People

In the second pillar, the focus is on people. Without people, there would not be demand; without demand, there would not be a supply chain, and without a supply chain, there would not be an economy. Over the years, life has become more accessible due to people’s consumption and the generational change. On the other hand, different ways of consumption came to introduction and execution to help save our orbit (Nugroho,2012).

The year 1995 marks an important year due to the Internet’s commercialisation, but the year after is also defined as the beginning of Generation Z (Mowery,2012). According to Berkup (2012), Gen Z is a generation brought up on social networks. Their deep connection with the digital world has given them the ability to have plenty of curiosity to expand their knowledge of research and become more aware of values that are important to maintain a sustainable future, which makes them intentional consumers. Cosmetic brands have been marketing their products on social media to attract a generation with a quick demand for products and a short attention span due to its impact on technology. TikTok, Instagram and YouTube are the three most popular channels for products marketed by different influencers.  

Brown (2008) argues that more and more people believe in influencer marketing than any other form of marketing, regardless of the platform. Influencer marketing is the newest approach in marketing where it directly addresses the consumer dynamic and focuses the attention on the people who help with the decision-making – the influencers (Dao,2022). These influencers are the bespoken of brands to bring sustainability, inclusiveness and diversity into light.   

A representation of a brand bringing sustainability with strong influencer marketing is Fenty Beauty. The beauty brand, founded by the singer Rihanna in 2017, has been awarded the most diverse cosmetic brand because of the versatility and crafty market products available for all skin tones (Fenty, N.d). The brand’s authenticity has brought not just gender inclusive but also eco-friendly by having refill systems and using recycled materials where possible (Fenty Beauty, N.d). 

To have a successful brand, Herthon (2016) describes analytical skills as one of the critical elements, as well as data management assessment skills to understand the user perspective, give them visual support of their preferences, and adjust to the rapid generational change. 

References:

Berkup, S.B.B. (2014) (PDF) working with generations X and y in generation Z period …, Working_With_Generations_X_And_Y_In_Generation_Z_P.pdf. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272708404_Working_With_Generations_X_And_Y_In_Generation_Z_Period_Management_Of_Different_Generations_In_Business_Life (Accessed: 15 October 2023).  

Brown, D. and Hayes, N. (2008) Influencer marketing, Google Books. Available at: https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=_IksBgAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR3&dq=influencer%2Bmarketing&ots=WEQNXEmbAt&sig=MrDns9ghKVPCI6-kGV6Ym6kzDys&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=influencer%20marketing&f=false (Accessed: 15 October 2023).  

Dao, G. (1970) Tiktok influencer marketing as a marketing tool for cosmetic industry to attract generation Z, Theseus. Available at: https://www.theseus.fi/handle/10024/754307 (Accessed: 15 October 2023). 

Hethorn, J. , & Ulasewicz, C. (Ed.). (2015). Sustainable Fashion What’s Next?: A Conversation about Issues, Practices and Possibilities. London: Fairchild Books. (Accessed: 15 October 2023) from http://dx.doi.org/10.5040/9781501312250 

Mowery, David C.  Mowery, and Timothy Simcoe. “Is the Internet a US Invention?-An Economic and Technological History of Computer Networking.” Research Policy, North-Holland, 29 May 2002, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048733302000690 (Accessed: 15 October 2023). 

Nugroho, S.D.P., Rahayu, M. and Hapsari, R.D.V. (2022) The impacts of social media influencer’s credibility attributes on gen Z purchase intention with Brand Image as mediation: Study on consumers of korea cosmetic product, International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science (2147- 4478). Available at: https://ssbfnet.com/ojs/index.php/ijrbs/article/view/1893 (Accessed: 15 October 2023).