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June 23, 2020 //  //       //  Opinion

How Black Lives Matter Forced Beauty Brands to Step Up... And How Your Brand Can Take Action to Make a Difference

By: Stephanie Cinque

It is no secret beauty brands have severely lacked diversity in the past. In fact, the industry blamed lack of sales as the reason why darker shades were not regularly a part of product launches in retail. However, with Black shoppers driving 86% of spending in the ethnic beauty market and accounting for $54 million of the $63 million spent, we know this is nothing but an excuse.

Funmi Fetto, Contributing Editor at British Vogue and Beauty Director at OBS Magazine said it perfectly, “... the issue is not really about foundations. It is about representation and equality.”

Beauty brands continue to publicize their solidarity with the #BlackLivesMatter movement through social media to help magnify the voices of Black creators and brands. Giving consumers, enthusiasts, artists and employees what we have asked for – inclusivity in an industry that has consistently fallen short.

Fixing social injustice in beauty

Sephora, which drew criticism last year for racially profiling Black shoppers, was the first major retailer to sign the 15 Percent Pledge challenge. Its chief merchandising officer explained Sephora’s participation as the “right thing to do for our clients, our industry and for our community.” In addition to stocking 15% of shelf space to Black-owned brands, Sephora Accelerate will now focus on women of color. Sephora Accelerate is a more than half-year-long program dedicated to building a community of innovative female founders in beauty through a business bootcamp, mentorship, and grants and funding. On Demo Day, founders have the opportunity to present their company to industry experts, investors and senior-level Sephora leaders. Sephora continues to follow through with action on social media by featuring the Black entrepreneurs behind the new Black-owned brands they will welcome to its shelves. 

And that’s not all. Shoppers can use their Beauty Insider rewards points to donate to the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC), an organization dedicated to the empowerment of Black LGBTQ/SGL people, including people living with HIV/AIDS, with the mission to end racism, homophobia, and LGBTQ/SGL bias and stigma. Recently, Sephora announced its partnership with the National CARES Mentoring Movement and hosted an Instagram live on June 18 for followers to learn more about the organization and how to better support and empower Black children and communities. 

This year, beauty brands across the industry publicly honored Juneteenth (June 19) as a moment to take a stand against racism. Many brands offered their employees the day off, but some took an educational approach.. Glossy.co shared that The Estée Lauder Companies invited Dr. Peniel E. Joseph, a scholar of race, democracy and civil rights, to speak to it about inclusion and diversity in addition to making June 19 a permanent holiday.

Pledge action through donations

Glossier, a millennial favorite that gained rapid popularity through its mission to celebrate natural beauty, in May announced through Instagram its commitment to support the Black community.

“We will be donating $500,000 across organizations focused on combating racial injustice: Black Lives Matter, The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, The Equal Justice Initiative, The Marsha P. Johnson Institute and We The Protesters,” it said.

Glossier also pledged to allocate an additional $500,000 in grants to Black-owned beauty businesses. On June 11, the brand followed through and announced a plan of action for its $500,000 grant initiative, set up to support beauty businesses in various points in their journeys – pre-launch, early-stage and growth-stage. By supporting and amplifying new leaders, Glossier hopes to help change how the world sees beauty. Beautifully done, ladies!

Indie skin-care brand Kinship, launched its “Direct to Community” initiative, where it will support Black entrepreneurs by selecting five Black-owned businesses in beauty and wellness to each receive $1,000 worth of Instagram and Facebook advertising. Not only will the funds help these brands reach a new audience, but Kinship will also provide creative, business and marketing advice.

Several other big-name beauty brands have also shown their support to #BlackLivesMatter through generous donations. On May 31, Beauty Blender donated 100% of its profits to the Equal Justice Initiative and Honest Beauty donated $100,000 to organizations, including the  NAACP’s Legal Defense and Educational Fund. Anastasia Beverly Hills promised $1 million toward the fight against racism, starting with a donation of $100,000 across various organizations. However, brands that pledge donations must follow through with action.

We must understand that for these actions to be effective, they need to be long-term and permanent. Fortunately, the beauty industry has (slowly) begun its transition into an era of inclusivity. But no matter our gender, ethnicity, or race, it is vital we experience it entirely. 

Donations and raising awareness are important. But, how else can your brand stand behind this push for diversity in the beauty industry? A greater presence in stores, expanding product ranges and diversifying influencers are essential.

Here are three ideas to consider when determining an action plan for your beauty brand:

  • Partner with famed makeup artistry schools, such as Make-Up Designory (MUD) and Chic Studios, and raise awareness for Black-owned beauty brands. Aside from providing product in kits, collaborate with Black micro-influencers and offer learning opportunities for future artists to help more students have the opportunity to better learn about and understand Black skin tones and culture. This knowledge will be carried into the future of fashion, bridal and consumer brands when student makeup artists graduate and accelerate their careers.
  • TikTok beauty influencer make-up lines are coming; will your brand be a part of it? According to BrandTotal, YouTube and Instagram continue to lead the way in ad spend from cosmetic brands, such as L’Oreal, Maybelline and Estée Lauder, which have spent almost 50% of budget to try to win over younger consumers with Instagram Ads. Yes, Morphe found incredible success with YouTubers Jaclyn Hill, Jeffree Star and Manny MUA. However, Glossy.co deemed TikTok the platform to keep an eye on as it projected the addicting video app to be responsible for introducing the next wave of beauty brand influencers. In fact, it’s already happened. Shanae and Renae Nel (a.k.a. the Nel Twins) launched Gloss Twins after they gained a following of 1.2 million users through dancing and beauty videos.
  • Hire Black people. If your brand promotes diversity in its advertising and social content, it should recruit a higher percentage of Black professionals to work as creatives, decision-makers and product developers. Inspired by Sharon Chuter’s demand for brands to take action through #PullUpOrShutUp, shape diverse committees in your organization to ensure your brand is held accountable in fighting for the economic opportunities for Black people.

If you’d like to learn more about how we can help you with your content marketing needs, get in touch at stephanie.cinque@allisonpr.com.

Let us stand up for inclusivity through beauty and in life. Together we can make a difference – a beautiful one.

Stephanie has more than five years of experience in the beauty industry as a professional makeup artist and runs a premier bridal business. Passionate about makeup and beauty, she strives to bring confidence to others through enhancing the natural beauty that already exists. Here at Allison+Partners, Stephanie is a content marketing manager who offers an abundance of knowledge in community management and engagement, influencer marketing and social media trends.

 

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