Amid the flurried social media frenzy of Rihanna’s new beauty brand release, we take another look at the beauty industry and the online world of Influencers. Most importantly, how Influencers are shaping the industry more and more.
According to research by BuzzMyVideos and OnePoll, 79% of respondents used online video at least once a week to find out how to use beauty products and that 73% of respondents were more likely to investigate a beauty product that has a positive review from a trusted source. Beauty Influencers are some of the most vocal and most influential, and beauty reviews have become something it is impossible for beauty brands to ignore. In fact, 69% of marketers say that helping to launch a new product is the primary role Influencers play in fashion and beauty brands’ marketing strategies, according to research by Econsultancy, and the Fenty Beauty product launch has been no exception.
The Fenty Instagram page has 1.5 million followers and includes a range of product photos and beauty Influencer reposts. Rihanna does not dominate the page, it is clearly separated from her own online presence with a purely brand presence, however she does make an appearance, reminding followers of her link to the brand but allowing it to thrive on its own. Rihanna herself has over 57 million followers, a presence she has been able to use to help stoke excitement online around her product launch. She has shared a variety of Fenty content on her own account, the ultimate top Influencer, including a particularly popular beauty review by 2-year-old Youtuber, Samia. Rihanna is both the creator and top Influencer for the Fenty brand, and it is a combination of roles she performs seamlessly.
While not everyone can use a fan base like Rihanna’s to launch a new product, building an online presence as an initial step is a viable possibility for a new company, or even just a new product. For example, beauty brand Glossier started life as Emily Weiss’s Into the Gloss blog and now has tens of thousands on their waiting lists for out-of-stock products, and there is even a hashtag surrounding their brand colour: #glossierpink. It is impossible to separate the brand and its content, and in fact Weiss herself has stated that “we’re a content company and we always have been”. They focus on their customers’ experience and encourage them to join the conversation through their blog and re-posting content, with active participation in all comment sections including tips and advice on using their products.
The beauty industry has been long-criticised for a lack of diversity, making Fenty’s forty shade foundation initial release of key significance, if a bold move for a new brand. It was a move that paid off, however, with praise across social media and beyond. While the Fenty launch is only one event in a problematic industry, it is one that has received a lot of support online. As we all know, for a really successful beauty product launch you have to have the Influencers on your side – and the successful example of Fenty may be a wake-up call for other brands who have been slower on the uptake.
Rihanna is aware of the power of social media, and her and her brand were quick to share organic posts praising the new foundation. Their Instagram brand page calls out for shots tagged with #FENTYBEAUTY, so they can easily join the conversation surrounding their brand. For example Acondria’s post praising the foundation for suiting her albino skin tone, which went viral with over 1,500 likes. This shows the success of Rihanna’s goal for her line, at her launch saying that she wanted a product “girls of all skin tones could fall in love with” and that “In every product I was like: there needs to be something for a dark-skinned girl; there needs to be something for a really pale girl; there needs to be something in-between”.
They also reposted top Influencer’s photos and reviews of their product on their brand page, another great way of tapping into the excitement surrounding your brand. The caption focuses on the effectiveness of their foundation with a short quote from the Influencer, snappy and memorable. The purpose is to the point, and focused on inclusivity with the range of shades and their attention to customer experience. The message is clearly, the customer comes first and their experience is paramount. While a campaign like this takes effort, research and quick thinking – its effectiveness is obvious.
Future beauty brands need to listen to their customers and what they want, as in the modern age you have to have the YouTubers on your side. According to the BuzzMyVideos and OnePoll survey, 85% of respondents would trust a review by a YouTuber over any other method, more than 20 times that of its closest competitors, with TV and Radio adverts both at 4%. Clearly it is important to join the conversations around these reviews. This would be why almost 60% of fashion and beauty brands have an influencer marketing strategy in place, while a further 21% plan to invest in it over the next 12 months, according to research by Econsultancy.
At Buzzoole, we love to see great marketing campaigns and the Fenty launch has been no exception. They have effectively and enthusiastically joined the conversation surrounding their brand, with a range of relevant Influencers from top to micro. The importance of every customer’s experience has been emphasised, a hard thing to do in the vast world of online media but one which the personal touch of Influencers can allow for. To find out more about how you can involve Influencers in your next great marketing campaign, visit our brand page.
Cover photo credits: Celebrityabc