From matte makeup and glowing tints to smokey shadows and cat eyes, beauty is everchanging with new innovations and trends. And in recent years, the rise of new social platforms, boundless digital visibility and hyper-aware audiences has changed the way that beauty brands are used to communicating with media and consumers. The old playbook for how to market new products and amplify brand messaging looks completely different than it did just a few years ago. With new standards of communication, it will most likely never look the same again – beauty storytelling is officially getting its own ambush makeover.

For years, many beauty brands stuck with a well-known formula – a meticulously filtered presentation of products via glossy ads, manicured social media pages and highbrow buzzwords that tacked onto what was trending at the moment. Now, media and consumers are not only more educated when it comes to beauty, but most are looking for unique creativity and more importantly, authenticity to break through in a very saturated industry. 

To build lasting and genuine engagement with media and beauty-savvy consumers, it’s time to say goodbye to catchy marketing terms, cookie-cutter communication, and run-of-the-mill social strategies – and usher in a new era of transparency and brand personality to acquire and keep loyal brand fans.   

Taking It Personally
These days, a branded social page may not be enough when it comes to building a brand personality or authentic voice. Media and consumers don’t only get to know beauty brands through official social channels, but also through the eyes of their trusted teams. Influencers in their own right, many social-savvy staff members at popular brands have started building their social media pages to show a behind-the-scenes look at their work alongside their personal content. From CEOs to PR Managers, company figures that used to be relatively unknown are now at the forefront of brands, sharing a personal look at the creation of products and campaign initiatives. Allowing team members to offer their followers a peek behind the curtain has given beauty brands new life and personality on social that is oftentimes more enlightening than traditional social posts – and is now expected by beauty-enthusiast media and consumers.  

Trendy Claims Are No Longer Sustainable
We’re recyclable! We’re sustainable! We’re clean! Sound familiar? Using broad and buzzy terminology to describe products is being scrutinized by media and consumers. Understanding that beauty brands produce products that in turn will usually produce some sort of waste, it’s important to be mindful of using language that is considered “trendy” if there is no strong research to back it up. Instead of pushing an inauthentic agenda that could be difficult to substantiate, a brand can work toward finding positive solutions and make an impact within the business.

The Simpler, The Better
With new beauty and wellness products constantly emerging, media are busier than ever trying to decipher what to cover for their audiences. In this modern landscape, it is important to try to edit not only how new products are launched, but which ones are launched to media. In a sea of beauty products to review for any given story, media are trying to zero in on brands that have strong hero launches with interesting ingredients, consumer insights, claims – and most importantly, which will bring in clicks and eyes. While a brand may have a list of launches on the docket for the year, it is key to connect with communication teams internally and externally to determine which ones will standout to media and tell the best story. By centering media activations on top products, it will help avoid brand fatigue with media and get their attention when it matters most.

Get Real When Getting Social
From TikTok to BeReal, new social media platforms seem to be popping up daily – and so are brand partnerships and posts on each new channel. While emerging social platforms have proven to be key drivers in engagement, it is important that brands that build profiles are putting out the right content for each channel. For example, a video that may perform incredibly well on Instagram may not have the same fanfare on TikTok. Each platform’s audiences have different expectations on the type of content they want to see on specific feeds, so it is key for brands to do their homework and create specific social strategies for different platforms rather than recycling content across all channels. It is also strategic to engage on platforms that make sense for a brand’s demo and brand mission. Tree Hut, a Coyne client known for their best-selling scrubs and body care, did this expertly when it researched the audience on TikTok, saw an interest in its Gen Z- loved brand and decided to start developing specialized content for the platform – which has earned more than 4.3 million likes to-date!

While change will always be a constant when it comes to the beauty industry and how brands should communicate with their fans, staying true to your audience and brand mission will always be in style. Trends will come and go, but authenticity will prevail in allowing brands to grow and nurture relationships with media and consumers – and keep them engaged for what comes next.

As we work with our beauty clients to authentically connect with media and consumers, it is important to ingrain ourselves into their goals, culture and products so that we can help identify not only how, but where to communicate with key audiences. Keeping a pulse on what media and consumers are looking for in this changing climate and knowing what brands have to offer when it comes to innovation is the winning combination for communicating in a modern and effective way.