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Key takeaways:
Backing science is a winning formula. Content featuring dermatologists reflects consumer demand for products they trust are backed by scientific research. Having independent, board-certified practitioners endorse beauty products is the gold standard.
Consumers are wary. Brands such as Cerave and Elf Cosmetics have scored marketing wins through ironic storylines and mocking beauty trends. While these campaigns may be amusing, they reflect current consumer scepticism in the confusing media landscape — brands that acknowledge this truth can build deeper relationships with consumers.
Watch the C-brands. Financial difficulties for major brands in China look to have been a blip, but this doesn’t disregard the rising prominence of home-grown beauty firms. As Chinese consumers increasingly look to support local talent, global brands need to redouble efforts to connect with audiences there.
The rise of the derms
Captivating influencers with dermatology credentials are the new must-have promoters for beauty brands. Elf ambassador Dr Jenny Liu (@DrJennyLiu) and social media-famed Dr Andrea Suarez (@DrDrayzDay) were among the most influential TikTok amplifiers for brands last year.
Clinique has enlisted a roster of dermatologists to front its social media campaigns, while Puig acquired Dr Barbara Sturm in January off the back of the brand’s success tapping into the science-based skincare trend.
Social media continues to be the primary discovery channel for beauty consumers on the hunt for new products, with 39 per cent of respondents citing it as such. Scientifically backed, versatile and natural ingredients are all driving search traffic according to the Vogue Business Beauty Trend Tracker, reinforcing the power of so-called ‘skintellectuals’ as well as the need for brands to cater to this consumer group.
While dermatologists have long been a core part of the beauty marketing playbook, the rise of short-form videos offering guidance and tips has widened the subject scope of these industry figures. Educational content is now available on almost every common skin issue. Rare Beauty, the vegan cosmetics brand founded by singer and actress Selena Gomez, has the strongest score among beauty consumers for its social media output, with over 70 per cent saying it offers inspirational content and/or beauty tutorials.
The rise of dermatologists within the beauty-influencer space, however, is being offset by ‘skinfluencers’, who are drowning out board-certified figures with daily skincare routines and ‘open’ discussions about their personal skin concerns, often shared with an already established follower base. Influencers are cited by 23 per cent as a product-discovery channel.
In some cases, this content can be dangerous. Various beauty brands have had to clarify which products are suitable for children, with the Financial Times reporting a rise in underage influencers covering skincare issues across TikTok and Instagram. Many hacks and tips are harmless, but some, like the claim that sunscreen causes cancer, can cause real issues if left unchecked. So it’s no surprise that trust remains an integral factor for beauty consumers. After social media, family and friends are the most important source of product discovery (34 per cent).
Bringing in medical dermatologists, especially those happy to expose science-free claims, is one way of upholding brand credentials — “standing up for truth” is yet to lose its consumer appeal. Though vetting for medical ambassadors or partnerships must be rigorous, as one ‘bad’ dermatologist or a single skin advice scandal can undermine the trust brands seek to cultivate.
Another way to tap this trend is aligning a brand with other health and wellness spheres. La Roche-Posay’s rise to third place in the Vogue Business Beauty Index ranking coincides, in part, with a very successful SPF partnership with the US Open. The ad campaign drew close to 40 million views on YouTube, making it the most-viewed piece of content during the review period for the Vogue Business Beauty Index.
Meanwhile, the Elf Cosmetics post that drove the most engagement was a tie-up with cult sparkling water brand Liquid Death, which feeds into the relationship between hydration and overall health. The growing supplements and sleep space are also potential targets for future marketing efforts.
Mocking beauty trends secures marketing wins
L’Oréal brands can be lauded for a masterful year in marketing, along with La Roche-Posay for its success in SPF, yet despite these wins, US-based skincare favourite Cerave has secured first place in the digital pillar. With an Instagram grid decked out in the brand’s blue and white, Cerave regularly partners with dermatologists to create promotional content that reinforces its science-backed credentials.
Its key marketing moment last year was a Super Bowl campaign featuring Hollywood actor Michael Cera who reacted to ongoing internet speculation that he was the unlikely founder of the brand. Influencers including Haley Kalil (@HaleyyBaylee) were paid by the brand to share content that anticipated the partnership.
The campaign poked fun at stereotypical beauty advertising, as well as the importance of authenticity in the space. “The truth has been hiding in plain sight,” Cera says during the campaign, just before the ad is subjected to a ‘dermatologist review’ in Cerave HQ. Cera is not a traditional beauty influencer, but, as a Reddit poster points out, he does look incredibly youthful, building on the irony of the campaign.
The aforementioned Elf Cosmetics x Liquid Death campaign also played into this narrative. The ad told customers to “murder your eyes, lips and face”, and featured heavy metal-esque makeup looks associated with bands like Kiss. These successful campaigns are perhaps the inverse of science-based content, with narratives that cast a sceptical eye at the wider beauty industry and mock boosterish content with little research behind it.
Despite this scepticism, the power of celebrity-backed content remains undiminished. Four of the five pieces of content driving the highest engagement during the research period were unironic celebrity posts featuring brand owners Gomez, Ariana Grande and Rihanna, as well as A$AP Rocky for Fenty.
The seven celebrity-backed brands in the Vogue Business Beauty Index drove an average of $191 million in media impact value (MIV) on Instagram and $58 million in MIV on TikTok, versus $72 million and $30 million for non-celebrity brands, respectively, according to software and data analytics company Launchmetrics.
Domestic boom for Chinese beauty brands
China’s shaky economic recovery weighed heavily on beauty brands at the start of 2024. Estée Lauder cited the market as one of the reasons for its lowered full-year forecast, while L’Oréal’s luxe division witnessed a local slump.
The financial struggles of these global brands in China highlight the enduring growth of smaller C-beauty competitors like Florasis, Mageline, Maogeping and Carslan. While these Chinese-founded brands are not among this year’s 30-strong Index ranking, additional research was conducted into their digital performance to gauge a sense of how Chinese preferences vary across local and global beauty brands.
Many C-beauty players outperform more established Western names when it comes to generating MIV on Chinese platforms. Florasis reached a higher peak in search interest and MIV ($11 million) on WeChat as well as a higher MIV on Bytedance platforms ($30 million) than any other beauty brand; its campaign celebrating the brand’s seventh anniversary during China’s Flower Festival, as well as a tie-up with makeup artist and fashion designer Christopher Bu, helped drive buzz — and MIV. Maogeping, meanwhile, accumulated a hefty $91 million in MIV on Xiaohongshu, with only La Mer ($86 million) coming close.
This is important for C-beauty players — and those looking to succeed in the market — as Chinese consumers are far more likely to cite social media as a discovery channel (59 per cent) compared to the average global shopper (39 per cent). They are also more likely to trust friends and family than the global average (44 per cent versus 34 per cent, respectively), which creates the perfect environment for trends like C-beauty to settle. Consumers discover local brands they love on social media before sharing these finds with friends and family. And given that these products have been primarily designed with the Chinese market in mind, their solutions to sensitive skin and locally tailored palettes make them prime for recommendation.
Case study: The rise and rise of Charlotte Tilbury
Climbing to second place in this year’s Vogue Business Beauty Index digital rankings (and overtaking last year’s winner Fenty Beauty), Puig-owned Charlotte Tilbury is bouncing from marketing win to marketing win. The British brand’s charismatic founder, and her liberal use of the word “darling”, is an asset to the makeup empire, featuring heavily across its marketing.
Charlotte Tilbury’s social posts offer up a masterful celebrity and events strategy that is fresh out of luxury’s playbook, selecting major stars to showcase the brand — Emma Stone drove 467,085 likes and shares for her Oscars ‘glam’ this year using Charlotte Tilbury cult products, while Phoebe Dynevor’s 2024 Met Gala makeup look by the founder’s niece Sofia Tilbury garnered 263,112 likes and shares. The brand was also quick to stomp out speculation after Bella Hadid was released from her partnership contract, which concerned the model’s personal pursuits in the beauty space. Overall, Charlotte Tilbury generated the highest MIV across all global social media platforms: $346 million on Instagram, $167 million on TikTok and $140 million on YouTube.
The brand recently launched an app aimed at creating a more personalised consumer experience, building on a technology-forward promotional strategy — its virtual space, Charlotte Tilbury x Disney 100 Beauty Wonderland, was covered in last year’s innovation chapter. What’s more, in February, the brand announced a milestone partnership with the Formula One Academy, an all-women series running alongside the F1 calendar, amid a drive to increase female participation in the sport.
Expert interview: Alison Bringé, CMO, Launchmetrics
Have there been any changes to the type of content or content channels that have been particularly impactful?
Beauty video content continues to surge, allowing consumers to share or view product recommendations, reviews and tutorials. TikTok, for example, saw MIV of the top five beauty brands grow by 209 per cent on average when compared to our previous study, demonstrating promising growth opportunities for brands.
Xiaohongshu was the third-largest platform globally for fashion, luxury and beauty content during the first half of 2023, with beauty having the largest share. The platform continues to grow due to its visual functionality and lifestyle-focused content and its global influence is present within the Index too — international brands in the top five for Xiaohongshu all saw significant MIV growth.
How do you see community building playing a role in a brand’s impact/ROI on social media?
Content authenticity has never been more important. Modern consumers crave relatable and engaging content that offers an honest, personal view. If your brand lacks that touch, it’s challenging for consumers to relate and form a personal connection. As a brand, you need to find ways to build a two-way dialogue, listen to your audience and react to what they say, rather than just putting out content for the sake of being active.
What does Launchmetrics see as being one of the most impactful or exciting beauty campaigns from the past year and why do you think this resonated?
The tie-up between Pat McGrath and Maison Margiela for the house’s Spring/Summer 2024 couture show springs to mind. Their strategic makeup partnership managed to create a perfect ‘made for content’ moment that resonated well beyond industry circles by sparking consumer discussions and attempts to recreate it. What set this partnership apart was its ability to capitalise on an already prevalent trend of ‘glass skin’ and inspire a new one — ‘doll-like makeup’. In the end, Pat McGrath-related coverage accounted for 30 per cent of the show’s total MIV.
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