Fashion Magazine Editors to Digital Beauty Influencers - How a Brands Marketing PR Team give away Free Products to Guarantee written reviews or social media buzz

The strategy for influencer marketing to consumers has changed its outreach to a massive growing digital platform. Brand companies have always reached out to people in key positions who provide reviews or talk about different types of beauty products such as in the case of magazine editors for popular print publications. The writers and editors who work in Fashion and Beauty journalism often receive product samples and luxury gifts from industry publicists whose job is to help the media become better informed about the features and benefits of a cosmetic companies brand. The internet has created a new way for entrepreneurs, investors and content creators to use micro-influencers to help their brand reach a more diverse audience.

Digital beauty influencers found on most social media platforms such as: Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter and Youtube are the new recipients of brand gifting. Many of the popular faces of the internet selfie generation have managed to gain a huge following of generation Z and millennials whose age range is 18 to 30 and under. Big beauty brands want to reach this demographic because there is lots of money to be made. Marketing managers of retail makeup companies send PR packages to popular youtube influencers in hopes that their beauty brand will be mentioned or reviewed in videos that get millions of views.

When big and small companies use Sponsorships, Brand Trips and PR Packages to get noticed and compete in the fast moving world of social media, are consumers getting a honest representation or just hyped value? Some youtubers have seen that popularity and the amount of views a vlogger gets is often more important to brands who want to get their name out to a mass market. Instagram accounts that have millions of followers get the most free products, while smaller social media accounts get less recognition. It is common that famous beauty influencers have stylists, managers, agents, photographers, videographers, social media strategists, personal assistants, staff, merch warehouses as well as their own private label products.

The media personality such as Jeffree Star, James Charles, Jacklyn Hill, Manny Mua, Laura Lee, Tati, Kathleen Lights, Christine Dominique, Jackie Aina and Casey Holmes must continue to produce content, publish reviews and stay connected to social media 24/7 to stay relevant online. This type of non-stop "always connected" media activity can lead to depression and a feeling of being overwhelmed. Content creators on youtube have mentioned that it takes many days and hours to produce videos that viewers will want to like, comment and share. Working so many hours can cause stress and health issues as well as the pressure to keep up and stay relevant. There are new influencers, brand ambassadors and videographers setting up content websites, photo-sharing on social accounts everyday. Legacy brands must diversify in new markets to stay relevant.

Creating a brand through collaborations that are off-line with the re-invention of retail into a more personalized shopping experience.

Companies who have had a long history of running a website online or ecommerce store are now looking into how they can bring that engagement and collaboration to multiple brick and mortar store locations across the globe. Reaching thousands of loyal fans in person at meet and greets, pop-up stores and specialized store shops. Brands are setting up conventions, events and in-store giveaways to get all the millions of consumers online to come out and shop for their favorite products at stores like Morphe, Ulta, and Sephora which are some of the biggest in beauty and makeup distribution outside of department stores while catering to the customers who buy luxury makeup and skincare as well as budget friendly comparative brands all in one place.

Ulta Beauty is the largest U.S. beauty retailer headquartered in Bolingbrook, Illinois and the premier beauty destination for cosmetics, fragrance, skin care products, hair care products and salon services

Sephora is a Paris, France-based multinational chain of personal care and beauty stores offers beauty products including cosmetics, skincare, body, fragrance, nail color, and haircare.

Morphe, LLC manufactures beauty care products worldwide. The Company offers lipstick, brushes, makeup removers, pressed pigments, gel liners, concealers, powders, lashes, beauty sponges, tweezers, and scissors. Morphe secures growth capital and a new partnership with Elevate Brandpartners, backed by private equity firm Summit Partners.

Bluemercury is a American beauty stores leading luxury beauty retailer offering the best cosmetics, skin care, makeup, perfume, hair, and bath and body.

Beauty Bloggers are Collaborating with Big Brand Companies by creating their own makeup brushes or eyeshadow palettes.

Social media influencers are the new "Celebrity" with many brands wanting to create products and partner with them for launching new and creative ideas. This is happening more and more in the cosmetic makeup industry that is leveraging technology to reach a mass audience. Most sell "limited editions" so only the first few buyers will be able to purchase these products which sell out within minutes online. Influencer marketing collaborations happen more frequently than before, it is easier to see a popular youtuber interacting with fans on several digital marketing campaigns. See how much money these Highest Paid Beauty Influencers make.

Here is an example of the types of companies that have partnered with media beauty influencers such as Christian Siriano and ELF. Cosmetics - JKissa and ELF. Cosmetics - Jefree Star and Morphe Cosmetics - Jacklyn Hill and Morphe Cosmetics - Jacklyn Hill and BECCA Cosmetics - James Charles and Morphe Cosmetics - KathleenLights and ColorPop - Jackie Aina and ELF Cosmetics - MakeupbyShayla and ColorPop - Ellarie and ColorPop.

Read More about Influencers and the Brands they Promote on Instagram

Drugstore beauty products: such as Target, TJ Maxx, Dollar Store, Walmart, Riteaid, CVS, Walgreens are able to sell mid to high-end cosmetics at a discount which make them a big competitor for luxury brands found at department store makeup counters found at Nordstoms, Macy's, Sears, Kohls, J.C. Penny, and others.

Marketing to Generation Z - How companies are adapting to this new retail consumer

Technology drives the shopping experience among Generation Z which is bigger than the Millennial generation and this is why many brands are using Smartphones and Apps to reach this big group of retail consumers. This youngest generation has money and influences the spending habits in the family. When this group makes purchases it will be from their cell phones, so brands who can learn how to integrate a successful marketing plan that is compatible with the digital space will be able to grow with this audience who is ready to share on social media because if a company service is good or bad they will make sure to tell all their friends. Generation Z uses sites like Instagram, Snapchat and Youtube to learn about the products they want to buy and it is important that the people marketing to them are "real" authentic and transparent. "( According to wikipedia, the generation after Millennials,Generation Z, which they defined as people born from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s, made up 25% of the U.S. population, making them a larger cohort than the Baby Boomers or Millennials.)"

Understanding the Consumer Behavior of Generation Z is how brands can earn their attention and loyalty

Self Aware, (POS) Point of Sale, Technology, Entrepreneurism, Activism and Brand Values are some of the words that describe the youthful generation that has the biggest buying power when it comes to products and services. The cosmetic and beauty industry has tapped into this target market by offering a shopping experience where this group can interact and connect with their favorite social media celebrity. The activity of buying makeup, wearing makeup and talking about makeup techniques is a social activity that can be shared with friends, family, and co-workers in a global space online using the internet. Having grown up with technology it is easier for Gen-Z to share every moment of their lives consistently by using their smartphones and digital platforms. It is this connection and engagement that big brand companies want to reach. How companies have been able to successfully reach this group is by leveraging the power of media influencers which can be film and television celebrities, musicians, makeup artists and designers or self-taught beauty influencers.

Kylie Jenner is part of the Generation Z and she built her cosmetic brand by using only social media

Forbes recently reported that Kylie Cosmetics which started in February 2016 on Shopify has earned the founder and CEO enough money to become the youngest self-made Billionaire at age 21 years old. People wonder how she was able to make so much money in just 3 short years. It was by connecting to her followers on Snapchat and Instagram that she was able to announce the launch of her popular Lip Kits lipstick and lip liner collection of makeup that consumers could purchase from e-commerce platform called Shopify.

Kylie is a influencer that is well known worldwide due to her famous step family The Kardashians. Kylie owns 100% of her company with no overhead or marketing costs and she does not stock any inventory, has no employees or investors. Kylie has made money from endorsements, modeling and being on Eonline reality TV show since she was 10 years old and Kylie also gets paid millions to use social media. Her mother Kris Jenner manages her finances and she uses Seed Beauty part of Spatz Laboratories to outsource her private label makeup products.

Famous celebrities are tapping into the 500 billion dollar beauty industry catering to a young audience who want fast fashion.

Lush, Too Faced Cosmetics, Makeup Geek, Benefit Cosmetics, Urban Decay, Glossier, MAC Cosmetics, ColourPop Cosmetics, Melt Cosmetics, Tarte Cosmetics, Morphe Brushes, Jeffree Cosmetics, Fenty Beauty, KKW Beauty which is just a few of the many beauty influencer brands on the market. Other instagram brands include: Anastasia Beverly Hills, Huda Kattan, NARS.

As you have probably guessed more growth is expected in the future for this space. Celebrity makeup entrepreneurs, social media influencers, bloggers and vloggers are leading the way on reaching the massive group of consumers who use "word of mouth" marketing and recommendations from their favorite digital idols. To keep up with the latest information related to what is happening with makeup. beauty and fashion make sure to check out Beauty Media News

Anti-aging creams, serums, moisturizers, cleansers, toners and masks. The goal is to renew and revitalize the skin with products that reverse aging by energizing the skin. Dermo-cosmetics a branch of science that combines cosmetology and dermatology uses all natural ingredients that protect the skin from pollution is key for international sales growth for premium markets.

The fastest growing skin products are "active cosmetics" with line reducing collagen and anti-aging formulas. Designer beauty legacy brands must compete with all the new cosmetic lines coming into the industry space. There are a group of consumers who are educating themselves on the ingredients found in skincare products and not only are they well-informed they also research the benefits they want from these products that will give then the results they need before making purchasing decisions.

Natural and organic products free of synthetic ingredients and additives is growing in the beauty industry Consumers interested in skin health are searching for products that have vitamin C and hyaluronic acid which can be found in L'Oreal Paris beauty serums that is sold on popular ecommerce sites like: Ulta, Influenster and Netaporter. "This means that consumers are looking to understand and utilize these ingredients in their daily routines," she explains. "They are hungry for education, information and safe formulas, but also looking for brands they can trust."
Product marketing is changing from traditional print media to social sites like instagram because consumers look for new beauty trends, brands and content. Among the 7 mega-companies — Estée Lauder Companies, L'Oréal, Unilever, Procter and Gamble, Shiseido, Johnson and Johnson, and Coty. Beauty companies of all sizes are now dividing their marketing budgets to include social media marketing as well as print and legacy publications. Social media influencer marketing and direct social media adverts take a bigger chunk of marketing funds because of the rise in the advertising value of digital media visual artists and copywriters within digital publishing and social media marketing.

Instagram was acquired by Facebook in 2012 at a cost of $1 billion to keep up with the ever-changing relationship between beauty brands and beauty consumers.People now use photo-sharing apps like Instagram to find new beauty brands, content and products, but also to shop because digitally native consumers are shopping in non-traditional ways and have access to more sharing and discovery platforms on the internet.

Big Brands are Buying Smaller Brands - deals and investments for fast-growing brands, such as L’Oreal’s acquisitions of IT Cosmetics and NYX Cosmetics, Estee Lauder’s purchases of Becca Cosmetics and Too Faced and Shiseido’s takeover of the Laura Mercier brand.

How Indie Brands Are Setting the Pace & Influencing Beauty Trends

Trends in the beauty industry used to be set by established companies like Procter & Gamble and Unilever these large multinationals ruled the retail channels with a strong influence on the types of products made available to consumers. Those early adopters to natural and organic products relied primarily on specialty retail outlets to find beauty products that were made of natural and organic ingredients free of synthetic additives. These changes has seen the natural and organic personal care market grow globally at a rapid pace. The demand for clean ingredients in beauty products is driving interest to become mainstream creating innovations in the beauty space.

The rise of indie beauty brands and the impact on Asia - In the fast-paced world of beauty where consumers are craving for brand authenticity and heritage, the ability of indie brands to connect with consumers on a personal level has helped them to gain influence and succeed. Indie brands are emerging around the world, inspiring homegrown brands within Asia to pave their ways into the global scenes.

---

It has been noted that consumers are driving the trend toward sustainable living principles in areas such as: buying local, farm-to-table, giving back, ethical sourcing, small batch processing and an appreciation for simplicity and authenticity. At the same time consumers are choosing to buy products that are aligned with their values. They want to know the origins of their products, what the environmental impact is and who they are buying from.Women between the ages of 25-45 are choosing to spend their money differently and more thoughtfully. This gap in the market for premium quality natural beauty products has created an opportunity for Indie brands because large traditional companies cannot compete in the same manner due to the potential complications of changing formulas, supply chains and disrupting their existing business.

Many Indie brands offer a value proposition of creating and curating solutions tailored to solve the unique problems identified by consumers. A major factor for the growth of Indie brands has been the ability of smaller brands to harness and leverage the power of the internet and social media platforms to connect directly with customers. Indies have the unique advantage of focusing on a niche and going deep to meet the needs of their identified demographic. Through social media channels they are able to change and pivot in response to customer demand. They hear and understand customer pain points and create new and innovative products to meet them. Indie brands can focus on niches that larger brands typically ignore. Indie beauty brands like Mad Hippie, One Love Organics, Tata Harper, Kahina Giving Beauty, Indie Lee and Drunk Elephant are great examples of brands creating their own high performance natural products with unique ingredient formulations and connecting authentically with their customers.

Social media is a culture that encourages collaboration and innovation which has helped many smaller brands grow. Many are able to secure investment funding from angel and venture capitalists. Studies show that approximately 93% of Indie Businesses are women owned enterprises. Data shows that women do 90% of personal care shopping for themselves and their households. The Indie phenomenon has created an ecosystem of other businesses that support and foster growth causing beauty brands to become the fastest growing product category for all markets. The future of Indie beauty brands is bright. While some will be acquired by larger brands for wider distribution and brand recognition, many small beauty companies will choose to remain independent and profitable catering to their niche market.

Distribution buyouts and dealing with counterfeit products - Since creating your own cosmetics is easy to do, it can cause the beauty industry to become overcrowded as well as copycat makeup being sold as the real thing. If indie cosmetic brands want to stay in business they have 2 options. They can partner up with a bigger brand, seek investors or sell their company to a bigger brand. The positive side is that indie beauty brands are coming up with innovative ideas, providing customization for a niche consumer market but the negative is that competitors will try to duplicate their success. As seen in the recent legacy brands starting smaller indie brands with acquisitions to enter the trend of using social media influencer marketing. If you want to start your own makeup brand all you need is a to private label your own generic cosmetics on Aliexpress. Many will find that their biggest issue is going to be distribution and advertising to a larger audience and this can only be done if the indie brands have a higher production output of their products, some have been able to sign agreements with countries such as the UK, and Asia. Stores like Ulta are growing and expanding into more locations which is causing competitor department store brands such as Walgreens, Target, CVS and J.C. Penny to improve their beauty sections.

Cosmeceuticals are an emerging field in the industry which combines traditional cosmetic products and pharmaceuticals together to create hybrid products which goal is to enhance beauty by utilizing ingredients that beneficially interact with our body's biological functions. This has been seen in recent campaigns that are advertising cosmetic products that also help improve the skin. It is this makeup with skincare benefits that will help woman and men continue to use cosmetics as they age gracefully.

The new retail experience collaborates with online brands.

Macerich is a real estate investment trust that invests in shopping centers. Its shopping-center portfolio, include Fashion District Philadelphia, Fresno California, Santa Monica Place and Scottsdale Fashion Square with over 50 more locations. These upscale shopping centers are where the company is using the brick-and-mortar creativity to get consumers in the door with a new concept called BrandBox that’s intended to help popular online brands open new physical stores. Morphe cosmetics is an example of a instagram brand that uses beauty influencers to produce cosmetic brushes, eyeshadow palettes by collaborating with Youtube beauty vloggers like Jefferee star, James Charles and Jacklyn Hill.

Trends, Brand Immersion, Competitors, Visual Design, Brand Identity

Instagram brands case study for reaching an ever growing consumer with changing interests. Morphe stores investment firm (Elevate Brandpartners chief Myles McCormick) are able to open a store in just three weeks as Macerich delivers a “full-functioning” store with flexible modular walls and designs that allow the tenants to choose a space for a monthly fee. The prepackaged retail leasing service will calculate foot-traffic-tracking, sales, analytics tools for comparison to onine and offline demographics. Interestingly the retail REIT Macerich is a incubator for digital retail brands looking to establish physical stores.This innovative idea will allow new and old retail brands to lease the BrandBox space for only six to 12 months to try and test before they commit long term.

Makeup is not only for young woman on instagram it covers a wide range of individuals of all ages, lifestyles and genders.

Once you read through several blogs, watch enough videos on Youtube and experience beauty brands advertising you come to the conclusion that makeup is universal and be used by anyone and everyone. For instance Chanel has created a specialized makeup for men, and Estee Lauder sells high end anti-aging skin care products.

Stage performers use theatre makeup and cosplay costumes use face painting to achieve the anime type faces. Woman over 40 can find beauty products tailored to their skin type. Men who want to cover blemishes can find makeup concealers to help them achieve a healthier looking appearance. Fitness enthusiasts can find sweat-proof makeup that is specific for wearing while running or working out at the gym.

Even people who do not wear makeup will benefit from skincare products that help with acne, oily skin or to brighten and get rid of darkspots with fading creams, as well as sunscreen that provide protection from the sun, winds and pollution. Everyone wants healthy looking skin and this can be achieved by taking care of the inside of our bodies with the right amount of sleep, diet and exercise. Another area that is gaining in popularity is non-surgical cosmetic treatments that help improve the appearance of the skin with lasers, peels, fillers, and microneedling for shaping, contouring and sculpting the face.

Dark skinned woman of all ethnicities from India, Asia, Mexico, Africa, and beyond have more options for finding skin matching foundation and concealer face makeup that is complimentary to their skin tone. In many nationalities there is overlapping when it comes to skin color, skin tone and complexions. Those with brown skin will need to experiment with blemish balm and color correcting creams. Also cosmetic companies are producing eyeshadow palettes with higher pigment of colors and shimmering highlighting shades due to inclusivity among big name beauty brands consumers from all over the world can create the best beauty looks for day and night wear.

Here are some of the best recommended brands for dark skin tones: Iman Cosmetics, NARS, Black Opal, MAC, Becca Cosmetics, Huda Beauty, Fenty Beauty, Cover FX, Smashbox, Bobbi Brown, Maybelline Fit Me Matte and Poreless, Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation, Tom Ford Traceless Foundation, Make Up For Ever Foundation, DiorSkin Star Studio Foundation, Black Up Matifying Fluid Foundation, Loreal Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation, Urban Decay Foundation, NYX Foundation and as you can see there are plenty of categories when it comes to finding the right matching makeup for your favorite face look.

---