The beauty industry is always changing. The forces that influence the big changes that then shape the ‘look’ of the nation are as complex and diverse as the consumers that create and react to them.
That is not to say that the industry is simply reactive; it is far from it. As we all know, the beauty space is one of the most daring and creative markets you can imagine.
The industry is unpredictable, but fun
Writing an article about the trends currently shaping the beauty industry can feel a little bit like opening a box of kittens and writing an article guessing what they will do next.
One of the absolute pleasures of this industry is the unpredictable nature of it. It’s fun, though, and always worth a look, so here are five things we at Lavandi Talent think currently are, or will, shape the industry in the foreseeable future.
- Undoubtedly, the top of the list has to be the potential for increased experimentation in, and understanding of, at-home cosmetic artistry. Consumers have been at home for months now. Without access to the brand advisors on the shop floor, they will clearly have been using the virtual world and turning to influencers more for their inspiration. For the big names, this could be a game-changer as the brand influence moves even further into the public domain. The question is, how the big brand names respond to that change? Particularly in light of the next point.
- Diversity and inclusion will continue to be a growing factor in marketing and product design. There have been huge leaps forward in the way the industry is addressing Diversity and Inclusion in the last few years, and that is undoubtedly continuing to be a feature in product development and marketing. As well as a real desire for inclusion in the industry, there is also the seemingly untenable place of the influencer in the hierarchy to be accounted for. As we said in the first point, consumers are very likely to be looking for wider ranges and more varied products. It will be interesting to see how this plays out because the demands of an efficient production and distribution process do not always lend themselves to a wider product selection. Will we see a rise in prices to accommodate this perhaps?
- Male and non-gender specific products. The potential market for male and non-gender products seems to be the obvious growth area for the beauty industry. That said, it has felt that way for the men’s market for a long time, but the progress has been slow. In fairness, though, there has been some growth in this area over the last few years, and the traditional male market is now more open to the use of face creams, moisturising products and other staples of the cosmetic shelves. The upheaval in the paradigm of how we all view gender could well spill over into a new world of products with less gender focus, as well as loosening the grip of the ‘men don’t use make up’ attitude to cosmetics.
- Natural beauty from natural products. As the high street re-opens, the demand for natural, clean products with a transparent supply chain is certainly going to take centre stage again. The brands that can show they are taking up the challenge of seeking ever cleaner production and distribution methods are going to win favour over those that cannot.
- Courting the micro-influencer for up-and-coming brands. While the big names in social are pulling huge numbers of followers, it is becoming clearer that the actual effect of the micro-influencer on consumer choice is not to be ignored. Interaction (ever the measure of success in the social world) is often considerably more pronounced in the influencers with lower numbers. They also usually appeal to a very specific demographic, and their followers are far more active and engaged. Reaching out through these channels has a clear benefit to smaller and newer beauty industry companies. Courting these micro-influencers could well result in a fast and cost-effective route to market.
So, as we (hopefully) finally leave the pandemic behind, we need to be ready for change. I can tell you with absolute certainty that the number of vacancies we are seeing at the moment suggests the industry is investing in new talent. It seems to be looking optimistically at what comes next and is ready to respond and adapt to whatever that is.
If we can help you find your next hire, please get in touch.
