence online. 

But the balance has shifted. While lockdowns and restrictions are beginning to ease, we won’t see a rapid return to the way things were. 

Only 14% of skincare buyers surveyed in our latest research wave plan to visit shops immediately after they reopen. While 40% plan to visit shops quite or very quickly, the same amount also say they’ll wait for some or quite a long time before visiting shops again. 

Meanwhile, a further 6% aren’t currently sure when they’ll go back. 

So while there’s appetite to return to stores for some, there’s also clear signs of caution among consumers that need to be addressed.

Consumer concerns about safety are a key driver for avoiding physical stores;across a range of questions we asked, planned behaviors largely center around minimizing personal risk. 

And crucially,, 52% of skincare buyers say they’ll buy things online more frequently after the pandemic. 

With consumer attention gravitating towards online stores at a faster rate than ever, it’d be a missed opportunity for any brand not to invest more heavily in providing a standout experience for customers in the digital space.

Online shopping should see a long-term boost.

Our latest multi-market findings reveal: 

• 49% of all pre-existing ecommerce purchasers say they plan to shop online more frequently after the outbreak.
• 32% of those who weren’t purchasing online regularly prior to the outbreak plan to spend more time shopping online after the outbreak.

While the biggest potential boost is likely to be among those already shopping online regularly, increased intent among newer converts is still sizable. 

It pays to keep your finger on the pulse – especially in the skincare realm. From our research conducted at the end of April, of those skincare buyers who said they’d purchase items online more frequently, 51% say they’re more likely to order cosmetics or beauty products in particular. 

So it’s skincare players most attuned to how their customers have evolved throughout the pandemic who’ll be first in line to recoup any lost profits.

More than half of all skincare buyers are based in APAC.

To make the most of opportunities at present, skincare brands need to focus more on the fastest-growing segments.

APAC, for example, is home to a disproportionate amount of skincare buyers:

Our global research shows more than half of all skincare buyers (57%) reside in the APAC region. 

In contrast, 17% are based in Europe, 13% in Latam, 9% based in North America and 5% in MEA.

In the past month, 80% of skincare buyers in APAC purchased an item online, while fifty percent of the world’s online transactions across all categories take place in China.

Before the pandemic, brick-and-mortar retailers in China faced an unpredictable future; shopping malls had battled three consecutive years of revenue decline from 2016 to 2019.

Online retailers, on the other hand, have become increasingly competitive.

But, while consumers in China have plenty of choice in online shopping, global brands are presented with the challenge of finding the ecommerce platform that’s best for them.

Those that are new to China’s online marketplace should opt for digital sales channels with built-in infrastructures that allow them to jump in quickly and easily. Following that, brands should put the work into upgrading and enhancing their own website to strengthen their ecommerce presence even further.

Beauty brands including Huda Beauty recently launched official stores on Tmall –China’s most visited B2C retail website and leading customer engagement platform, home to over 10 million sellers.

Christina Fontana , director of fashion and luxury at Alibaba Europe says Tmall Global can be used as a testing ground for brands to understand how products might be received in the Chinese market. With an already impressive list of brands, the platform’s recent foray into livestreaming capabilities makes it an ideal partner for many international companies that have audiences invested in watching brands’ video content. 

According to Fontana, “Once a brand is on board, it has the tools to target any consumer, whether it’s a Gen Zer or an urban silver shopper. Each user has different touchpoints, all targetable through our platform.”

Thinking of ROI at a time when budgets have been cut and some frozen it may make sense for some skincare brands to direct more spend towards the Asian market. 

Inside the mind of a skincare buyer: key things to know

Skincare buyers are highly engaged with brands – over half have visited a brand’s website and 1 in 3 have watched a video made by a brand in the past month.

But what does the new journey look like, and how should brands respond?

How they discover brands 

Using our latest global research, we can see Dove (32%), Nivea (30%), L’Oréal (27%), are skincare buyers’ most frequently used brands weekly. 

In spite of 52% having visited a brand’s website in the past month, skincare buyers say they’re more likely to discover new brands via search engines (36%), recommendations from family and friends (29%) through ads on social media (28%) and ads on websites (25%).

Key social media touchpoints

On a daily basis, 63% of skincare buyers visit YouTube, followed by Facebook (56%) and Instagram (49%).

Their top reasons for using social media are to stay up-to-date with news or current events (43%) with 36% using it for brand research.  

Roughly 1 in 5 have asked a question to a brand on a social network, and it’s also around 1 in 5 who’ve clicked on a promoted or sponsored post on a social network.

But social media is also a place to seek enjoyment while passing the time, with 41% visiting social networks to find funny or entertaining content. And providing uplifting and light-hearted content is more important than you might think: 

80% of skincare buyers approve of brands providing funny/light-hearted content during the outbreak.

Interests, values and purchase drivers

In terms of what ingredients they want to see in a skincare formulation, the appeal of ‘clean’ products continue to rise in popularity, with 67% of skincare buyers saying they try to buy natural / organic products.

Globally, skincare buyers are holding brands to account more than ever before, with 51% saying they want brands to be eco-friendly, closely followed by 48% who want brands to operate in a socially responsible way.

Their attitudes are backed by these consumers’ willingness to follow through with their convictions – 64% would pay more for sustainable / eco friendly products.

When it comes to their biggest online purchase driver, 55% of skincare buyers say it’s free delivery. 

Other factors that score relatively highly are coupons and discounts, and reviews from other customers – 44% and 39% say this respectively. 

In conjunction, skincare buyers also cite music (62%) films / cinema (60%) and cooking (58%) as some of their top interests. 

Blending where they spend their time (YouTube) with what they do there (watch cooking videos, for example) and what content they consume (1 in 3 watched a branded video in the past month) brands can better pinpoint ways to reach this audience. 

This might prompt the idea to place an entertaining video ad on YouTube, featured on their favorite cooking show, for example.  

Brand advocacy drivers

The majority (53%) say high quality products would be their number one reason for advocating a brand.

Skincare brands can also increase their likelihood of being advocated by offering rewards such as discounts, free gifts etc (46% say this) and offering great customer service (40% say this).

Discounts both encourage skincare buyers to make a purchase, and encourages word-of-mouth recommendations to others as well. And from our latest coronavirus research, close to half of skincare buyers say they’ll wait for products to be on promotion/sale before purchasing.

In light of the economic uncertainty, consumers might be more cautious when spending. Brands will need to work even harder to make their products an essential, rather than a nice-to-have.

Along with products which meet their expectations, this audience highly values communication and support offered by brands. Skincare buyers want to be heard: 48% say they want brands to listen to customer feedback.

Since there are new rules about consumers physically testing products in person, great customer service provided online can therefore be a powerful substitute. 

Brand spotlight: L’Oréal

Understanding the beauty buyer persona is invaluable when it comes to knowing where and how to pivot. The key to guiding decisions with even more clarity is getting to know the buyers of your brand specifically.

Take L’Oréal , for example. 

Using our coronavirus research spanning 17 countries from March 31 to May 26, what are key things to know about customers who’ve purchased L’Oréal branded products in the past month? How has their sentiment changed throughout the pandemic? 

• Coronavirus levels of concern: the number of L’Oréal buyers who say they are very or extremely concerned about the situation globally has decreased over time, from 78% to 69%.
• News consumption: earlier in the pandemic, 72% said they were watching more news as a result of the outbreak, compared to 63% in our most recent research wave.
• Social media usage: 55% cited using social media more because of the outbreak. Increased time on social media remains fairly stable over time, hovering at 52% in our most recent wave.
• Approval of normal advertising: approval is increasing, with 80% approving or being indifferent to brands running normal advertising, compared to 86% approval/indifference in our most recent research wave.
• Appeal of promotions, offers and perks: 81% somewhat or strongly approved of brands running promotions/offers/loyalty perks, this has since risen to 91%.

Key takeaway : this shows just how much behaviors and attitudes have fluctuated in less than two months – proving the need to stay close to your consumers. With concern decreasing, high approval for brands running promotions, and levels of increased social media usage fairly stable, any skincare promotion advertised by L’Oréal on social media now stands to resonate in the eyes of the majority of their audience.

Online vs. offline: a more balanced future?

Despite physical stores reopening, the challenge for retailers is just beginning.

Our data shows there’s a clear demand for more online focus from brands.

Ecommerce has been a notable winner emerging from the pandemic, creating a broader rethink of existing business models, to which the skincare industry is no exception.

With consumers placing more value on shopping online and planning to continue in that vein when things return to normal, it’s crucial for brands to remain competitive in this space – especially given an increase in sales online can help offset a decline in in store sales. 

The past few months, brands have taken cues from customers’ lives, positioning their skincare products as part of a soothing ritual that can offer respite from the stresses of a pandemic. With self-care at the forefront of beauty marketing, there’s been an emphasis on highlighting products that can help consumers feel rejuvenated. 

Whether to shape messaging, placement or formats, brands need to hold up a mirror to the times to ensure they’re fully in tune with consumers’ latest reality as various stages of restrictions are lifted. 

For an industry that undergoes continuous R&D to produce high-quality products, this same philosophy should be applied to each touchpoint along the skincare buyer’s online journey. 

¹ Skincare buyers include those who’ve purchased skincare products, moisturizer or exfoliating products the last month.

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Top Skincare Marketing Strategies to Elevate Your Beauty Brand 33 min read

In the competitive world of skincare marketing, standing out from the crowd is no easy feat. However, implementing the right skincare marketing strategies can work wonders when it comes to elevating your beauty business. From defining your brand identity to optimizing your web presence and cultivating brand advocates, this guide covers the essential tactics to make your products shine. 

Follow our comprehensive, 6-step methodology below designed specifically for emerging and established skincare brands ready to glow up. Let’s dive in!

1. Conduct Market Research

Kicking off any skincare marketing campaign requires in-depth consumer and competitor analysis. This upfront research is invaluable for steering your messaging, positioning new launches, and gaining actionable insights your team can act on.

Advanced Competitive Analysis Tools

Today’s competitive intelligence gathering is powered by sophisticated analytics tools. Among these tools, the following are particularly helpful:

• SEMrush : For paid and organic search analysis into how rivals are bidding on industry keywords like “anti-aging serum” or “acne spot treatment.” Track their digital ad spend across Google and social channels through SEMrush’s automated reporting.
• BuzzSumo : Review competitor content strategies, see which specific articles or formats like lists or videos earn the most backlinks and amplification to borrow learnings.
• Google Analytics : Though focused on owned data, can still provide macro-industry level website traffic analysis by plugging in rival domains. Determine seasonal fluctuations across skincare overall.

Competitive Analysis Framework and Best Practices

Identify common themes across top-performing brands in your niche. For example, set up a spreadsheet to meticulously track and analyze their marketing strategies, product launches, social media engagement, campaign themes, and customer reviews. By doing so, you can uncover patterns in their success and adapt those strategies within your own brand’s context. This could involve understanding their storytelling techniques, the type of influencers they collaborate with, or the specific hashtags they use to gain traction. With this comprehensive analysis, you’ll be better equipped to make informed decisions that could propel your brand forward in the competitive skincare market.

Start by analyzing 10-15 of your top competitors across parameters like:

• Product range and pricing
• Brand personas and messaging
• Website design and content strategy
• Social media presence and campaigns
• Advertising and partnerships
• Ratings, reviews, and complaints

Leveraging Social Listening for Real-Time Market Insights

Today’s market research goes beyond old-school questionnaires, leveraging cutting-edge social listening platforms that sift through countless online dialogues about skincare.

• Sprout Social : Enables tracking brand, product or industry keyword mentions across social networks, news sites and more to collect real-time feedback or unsatisfied customer complaint insights that require reputation management.
• Awario : In addition to monitoring ongoing discussions, Awario performs historical social data analysis offering perspective on sharable content types or viral posts catching fire to identify success attributes.

Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methodology

Combine competitive analysis with your own primary and secondary research. This involves conducting surveys, engaging in social media monitoring, and analyzing consumer behavior patterns. By integrating data from various sources, you can form a more comprehensive understanding of the market landscape, identify emerging trends, and uncover gaps in the competitive offerings. This multifaceted approach allows you to craft skincare marketing strategies that are not only informed by what competitors are doing but also by the direct feedback and preferences of your target audience. Consider the following:

• Customer surveys asking about buying preferences, values, brand loyalty, and satisfaction
• Focus groups recruiting existing and potential customers to test concepts
• Individual interviews speaking to influencers, partners, and industry experts
• Analysis of interactions on digital channels like reviews, social comments, and forum discussions

Platforms like Statusphere also enable skincare brands to gather first-party data from thousands of micro-influencers. This eliminates guesswork by connecting you to creators that match your ideal customer profile. Their authentic feedback provides invaluable direction for your skincare marketing.

Want More? Read The How-To Guide

How to Conduct Skincare Market Research

Case Studies: Real-World Applications of Market Research

Brilliant market research that informs strategy and product development can lead to significant advancements within a category. The success of leading brands can be traced to astutely identifying significant gaps or opportunities through market analysis, then launching strategically crafted products directly addressing consumer needs highlighted. This underscores the incredible value of research informing development.

Some standout examples include:

Brand In Focus: Fenty Beauty

• Market Research Showed: Significant unmet demand for inclusive foundation shades for diverse skin tones beyond light categories
• Product Strategy: Launched with a record 40 foundation shades across a very broad color spectrum, including specific undertone varieties
• Impact: Explosive demand from underserved audiences, accelerating awareness of diversity in beauty

Brand In Focus: The Inkey List

• Market Research Showed: Consumer desire for simplified routines with hero ingredients like hyaluronic acid, not complex 10-step regimens
• Product Strategy: Streamlined formulations focusing on 1-2 star ingredients per product at accesible price points
• Impact: Built brand loyalty among users seeking straightforward effectiveness

Brand In Focus: Curology

• Market Research Showed: Customization and skin expert guidance were in high demand as DTC models/subscriptions rose
• Product Strategy: Created personalized monthly prescription formulas tailored to each customer’s unique skin needs
• Impact: Became leading brand disrupting dermatology access by pairing personalization with telemetry

Craft Detailed User Personas and Use Cases

With market research complete, distill your key findings into 3 to 5 core user personas with detailed use cases. This not only helps to clarify your target demographic but also enables you to tailor your skincare marketing strategies to meet the specific needs and preferences of each persona. By understanding the unique challenges and desires of these segmented groups, you can create more effective, personalized skincare marketing campaigns. For example, consider:

• Gender identity, age range, and location
• Media consumption and shopping habits
• Values, priorities, and pain points
• Typical skincare routines and product preferences
• Preferred brands and influencers
• Motivations for purchase and brand selection

These user journeys humanize your target groups beyond basic demographics. They also help identify exactly how and where your products fit into consumers’ daily lives. Adjust personas constantly as new customer data comes in.

How To Create User Personas for Skincare

2. Build Your Brand Identity and Value Proposition

With actionable personas guiding your work, building a consistent brand identity is next. This step is about defining your essence and differentiation as a company.

By adhering to consistency and communicating values through branding decisions, skincare brands both large and small can shape an engaging brand image that endures and captivates long-term.

Crafting a Compelling Brand Persona: Templates and Examples

Your brand persona is a semi-fictional character that embodies the characteristics of your brand. Here is a simple template to get started:

• Background : Brief history and origins of the brand.
• Vision : What future does the brand aspire to create?
• Values : Core principles that guide the brand’s actions and decisions.
• Personality : Human characteristics attributed to the brand (e.g. friendly, professional, innovative).
• Voice : How the brand communicates (e.g. tone, language, style).
• Visual Identity : Logos, color schemes, typography, and imagery that represent the brand visually.
• The Ordinary has crafted a brand persona around simplicity and transparency, focusing on single-ingredient-driven products. Their straightforward communication style and no-frills packaging have resonated with consumers seeking efficacy without complexity.
• Glossier has established itself with a persona that emphasizes beauty in real life, advocating for skin-first makeup second. Their approachable tone and millennial-pink packaging have become iconic, appealing to a demographic that values authenticity and community.
• Kiehl’s leans on its apothecary heritage, highlighting scientific expertise and personalized customer service. Their brand persona is that of a trusted, knowledgeable friend in skincare, with stores designed to feel like old-world pharmacies.

Streamline Your Value Proposition

With your brand persona clear, craft a lean value proposition stating exactly how you solve customer needs better than alternatives. Crafting a compelling value proposition is an art that involves distilling your brand’s essence into a clear, concise, and persuasive statement. It’s the promise you make to your customers that differentiates you from the competition and articulates the unique benefits they will receive. To help your skincare brand define its value proposition, consider the following exercises and questions:

Exercise 1: The “Why” Behind Your Brand

• What inspired the creation of your skincare brand?
• What skincare issues does your brand aim to solve?
• Why should customers choose your products over others?

Exercise 2: Identifying Your Unique Selling Points (USPs)

• List the features and benefits of your products. How do they improve the customer’s life?
• Are your products made with unique ingredients or through innovative processes?
• What experience do you offer that customers can’t find elsewhere?

Exercise 3: Understanding Your Customer

• Who is your ideal customer, and what are their skin concerns and desires?
• How does your brand align with the lifestyle and values of your target audience?
• In what ways can your products contribute to their daily skincare routine?

Exercise 4: The Elevator Pitch

• Can you summarize your brand’s value proposition in a sentence or two that captivates interest?
• Does your pitch convey the emotional benefits and outcomes of using your products?

Questions to Refine Your Value Proposition

• How does your brand improve the customer’s self-perception or day-to-day life?
• What specific and measurable value does your product provide?
• How can you prove the claims you’re making? (Consider testimonials, clinical studies, etc.)

When crafting your proposition, it’s important to remember that the essence of what you’re offering is not just a product, but a promise to your customers. This promise should encapsulate the benefits and experiences that your brand delivers, distinguishing it from the competition. It’s the core message that will resonate with your audience, informing them why your skincare products are their best choice. Remember to:

• Limit yourself to 1-3 concise benefit-driven statements
• Benchmark against competitors by name when appropriate
• Quantify your advantage through metrics like “20% higher potency”
• Test propositions directly with target users for resonance
• La Roche-Posay’s value proposition focuses on dermatologist-tested formulations for sensitive skin, leveraging their French pharmacy heritage and thermal spring water as unique selling points.
• Bioderma emphasizes its commitment to dermatological safety, offering a range of cleansing and care products designed for various skin types, with a particular focus on their micellar water, a pioneering product that has become a staple in skincare routines worldwide.
• Cetaphil is renowned for its gentle skincare formulas, catering to those with sensitive or dry skin. Their value proposition is built around simplicity and trust, providing no-fuss, dermatologist-recommended products for everyday use.
• Murad stakes its claim with a value proposition centered on the science of cellular hydration, targeting a broad range of skin concerns with products that promise to deliver hydration and rejuvenation at the cellular level.

Differentiation Strategies for a Crowded Market

Differentiation is crucial in a saturated market like skincare. Here are strategies to consider:

• Storytelling : Weave a compelling narrative around your brand’s founding, the journey of your products from concept to creation, and the lives they touch. For example, Chantecaille structures collections around seasons like spring blooms while Dr. Hauschka advocates facial massage rituals.
• Brand Heritage : Emphasize your brand’s history and tradition if it has a long-standing heritage. This can create an emotional connection and a sense of trust with consumers. For example, Tatcha traces its founder’s discovery of geisha skincare secrets passed through generations while Estée Lauder highlights its name sake’s founding.
• Customer Experience : Go beyond the product to offer exceptional customer service, personalized consultations, and engaging in-store experiences. La Prairie has cultivated an unparalleled reputation for exclusivity matched by its elevated consultation-driven facials at selected Neiman Marcus department store locations and high-end spas.

To help isolate opportunities for skincare brand differentiation, start by conducting a thorough analysis of your market environment to identify potential areas where your brand can truly stand out.

Make an exhaustive competitor list spanning direct and adjacent players then scrutinize areas like branding, pricing and products comprehensively. Then, pinpoint 3 unique selling proposition angles you can leverage to make your brand stand out among alternatives in market. Your identity should spotlight these differentiation factors.

For example, Neutrogena’s dermatologist-recommended products, CeraVe’s skin barrier health emphasis and La Roche-Posay’s proprietary thermal spring water are all unique selling propositions setting each brand apart.

Creating Brand Identity For Skincare

3. Improve Your Website UX

Imagine an avid skincare enthusiast named Sarah. She’s explored everything The Ordinary has to offer and wants to trial a clean indie brand. She lands on your site – what should Sarah see in those crucial 10 seconds before she bounces?

Checklist for Optimization

To ensure Sarah, and others like her, have the best experience on your site, follow this detailed checklist:

• Page Load Speed : Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to measure and improve loading times.
• Mobile-Friendliness : Test your site on various devices with Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test.
• Navigation Ease : Ensure intuitive menu structure and a clear path to purchase.
• Accessibility Standards : Adhere to WCAG guidelines to make your site usable for all.
• Clear CTAs : Position calls-to-action prominently to guide users.
• Quality Content : Provide engaging and informative content that is easy to read.
• Visual Hierarchy : Use layout to prioritize key information.
• Consistent Branding : Maintain brand elements throughout the site to reinforce identity.

Understanding User Needs

Imagine a skincare aficionado like Sarah, who’s just beginning her journey into the world of clean beauty brands. She’s eager to learn and ready to be impressed by what your brand has to offer. To captivate Sarah and others like her, it’s crucial to use a comprehensive suite of data collection methods that provide a deep understanding of your audience. Tools like Google Analytics can be instrumental in gathering detailed demographic and behavior insights, which can help identify patterns in how different user segments interact with your brand. These insights can then be enriched with qualitative data from social listening tools and focus group discussions, giving you a window into the emotional aspects and unmet needs of your audience. It’s about creating a connection that resonates with Sarah’s values and addresses her skincare goals. Essential aspects to consider are:

• Demographics: Collect extensive data on age, geographical location, gender, and even technographics like device usage and preferred communication channels. This demographic data provides a foundation for understanding who your audience is and how they might prefer to engage with your brand.
• Psychographics: Delve into the values, attitudes, and lifestyles that influence your audience’s skincare choices. Investigate their beliefs around skincare, preferred ingredients, and their overall level of knowledge and interest in skincare topics.
• Behavioral Patterns: Pinpoint where your audience spends their time online, from social media platforms to forums where skincare discussions thrive. Understand their search patterns, purchasing behaviors, and the typical journey they take from discovery to conversion, which can reveal critical touchpoints for engagement.
• Motivations: Uncover the deeper emotional triggers that lead to purchases. These could range from the desire for simpler skincare routines to concerns about aging, or a passion for the safety and efficacy of clean, sustainable ingredients.
• Challenges: Identify the common obstacles they encounter, such as overwhelming product assortments or confusion due to a lack of ingredient transparency. Understanding these pain points can guide you in simplifying the customer journey and clarifying your messaging.
• Direct Feedback: Utilize social listening tools to capture real-time discussions and genuine sentiments about your brand and products across various social media channels. This raw feedback offers unfiltered insights into how customers perceive your brand, what they love about your products, and areas where they feel there could be improvement.

By integrating these varied data sources, you can create a rich, multi-dimensional picture of your target audience. This allows for more precise targeting in your skincare marketing efforts, development of products that truly meet consumer needs, and crafting of messages that resonate deeply with your audience, ultimately leading to stronger brand loyalty and market success.

Personalization

As Sarah navigates your website, the personal touch in your UX design should be evident. By integrating direct conversations with users like Sarah and aligning these interactions with your established user personas, you can make informed adjustments to your site that resonate deeply with your audience. This personalized approach not only makes Sarah and others feel valued and heard but can also significantly boost their loyalty and engagement with your brand.

Leveraging algorithms, quizzes, integrations and expert advice, leading brands demonstrate how catering journeys to the individual facilitates more relevant discoveries and convenient experiences – the hallmarks of true personalization:

How To Improve Website UX For Your Skincare Brand

Curology takes personalization to the next level by offering a tailored skincare experience right on their website. Upon visiting, users are invited to engage in a custom formula quiz, which assesses their unique skin concerns and personalizes product recommendations. This approach ensures that each visitor is treated to a bespoke skincare journey, with Curology’s custom-crafted solutions designed to meet the individual needs of each user’s skin.

• Custom formula quiz provides personalized product recommendations
• Personalized regimen builder based on individual skin goals
• Tracker allows monitoring changes in skin over time
• Targeted emails based on purchase history and skin type

Brand In Focus: Paula’s Choice

Paula’s Choice capitalizes on on-site personalization to enhance the user experience and streamline the customer journey. By offering personalized skincare advice through quizzes and expert consultations, the brand ensures that each visitor receives tailored product recommendations. This individualized approach helps users cut through the clutter of product choices, making it easier to find solutions that align with their unique skin concerns and goals.

• Tailored routines generated from skin and hair quizzes
• Live chat connects users with skin experts
• Pop-ups serve suggestions based on browsing behavior
• Option to take a skin assessment consultation

Brand In Focus: Estée Lauder

Estée Lauder enhances the online shopping experience by embracing on-site personalization, ensuring that each visitor feels their individual beauty needs are understood and catered to.

• AI-powered diagnostic identifies user’s skin age for precise product matches
• Targeted sampling opportunities based on previous purchases
• App integrations enable accessing previous orders and tracking
• Loyalty rewards status unlocks exclusive personalized perks

4. Adopt a Multi-Channel Content Marketing Strategy

While your website may be the hub, fueling your digital ecosystem with value-driven content across channels is essential.

Build a Multi-Channel Content Marketing Presence

Content marketing is not just about selling products – it’s about educating, engaging, and connecting with consumers on a deeper level. This not only offers customers the necessary guidance to confidently make purchasing decisions, but also provides a unique and non-sales focused way for brands to engage with their audience. Since 79% of individuals are influenced by user-generated content, incorporating these themes into a content strategy can significantly increase engagement, build brand awareness, and provide valuable support to customer inquiries.

Here are some content ideas or themes that resonate well with skincare audiences:

• “ How-To” Guides and Tutorials : Step-by-step content that educates consumers on how to use various skincare products effectively or how to perform certain skincare routines. For example, “How to Create a Nighttime Skincare Routine”.
• Ingredient Spotlights : Deep dives into the benefits and science behind specific skincare ingredients. This could include blog posts like “The Power of Hyaluronic Acid for Hydration” or video content featuring ingredient harvests or sourcing.
• Skincare Myths Debunked : Addressing common misconceptions and myths in the beauty industry to inform and educate consumers, such as “Do You Really Need to Drink 8 Glasses of Water a Day for Healthy Skin?”.
• Before and After Transformations : Sharing customer testimonials and before-and-after images to showcase product efficacy. This type of content can be very compelling and relatable.
• Seasonal Skincare Tips : Advice on how to adjust skincare routines for seasonal changes, such as “Winter Skincare Essentials to Combat Dry Skin”.
• Sustainability in Skincare : Discussing how the brand is addressing environmental concerns, like using sustainable packaging or sourcing eco-friendly ingredients.
• Behind the Brand : Sharing the brand’s story, values, and the people behind the products to build a personal connection with the audience.
• User-Generated Content : Featuring photos, reviews, and stories from real users to build community and trust. This could be in the form of social media posts, blog entries, or a dedicated section on the website.
• Skincare Challenges : Engaging the audience with 30-day skincare challenges that encourage them to try new products or routines and share their progress.
• Wellness and Lifestyle : Connecting skincare to overall wellness with content that covers topics like stress management, healthy eating, and exercise, and how these factors can affect skin health.
• Beauty and Skincare Trends : Keeping the audience up-to-date with the latest trends in skincare and beauty, such as the rise of K-beauty or the use of CBD in skincare products.
• Expert Interviews and Q&As : Hosting sessions with dermatologists, estheticians, or beauty industry experts to answer common skincare questions and provide professional insights.
• Skincare for Different Life Stages : Tailoring content for different age groups or life events, such as skincare during pregnancy, teenage acne solutions, or anti-aging strategies for mature skin.
• Cultural Perspectives on Skincare : Exploring skincare routines and philosophies from around the world to offer diverse perspectives and practices.
• DIY Skincare Recipes : Encouraging natural and homemade skincare solutions with recipes for masks, scrubs, and more, using ingredients that can be found at home.

Brand In Focus: Drunk Elephant

Drunk Elephant focus on educating consumers about the benefits of biocompatible skincare through a variety of engaging content formats. By leveraging the power of storytelling and user-friendly educational materials, Drunk Elephant creates a narrative that resonates with health-conscious consumers who value ingredient purity and product efficacy.

• Educational blog features ingredients and routines
• Playful Instagram posts highlight consumer generated joy
• TikTok campaign danced away acne stigma with #acnedance
• Email nurturing flows cover skin concerns

Brand In Focus: Sunday Riley

Sunday Riley creates a comprehensive content marketing ecosystem that educates, inspires, and cultivates a community of skincare enthusiasts. Their content marketing strategy is a reflection of their commitment to not only provide top-tier products but also to educate and engage their audience, utilizing an array of content formats to showcase their expertise and build trust with consumers.

• YouTube tutorials featuring the founder as a skin expert offer a personal touch, inviting users into the brand’s world of skincare science and application.
• Instagram spotlights celebrate consumer successes, sharing radiant results and real-life testimonials that underscore the brand’s impact.
• The Sunday Riley blog becomes a hub for well-being, connecting skin health to lifestyle choices and providing a holistic approach to beauty.
• An email loyalty program nurtures long-term relationships, driving retention through insider tips, exclusive offers, and early access to new products.

Brand In Focus: Fenty Skin

Fenty Skin, the skincare line by Rihanna, has been making waves with its cutting-edge approach to content marketing. Leveraging Rihanna’s star power and the brand’s inclusive ethos, Fenty Skin creates buzzworthy campaigns that resonate with a diverse audience.

• Bold Instagram imagery builds hype for launches
• Tiktok hashtag challenges inspire viral creation
• Influencer seeding on Youtube drives awareness
• Twitter chats create authentic engagement

Content Calendar

Develop a strategic content calendar to maintain a consistent publishing schedule across all channels. Here’s an example of what that might look like:

• 2 blog posts on skincare tips and product education
• 3 Instagram posts featuring product highlights and customer testimonials
• 1 YouTube tutorial or product demonstration video
• Daily Instagram Stories with interactive polls, Q&A sessions, and behind-the-scenes content
• 1 in-depth guide or white paper on skincare science or industry trends
• 2 customer story features across blog and email newsletter
• 1 webinar or live Q&A session focusing on skincare education
• Seasonal campaigns aligning with product launches or industry events
• Influencer collaboration videos or podcast episodes

Emerging Channels

Capitalize on emerging channels like TikTok and IGTV to reach younger demographics with content that’s native to their preferences:

• Create short, engaging TikTok videos that showcase quick skincare tips, challenges, or user-generated content.
• Use IGTV for longer-form content such as detailed tutorials, influencer takeovers, or deep dives into skincare routines.
• Encourage user interaction through hashtag challenges, duets, and reactions on TikTok.
• Optimize content for vertical viewing and leverage the platforms’ features for maximum engagement.

Metrics for Success

To gauge the effectiveness of your content marketing efforts, define KPIs for each channel:

• Engagement Rates: Track likes, comments, shares, and time spent on content.
• Conversion Rates: Measure the percentage of content viewers who take the desired action, such as making a purchase or signing up for a newsletter.
• ROI: Assess the return on investment by comparing the revenue generated from content marketing to the costs of producing and distributing content.

Regularly review these metrics to refine your strategy, focusing on the types of content and channels that yield the best results for your skincare brand.

Experiment with Emerging Formats Like Podcasts and Webinars

Podcasts continue to boom when it comes to skincare marketing, offering new avenues to start meaningful conversations with your community. For example, clean beauty leader Credo’s podcast “Clean Beauty Insiders” has spawned over 30 episodes to date.

Webinars also enable brands to position authority around issues consumers care about. For example, personalized skincare service Proven Skincare uses educational webinars to build awareness around topics like hormonal acne.

Jump on fresh formats to showcase expertise while starting organic dialogues that pay dividends across channels.

Measure Your Content Marketing ROI

When investing in owned, earned and paid media, be sure to track return across parameters like:

• Cost per thousand content impressions (CPM) : To track this, use ad management platforms like Google Ads or social media advertising tools where you can see the number of impressions and the total cost, allowing you to calculate the CPM.
• Increase in branded search visibility : Monitor this through Google Search Console to see how often your brand appears in search results and track changes over time.
• Website visitor growth and traffic sources : Use Google Analytics to review the number of visitors, comparing time periods to assess growth, and analyze where the traffic is coming from (e.g. organic search, referrals, social media).
• Unique sales : Set up conversion tracking in Google Analytics to see how many sales are generated from your content.

5. Actively Manage Customer Reviews

Product ratings and reviews are pivotal for skincare marketing. With a vast majority of consumers consulting reviews before making online skincare purchases, managing this feedback is crucial for sales and brand reputation.

Develop a Comprehensive Review Management Plan

To harness the power of customer feedback, implement a strategic review management plan that encompasses the following:

• Encouraging Positive Reviews : Develop post-purchase email sequences that thank customers and gently request reviews. Offer incentives like discounts or loyalty points for taking the time to provide feedback. Engage with customers on social media and encourage them to share their experiences using branded hashtags.
• Spotlighting Reviews : Integrate a dynamic reviews section on product pages to showcase recent positive testimonials. Use positive reviews in retargeting ads and feature them prominently on your homepage and during checkout to provide social proof and reassure potential buyers.
• Training Customer Service Teams : Equip your customer service personnel with the tools and training to respond promptly and effectively to all reviews, especially negative ones. This includes templated responses that can be personalized, guidelines for escalation, and a clear understanding of when to offer compensation or refunds.

Leverage Reviews Across Skincare Marketing Materials

Utilize positive reviews to enhance trust and credibility:

• Product Pages : Embed a curated selection of glowing reviews on each product page to serve as a testament to the product’s effectiveness.
• Email Marketing : Include a section in newsletters that highlights a “Review of the Month”, showcasing a customer’s story and their positive experience with your products.
• Social Proof : Create a dedicated Testimonials page on your website and share positive reviews on social media platforms. Utilize user-generated content where customers rave about your products in their own words.

Brand In Focus: CeraVe

CeraVe has implemented a strategic approach to showcase customer reviews that enhances trust and credibility.

• Responds publicly to most reviews showing they listen
• Highlights positive testimonials in email and social content
• Redirects complicated cases to specialized team members
• Leverages reviews prominently across eCommerce site

Paula’s Choice skillfully integrates customer feedback into its marketing and product development strategies.

• Invites feedback through reviews for product development
• Addresses questions transparently building community
• Reshares authentic transformations customers post
• Promotes reviews offsite with badges and snippets

Brand In Focus: The Ordinary

By actively encouraging and showcasing genuine customer testimonials, The Ordinary not only fortifies consumer trust but also leverages these reviews as a beacon of transparency and effectiveness.

• Responds to concerns swiftly within 24 hours
• Highlights consumer advocacy numbers prominently
• Reposts and spotlights authentic shelfies
• Links to external reviews driving SEO and trust

Handling Negative Feedback

When it comes to managing negative reviews, it’s imperative to maintain a professional and empathetic approach. Negative feedback, while often disheartening, provides an invaluable opportunity for growth and improvement.

• Prompt and Personalized Responses : Acknowledge the issue quickly and offer a personalized response that shows understanding and a willingness to resolve the problem.
• Resolution Offers : Where appropriate, offer solutions such as replacements, refunds, or discounts on future purchases to demonstrate your commitment to customer satisfaction.
• Follow-Up : After resolving the issue, follow up with the customer to ensure they are satisfied with the outcome. This can convert a dissatisfied customer into a brand advocate.
• Analysis and Improvement : Use negative feedback to identify areas for product improvement or customer service training. Share this feedback with relevant departments to inform future changes.

By actively managing customer reviews, you not only maintain control over your brand’s online reputation but also leverage real-world experiences to attract and retain customers. Positive reviews serve as powerful skincare marketing tools, while effectively handled negative feedback can showcase your brand’s dedication to exceptional customer service.

Online Review Management for Skincare

6. Build an Engaged Brand Community

A strong, vibrant brand community is the beating heart of any successful skincare brand. It’s where your most passionate customers become advocates, where conversations turn into conversions, and where your brand’s values and personality come to life.

In this step, we’ll explore the strategies for nurturing a thriving brand community that champions your products and embodies your brand ethos. From defining your brand’s personality to engaging with your audience on their preferred platforms, we’ll provide you with the tools to create a loyal and engaged community that grows alongside your brand.

Community Engagement Tactics

To foster community engagement, consider implementing interactive strategies that bring members together and encourage active participation:

• Host Regular Live Q&A Sessions : Schedule live streams where community members can ask questions and get real-time responses from brand representatives or guest experts. This can help build a sense of immediacy and connection.
• Create a Brand Ambassador Program : Identify and empower enthusiastic customers to become brand ambassadors. Provide them with exclusive perks, early access to new products, and insider information to share within the community.
• Run Community Challenges and Contests : Engage members with fun and thematic challenges or contests with prizes. For example, a “30-Day Skincare Challenge” encouraging members to share their daily skincare routine and progress.

Tools for Community Building

Leverage platforms that facilitate community building and management:

• Facebook Groups : Ideal for creating private or public spaces for your community to gather, discuss and share content.
• Discord : Offers a more interactive, real-time chat environment that’s great for younger demographics and fostering a sense of exclusivity.
• Branded Forums : Integrate a forum on your company website to give members a centralized place to engage with each other and your brand.
• Tribe : All-in-one community platform perfect for consolidating engaged brand fans in one space with dedicated mobile apps. Easy to use.
• Reddit : Host a Subreddit forum to participate in existing skincare conversations and directly engage your niche. Leverage popularity.
• Slack : Enable community collaboration and self-support through instant messaging and topic-based channels.
• Circle : Fosters inclusion through community voting on proposals and surfaced perspectives. Thoughtful approach.
• Front : Transition otherwise public community conversations to private direct messaging with team access for personalized support at scale.
• Communo : Incentivize sign-ups through reward programs while creating subgroups around shared interests and tiered access.

Brand In Focus: The Ordinary & reddit

The brand co-created the r/TheOrdinarySkincare community on Reddit which now boasts over 86,000 members discussing routines, reviewing products, and engaging peers for advice. The community has become a hub for exchanging valuable insights, sharing success stories, and offering support to fellow skincare enthusiasts.

Brand In Focus: Glossier & Slack

Glossier maintains an exclusive Friends of Glossier Slack group , which offers early access to launches and events in addition to building hype through messaging. The invite-only channel creates FOMO spurring sign-ups. This approach not only fosters a sense of exclusivity and belonging among its members but also serves as a feedback loop for the brand, allowing Glossier to fine-tune its product based on direct consumer insights.

Brand In Focus: CeraVe & Front

By integrating Front’s shared inbox, CeraVe empowers its community managers and brand reps to collaborate solving customer inquiries in one place at scale – crucial for large audiences. This centralized approach not only streamlines communication but also ensures that responses are consistent and aligned with the brand’s voice.

Brand In Focus: Drunk Elephant & Facebook Groups

Drunk Elephant’s official Facebook community fosters 15,000+ lively conversations between devotees and ambassadors daily. The tribe shares updates, crowdsources guidance, and self-supports driven by a shared ethos. It’s a place where the brand’s most ardent supporters can connect over their mutual love for Drunk Elephant’s clean formulations, further solidifying the brand’s presence as a community-oriented and consumer-centric company.

Measuring Community Health

Track the health and engagement of your brand community through key metrics:

• Active Participation Rate : Monitor the percentage of active users contributing to the community versus the total number of members. A higher active participation rate indicates a more vibrant and interactive community, where members are not just passive observers but active contributors. This can include actions such as posting, commenting, sharing content, or participating in polls and events. Tracking this rate over time can help identify trends in engagement and the effectiveness of community-building initiatives.
• Member Growth : Keep an eye on the rate at which your community is gaining new members as an indicator of its appeal and reach. A steadily increasing membership suggests that your community is thriving, attracting new audiences, and successfully retaining them. It’s also reflective of the brand’s expanding influence and the effectiveness of its marketing efforts. Regularly monitoring this metric allows for timely strategies to maintain momentum and address any stagnation.
• Sentiment Analysis : Utilize tools like Brandwatch , Hootsuite Insights , and Mention to gauge the overall sentiment of discussions within your community, helping you understand member satisfaction and areas for improvement. By monitoring positive, negative, and neutral sentiments, you can identify patterns, track changes over time, and make data-driven decisions to enhance community engagement. Regular sentiment analysis can also alert you to emerging issues before they escalate, allowing for proactive community management and maintaining a positive brand image.

Building Brand Community for Skincare

Implementing advanced skincare marketing strategies is an ongoing journey to master consumer sentiment, micro-trends and platform innovation. However, brands investing in strategic areas like research, branding, UX optimization and community enjoy outsized growth.

Frequently Asked Questions 

Q: How much should skincare brands invest in influencer marketing on social media? 

A: While influencer content attracts significant impressions, conversion rates are historically low. Focus first on improving site experience, reviews and community engagement for more measurable impact.  

Q: Should emerging skincare brands sell via retailers or DTC?  

A: Benefits exist in both models, but DTC allows greater control over brand identity and customer data collection crucial for agile start-ups. Relying solely on wholesale also impacts pricing flexibility.  

Q: What is the ideal frequency for publishing beauty content?

A: According to Statusphere data, consistent posting without oversaturation is key. Aim for 8-10 new pieces monthly across your blog and social media. Repurpose evergreen content accordingly.  

Q: How important are celebrity co-signs and brand ambassadors? 

A: Big names drive awareness but payoffs are short-lived. Micro-influencers make better long-term partners for content and community building initiatives.

Harpal Singh

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Ulta Beauty’s “Skincare Routine Quiz”: A Personalized Marketing Case Study

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In today’s skincare market, brands want new ways to connect with customers. They want to understand their customers’ needs and concerns to offer the right products for their skin types. And what could be better than using quizzes to do that? One of the brands leading the way in this trend is Ulta Beauty with their “Skincare Routine Quiz.” It helps users to identify their skin type, concerns, and preferences to create a personalized skincare routine. 

Curious to know how Ulta Beauty created a successful marketing funnel with a skincare quiz? In this blog, we are going to reveal how this quiz works and what strategy did the brand follow. If you want to create such quizzes for yourself , we’ll also show a no-code step-by-step process for that. So keep reading to find out more!

The Concept Behind the Skincare Quiz

The concept behind creating Ulta Beauty’s “Skin Care Quiz ” is rooted in the understanding that everyone’s skin is unique, with different types, concerns, and goals. The traditional approach of browsing through endless product options can be overwhelming, often leading to frustration, wasted money, and dissatisfaction.

Ulta recognized that no right skincare product is not a one-size-fits-all solution. What works for one person may not necessarily work for another, even if they share similar skin types or concerns. This realization prompted the creation of a personalized and tailored approach to skincare recommendations.

How Does the Ulta Quiz Work  

Ulta Beauty’s “Skin Care Quiz” is a neat little tool that helps users find the perfect skincare products for their unique skin needs. Instead of overwhelming the users with a plethora of options, the quiz guides users step-by-step to discover what’s best for them.

• First, it asks to choose if they want to shop by their main skin concerns (like oily skin or acne), the specific products they’re looking for (cleanser, moisturizer, etc.), or if they want to take an in-depth skin analysis.

• If they select concerns or product types, it will ask them some follow-up questions to better understand their skin. This includes understanding issues like large pores, dryness, aging, etc. It really digs into the details of their skin’s needs.

• As users answer each question, the quiz tailors its recommendations just for them. So, if they’re looking for a face wash to control oil, it will suggest cleansers perfect for oily complexions. Need a hydrating moisturizer that won’t clog pores? It suggests accordingly.

Why Is the Quiz a Huge Success

Ulta Beauty is a brand loved by many. Their website gets over 45 million visitors each month and that speaks a lot about their popularity. Moreover, 35% of that traffic comes by searching about skincare. 

Capitalizing on this, Ulta came up with this Skincare Quiz. And it emerged as a huge success, changing how customers approach their skincare journey. This innovative tool has struck a chord with beauty enthusiasts, offering a seamless and personalized experience that simplifies the often overwhelming world of skincare products.

Personalized Recommendations

The quiz’s triumph lies in its ability to eliminate the guesswork by providing tailored product recommendations based on each individual’s unique skin type, concerns, and preferences. 

Customers no longer have to navigate a sea of options, unsure which products will work best for their specific needs. This personalized approach increases customer satisfaction and confidence in their purchases, fostering a sense of trust and loyalty toward the brand.

Convenient and Accessible

One of the key factors contributing to the quiz’s success is its convenient and accessible nature. It offers an effortless way to receive expert-level advice without needing an expensive consultation or in-person visit. 

Customers can access this valuable resource from the comfort of their homes, making it a convenient and accessible solution. No more overwhelming store visits or endless online browsing; the quiz streamlines the process, saving time and effort.

Increased Conversions and Order Values

The personalized recommendations provided by the quiz directly impact Ulta Beauty’s bottom line. When customers receive product recommendations tailored to their skin’s needs, they are more likely to purchase, leading to higher conversion rates . 

The personalized nature of the recommendations encourages customers to explore and purchase multiple products, resulting in higher order values for Ulta Beauty. By providing a curated selection of products, the quiz reduces the risk of customers abandoning their carts due to indecision or confusion.

Comprehensive Product Selection

Ulta Beauty’s extensive inventory of over 25,000 products ensures that there is something for everyone, regardless of their specific concerns or preferences. The quiz helps customers narrow skincare options based on concerns, desired product types, and price range. It also considers personal preferences like cruelty-free, vegan, oil-free, all-natural, and gluten-free.

This level of customization and inclusivity caters to a diverse range of customers, further contributing to the quiz’s success. Ulta Beauty’s Skincare Routine Quiz addresses the pain points of skincare shopping and offers a personalized and effective solution. It has cemented its status as a game-changer in the beauty industry, simultaneously driving customer satisfaction and sales success.

Who Is This Quiz For 

There are several businesses that can benefit from such quizzes. They can create a better customer experience by providing better suggestions and increasing customer satisfaction. Here are a few examples of businesses that can use this quiz: 

• Beauty Brands and Retailers : Companies that manufacture or sell skincare products can leverage this quiz to provide personalized recommendations to their customers. By integrating the quiz into their websites or in-store experiences, they can enhance customer satisfaction, increase conversions, and drive sales of their products.
• Dermatologists and Estheticians : Skincare professionals can utilize the quiz as a pre-consultation tool to gather insights into their clients’ skin concerns, preferences, and goals. This can streamline the consultation process, allowing them to provide more targeted and effective treatment plans.
• Influencers and Beauty Bloggers : Social media influencers and beauty bloggers can incorporate the quiz into their content strategy, offering their followers a personalized skin care experience. This can increase engagement, build trust, and potentially open new revenue streams through sponsored partnerships or affiliate marketing .
• Beauty Subscription Services : Companies that offer beauty subscription boxes can use the quiz to curate personalized product selections for their subscribers. This tailored approach can increase customer satisfaction, reduce churn , and differentiate their service from competitors.
• Spas and Wellness Centers : Businesses that offer skincare treatments and services can integrate the quiz into their customer experience. By understanding each client’s unique skin needs, they can recommend tailored treatments and product recommendations. This can enhance the overall experience and potential for repeat business.
• Corporate Wellness Programs : Companies prioritizing employee wellness can offer the skincare quiz as part of their wellness initiatives. This can promote self-care, boost morale, and position the company as an attractive employer in the competitive job market.

What if you don’t lie in the above categories?

Even if you don’t have a similar business, you can still benefit from such quizzes. If you have an ecommerce store with a range of products to offer, you can build a product recommendation quiz and boost your conversions!

Now, the question is, how do you create such quizzes? Well, Outgrow solves this problem. Outgrow is a no-code tool that allows you to easily create interactive quizzes , chatbots , calculators , surveys , and assessments without any coding knowledge. 

With its user-friendly interface and drag-and-drop editor, anyone can create engaging content in a matter of minutes. Outgrow offers various templates for different industries. This includes e-commerce, education, finance, healthcare, and more. You can also customize the design and branding to match your brand’s identity.

How to Build Your Quiz With Outgrow

Here are all the steps you can follow to build your quiz with Outgrow:

1. Sign Up for Outgrow

First, sign up for a free Outgrow account to access the quiz builder. Select ‘Outcome Quiz’ from the list of interactive content types.

2. Pick a Template 

Choose a clean, skincare-focused template or design layout. Ulta’s quiz has a simple, modern aesthetic.

3. Import Product Catalog into Outgrow

Import your skincare product catalog into Outgrow. You can do this via integrations for platforms like Shopify, manually via Excel, or by entering products one by one.

4. Work on Designing 

Customize the overall design to match your brand’s look and feel, similar to how Ulta uses its signature colors, fonts, and minimal styling.

5. Set the Welcome Screen 

Set up the welcome screen with a friendly, engaging message about finding the perfect skincare routine, like Ulta’s “Reveal your skin.”

6. Add Questions 

Add questions aimed at identifying the user’s skin type, top concerns, and preferences. Ulta asks about oiliness, dryness, sensitivities, anti-aging needs, etc. Structure questions in a logical flow, starting with high-level skin type and then zeroing in on specific issues and needs, as Ulta does.

7. Configure Lead Form

Configure the lead form by setting its position, adding fields (name, email, phone number), enabling field validations, and configuring lead enrichment and de-duplication settings. Customize the lead form’s design, layout, and submission delay if you plan to place it mid-quiz.

8. Set Up Outcomes

Set up the outcomes by adding outcome headings, descriptions, media (images, videos, charts), and primary/secondary CTA buttons. Configure outcome page settings like overall heading/subheading, CTA button actions, number of displayed outcomes, and social share buttons. Customize the outcome page’s design.

9. Map Your Suggestions 

Map your product recommendations to the outcomes, showcasing the products best suited for that skin profile.

Now, to configure Advanced Mapping, toggle on the Advanced Mapping settings. As soon as you enable the advanced mapping, you can set a score weightage of each option with a score increase or decrease option. 

Once you assign the point weightage, save the changes by clicking on map outcomes.    

If you need to adjust the score weightings assigned to the answer options, you can easily reconfigure them by clicking the “Reset” icon in the Advanced Mapping section.

10. Make it Live 

Publish and market your skincare quiz through channels like Ulta does on their website, emails, ads, etc.

In the crowded world of skincare, delivering a personalized experience is everything. That’s why Ulta Beauty’s “Skincare Routine Quiz” is such a genius move.

By investing in an exceptional personalized quiz experience, you can help your customers cut through the clutter and find the products perfectly tailored to their needs. The best part is that you can do all these things without going deep into coding or design. 

Choose a one-stop solution like Outgrow and create quizzes, surveys, calculators, chatbots, and more. And this will quickly change how your customers interact with your brand. We promise! 

So why wait? Start your 7-day free trial today and elevate your skincare game with an interactive quiz.

With a knack for turning ideas into compelling content, Meenakshi works as a full-time content writer at Outgrow. Apart from creating content that connects with readers, she loves to immerse herself in books, explore new destinations, and let loose on the dance floor.

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Marketing Strategies That Led Hailey Bieber’s Rhode Skin To Selling Out Within Minutes.

Hailey Baldwin Bieber, an international model, social media personality, and influencer, has successfully ventured into the beauty industry with the launch of her skincare brand, Rhode. The journey began with the brand's official release on June 15, 2022, showcasing a strategic approach that seamlessly blended skincare essentials with effective marketing strategies . Hailey Bieber's multifaceted career, which ranges from modelling to influencing, marks her foray into entrepreneurship. Her desire to address typical skincare issues and emphasize the need for inexpensive, environmentally friendly products led her to launch Rhode. The brand's inception traces back to Hailey's personal struggle to find skincare solutions that align with her values. In a recent interview, Hailey expressed her commitment to the venture: " Rhode is more than a skincare brand; it's a reflection of my values—simplicity, affordability, authenticity, quality, and transparency ."

Rhode's Humble Beginnings:

The brand's origin story dates back to 2019, when Hailey filed a trademark for "Bieber Beauty," a name that was eventually rejected due to prior trademark filings by her husband, Justin Bieber. Undeterred, Hailey pivoted to her middle name, Rhode, and in the first quarter of 2022, Rhode released three skincare products:

1. Peptide Glazing Fluid

2. barrier restore cream, 3. peptide lip treatment.

These products aimed to provide a clean and high-quality skincare routine, encapsulating Hailey's pursuit of a "glazed donut" complexion. Despite the initial trademark hurdle, Rhode was met with tremendous success upon its launch, garnering widespread attention and appreciation. At the tender age of 26, Hailey Bieber emerged as a sassets—moneyepreneur, offering valuable insights to aspiring businesswomen. Three key lessons from Hailey's journey to stand out are:

• Know Yourself and Your Market: Hailey recognized her assets—money, popularity, and influence—and leveraged them strategically. Developing brand values of simplicity, affordability, authenticity, quality, and transparency set Rhode apart in the saturated beauty market. Hailey acknowledges, "I know I’ll have other celebrity beauty brands as competitors upon launching Rhode, so I developed my brand's values that separate me from others." ‍
• Quality Over Quantity: Rhode embraces the "slow beauty" movement, emphasizing fewer high-quality items over a multitude of products. The brand's initial launch included only three hero products, reassuring customers of the brand's commitment to clean, high-quality skincare. Hailey advocates for the slow beauty approach: "Customers deserve products that are clean, high quality, and thoughtfully sourced. It's about prioritizing quality over quantity.  ‍
• Work With a Purpose: Rhode revolves around women's empowerment, evident through the Rhodes Future Foundation. Hailey ensures that her brand supports initiatives involving women, aligning business goals with a higher purpose. The foundation benefits organizations such as Black Mamas Matter Alliance, Inc. (BMMA), LIFT Family Goal Fund, and Accion Opportunity Fund. Hailey underscores the importance of purpose-driven businesses: "When a brand serves a higher purpose, customers are more encouraged to buy. It also provides a clear path for the business to follow.

Recognizing her limited expertise in skincare and business, Hailey Bieber strategically assembled a powerhouse team to drive Rhode's success. Collaborating with Michael D. Ratner, Founder and CEO of OBB Media, Lauren Rothberg, a marketing expert, and Melanie Bender, founding President of Versed, Hailey ensured that Rhode had a diverse range of talents steering the ship. In Hailey's own words, "I'm no expert in skincare, but I know the importance of surrounding myself with people who are. The dream team we've built is the backbone of Rhode's success."

Strategic Marketing and Social Media Presence

Rhode's marketing strategy was a key contributor to its rapid rise in the beauty industry. Leveraging Hailey's immense popularity and collaborating with marketing experts like Lauren Rothberg, the brand utilized social media platforms strategically. The emphasis was not only on the products but also on the brand's values , fostering authenticity and transparency. Hailey's collaboration with Lauren Rothberg, who had previously worked with brands like Reformation and Michael Kors, brought a unique blend of fashion and skincare expertise to Rhode. This collaboration played a pivotal role in establishing the brand's identity and resonating with its target audience.

Rhode's success metrics showcased the brand's impact on the beauty landscape. The Peptide Lip Treatment consistently emerged as Rhode's top-selling product, on track to sell its millionth unit. The initial launch in June 2022 witnessed all Peptide Lip Treatment offerings selling out within three days, amassing a waitlist of 440,000. Hailey's strategic collaboration with Krispy Kreme for the "Strawberry Glaze" campaign contributed to Rhode's viral success. The partnership, initiated in 2021, emphasized Hailey's foresight and commitment to creating a brand with a unique identity. Customers connected with the brand's emphasis on nostalgia in product development , which was evident in the scents that brought back childhood memories. Hailey explained, "When we were formulating the Peptide Lip Treatments, I wanted them to be super steeped in nostalgia."

Karin Eldor, a senior contributor at Forbes, highlighted Rhode's continued success and expansion. Riding on the momentum of the limited-edition "Strawberry Glaze" Peptide Lip Treatment, Rhode entered the colour cosmetics market with the Peptide Lip Tint. The launch, scheduled for September 28, introduced four sheer-but-buildable shades, adding a playful touch to Rhode's skincare line.  Rhode's global footprint expanded into five new European markets, including France, Spain, Italy, Germany, and Ireland. This followed earlier launches in the UK and Canada, demonstrating the brand's growing international presence.  Hailey Bieber's multifaceted role as a supermodel, founder, and marketer showcased her prowess as a mogul. Eldor emphasized, "Bieber, who as a supermodel has graced the cover of a multitude of international glossies, is flexing her muscles as a mogul."

Additionally, the focus on powerful copywriting , impactful visuals, and a holistic campaign stood out during the skincare launch. The copywriting, featuring strong words like "Glazed," "Juicy," and "Hydrated," resonated visually, creating a strong association with the products. The website's design , colour choices, and emphasis on product-centric visuals communicated simplicity and cleanliness, aligning with Rhode's skincare philosophy.

The holistic campaign encompassed social media, web , and traditional PR channels , leveraging Hailey's star power and influential network. The collaboration with Vogue and Byride for key profiles and features showcased the brand's story. Additionally, GRWM (Get Ready With Me) videos added a personal touch, revealing how Hailey incorporates the products into her everyday life. Recognizing the importance of an online presence, Rhode invested in a well-thought-out website , utilizing platforms like Shopify for e-commerce functionality. The website's design and functionality aim to enhance the user experience and build brand credibility . The inclusion of various payment processors, including Apple Pay, widened the brand's customer base. A closer look at the website's technology stack reveals a thoughtful approach to online retail, reflecting Rhode's commitment to providing efficient customer service and maintaining a strong brand identity .

Thoughtful Marketing and Holistic Campaigns

Building on the success of the initial skincare products, Rhode made a significant foray into colour cosmetics with the launch of Peptide Lip Tint. The recent photoshoot for Peptide Lip Tint cleverly paired each shade with a matching food product, creating a sensory experience that resonates with consumers. The dopamine-inducing association between the lip product and sweet treats aimed to enhance the product's desirability. Coming in four universally flattering tones—espresso, ribbon, toast, and raspberry jelly—the tinted version of the popular Peptide Lip Treatment marked a pivotal period for the brand . A thoughtful approach to branding and marketing went hand in hand with the strategic decision to add colour to the product line. The "boring" grey packaging of the original skincare line set the stage for Rhode's expansion into colour cosmetics. The intentional focus on ingredients rather than packaging communicated transparency and simplicity.  Hailey shared, "I think that skincare and beauty should be fun, and these tints are meant to be playful." The names of the shades, reminiscent of food, carried a personal touch. "Ribbon" paid homage to Hailey's childhood days as a ballet dancer, connecting her personal experiences with the product line.

Legal Challenges: Despite the odds favouring Rhode in various aspects, the brand encountered legal challenges only a week after its skincare launch. Another company, a fashion line by the name of RHODE, filed a lawsuit alleging trademark infringement. Founders Purna Khatau and Phoebe Vickers contended that Hailey's use of the brand name was detrimental to their company. However, the court ruled in Hailey's favour, dismissing the lawsuit. The legal victory underscored Rhode's resilience and determination to maintain its brand identity and the brand's continued growth.

Hailey Bieber founded Rhode Skin, which has become a pioneer in the beauty industry by fusing cutting-edge marketing strategies with efficient skincare solutions. From its humble beginnings to overcoming legal challenges, Rhode reflects Hailey's entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to providing quality products. As Rhode ventures into the world of colour cosmetics with Peptide Lip Tint, Hailey's creative direction continues to guide the brand towards success. The brand's expansion into new markets and its emphasis on purpose-driven business practices position Rhode as a global force in the beauty industry. In Hailey's glazed playground, where skincare meets creativity, Rhode Skin stands as a testament to the power of authenticity, thoughtful branding, and a commitment to making beauty accessible to all.

Consultation & Audit

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This chapter explores society’s views about female beauty and ageing as represented through the lens of beauty and cosmetic advertising. Using multimodal analysis, representations of ‘culturally approved’ (i.e. youthful/beautiful) models of femininity are explored through a range of anti-ageing skincare advertisements aimed at both women and men, and contrasted with the problematisation of the ageing appearance through fear-based descriptions of the visible signs of ageing. The different communicative approaches evident in female versus male-targeted advertising texts is used to highlight the gendered nature of cultural attitudes towards female and male ageing. The emergence of counter-discourses such as the Dove and Boots campaigns are considered and challenged in the light of postfeminist perspectives on discourses of apparent self-acceptance. The chapter concludes by summarising key themes: the continuing cultural premium placed on youthfulness; and the pathologisation of the visible signs of ageing in skincare advertising aimed at women, compared to a very different communicative approach taken to male-targeted advertisements, where signs of ageing are acceptable—even positively evaluated.

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Anderson, C. (2019). Public Voices: Skincare Advertising and Discourses of “Beauty”. In: Discourses of Ageing and Gender. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-96740-0_4

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• Published: 13 May 2024

Exploring the effects of audience and strategies used by beauty vloggers on behavioural intention towards endorsed brands

• Mukta Garg   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-2162-5144 1 &
• Apurva Bakshi 1  

Humanities and Social Sciences Communications volume  11 , Article number:  621 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

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Influencer marketing has become a potent and dynamic force in the digital age, changing the face of marketing in a variety of sectors. Even though social media influencers are still important in corporate communication strategies, there are still unresolved issues concerning what exactly makes an influencer powerful and how that influence impacts the behaviour of their followers. This research investigates the role of interactional elements used by beauty vloggers on the purchase intentions of consumers. In addition to the influence of beauty vloggers, there are inherent aspects that impact consumer purchasing behaviour. The present study also examines the impact of audience characteristics in forming consumer attitudes towards beauty vloggers that result in shaping favourable consumer behaviour. The study was carried out on individuals aged 16 to 45 years, who use social platforms regularly. Data obtained from 367 respondents from North India was analysed using structural equation modelling with the SmartPLS software. The outcome of the study demonstrates that interactional elements used by beauty vloggers impact the behaviour of consumers. The results also showed that perceived influence serves as a partial mediator in the relationship between interactional elements and consumers’ purchase intention. Moreover, findings indicate that when consumers hold favourable attitudes towards beauty vloggers, the impact of self-concept and personality congruence enhancement on consumer behaviour is amplified, showcasing the mediating role of consumer attitude. The study’s findings offer insights that can assist industrial marketers and cosmetic company practitioners in strategically selecting influencers to boost sales.

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Introduction.

In an era marked by the pervasive influence of digital technologies, social media platforms have risen as influential tools shaping both consumer attitudes and marketing strategies (Lee and Watkins, 2016 ; Kim and Kim, 2021 ; Lee and Lee, 2022 ). The proliferation of social media users has revolutionised the way individuals engage with each other (Manchanda et al., 2022 ). Not only is there a notable surge in social media users, but there is also a significant growth in the number of content creators as well on different social media platforms (Ladhari et al., 2020 ). Once content creators amass a significant following, they are referred to as opinion leaders (Ki and Kim, 2019 ) or in general “influencers” or “social media influencers” (Lou and Yuan, 2019 ). Here, the term social media influencer (SMI) refers to an individual who serves as an independent representative having garnered significant virtual presence by sharing factual, cognitive, emotional, and often personalised insights using hashtags, texts, videos, etc (Garg and Bakshi, 2024 ; Freberg et al., 2011 ). Many SMIs create content in numerous categories, including lifestyle, gaming, food, travel, food, and technology (Sokolova and Kefi, 2020 ). However, those who precisely provide beauty content like cosmetic product reviews or product instructions are commonly identified as “beauty vloggers” or “beauty influencers” (Manchanda et al., 2022 ) or “beauty gurus” (Ladhari et al., 2020 ).

Consumers are currently consuming a greater volume of information from social media platforms compared to traditional media sources (Lee and Watkins, 2016 ). This seismic shift in media consumption and communication has created a dynamic landscape that calls for a deeper understanding of the relationships between influencers, their audiences, and consumer decision-making processes. Previous studies (Manchanda et al., 2022 ; Djafarova and Rushworth, 2017 ; Kim and Kim, 2021 ; Sokolova and Kefi, 2020 ) have shown the use of social media influencers as a promotional tactic to affect customer behaviour. Nevertheless, there have been concerns about the efficacy of vlogger-driven marketing (Sánchez-Fernández and Jiménez-Castillo, 2021 ; Hughes et al., 2019 ), prompting a necessity to improve understanding of the factors that contribute to its success.

A burgeoning body of literature has explored the impact of social media influencers’ credibility (Garg and Bakshi, 2024 ; Kim and Kim, 2021 ; Sokolova and Kefi, 2020 ), attractiveness (Ki and Kim, 2019 ; Torres et al., 2019 ; McGuire, 1985 ; Lee and Watkins, 2016 ; Ki and Kim, 2019 ) and importance of vlogger popularity (Manchanda et al., 2022 ; Ladhari et al., 2020 ). Yet, in this realm, a notable gap persists in our understanding, particularly concerning the establishment of relationships between consumers and social media influencers, and how this dynamic influences’ consumer purchasing behaviour. There is a scarcity of research emphasising the elements that facilitate beauty vloggers in fostering robust connections with their audiences, insights that marketers could leverage to promote their brands. Furthermore, past literature has shown the significance of alignment in personality between celebrity endorsers and products (Mishra et al., 2015 ; Xu and Pratt, 2018 ; Belanche et al., 2021 ). However, the importance of self-concept and congruence between the personality of the consumer and celebrity in shaping consumer behaviour has been overlooked. In this research, we aim to provide a comprehensive and timely exploration of the subject, shedding light on its relevance in the contemporary digital marketing landscape.

This study provides a comprehensive examination of the intricate mechanisms through which beauty vloggers exert influence over consumers by using four interactional elements (parasocial interactions, emotional attachment, meaning transfer, and informational value). These elements are used by beauty vloggers to increase their influential power over consumers contributing to shaping consumers’ ultimate purchase intentions towards the brands endorsed by them. Subsequently, this research examines the theoretical aspects of consumers’ perception of beauty vloggers, specifically in regard to their self-concept and the impact of consumer-influencer personality congruence in forming a favourable consumer attitude towards beauty vloggers that leads to increased purchase intention.

This study is motivated by the recognition that despite the widespread use of influencer marketing in marketing campaigns (Lee and Watkins, 2016 ; Djafarova and Rushworth, 2017 ; Lou and Kim, 2019 ), there remains a considerable amount of knowledge still to be uncovered and comprehended about the fundamental processes that propel consumer behaviours within this domain. This study aims to analyse the relationships between interactional elements and audience characteristics, as well as the mediating variables, viz. perceived influence and consumer attitude, so as to understand the effect of vlogger marketing upon purchase intention. Influencer marketing is a multifaceted phenomenon that involves numerous factors, and this research seeks to shed light on a crucial aspect of it. Therefore, the main objectives of the present study are listed below:

O1: To investigate how interactional elements that beauty vloggers employ affect buyers’ inclination to make purchases.

O2: To investigate the effect of perceived influence in enhancing the relationship between interactional elements and the purchase intention of consumers towards the products/brands they endorse.

O3: To examine the effect of audience characteristics on the purchase intention of consumers.

O4: To investigate how consumer attitude influences the association between audience characteristics and buying intention.

This research uses social exchange theory (Homans, 1958 ) and self-congruence theory (Sirgy, 1985 ) to examine the influence of beauty vloggers on consumers’ inclination to purchase cosmetic products. This study demonstrates how interactional elements (parasocial interactions, emotional attachment, meaning transfer, and informational value) used by beauty vloggers, along with audience characteristics (self-concept and user-influencer personality congruence), affect the purchase intention by taking perceived influence and consumer attitude, respectively, as mediating variables. The conceptual model, illustrated in Fig. 1 ., delineates the intricate relationships within this framework and forms the basis for our analysis.

Proposed conceptual framework using the interplay of various variables.

Theoretical background and hypothesis development

Interactional elements.

Interactional elements refer to the many strategies that beauty vloggers use to enhance audience engagement and increase their following on social media platforms. The current research integrates parasocial interactions, emotional attachment, meaning transfer, and informational value as constituents of interactional elements to examine their influence on consumers’ purchase intention. The present research sought a more comprehensive understanding of consumer-influencer relationships by linking these interactional elements with social exchange theory to gain a deeper understanding of the persuasive mechanisms behind influencer marketing.

Social exchange theory

Several studies have used social exchange theory to evaluate the “exchange of activities” (Homans, 1958 ). Initially, social exchange theory focused on employment connections. This theory now applies to sociology, anthropology, and psychology (Cropanzano and Mitchell, 2005 ; Coco and Eckert, 2020 ). Given the broadening ambit of social exchange theory, its applicability extends to elucidating the dynamics inherent in the influencer-follower paradigm, along with the persuasive strategies employed by influencers to shape the behaviour of their followers. Effectively navigating resource exchange between stakeholders, namely influencers and followers in our investigation, engenders the cultivation of psychological bonds and incentivizes the perpetuation of their relationship (Ahmad et al., 2023 ). Both parties’ profit from investing resources. Therefore, social exchange theory provides an appropriate theoretical foundation for beauty vlogging or influencer marketing. Cropanzano and Mitchell ( 2005 ) suggested that the exchange of resources encompasses both tangible and symbolic aspects, including elements like status, affection, services, information, monetary assets, and tangible goods within its purview. This philosophy uses cost and reward to build long-term partnerships (Kim and Kim, 2021 ). Beauty vloggers interact with their audiences on a daily basis. These interactions are usually one-sided in which vloggers talk about their personal lives, hence known as parasocial interactions (Horton and Wohl, 1956 ). Parasocial interactions have given beauty vloggers social influence as viewers rely on them for product suggestions and other useful information (Kim et al., 2020 ). In exchange their fans subscribe, like, share, and comment to show their love for their favourite beauty vlogger. With respect to social exchange theory, these are perceived as rewards for vloggers (Kim and Kim, 2021 ). From an economic standpoint, having more followers and views translates into financial benefits for the vlogger.

Status and power are also stressed in social exchange theory. Blau ( 1964 ) advanced this notion by introducing the theoretical framework of “exchange and power,” which pertains to the capacity of one party to exert influence over another party, compelling the latter to undertake specific actions. Individuals take voluntary actions that are motivated by the returns which are expected for successful exchange behaviour. If the influential party provides informational content, the other party will become dependent on it (Emerson, 1976 ; Cook and Emerson, 1978 ). Beauty vloggers and their audience rely on each other for social interaction (Cook and Yamagishi, 1992 ). Interdependence between influencers and followers has a societal effect. Vloggers build viewer dependency and social influence by delivering helpful information and aesthetic content (Jiménez-Castillo and Sánchez-Fernández, 2019 ).

The principle of reciprocity can also find application within social exchange theory, which posits that social exchange benefits ought to be equitable (Chia et al., 2021 ). In other words, trading parties should get equal incentives (Cropanzano and Mitchell, 2005 ). Influencers update viewers on their lives, joyful and sad times, and new purchases to enhance participation that is adored by their audience and gets views on their profiles, demonstrating the reward’s worth by developing an emotional attachment (Coco and Eckert, 2020 ). If the influencer posts stuff their audience likes, the engagement rate will rise until both sides reach a balance (Molm et al., 2007 ). Psychologically, reciprocity motivates parties to continue connections, building trust and changing behavioural attitudes (Kim and Kim, 2021 ). The process of exchange unfolds as a perpetual cycle wherein one party initiates an action, prompting reciprocal responses from the other party, thus initiating a fresh iteration of the exchange cycle (Ahmad et al., 2023 ). Additionally, the meaning transfer occurs when people embrace vloggers’ attitudes and views via constant participation. Moreover, audiences relate some symbolic meanings like values and beliefs associated with vloggers (Holiday et al., 2021 ) with the products/brands that vloggers endorse (Torres et al., 2019 ). This helps viewers to perceive similar attributes in the brands/products hence resulting in increased purchasing intentions. Moreover, connections that are established based on the acknowledgement and mutual exchange of shared interests serve as fundamental components of communities (Holiday et al., 2021 ). Cropanzano and Mitchell ( 2005 ) also revealed that the reciprocity principle requires similar cultural expectations for successful social exchange between consumers and influencers. Taking into account these variables, this study seeks to investigate whether the distinctive elements employed by beauty vloggers can serve as mechanisms of social exchange, fostering long-lasting relationships that precipitate shifts in consumer attitudes toward the products endorsed by influencers. Drawing upon theoretical frameworks, particularly social exchange theory, this research posits that perceived influence and purchase intention represent efficacious outcomes resulting from the exchange of various activities (such as parasocial interactions, emotional attachment, meaning transfer, and informational value) between consumers and influencers.

Parasocial interaction (PSI) characterises the bond between celebrities and their audience (Horton and Wohl, 1956 ). In PSI, individuals engage with well-known figures such as actors, singers, and athletes, perceiving a sense of lively presence and a mutually beneficial relationship (Garg and Bakshi, 2024 ). The notion of emotional attachment pertains to forming a relationship that is distinct to a specific individual, which is established via the connection of emotions between individuals. It facilitates the sustenance of a durable connection between the involved parties, which may then be used to influence behaviour and foster a feeling of psychological proximity and accessibility (Thomson, 2006 ). Sánchez-Fernández and Jiménez-Castillo ( 2021 ) describe informational value as an important cue for influencing the behaviour. If viewers perceive that the information provided is accurate and true, and the information is enhancing their knowledge, it will improve the quality of communication resulting in higher perceived influence between the audience and vloggers. McCracken ( 1989 ), revealed the three stages of meaning transfer. In the first stage, a symbolic meaning is created in an individual based on the role assigned/done by the individual in the past. The same meaning is then transferred to the product he/she endorses. In the last stage, the same meaning is consumed by the customers when they make the purchase decision for the product. In relation to beauty vlogger endorsements, these four interactional elements (parasocial interactions, emotional attachment, informational value, and meaning transfer) are exchanged by vloggers for enhanced perceived influence and purchase intention for the brands/products they endorse.

There is currently a scarcity of research examining the collective influence of all interactional elements on purchase intention. Moreover, previous scholars have examined interactional components, especially meaning transfer (Mccracken, 1989 ; Miller and Allen, 2012 ; Knoll et al., 2016 ) and parasocial interactions (Horton and Wohl, 1956 ; Rubin et al., 1985 ), within the realm of celebrity endorsement. However, with the advancement in technology, individuals are increasingly allocating a significant amount of their time to social media platforms. This is primarily attributed to these platforms to facilitate user engagement with vloggers for entertainment and information acquisition purposes. Therefore, we propose the following two hypotheses:

H1: Interactional elements used by beauty vloggers have a positive impact on followers’ perceived influence .

H2: Interactional elements used by beauty vloggers have a positive impact on purchase intention .

Perceived influence and its mediating role

Social exchange theory posits the notion of exchange of activities which leads to behavioural change. In the effective communication process, it is important to establish connectedness between the two parties. Perceived influence refers to the subjective view held by the audience of an endorser, whereby they believe that the endorser has the ability to affect opinions, behaviours, or buying choices (Wang and Lin, 2011 ). In the field of consumer behaviour, if the listener feels that a message is delivered by an opinion leader or a renowned personality (famous beauty vlogger), it might change the perception of the listener about a particular product/brand (Jiménez-Castillo and Sánchez-Fernández, 2019 ). Moreover, the process of meaning transfer has the potential to increase the perceived level of influence, since it involves aligning the personal brand of the influencer with the values and goals of their audience. When individuals see the influencer as embodying their desired values or beliefs, they tend to be swayed by their suggestions (Holiday et al., 2021 ). This can also lead to increased purchase intention towards that particular product. By providing valuable and useful information in an amusing and pleasing manner, beauty vloggers wield influential power over their audiences. Their audiences seek their advice before making a purchase decision (Sánchez-Fernández and Jiménez-Castillo, 2021 ). Moreover, in this technology-driven environment, consumers consider online information as more reliable than other sources (Lee and Lee, 2022 ; Manchanda et al., 2022 ). Also, previous literature witnesses the effectiveness of using influencer marketing for positive outcomes (purchase intention) (Djafarova and Rushworth, 2017 ; Sokolova and Kefi, 2020 ; Lou and Yuan, 2019 ). Hence, perceived influence is regarded as the outcome of many factors, including parasocial interactions, informational value, emotional connection, and meaning transfer. When influencers successfully develop these relationships, their perceived influence within their followers inherently grows.

Additionally, vloggers perform numerous interactional activities to increase familiarity and similarity with their audience which can result in establishing a long-term relationship between the two (Lee and Watkins, 2016 ; Lou and Kim, 2019 ). Vloggers share their personal lives on their social media handles to create an emotional bond which can be used to influence audiences’ behaviour towards purchasing the recommended products/brands (Ladhari et al., 2020 ; Lee and Lee, 2022 ). Influencers are often seen as those who have significant influence and are considered opinion leaders within their respective domains. They play a crucial role in spreading genuine and trustworthy information about various products (Manchanda et al., 2022 ). When followers get knowledge about the advantages and characteristics of a certain product or service from an influencer, they have faith in, they become more educated and perhaps more inclined to make well-informed purchasing choices (Lou and Yuan, 2019 ; Sokolova and Kefi, 2020 ). Moreover, if followers see a congruence between the influencer’s viewpoints and choices and their own beliefs and preferences, they may be inclined to adopt similar consumer behaviours (Choi and Rifon, 2012 ; Jiménez-Castillo and Sánchez-Fernández, 2019 ). Consequently, higher perceived influence can lead to higher intention to purchase the endorsed products/brands by the followers (Sánchez-Fernández and Jiménez-Castillo, 2021 ). By examining how interactional elements affect perceived influence and subsequently influence purchase intention, we can infer that perceived influence acts as a mediator between preceding factors and individual actions. Therefore, the researchers put forward the following two hypotheses:

H3: Perceived influence has a significant impact on buying intention .

H4: Perceived influence acts as a mediator in the association between interactional elements and buying intention .

Audience characteristics

The interactional elements employed by beauty vloggers determine consumers’ behavioural outcomes. Additionally, an individual’s notions of himself also frame their attitude towards a particular product/brand. This concept is explained by self-congruency theory, which is rooted in the theoretical framework of the self-concept (Plewa and Palmer, 2014 ). Sirgy ( 1982 ) has given two main dimensions of self-concept: actual self-concept and ideal self-concept. Actual self-concept is the perception that one holds about himself whereas ideal self-concept describes the aspirational image that one wants to embody. When the actual self-concept matches with the ideal self-concept, self-congruency is achieved (Sirgy, 1985 ). Self-concept is an intrinsic motivating factor that plays a vital role in framing a favourable attitude and marketing outcome (purchase intention). Also, self-concept helps in shaping the attitude towards influencers as it helps in identifying with influencers (Choi and Rifon, 2012 ; Zogaj et al., 2021 ). For example, an individual who has a robust sense of self-identity as an environmentalist may have a greater propensity to adhere to and support influencers who advocate for sustainability and the adoption of eco-friendly behaviours. Hence buying the same things as influencers helps build a satisfying self-concept (Xu and Pratt, 2018 ). Moreover, the main proposition of self-congruency theory demonstrates that customers choose items or brands that align with their self-concepts. Consumers shape their self-image via brand purchases and consumption. Hence, we can say that self-concept describes audience characteristics. Initially, researchers have revealed the impact of self-concept with respect to celebrity endorsement (Choi and Rifon, 2012 ; Mishra et al., 2015 ). However, with the advancement in technology, a similar phenomenon can be observed in influencer marketing (Shan et al., 2019 ). Additionally, previous literature also supports the positive impact of self-concept towards the intention change especially in the field of tourism (Pradhan et al., 2023 ; Xu and Pratt, 2018 ). For checking the robustness of vlogger-led marketing, it is important that we should consider self-concept as one of the variables in this investigation.

Another sub-construct of audience characteristics is the user-influencer personality congruence. It is the congruency between the personality of consumers with that of the influencer (Belanche et al., 2021 ). Within the parameters of consumer behaviour, various studies have been conducted showing the congruence between brand personality and endorser personality and its effect on purchase intention (Mishra et al., 2015 ; Malodia et al., 2017 ; Tafheem et al., 2022 ). However, congruence between endorser and consumer personality is yet to be explored. Choi and Rifon ( 2012 ) reveal that if the congruency between the personalities of consumers and celebrities matches, it helps in framing behavioural changes as the customer is expected to evaluate the advertising more positively and express stronger intentions to make a purchase. Balabanis and Chatzopoulou ( 2019 ) also discovered similar findings, demonstrating that a higher degree of influencing power may be achieved when the personality of a blogger aligns with that of an information seeker. Moreover, a recent study undertaken within the domain of tourism literature reveals that visitors are inclined to adopt the attitudes and behaviours advocated by a celebrity endorser when they see a congruence between the endorser’s personality and their own personality (Pradhan et al., 2023 ). Similarly, in the social media context, if there is congruency between the personalities of users and influencers, it can help in changing the consumer attitude towards influencers that further leads to changes in the behavioural outcome of the consumers (purchase intention). Additionally, this phenomenon is more effective in influencer marketing than celebrity endorsement as consumers perceive influencers as people “like you and me” (Mettenheim and Wiedmann, 2021 ). This is because, users see influencers as inspirational figures and aspire their lifestyle to be like them (Ki and Kim, 2019 ). Taking both self-concept and user-influencer personality congruence under the bracket of audience characteristics we propose the following two hypotheses:

H5: Audience characteristics have a positive impact in framing consumer attitudes towards beauty vloggers .

H6: Audience characteristics have a positive impact on purchase intention .

Consumer attitude and its mediating role

Attitude is the perception that one makes for others (Chetioui et al., 2020 ). If an individual creates an attitude towards a particular product/brand or even a person, it will last for a long time (Taillon et al., 2020 ). One’s attitude has a significant role in determining their level of attraction toward a specific object, thereby impacting their intent to acquire that product (Chanana, 2015 ). Prior research has demonstrated that celebrities possess a notable ability to attract the attention of consumers. Consequently, if consumers hold a favourable attitude towards these celebrities, it is likely to enhance their intention to purchase products endorsed by them (Zhu et al., 2019 ). This is due to the celebrities’ role in heightening awareness about the endorsed products (Chanana, 2015 ). However, in this technologically advanced era, consumers have a tendency to align themselves more with influencers that possess common personality qualities, a lifestyle that aligns with their own, or similar tastes as compared to traditional celebrities (Djafarova and Rushworth, 2017 ). A greater level of congruence between influencers and prospective consumers indicates favourable attitudes towards influencers, leading to heightened intentions to make purchases (Zhu et al., 2019 ). Therefore, it is imperative to integrate consumer attitudes within the scope of the present study.

Additionally, the audience characteristics of consumers help in forming positive attitudes towards the vloggers resulting in increased purchase intention. Vloggers do various interactional activities to engage more with their audiences so that consumers can match their personalities with them. If the audience’s self-image matches with the vlogger’s self-image, consumers will form a favourable attitude towards vloggers (Zhu et al., 2019 ). Consequently, a positive match between their personalities creates an attitude towards a vlogger that further helps in increasing purchase intention (Taillon et al., 2020 ). Therefore, consumer attitude towards beauty vloggers acts as a mediating variable between audience characteristics and purchase intentions. Hence, we put forward the following two hypotheses:

H7: Consumer attitude has a positive impact on buying intention .

H8: Consumer acts as a mediator in the association between audience characteristics and purchasing intention .

Research methodology

Measurement scale.

The questionnaire was derived from multiple academic sources found in existing literature. The items for parasocial interactions are taken from the scale used by Lou and Kim ( 2019 ) and Lee and Watkins ( 2016 ). The items for emotional attachment are adapted from two studies (Choi and Lee, 2019 ; Ladhari et al., 2020 ). The items for informational value were drawn and adapted from three distinct research (Ki and Kim, 2019 ; Lou and Kim, 2019 ; Lee et al., 2014 ). The items for meaning transfer are self-constructed using the previous literature (Roy and Jain, 2017 ; Jain and Roy, 2016 ). Self-concept items are self-constructed and modified for our research using existing literature (Malhotra, 1981 ; Goñi et al., 2011 ). The items for user-influencer personality congruence originated from three different studies (Ki and Kim, 2019 ; Casaló et al., 2020 ; Belanche et al., 2021 ). The items pertaining to mediating variables, perceived influence and consumer attitude were taken and modified from two distinct researches (Chanana, 2015 ; Jiménez-Castillo and Sánchez-Fernández, 2019 ) respectively. Purchase intention is the endogenous variable and its items were generated using several researches (Jiménez-Castillo and Sánchez-Fernández, 2019 ; Meng and Wei, 2020 ; Lou and Kim, 2019 ). The indicators have been evaluated by employing a 5-point Likert Scale, where 1 indicates strongly disagree and 5 indicates strongly agree. Detailed information on all the indicators can be found in Appendix 1 (refer to additional information given in supplementary materials).

Sample of the study

This study focused on individuals who regularly watch videos created by beauty influencers on YouTube or similar websites, to determine their likelihood of purchasing cosmetic products endorsed by these vloggers. Data collection for the investigation of the current study spanned between June 2022 and March 2023. The questionnaire was circulated electronically to individuals aged 16 to 45 who identify as consumers. Since the characterisation of such virtual consumers and determination of the exact user population is tough, convenience sampling was employed (Lee and Lee, 2022 ; Djafarova and Rushworth, 2017 ). Initially, 500 respondents from northern India were administered the survey. Subsequently, refined data came from individuals who underwent thorough examination, satisfying the criteria of regularly following beauty influencers and actively consuming material from those influencers between 1 to 3 h every day. Ultimately, we obtained 367 responses, resulting in a participation rate of 73.4%. In Table 1 we provide an overview detailing the demographic details of the respondents.

SmartPLS 4.0 was used to analyse the final data using partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). This strategy is excellent for complicated latent variables (Agyapong, 2021 ). The relationship between endogenous and exogenous variables is better understood by PLS-SEM, which combines factor analysis and regression (Sarstedt et al., 2017 ; Hair et al., 2020 ; 2019 ; 2017 ). Additionally, PLS-SEM is more effective when applied to distribution-free data and obviates the requirement for strict adherence to assumptions of multivariate normality. Interactional elements and audience characteristics are higher-order constructs (HOC), and PLS-SEM is more flexible in complicated models (Hair et al., 2020 ; 2019 ).

Statistical analysis

Assessment of lower order construct’s (loc’s) measurement model.

Reliability and validity are the main evaluation criteria for the measurement model. In relation to the repeated indicator approach that was applied, LOC and HOC represent the two divisions of the conceptual framework (Sarstedt et al., 2019 ). The validity and reliability pertaining to LOC has been examined first. All findings are presented in accordance with the stipulated protocols outlined in the PLS-SEM manual (Sarstedt et al., 2019 ; Hair et al., 2019 ; 2017 ). To ensure the reliability of a construct, it is recommended that the outer loadings of the prevailing reflective variables surpass the minimum value of 0.708 (Hair et al., 2020 ; 2017 ). Table 2 and Fig. 2 depict that most values exceed threshold values. We removed 1 indicator from self-concept (SC1), 1 indicator from consumer attitude (CA5), as well as 4 indicators from PSI (PARA INT.3,6,8,9) to improve the assessment framework. Similarly, Cronbach’s alpha remained within acceptable limits, i.e., 0.70–0.95. The values of composite reliability and Henseler’s rho-A are above 0.70 indicating internal consistency in the proposed model (Hair et al., 2020 ; 2017 ). The (AVE) average variance extracted, which indicates the amount of variance in dependent constructs explained by independent constructs, is assessed to determine convergent validity. The AVE values of all the constructs were above 0.50 (Hair et al., 2019 ; 2017 ; Sarstedt et al., 2017 ; Cohen, 1988 ), establishing the whole measurement model valuation.

Source: Self-constructed using SmartPLS 4.0 version.

The research next investigates discriminant validity to ensure the uniqueness of the constructs (Sarstedt et al., 2022 ). The Heterotrait-Monotrait (HTMT) ratio of correlation criteria is used to demonstrate discriminant validity for each component. According to the latest criteria, the liberal HTMT inference approach suggests that all HTMT ratio values should be below 1 (Garg and Bakshi, 2024 ). However, for more stringent criteria, the HTMT ratio should ideally fall between 0.85 (Henseler et al., 2015 ) and 0.90 (Gold et al., 2001 ). In our research, most measurements fall below acceptable standards, as demonstrated in Table 3 .

Assessment of HOC’s measurement model

After investigating the assessment framework of LOC, the latent variable scores derived for the four sub-constructs relating to interactional elements and two sub-constructs of audience characteristics are integrated into the main dataset to examine the HOCs in the anticipated framework utilising the repeated indicator technique. Since the prospective framework model (as shown in Fig. 2 ) represents a Type 1 higher-order model, the repeated indicator technique is deemed suitable for measurement (Garg and Bakshi, 2024 ; Agyapong, 2021 ; Perez-Vega et al., 2018 ; Becker et al., 2012 ). The outcomes of the higher-order constructs are documented in Table 4 . In the present study, there are two HOCs namely, interactional elements and audience characteristics. The Cronbach α for interactional elements is 0.884. The composite reliability (rho-c) and Henseler’s rho-a are 0.920 & 0.890 respectively. Audience characteristics have only two items, hence the Cronbach α value of 0.526 is justified (Nunnally and Bernstein, 1994 ). However, the value of composite reliability is 0.805 which establishes the internal consistency of the construct. The AVE value for both the higher-order constructs is above the threshold value of 0.5. In the proposed model, the path coefficients of LOCs serve as indicators for HOCs, serving as outer loadings for the HOC. In this model, outer loadings related to all sub-constructs exceed the acceptable threshold of 0.708 (Hair et al., 2020 ).

Next, we investigate the discriminant validity using the similar approach used in LOCs. Although most HTMT ratios are between 0.85 (Henseler et al., 2015 ) and 0.90 (Gold et al., 2001 ), the ratio between interactional elements and audience characteristics is over 0.90, hence a liberal approach is utilised. For doing so, confidence intervals for HTMT inferences are obtained using bootstrapping (Shiva et al., 2020 ; Hair et al., 2022 ). The HTMT value is 0.968, which is within the confidence intervals hence establishing uniqueness between the constructs. The results of HTMT ratios along with confidence intervals are displayed in Table 5 .

Structural model assessment

Once the measurement model has been validated, the structural framework is assessed to ascertain the relationships between variables and to evaluate their predictive ability (Hair et al., 2017 ). Multicollinearity between constructs must be checked first. We evaluate each construct as a formative factor and examine the tolerance and VIF (Variance Inflation Factor) of the inner model and these measurements are found to be below 3, ensuring no construct multicollinearity issue (Shiva et al., 2020 ; Diamantopoulos, 2008 ). Subsequently, the coefficient of determination ( R 2 ) was examined for every predicted latent variable. The R 2 value elucidates the inherent variance relating to predicted variables attributed to antecedent factors. Notably, the R 2 values for the dependent constructs, Consumer Attitude (0.266), Perceived Influence (0.507), and Purchase Intention (0.581), were found to exhibit moderate significance depicted by Fig. 2 . and Table 6 . In social sciences, R 2 0.20 or more is considered significant since we measure behaviour (Hair et al., 2017 ; Rasoolimanesh et al., 2017 ). Bootstrapping at 10,000 SmartPLS subsamples is done to assess path coefficient significance and relevance for hypothesis testing. The interactional elements and audience characteristics are HOCs, while the path coefficient of their sub-constructs serves as factor loadings as displayed in Fig. 3 (Shiva et al., 2020 ). Table 6 indicates that the majority of the values are statistically significant at the 5% level, thereby supporting hypotheses H1–H5 and H7. However, no significant explicit relationship was found between audience characteristics and purchase intention, hence rejecting H6 ( β  = 0.055, t  = 0.972, p  = 0.331). The present study employs Standardised Root Mean Square Residual (SRMR) for evaluating the fitness of the model, which cannot exceed 0.08. The SRMR measurement for the current study is 0.063, hence indicating sufficient explanatory power of the model (Henseler et al., 2016 ). Table 6 . lists all p -values, path coefficient values, t -statistic values, and SRMR values.

To test model predictive relevance, Q 2 predict values are computed. The Q 2 predict values of endogenous variables consumer attitude (0.259), perceived influence (0.503), and purchase intention (0.465) are larger than 0, establishing predictive relevance. Moreover, for estimating predictive error metrics for endogenous variables’ indicators, PLSpredict uses tenfold sample-based predictions (Shmueli et al., 2016 ). Table 7 shows that Q 2 predicted values for each indicator are less than 0. RMSE (Root mean square error) measurements are assessed to determine the model’s predictive relevance as errors are symmetrically distributed. Most of the items yield fewer prediction errors in the PLS model than in the linear model, resulting in moderate predictive relevance of the model (Singh and Bala, 2020 ; Shmueli et al., 2019 ).

Analysis of mediating variables

The results suggest that confirming Hypotheses 1 and 3 substantiates the function of perceived influence as a mediator in linking offers interactional elements to buying intention. In the light of empirical evidence supporting Hypothesis 2, a comparative investigation of interactional elements’ direct and indirect effects on purchase intention is necessary. The study found a β -value of 0.257, establishing a direct linkage between interactional elements and consumer purchasing intention. Moreover, perceived influence mediation increases β to 0.292 (Hypothesis 1 * Hypothesis 3: 0.712*0.411). These results reveal interactional elements directly affecting buying intention. However, this impact is increased when perceived influence mediates, showing a complementary partial mediation effect (Zhao et al., 2014 ; Garg and Bakshi, 2024 ). In the case of audience characteristics, acceptance of H5 and H7 indicated a mediation effect. However, rejection of H6 revealed no explicit relation between audience characteristics and consumer purchasing intention ( p  = 0.331), indicating the case of full mediation (Zhao et al., 2014 ).

The present study aims to examine the combined impact of interactional elements used by beauty vloggers and audience characteristics on purchase intention using two mediating variables. The findings obtained from the application of PLS-SEM support almost all the hypotheses (H1–H5, H7, H8) except one (H6). The outcomes of the study indicate that interactional elements used by beauty vloggers help in creating buying intention for the merchandise used/promoted by beauty influencers. Additionally, empirical evidence does not suggest a strong linkage between audience characteristics and purchase intention. The extensive literature suggests that consumers with a strong self-concept or high degree of congruence with an influencer’s personality have a higher chance of purchasing merchandise endorsed by the said influencer (Zogaj et al., 2021 ; Mishra et al., 2015 ; Choi and Rifon, 2012 ), this finding may seem counterintuitive. This shows the complexity of consumer buying behaviours.

The present research used social exchange theory to explain influencer marketing dynamics. The application of this theory helps us understand how two parties interact with each other by exchanging perceived costs and benefits (Kim and Kim, 2021 ). According to social exchange theory, people associate and interact with the anticipation of getting reciprocal advantages in exchange for their own efforts. In relation to influencer marketing, the aforementioned theoretical framework postulates that customers actively interact with influencers with the expectation of deriving value or advantages, especially in the form of entertainment and knowledge. The nature of the relationship established between influencers and their followers is shaped by the ongoing process of exchange and the mutually obtained benefits. In instances where a sequence of exchanges occurs, discerning the specific exchange that precipitated the formulation of a robust relationship becomes notably challenging. The present study used four sub-constructs of interactional elements namely, parasocial interactions, emotional attachment, meaning transfer, and informational value. The results reveal that all four sub-constructs have almost similar empirical impacts. PSI was formerly used by media outlets including TV and radio and media consumers (Horton and Wohl, 1956 ). Similarly, meaning transfer was initially studied from a celebrity endorsement’s perspective. However, with the rise of social media and technology, influencers have become the new reference group for consumers with whom they can identify themselves more easily as compared to traditional celebrities. Hence, PSI and meaning transfer have expanded beyond conventional media as beauty vloggers build an influential, illusionary relationship with their audience. Moreover, the analysis underscores the significance of parasocial interactions in influencer-audience dynamics, fostering reciprocity. Social exchange theory suggests that followers may reciprocate the attention and engagement offered by influencers by valuing and adopting their recommendations, thereby amplifying the perceived influence of the influencer towards the brands endorsed by them. Furthermore, meaning transfer emerges as a salient mechanism through which influencers enhance their perceived influence by associating products or brands with positive attributes or values. Influencers have unique identities and personal brands that are constructed based on their beliefs, lifestyles, and areas of expertise (Holiday et al., 2021 ). When a brand partners with an influencer, its objective is to capitalise on the favourable meanings linked to the influencer’s character and then convey those meanings to the products. Social exchange theory posits that individuals are motivated to maintain relationships that enhance their self-image or social status. When followers perceive that using a product endorsed by their favourite beauty vlogger aligns with their desired identity or values, they are more likely to adopt the product, thereby reinforcing the influencer’s authority and influence. This phenomenon underscores the power of influencers not only to shape consumer preferences but also to influence broader cultural narratives and norms through the products and brands they endorse. Emotional attachment and informational value also play a vital role in creating influential roles for beauty vloggers. Sánchez-Fernández and Jiménez-Castillo ( 2021 ) revealed the significant impact of informational value and emotional attachment in creating a perceived influence on consumer’s buying intention, hence signifying the role of perceived influence as a mediator. Additionally, they also showcased the interdependence between influencers and their followers, examining it through the lens of social exchange theory. They found that followers are likely to reciprocate favourable thoughts, emotions, and actions towards the brands/products suggested by influencers when they perceive a benefit from their connection with the influencer. Hence, social exchange theory asserts that consumers need to acknowledge the importance of informational value for creating trust and emotional attachment in online communities. These connections are established and nurtured by continuous, interactions that revolve around meaningful shared values (Holiday et al., 2021 ). Overall, the insights gleaned from this study highlight the multifaceted nature of perceived influence in influencer marketing, with parasocial interactions, emotional attachment, meaning transfer, and informational value each playing distinct yet interconnected roles in shaping followers’ perceptions of influencers’ authority and influence. By elucidating these mechanisms through the theoretical framework of social exchange theory, this study offers valuable insights for marketers seeking to leverage influencer relationships to drive consumer behaviour and brand engagement in an increasingly competitive digital landscape.

Another antecedent proposed in the current study is audience characteristics, consisting of two sub-constructs namely, self-concept and user-influencer personality congruence. The study examined the impact of audience characteristics on purchase intentions using self-congruency theory. The results demonstrate that there is no significant direct relationship between audience characteristics and purchase intention. Previous literature also supports the connotation that there is no direct impact of self-concept and user-influencer personality congruence on consumer behaviour (Zogaj et al., 2021 ; Pradhan et al., 2016 ; Choi and Rifon, 2012 ). However, the findings reveal that there is a significant indirect relationship between audience characteristics and purchasing intention using consumer attitude. When customers develop a favourable perception of influencers, it reduces communication barriers between the two parties. This phenomenon leads to an increased intention to make purchases, as consumers tend to emulate the actions of their role models with whom they see a sense of likeness (Mettenheim and Wiedmann, 2021 ). Thus, it bridges the gap between audience characteristics and purchase intention. Additionally, if consumers have favourable attitudes towards beauty vloggers, the impact of self-concept and personality congruence affects consumer behaviour, hence showing the satisfying mediating role of consumer attitude. The results of the present study are in line with the study conducted by Pradhan et al. ( 2023 ). Overall, the audience’s self-concept and the congruence between the personality of the vlogger and that of the audience indirectly influence their purchasing decisions. By identifying with the vlogger’s personality and finding alignment with their own self-concept, consumers are more likely to form a favourable attitude towards them such that they trust the vlogger’s recommendations and get influenced to purchase the endorsed products.

Implications, limitations, and future research directions

Theoretical contribution.

This investigation has produced noteworthy intellectual insights. Using 2 independent theoretical frameworks, i.e., social exchange and self-congruence, to demonstrate the reciprocal influence of the two frameworks on customers’ buying intention. Previous academicians have used the credibility model (Djafarova and Rushworth, 2017 ), the source attractiveness model (Kim and Kim, 2021 ), the elaboration likelihood model of persuasion (Sokolova and Kefi, 2020 ), persuasion knowledge (Myers et al., 2024 ), uses and gratification theory (Dolan et al., 2016 ), and many others to show the effect of influencer mechanism on consumer behaviour. However, the current study is the first that has used social exchange theory in the context of interactional elements used by beauty vloggers. The rise of beauty vlogger marketing in digital spaces necessitates an extension of social exchange theory to incorporate the dynamics of online interactions. While traditional applications of social exchange theory focus on face-to-face exchanges, the prevalence of influencer-follower interactions mediated through digital platforms calls for a nuanced understanding of how digital interactions influence reciprocity and perceived influence (Ahmad et al., 2023 ). Consequently, this study makes a valuable contribution to the existing literature on the emerging phenomenon of influencer marketing. Secondly, the application of social exchange theory to influencer marketing could benefit from a deeper examination of the evolving power dynamics between influencers and followers. Influencers often wield significant power over their audiences due to their persuasive abilities and large followings. Understanding how these power dynamics fluctuate over time and in response to factors such as content authenticity, engagement strategies, and brand partnerships could enrich social exchange theory’s explanatory power in the context of influencer marketing. Third, the cultural and contextual factors shaping influencer marketing relationships present opportunities for extending social exchange theory. While the theory primarily emphasises individual-level exchanges within dyadic relationships, influencer marketing operates within broader cultural and contextual contexts that influence interactions and perceptions. Modifications to social exchange theory could involve integrating cultural norms, societal values, and platform-specific dynamics to better understand the complexities of reciprocity and perceived influence in influencer marketing relationships across diverse cultural and contextual settings. Fourth, the study highlights the need to examine long-term relationship dynamics in influencer marketing. While social exchange theory focuses on short-term exchanges and transactions, influencer marketing campaigns often aim to cultivate long-term relationships between influencers and followers. Future research could explore how social exchange processes unfold over time within these sustained relationships, including factors such as loyalty, commitment, and relationship maintenance strategies employed by influencers and brands. Fifth, the previous literature has only shown the effectiveness of credibility and its direct and indirect effect on consumer behaviour, however, the present study emphasizes the role of audience characteristics, particularly self-concept and user-influencer personality congruence, in influencing customer attitudes that lead to purchase intention. This approach offers a more intricate theoretical framework for the impact of the congruence between an individual’s self-identity and an influencer’s image on consumer decision-making. Another notable theoretical contribution is the proposition for the incorporation of mediating variables, specifically consumer attitudes, into the framework of self-congruency theory. While traditional self-congruency theory emphasizes the explicit linkage between audience characteristics and buying intention, our findings reveal a significant indirect pathway mediated by consumer attitudes towards beauty vloggers. This suggests that the effect of audience characteristics on buying intention is not solely driven by direct alignment with influencer personality traits but is also mediated by consumers’ perceptions and attitudes towards the influencers. Therefore, future researchers should explore the importance of consumer attitudes more extensively within the framework of self-congruency theory to gain a deeper understanding of the mechanisms driving consumer behaviour in influencer marketing contexts.

Practical implications

In addition to theoretical implications, this study also holds practical significance. First, owing to the increasing usage of social media and absorbing more online content, the study provides an alternative to traditional celebrity endorsers. Beauty vloggers are regarded as opinion leaders and consumers relate more with them as compared to traditional celebrities. Second, the results of this research provide a valuable understanding of the process of influencer selection in practical contexts. Marketers can identify influencers whose self-concept and personality qualities coincide with their intended target audience, hence augmenting the authenticity and efficacy of influencer marketing efforts. Third, the results reveal the importance of meaning transfer. This study can assist marketers in making informed decisions regarding investment in beauty vloggers whose values and beliefs align with their products, thereby enhancing customer consumption. Fourth, the current study underscored the significance of emotional attachment. Consequently, marketers should refrain from solely relying on metrics such as follower count, likes, and comments to gauge the popularity of influencers. Instead, they should prioritise investing in influencers who possess the ability to forge emotional connections with their audience, thereby enhancing the persuasive effectiveness of their followers. Fifth, the primary objective of influencer marketing is to generate revenue via increased sales. The purchasing intent of customers may be favourably influenced when they possess a favourable attitude towards an influencer and the products/brands they advocate. Consumers may have a greater propensity to experiment with or buy products that are promoted by influencers whom they admire. This enhances the usage of influencer marketing. In addition to marketers, this research incorporates interactional elements that promote the establishment of likeness and familiarity with their target audiences. Consequently, the current study has potential value for emerging influencers seeking to enhance their engagement rates across various social media platforms.

Limitations and future research directions

Despite our diligent endeavour, the researchers were incapable of eradicating all research flaws. This research is subject to sample-based limitations, as is common in empirical studies. Due to the demographic patterns of beauty vlogger viewership, with relatively few viewers over the age of 45, the majority of data was gathered from individuals aged 18 to 30 years old. Future studies might compare influencer marketing’s effects on different age groups. Second, the data used in this research originated from a developing nation like India. However, it’s important to note that findings may differ across diverse countries due to cultural variations, which could impact the characteristics of the target audience. Third, this study only examined beauty vloggers’ interactional aspects to persuade customers, as well as audience factors influencing consumer attitudes about vloggers and their impact on purchase intention. However, future researchers may examine how sponsored marketing and the disclosure hashtag affect customer perception. This study was limited to the product categories pertinent to beauty vloggers only, primarily cosmetics. Future researchers may apply the vlogger marketing approach to health, gaming, food, and travel vlogging.

Data availability

The dataset collected and/or analysed during the present study is not publicly accessible due to confidentiality agreements with participants. The participants had furnished personal data and agreed to answer probing questions in the questionnaire upon the precondition that none of their data would be shared subsequently, except in case of extremely reasonable requirements. Hence, the dataset can be obtained from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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Garg, M., Bakshi, A. Exploring the effects of audience and strategies used by beauty vloggers on behavioural intention towards endorsed brands. Humanit Soc Sci Commun 11 , 621 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-03133-y

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·    Low Awareness of Hidden Charges: Many users were unaware of hidden fees in their credit card transactions.

·    Late Payment Penalties: A lack of convenient bill management tools often led to late payments and associated penalties.

·    Limited Rewards for Responsible Behaviour: Traditional systems offered minimal incentive for timely payments.

Creative Marketing: From Bollywood to IPL and Beyond

CRED isn’t afraid to stand out. Just as individuals craft their unique narratives to stand out in a competitive job market, CRED strategically positioned itself as a symbol of exclusivity and sophistication. Through celebrity endorsements and captivating campaigns, CRED captured the imagination of a discerning audience, much like a professional striving to leave a lasting impression in their field.

Career transition  often necessitates innovative thinking and the courage to disrupt the status quo. Similarly, CRED’s disruptive innovations reshaped the fintech landscape, mirroring the bold decisions individuals make to propel their careers forward.By analyzing user behaviour and preferences, CRED delivers personalized solutions tailored to individual needs, echoing the importance of data-driven insights in career development. Much like a career coach offering tailored guidance, CRED’s utilization of statistics empowers users to make informed financial decisions, propelling them towards their career aspirations.Their marketing campaigns are legendary, for their humour, wit, and ability to tap into the Indian pop culture pulse.

Here’s a glimpse into their marketing genius:

“Not Everyone Gets It” Campaign (2018):  This campaign launched CRED with a bang, featuring a series of commercials with iconic Bollywood celebrities like Anil Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit, and Govinda. The lighthearted ads showcased the app’s functionality and the benefits of earning rewards, skyrocketed CRED’s app downloads by a whopping 700%.

“Great for Good” Campaign (IPL 2021):  CRED took the cricket-crazy nation by storm with their IPL campaign featuring the cool, not so expressive Rahul Dravid in a hilarious avatar – the “Indira Nagar Ka Gunda.” The internet went berserk, and CRED trended No.1 on Twitter. Many big brands also started talking about it and started including it in their  marketing due to the virality of this ad.

Cred PowerPlay Campaign (IPL 2021):  This interactive campaign boosted the engagement factor during the IPL season. Users who paid their credit card bills during the powerplay overs could win exciting cashback and even get featured on the virtual IPL broadcast.

Luxury Travel Influencer Campaign (2023):  As CRED ventured into the luxury travel space, they partnered with digital influencers to create a social media buzz. Short videos showcased the travel experiences users could unlock with CRED, piquing the interest of aspirational travellers.

UPI Campaign featuring Rajamouli, David Warner, and Leander Paes (IPL 2024):  CRED’s latest campaign leverages the star power of celebrities like Rajamouli, David Warner, and Leander Paes to promote their upgraded platform for UPI transactions.

The Future of CRED?

CRED is still young, but they’re growing fast. Their focus is on user growth over immediate profits, and they’re building a loyal following. The future looks bright – they could leverage their valuable financial data in a few interesting ways:

• Targeted Advertising:  Partner with luxury brands to offer users highly relevant ads based on their spending habits.
• Data Analytics for Businesses:  Provide insights and analytics services to businesses and financial institutions looking to understand consumer behaviour, credit trends, and financial markets.
• Evolved E-commerce Platform:  Broaden the range of exclusive products and services offered through CRED, catering directly to their high-spending user base and increasing revenue streams.

CRED’s story is a lesson in innovation and understanding customer needs.

By rewarding responsible behaviour, building a community, and creating entertaining marketing campaigns, they’ve carved a unique space in the Indian Fintech world. Can they maintain exclusivity while expanding their reach? Only time will tell, but one thing’s for sure: CRED’s journey is a must-watch for anyone interested in the future of fintech.

In the world of career success and personal growth, CRED’s story shines as a beacon of inspiration and possibility. Through its mastery of marketing, relentless innovation, and insightful utilisation of statistics, CRED not only revolutionised the fintech industry but also empowered individuals to navigate their career transitions with confidence and purpose. As we celebrate CRED’s triumphs, let us also draw inspiration from its journey, embracing change, seizing opportunities, and embarking on our own paths towards professional fulfillment and success.

In addition to celebrating CRED’s remarkable achievements, let’s remember to embrace change, seize opportunities, and forge our own paths toward career success and personal growth. And for personalized guidance and support along the way, consider seeking mentoring advice from GoCrackIt , a trusted mentoring platform offering expert insights and tailored coaching to empower individuals on their professional journeys.

Posted By – Aman Katiyar

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