The pandemic has essentially pushed marketing strategies to heavily depend on various digital platforms. Be it Google Ads, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or even TikTok for that matter, brands have been extensively reaching out to their customers in a desperate attempt to remind them of their presence despite the pandemic.
While most industries are still coping up with this new routine, there were few which had already been tactfully using it for the past few years now. The cosmetic industry is one such example.
Over the years, the cosmetic industry has smoothly transitioned from their offline campaigns based on photoshopped fashion models, to a marketing model that is highly focused on vlogging.
While most of these tutorials have undoubtedly lured enough criticisms for being “dumb”, “unrealistic” and “over the top”, they have majorly contributed to the growth of an industry currently worth more than 500 billion dollars.
You can check out some of these videos here.
A Touch Of Unrealistic Reality
The concept of makeup is a highly controversial topic. Some refer to it as a habit of projecting a delusional image of themselves.
On the flip side, psychological studies in the field of ‘Perception’ have stated that makeup results in people associating that particular person with attributes of prestige and dominance.
Offline campaigns promoting cosmetics over the years had been casting a highly microscopic concept of beauty standards among women. There is no denying that the tutorials that have currently been replacing them continue to reflect a problematic image of the same.
However, using influencers and ambassadors from amongst the masses has helped give these fantasies a slight touch of reality.
So much so, that an article regarding the top marketing strategies to be adopted by beauty industries in the year 2020, has listed the use of micro-influencers and vloggers as one of the most important criteria in their guide.
Note here that the guide particularly mentions micro-influencers. They have a definite target group and hence the chances of reaching out to their users are higher.
After all, people do prefer buying a product being used by someone they personally know over the fancy models of a cover page. Sounds ironic in this case, but well it is a fact!
The reason behind this is quite simple. Makeup tutorials serve a double-edged purpose. They promote products that have been launched in the market, thus informing users about their availability.
Besides that, it includes the influencers giving a review of the product while revealing tips and tricks to use the same. Matching the wings of an eye-liner isn’t a talent we all are born with!
This, in turn, assures the customer of the features, benefits, and suitability of the product. Yes, gone are the days of blindly trusting a brand being heavily advertised by a renowned celebrity only.
Also Read: How OnePlus Nord Was A Marketing Masterstroke
How Does This Make The Cosmetic Industry Recession-Proof?
The cosmetic industry has indeed been booming for the past few years. Effective marketing strategies have played a major role in the same.
Whatever be the brand, the trick is to maintain a constant relationship with your customer with content that doesn’t come off too strongly, but subtly promotes the products through user-friendly materials instead.
The idea is to keep engaging with your users, to the point that they start promoting your brands themselves. And what better way to do so than putting up simple videos on contouring or cleansing routines to be followed every night before bed.
Consequentially, this produces what is known to be the “lipstick effect”. Cosmetics are essentially a luxury item.
But in times of economic uncertainties like the on-going one, people often wish to invest in smaller indulgences like a branded lipstick, for example, to compensate for the sudden hiatus in their purchasing pattern.
The cosmetic industry tactfully uses such opportunities to exhaustive extents where they keep communicating with their users, indirectly pursuing them to ultimately make the purchase.
Well, it isn’t a technique that works overnight, but if strategically planned can help bring in some major returns on your investment over time.
Keeping Up With The Society
Makeup is no longer just a symbol of beautifying oneself. It is way more functional and even psychological for that matter. People aren’t too keen on experimenting with random products that are being advertised. The tutorials, instead, have something more to offer like looks for all occasions – office to date.
Moreover, these videos do keep up with viral trends like the ones associated with the LGBTQ+ community or #BlackLivesMatter. An article on Vogue which talks about ‘Why are makeup tutorials so popular now?’ stated – “Makeup tutorials help foster an environment of communal bonding—a sense that we are all in this together.”
On the lighter note, one cannot deny that no matter how OTT these videos might seem, at some point we have all casually scrolled through them, just for the sake of the aesthetic appeal that they happen to portray.
Doesn’t sound like a completely dumb idea now, does it?
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: Digital Surgeons, Allied Market Research, Evergreen Beauty + More
Find The Blogger: @Sriya54171873
This post is tagged under: beauty industry, billion dollar industry, black lives matter, community feeling, cosmetic industry, Dumb, Economic Crisis, lgbtq, lipstick effect, makeup tutorial, Marketing Strategy, OTT, perception, rapid growth, Social Media marketing, unrealistic, vogue
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Hi Sriya. I agree that the makup online market is booming, it will surely grow with time. Can’t wait to see more of it on OTT platforms and YouTube!
Thanks
Nat