What Beauty Entrepreneurs Need To Know To Develop Clean Beauty Brands Relevant To Today’s Consumers
Beauty Independent | 21 June 2021
The promise of clean ingredients is a purchase motivator in the contemporary beauty market. “What has changed has really been the sourcing,” said Peri, adding that brand founders are increasingly educating themselves on the full impact that ingredients have on human health and the environment. “It’s really the millennials [who] have this particular set of values,” she said. “There’s a shift in interest in the ingredient and looking at the whole story. As opposed to just selling a product and supporting your family, it’s now it’s about supporting the future.” There’s no excuse for brand founders to be ignorant about ingredients with the plethora of resources at their disposable. “There are so many wonderful platforms where you can do ingredient searches and find out information that really supports the development of your product,” said Peri. “You don’t have to be an expert, but, as long as you know enough and are able to provide direction to your manufacturer, I think [that’s] really key.”
Livestream shopping goes upscale with pure-play e-tailers
Glossy | 21 June 2021
On Monday, curated e-tailer Verishop became the latest to adopt livestream shopping in-house, adding the capability to its mobile app. Forty-four influencers, including major names such as Gabriel Zamora, participated in hosting streams on the app. Shoppers are able to click on the “live” option on the bottom menu bar to see current and upcoming livestreams. Links to purchase appear on the screen as the presenter describes the product. Clicking that link will open a checkout page, while the livestream will continue to play in the corner. Viewers can also access the full list of items featured in the livestream at any time during or after the livestream. “The biggest thing livestreaming does is help you discover,” said Imran Khan, CEO of Verishop. “A lot of times you don’t even know what exactly you’re looking for, but you have some ideas. If you’re looking at fashion and beauty, livestreaming is a great way for consumers to learn about the product and have an experience that you would get in a physical world.” Hair-care brand R+Co plans to use the Verishop livestream platform to feature stylists and other experts from its team demonstrating products. Dan Langer, the president of R+Co, said the brand uses livestreaming as “a way to discover newness and learn.” He hopes the brand’s livestreaming strategy “can evolve into regularly scheduled programming.”
The beauty industry wants to infiltrate and redesign your home
Glossy | 21 June 2021
Would you consider a hair dryer a beauty device? What about a humidifier or air filter? Maybe not, but the beauty industry is revamping the home by re-engineering practical and overlooked household devices with a beauty overlay. Canopy and Hey Dewy are sold DTC and at retailers like Violet Grey, Urban Outfitters and Revolve. Meanwhile, beauty fridges — which are actually traditional mini-fridges — have been marketed as a beauty must-have since at least 2018, with brands like Kylie Skin, Drunk Elephant and even Evian water getting on board. L’Oréal is also getting in on the household device space; it plans to offer a beauty-focused showerhead in mid-2022. “Beauty consumers are doing many things to build a routine, but there was a whole element of the [at-home] routine that was not focused on,” said Eric Neher, Canopy CMO. “In the case of the Canopy humidifier, we promote the increased indoor humidity as a big part of an effective skin-care routine.”
How Brands Get Customers Addicted to Shopping
BOF | 23 June 2021
Fashion brands are revamping their loyalty programmes to reward shoppers for everything from reading marketing emails to making a TikTok clip. These casino-like tactics are having a big impact on sales. Koss, a German high school student admits she’s addicted to Shein because she is constantly rewarded for spending more time AND MONEY with the brand. Like many reward programs, Shein gives Koss points for every euro she spends. But the company also rewards her for checking into her account, uploading photo reviews, watching live streams, and participating in outfit challenges. Those points add up: Shein shoppers can earn up to 2,000 points a day and every 100 points amount to $1 — a substantial amount on a site that sells some products for under $2. “The more I log in, the more points I get, so it’s really fun for a heavy shopper like me,” said Koss. Shein has turned shipping into a game and its customers are playing. Shein’s points system is part of a larger trend of ‘gamification’ in shopper loyalty programmes. Instead of cash back, brands now tell customers they can “win” points by “playing” in countless ways. PacSun for example will reward shoppers points just for opening brand’s email. “Attention is currency so brands are figuring out new ways to buy time and attention”
Hit by covid-19, Italian makeup-makers are looking pretty again
Economist | 19 June 2021
Twenty years ago Leonard Lauder, the heir to the Estée Lauder beauty empire, observed that during economic downturns consumers liked to sweeten belt-tightening with small indulgences. He called it the “lipstick effect”, after one common pick-me-up. Disappointingly for Italy’s “lipstick valley”, a part of Lombardy that, according to Cosmetica Italia, an industry group, produces 55% of the world’s eye shadows, mascaras, face powder and lipsticks, consumers mostly shunned these little luxuries amid the pandemic recession. Whether because maquillage is less meaningful on grainy Zoom calls or contoured lips invisible behind face-masks, sales of Italian makeup-makers fell by 13% last year. “When the masks come off in June people will go crazy,” predicts Dario Ferrari, who founded and runs Intercos, the valley’s biggest firm and the world’s largest contract manufacturer for makeup. Denizens of lipstick valley also stand to benefit from two longer-term trends: the rise of the image-conscious Asian shopper and of direct-to-consumer makeup brands that need contract manufacturers to bring their Instagram feeds to life.