Oluwakoyinsola Jolayemi

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People

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This pillar acknowledges the connection between brands and people as consumers and employees. It is important that brands relate to their consumers by monitoring trends associated with their generation. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, a generation is a group of people who were born generally around the same time and have experienced similar world events. Gen Z is the generation that was born between 1997-2012, grew up with the development of the iPhone and social media as well as both the Ebola and COVID-19 outbreaks (Eldridge, 2023). This generation has been found to more liberal than previous generations, with 60% agreeing that same-sex couples should adopt children and more ethically-conscious with about 65% stating that they would try to find the sources of products before they purchase them and approximately 80% claiming they would not buy products from brands attached to controversy (Francis & Hoefel, 2018).

Studying consumer behaviour trends in this generation can help brands determine how they can attract them (Keever et al, 2021). Gen Z places high value on ethics, authenticity and diversity so one would assume that if a brand is to effectively market itself to this generation, it would have to prioritize these elements (Francis & Hoefel, 2018). Brands must be transparent with their trade practices as well as advocate for diversity within their workspaces and in their marketing to consumers. They must also be involved in environmental restoration and develop sustainable methods within the brand to help portray themselves as desirable to Gen Z because they are more conscious of climate change and are actively fighting to stop it (Keever et al, 2021). Lastly, a presence online in both the social media and e-commerce spaces could have a positive impact on brands as this could help them reach a larger consumer base. According to the Statista Research Department (2022), about 67% of Gen Z consumers in the UK aged 18-24 purchased fashion goods online in the second quarter of 2022.

Guide Beauty, an American cosmetic brand that provides accessible makeup tools for people with dexterity and motor disabilities is a great example. Their Guide Wand tool has a finger rest and round handle for steadier application and a precision tip that curves to fit eye contours. They are inclusive, vegan and cruelty-free and use Tiktok amongst other platforms to promote their products to Gen Z consumers (Guide Beauty, 2023:Vogue, 2022).

Bibliography

Becker, K., 2022. Selma Blair Is Helping Redefine Makeup Design in Her New Job as Creative Director of Guide Beauty. [Online]
Available at: https://www.vogue.com/article/selma-blair-creative-director-of-guide-beauty
[Accessed 19 October 2023].

Eldrigde, A., 2023. Generation Z: demographic group. [Online]
Available at: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Generation-Z
[Accessed 19 October 2023].

Francis, T. & Hoefel, F., 2018. ‘True Gen’: Generation Z and its implications for companies. [Online]
Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/true-gen-generation-z-and-its-implications-for-companies
[Accessed 19 October 2023].

Guide Beauty, 2023. About Us. [Online]
Available at: https://www.guidebeauty.com/pages/about-us
[Accessed 19 October 2023].

Keever, M., O’Rourke, V. & Diffley, S., 2021. Generation Z an exploration of their unique values driving brand affinity. [Online]
Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/357187322_Generation_Z_an_exploration_of_their_unique_values_driving_brand_affinity
[Accessed 14 October 2023].

Statista Research Department, 2022. Share of shoppers buying clothing and shoes online in the United Kingdom (UK) in the 2nd quarter 2022, by generational cohorts. [Online]
Available at: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1337816/online-fashion-shoppers-by-generation-uk/#statisticContainer
[Accessed 14 October 2023].

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Planet

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In this blog entry, the planet pillar of the cosmetic industry is discussed. The planet Earth has always been viewed as the most habitable planet for organic life forms to reside however, due to the depletion of natural resources and the destruction of the Earth’s natural habitats. For reference, the 10 warmest summers in recorded history have all occurred after 2010 and the rate at which the Earth’s temperature rises has doubled each year since 1981 (Lindsey & Dahlman, 2023). The cosmetic industry has contributed greatly to this issue as it depends heavily on plastic for packaging and many natural resources such as palm oil. The high demand for these products has led to a culture of unsustainable extraction processes and the production of single-use, non-biodegradable packaging (Okafor, 2023).

Sustainability is defined as the avoidance of the depletion of natural resources to maintain ecological balance. There is an urgency to stop mass manufacturing plastic waste and environmental pollutants so sustainable methods to reduce plastic waste amongst other forms of waste must be implemented globally. An example of a sustainable method which was developed in the mid-1990s by John Elkington is the Triple Bottom Line (Slaper & Hall, 2011). It suggests including the social and environmental impacts of a business when calculating said business’ performance instead of focusing on just financial figures. This method encourages the business to take corporate social and environmental responsibility. In turn, the business moves closer to achieving sustainable goals. Another method is the execution of a circular economy. This is a system allegedly designed to reduce waste by not generating it. The three principles of this method are to get rid of waste and pollution, circulate products and materials at their highest value and replenish the natural resources in use (Ellen Macarthur Foundation, n.d.). The bi-products and wasted materials will be repurposed resulting in zero waste and renewed raw materials.

The sustainable development goals (SDGs) are a part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development project which was implemented by the United Nations Member States in 2015 to reduce poverty and other disparities globally. An SDG relevant to the cosmetic industry is Responsible Consumption and Production. The industry needs to find ways to reuse the products that have already been manufactured. For example, creating new plastic packaging from recycled plastic milk jugs.

Bibliography

Lindsey, R. & Dahlman, L., 2023. Climate Change: Global Temperature. [Online]
Available at: https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/climate-change-global-temperature#:~:text=According%20to%20NOAA’s%202021%20Annual,0.18%20%C2%B0C)%20per%20decade.
[Accessed 8 October 2023].

Okafor, J., 2023. Environmental Impact of Cosmetics & Beauty Products. [Online]
Available at: https://www.trvst.world/sustainable-living/environmental-impact-of-cosmetics/
[Accessed 8 October 2023].

PlasticPollutionCoalition, 2022. The Ugly Side of Beauty: The Cosmetics Industry’s Plastic Packaging Problem. [Online]
Available at: https://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/blog/2022/1/25/the-ugly-side-of-beauty-the-cosmetics-industrys-plastic-packaging-problem
[Accessed 8 October 2023].

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