Disha Hira

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Purpose of a Brand

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Traditionally, businesses have the purpose of making a profit. However, in recent years, having sustainable growth and stronger relations with consumers has become a priority for the brand (Kramer, 2017). To address these changes, the brand values, mission, vision, and philosophy serve as guiding principles for the brand’s functioning. These also inform the consumer about the socio-political standings of the brand. Research suggests that having a strong brand image positively impacts the sales of the company (Ataman & Ülengin, 2003). Generally, brands align their values to certain consumer demographics, improving their brand loyalty. For example, ASOS, a fashion retail brand in their purpose states, “…our purpose is to give fashion-loving 20-somethings the confidence to be whoever they want to be.” (ASOS, 2023). Complementing this purpose, their store carries common yet unique fashion trends at affordable costs for Gen Z. The product design reflects the values of both the brand and consumer, leading to better sales.

The current generation of consumers, Gen Z, is the first generation to understand the concept of self-image. Additionally, they expect similar identifications from brands and care deeply about the values and goals the brand pursues (Weisnwig, 2016). Consequently, a brand could inform Gen Z of their values alongside their products. Influencer sponsorships are an important part of the brand’s interaction with this digital generation (Nugroho, Rahayu, and Hapsari, 2022). Colour pop, an indie makeup company, has effectively employed social media marketing to promote its philosophy. They tend to collaborate with media personalities who represent similar values to the brand thereby communicating the brand philosophy to the audience of their partner (Montgomery, 2022).

The younger generation also expects brands to make their socio-political standings clear. Gen Z not only expects the values of the brand to positively contribute towards global issues but also their actions to reflect the same values (Curry, 2020).  A bath product company, Lush, adopted the concept of eco-design for their products. They incorporated changes like plant-based raw materials in production for the preservation of biodiversity (Fortunati et al, 2020). They have incorporated their brand’s purpose into the production of the company. Thus, Lush’s purpose is both ‘issue fluent’ and the company has made structural investments for the cause they align with. These investments have turned over a global profit of 836 million pounds in 2023 (LUSH, 2023) while maintaining a Gen Z clientele. Such long-term investments make the brand a trustworthy investment for their audience increasing the chances of brand-loyal customers. In conclusion, businesses can stay true to their purpose without sacrificing their profitability.

Reference List
ASOS (2023) Our purpose and values. Available at: https://www.asosplc.com/this-is-asos/our-purpose-and-values/ (Accessed: 26 October 2023)

Ataman, B. and Ülengin, B. (2003), “A note on the effect of brand image on sales”, Journal of Product & Brand Management, 12 (4), pp. 237-250. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1108/10610420310485041 (accessed: 26 October 2023)

Curry, L. (2020) ‘How Brands Can Follow Through on the Values They’re Selling’ Harvard Business Review.

Kramer, M. (2017) Brand purpose: The navigational code for growth, Latest TOC RSS. Henry Stewart Publications. 6(1) Available at: https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/hsp/jbs/2017/00000006/00000001/art00006 (Accessed: 26 October 2023).

LUSH (2023) Lush in Numbers. Available at: https://weare.lush.com/numbers/ (Accessed: 27 October, 2023)

Montgomery, A. (2022) The Death of Malls: The Rise of E-commerce and Digitally Native Brands, Digital Commons@Lindenwood University. Available at: https://digitalcommons.lindenwood.edu/theses/301/ (Accessed: 27 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), 11(5), pp. 18–32. doi: 10.20525/ijrbs.v11i5.1893.

Weisnwig, D. (2016) ‘Gen Z: Get Ready for the Most Self-Conscious, Demanding Consumers in History’ Available at: https://www.deborahweinswig.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Gen-Z-Report-2016-by-Fung-Global-Retail-Tech-August-29-2016.pdf (Accessed: 27 October 2023)

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Profit of the cosmetic industry

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The fashion industry currently contributes to 2% of the world’s GDP amounting to approximately 3 trillion dollars in economic gain (Akram et al, 2022). Cosmetic Industry, a subset of the fashion industry, is responsible for approximately 1.1% of the world’s GDP (Mintel market sizes, 2023). This contribution has increased over the past 10 years and has reached about 1.2% in recent years (Figure 1). It is evident that the cosmetic market has lucrative opportunities beneficial for both the producers and consumers. According to data collected by Mintel, in 2023 coloured cosmetics are the largest contributors providing 26% of the market share and the lowest contributors are body care with only 9% of the market share (Mintel market sizes, 2023) (Figure 2).

Regardless of such a massive contribution to the economy, the total market value of the industry has declined in the last few years. This can be attributed to the global pandemic and the recession that followed. The pandemic posed an uncertain economic situation where owning cosmetics products, specifically coloured cosmetics, became less of a priority. Therefore, brands started producing higher quantities of ‘cosmetic needs’ like hair and skin care products to maintain profits. (McKinsey & Company, 2020). According to data collected by Mintel, the contribution of the body care sector in cosmetics increased by 4.5% in 2020 (Mintel market sizes, 2023). This includes the rise of brands like ‘Keys soulcare’ that focus on skincare and cleanliness. The brand partnered with dermatologists to create a soothing skincare line that received media attention from outlets like Allure and Refinery 29 (Keys soulcare, n.d.). Thus, the brand maintained its profit and production throughout uncertain economic times. Furthermore, to make their brand stand out, companies like Charlotte Tilbury started providing online consultations and virtual try-on sessions for a luxury experience. Therefore, a brand could invest in having exclusive luxury products and services available for its customers (Nazir, 2021).

Considering these parameters, brands find it difficult to maintain the commercial value of products with unlimited creativity. Consequently, it is important for a creative director to maintain a balance between creativity and profitability of the products. A hair care brand ‘Function of Beauty’ managed this by creating a digital platform where consumers can purchase products tailored to their hair and skin type (Function of Beauty, 2023). Here, the creative directors ensured that the interactive platform and new personalized formulations provided a creative, experimental outlet for the employees. The spectacle and uniqueness of the product make the shopping experience stand out to the customers thereby increasing the sales. Thus, the company could bridge the gap between the creative and commercial aspects of the brand. With ample competition in the industry and uncertain economic situations, it is crucial for companies to employ similar strategies to ensure that the brand stays profitable.

Reference list

Akram S.V., Malik P.K., Singh, R., Gehlot A., Juyal A., Ghafoor K. Z., Shrestha S., “Implementation of Digitalized Technologies for Fashion Industry 4.0: Opportunities and Challenges”, Scientific Programming, 2022, Article ID 7523246, https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/7523246

Function of beauty (2023) About us, Available at: https://www.functionofbeauty.com/about-us (Accessed: 20 October 2023)

Keys soulcare (n.d.) About us Available at: https://www.keyssoulcare.com/en_GB/about.html# (Accessed at: 20 October 2023)

McKinsey & Company (2020) How COVID-19 is changing the world of beauty? May 2020 Available at: https://www.citethemrightonline.com/sourcetype?docid=b-9781350927964&tocid=b-9781350927964-19 Accessed: 20 October 2023

Mintel market sizes (2023) Colour Cosmetics- ­Available at: https://marketsizes-mintel-com.arts.idm.oclc.org/query/201756285/performance/market (Accessed: 19 October 2023)

Nazir, S (2021) How the beauty retail market can survive Covid-19. Available at: https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2021/02/how-the-beauty-retail-market-can-survive-covid-19/ (Accessed: 20 October 2023)

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Screenshot 2023-10-15 093404

People in the Cosmetics Industry

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The fashion and cosmetic industries work as an institutionalized system. Sociologist Wendy Griswold’s ‘cultural diamond’ system (Fig. 1) states that the generation and culture of the people involved in production and consumption can influence the final products in the market (Pedroni, 2013 p. 14). For example, as a response to prevalent sustainability issues faced by the current generation, Gen Z, the producers are exploring ‘slow fashion’ alternatives. (Fletcher, 2010). Similarly, in the cosmetics industry, the rise of eco-conscious consumers has led brands toward green cosmetic production (Amberg & Fogarassy, 2019)

Figure 1: Cultural Diamond for the fashion industry (Fletcher, 2013)

Presently, people classified by generation are shaped by common global-scale events occurring during their lifetime. Gen Z, born between 1995-2010 are usually associated with strong values concerning global issues like exclusion of diversity (McKinsey & Company, 2023). Being the first digital-native generation, they use online platforms to their maximum potential. Gen Z is conscious of the concept of self-image making it an important aspect of any online presence. Thus, social media personalities are strong influences for the generation (Weinswig, 2016).

Consequently, brands can employ certain marketing strategies that implore these qualities of Gen Z. In the wake of high competition and internal rivalry between cosmetic brands (Kumar et al, 2006), the main goal of cosmetic marketing is to stand out to the younger generations. Having a strong brand image is crucial for any newcomer in the industry. According to LVMH, Fenty Beauty by Rihanna focuses on inclusivity for all thereby making the brand values known. The brand features cosmetics that focus on hard-to-match skin tones and formulations that can be used by a variety of skin types (LVMH, 2023). Here, the brand not only stands out for having a strong public identity but also appeals to other issues that interest Gen Z, specifically inclusivity.

Figure 2: Fenty Beauty shade range (Fenty Beauty)

Gen Z usually voices their concerns through a digital platform. IT Cosmetics, a L’oreal brand, faced immense online resistance against ‘Bye Bye Foundation’ for having negligible shade ranges for individuals with different skin tones. (Parke, 2020).  This form of ‘cancel culture’ creates a negative market impact for the brand. Thus, it is important for the brand to have values and products that align with this generation.

Figure 3: Bye Bye Foundation shade range (Allure,2018)

With a technologically advanced generation as a brand’s main clientele, influencer sponsorships, and e-commerce platforms become an effective marketing strategy. It has resulted in increased engagement of Gen Z consumers with brands thereby improving brand loyalty (Dogra, 2019). Thus, having the ability to communicate and form relationships with brands is a valuable skill. Moreover, familiarity with technology, cultural awareness, and an open-minded attitude would aid in creating a successful cosmetics brand that tends to Gen Z.

Reference List

  1. Amberg, N. and Fogarassy, C. (2019) ‘Green Consumer Behavior in the Cosmetics Market’, Resources, 8(3), p. 137. doi:10.3390/resources8030137.
  2. Demanding Consumer Segment’ Fung Global Retail & Technology. Available at: https://deborahweinswig.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Gen-Z-Report-2016-by-Fung-Global-Retail-Tech-August-29-2016.pdf (Accessed: 13 October 2023)
  3. Dogra, K. (2019) The impact of influencer marketing on brand loyalty towards luxury cosmetics brands: Comparison of Generation Z and Millennial. Master’s Thesis. Modul Vienna University. Available at: https://www.modul.ac.at/uploads/files/Theses/Master/Grad_2019/Karina_Dogra_thesis.pdf  (Accessed: 13 October 2023)
  4. Fletcher K. (2010) ‘Slow Fashion: An Invitation for Systems Change’, Fashion Practice, 2(2), 259-265, DOI: 10.2752/175693810X12774625387594 (Accessed: 12 October 2023)
  5. Kumar, S., Massie, C. and Dumonceaux, M.D. (2006), ‘Comparative innovative business strategies of major players in cosmetic industry’, Industrial Management & Data Systems, Vol. 106 No. 3, pp. 285-306. https://doi.org/10.1108/02635570610653461 (Accessed 12 October 2023)
  6. LVMH: Fenty Beauty by Rihanna (2023) Available at: lvmh.com/houses/perfumes-cosmetics/fenty-beauty-by-rihanna/ (Accessed: 13 October 2023)
  7. Parke, P. (2020) IT Cosmetics Receives Backlash for Non-Inclusive Foundation Range Available at: https://graziadaily.co.uk/beauty-hair/hair/it-cosmetics-foundation-backlash-diversity/ (Accessed: 12 October 2023)
  8. Pedroni, M. (2013). From Production to Consumption: The Cultural Industry of Fashion. Oxford: Interdisciplinary Press.
  9. Weisnwig, D. (2016) ‘Gen Z: Get Ready for the Most Self-Conscious,
  10. What is gen Z? (2023) McKinsey & Company. https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-explainers/what-is-gen-z (Accessed 12 October 2023)

Image Reference List

  1. Figure 1: Fletcher K. (2010) ‘Slow Fashion: An Invitation for Systems Change’, Fashion Practice, 2(2), 259-265, DOI: 10.2752/175693810X12774625387594 (Accessed: 12 October 2023)
  2. Figure 2: Find your Fenty Match. Available at: https://fentybeauty.com/pages/find-your-fenty (Accessed: 14 October 2023)
  3. Figure 3: Mackenzie, M. (2018) ‘IT Cosmetics Is Under Fire for Its New Foundation’s Shade Range’ Allure, Available: https://www.allure.com/story/it-cosmetics-bye-bye-foundation-shade-range-backlash (Accessed: 14 October 2023)
  4. Featured image: Kinship Available at: https://www.byrdie.com/gen-z-and-the-beauty-industry-5222319 (Accessed: 14 October 2023)

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Planet pic

Planet in Relation to the Cosmetic Industry

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In recorded history, global environmental awareness has been present since the beginning of profit-motivated settlements. This ideology resembles present day efforts of sustainable development (Grove, 2003). Considering the fashion industry, the UN Environment Program reports that the industry is responsible for 2% to 8% of total greenhouse gas emissions. This industry also has a significant impact on water pollution and reduction of biodiversity (UNEP, 2023). Following the revelation, experts have been working on incorporating sustainable practices in the industry for around 40 years. These haven’t been effective so far mainly because achieving long-term sustainability requires consistent improvements in the entire fashion supply chain (Fletcher & Grose, 2021).

The introduction of the concept of circularity in the fashion industry is one such attempt to reduce its impact on the planet. Circular economy entails keeping the materials, products, and resources in use for as long as possible (USEPA, 2023). This aims at prolonging the value of the products. In fashion, the circular economic model has become more prominent than the linear model as it overcomes challenges like material scarcity, climate change, and excessive waste production (Dissanayake & Weerasinghe, 2021).

Figure 1: Circularity in fashion (Vogue business- Fashion’s Circular economy could be 5 trillion, 2020)

The cosmetic industry is closely related to the fashion industry and equally contributes to the environmental and health risks. These range from the biological impact of parabens to the ecological problems caused by microplastics. (Bilal et al, 2020). Business models that adopt circularity in the cosmetic industry are mostly driven by focusing on sustainability issues. In practice they attempt to modify and re-evaluate the formulation design process for cosmetics (Fortunati et al, 2020). For example, a handmade bath product company Lush adopted the concept of eco-design for their products by incorporating changes like self-preserving ingredients that improve the longevity of the product. They also use natural plant-based raw materials for the preservation of biodiversity (Fortunati et al, 2020). Furthermore, research in the area suggests methods of reducing the negative environmental impact of cosmetic waste viz., plant based natural resources like seaweed biomolecules prove to be an effective substitute for synthetic cosmeceuticals (Kalasariya et al, 2021). Other studies show that algae’s biological properties are being incorporated into formulations to form more sustainable skincare products. These outperform synthetically made cosmetics (Aslam et al, 2021).

Figure 2: Use of biomaterials in cosmetics (Science of the Total Environment. 2021)

These advancements not only fulfill UN’s Sustainable Development Goals relating to health and well-being but also ones that consider the impact on the environment, water quality, and marine life. Adding to this, an analysis of consumer behavior in the industry suggests that consumers also prefer environmentally conscious cosmetic products (Lin et al, 2018). Such a shift towards responsible consumption and production patterns facilitates the achievement of the goals set for 2030 by the UN. Considering the listed improvements, the fashion and cosmetic industries are taking necessary steps to safeguard the planet for the betterment of the future.

Reference List
1. Aslam, A. et al. (2021) ‘Algae as an attractive source for cosmetics to counter environmental stress’ Science of The Total Environment 772. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144905 (Accessed: 6 October 2023)
2. Bilal, M., Mehmood, S. and Iqbal, H.M.N. (2020) ‘The Beast of Beauty: Environmental and Health Concerns of Toxic Components in Cosmetics’, Cosmetics, 7(1), p. 13. doi:10.3390/cosmetics7010013. (Accessed: 5 October 2023)
3. Dissanayake, K, & Weerasinghe, D. (2021) ‘Towards Circular Economy in Fashion: Review of Strategies, Barriers and Enablers’ Circular Economy and Sustainability, doi: 10.1007/s43615-021-00090-5 (Accessed: 5 October 2023)
4. Fletcher, K, & Grose, L 2012, Fashion and Sustainability: Design for Change, Laurence King Publishing, London. Available from: ProQuest Ebook Central.
5. Fortunati, S., Martiniello, L. & Morea, D. (2020) ‘The Strategic Role of the Corporate Social Responsibility and Circular Economy in the Cosmetic Industry’, Sustainability, 12(12), p. 5120. doi:10.3390/su12125120. (Accessed: 6 October 2023)
6. Kalasariya, H.S. et al. (2021) ‘Seaweed-Based Molecules and Their Potential Biological Activities: An Eco-Sustainable Cosmetics’, Molecules, 26(17), p. 5313. doi:10.3390/molecules26175313. (Accessed: 5 October 2023)
7. Lin, Y. et al. (2018) ‘An Exploratory Study of Consumer Attitudes Toward Green Cosmetics in the UK Market’, Administrative Sciences, 8(4), p. 71. doi:10.3390/admsci8040071. (Accessed: 5 October 2023)
8. Richard, G. (2003) ‘Globalisation and the History of Environmentalism, 1650-2000’, RHA 1(1), p. 15-21.
9. United Nations Environment Programme (2023) The Sustainable Fashion Communication Playbook – Executive Summary. Available at: https://wedocs.unep.org/20.500.11822/43287 (Accessed: 5 October 2023)
10. United States Environmental Protection Agency (2023) What is a Circular Economy? Available at: https://www.epa.gov/circulareconomy/what-circular-economy (Accessed: 5 October 2023)

Image Reference List
1. Featured Image: Nailberry’s vegan L’Oxygéné Nail Lacquer in Maliblue (2019) Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2019/sep/14/sali-hughes-40-best-sustainable-beauty-brands
2. Figure 1: Vogue Business (2020) Available at: https://www.voguebusiness.com/sustainability/fashions-circular-economy-could-be-worth-5-trillion
3. Figure 2: Figure 2: Science of The Total Environment (2021) Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144905

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Kristin Ess

My favourite cosmetics brand

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Primarily an affordable luxury brand, Kristin Ess Haircare attempts to incorporate products for all hair types. Their collections range from styling to curl care products that provide both everyday essentials and styling products. Having used the scalp care and fragrance-free collection, the products effectively provide the expected results. Moreover, with practical and minimalistic packaging, the brand solidifies itself as a unique venture for consumers. Since the brand’s inception, it has expanded to styling tools and accessories that follow a similar practical design while maintaining its elegant appearance. Thus, it captures most aspects of the affordable luxury that it aims to be.

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