The need for brands to engage with new media platforms shows no sign of let up, and looks set to only increase with the emergence of the youngest generation (born from the mid-1990s) into the market.
Cyber natives’ demand for digital
This emerging age group, sometimes dubbed ‘cyber natives’, are increasingly buying into beauty and “make no distinction between on- and offline”, according to industry expert Imogen Matthews.
Partner in venture capital firm Maveron and industry expert Jason Stoffer agrees, predicting that the future of the industry lies on the net.
“We believe the next great beauty brands will start online and move multi-channel over time – and their early adopter customers will come through effective use of social channels such as YouTube, Pinterest, Twitter and Facebook."
Still not enough?
Stoffer believes there’s still some way to go for in-store brands: "Traditional beauty companies are beholden to incumbent retail channels. They are less effective at harnessing social media than online-first brands,” he told Cosmetics-Design.com.
But Benefit’s digital ‘Inner Beauty Challenge’ campaign marks the latest in a series of key digital marketing successes from on-the-shelf brands.
In a marketing strategy that mirrors Dove’s similarly interactive ‘Self-Esteem Project’ which last year reached more than 11 million teen girls, Benefit invited consumers to record themselves performing a stipulated daily challenge, post it online and link it to the brand.
Likewise, the inclusion of celebrity figures such as beauty bloggers and actresses increases the appeal of engaging with the recent digital campaigns for the consumer. Benefit’s campaign featured Nikki Reed, Brittany Snow and Maia Mitchell.