Ezri Silver’s Post

Contrary to popular belief, still images continue to be a powerful tool for driving engagement in addition to video. Thank you Glossy, for partnering with Dash Hudson on your recent article highlighting the importance of flat-lays in beauty. We found that 38% of beauty brands posted at least one flat-lay visual in May 2024, compared to 30% in April — a 34% increase M.o.M. These posts achieved a remarkable 0.6% engagement rate, double the average for beauty brand content during the same period. This data illustrates the importance of frequently evaluating key industry trends to enhance your social strategy effectively. You can read the full Glossy article here: https://lnkd.in/ew6X6mRU

A brand like The Ordinary from DECIEM | THE ABNORMAL BEAUTY COMPANY, has always done a consistently strong job in their choice of copy. They're arguably one of the first beauty companies to speak to their customers on a straight-talking level. By focusing simply on hero ingredients in their packaging, they demonstrated their recognition of a beauty consumer who is more knowledgeable than ever before. This connection is further bolstered by its accessible price point, securing the brand as a consistent favourite amongst experts and enthusiasts alike. They paved the way for the multitude of masstige beauty and skincare brands that have launched since The Ordinary’s conception. Their latest ads - the first with Uncommon Creative Studio and championed on our Slack channel this week by our Creative Strategy Director, Paul Domenet - exemplify the power of beautifully simple copywriting. It speaks to the transparency, the functionality, the simplicity with which The Ordinary approaches their products and packaging. As our Managing Partner, Nick Vaus, also pointed out - it is exciting to see a beauty brand invest in OOH advertising, rather than focusing on influencers or celebrity figures. In a world of greenwashing, cleanwashing, sciencewashing, it is refreshing and bold in its straight-talking, no-nonsense simplicity. Check out more on these breakthrough ads on ADWEEK: https://lnkd.in/ekEwT4aD. #brandcommunication #brandauthenticity #beautifulthinking

Moxie Garrett Let's examine how Dove's Real Beauty campaign effectively challenges beauty industry stereotypes, according to Mark Ritson's video on YouTube. Qualitative and Quantitative Diagnosis of the Situation: Dove recognized the need to redefine its brand for the 21st century, moving beyond its original positioning as a creamy soap. They conducted extensive studies on how women perceived beauty, uncovering discouraging data about low self-esteem and the negative impact of media and advertising on women's self-image. Clear Strategic Objectives: Dove's strategic objective was to challenge narrow definitions of beauty and inspire women to feel beautiful every day. This objective was clear and focused on addressing the societal issue of unrealistic beauty standards. Combination of Long-term Brand Building and Short-term Performance: Dove employed a dual communications model, balancing long-term emotional brand building with short-term product-focused campaigns. This allowed them to achieve both cultural impact and product sales. Tight, Differentiated Positioning: Dove positioned itself as a brand that celebrates real beauty and challenges traditional beauty standards. This positioning set Dove apart from competitors and resonated with consumers seeking authenticity. Consistently Codified Execution: Dove's campaign for Real Beauty was consistent in its messaging across various channels, including outdoor advertising, TV ads, and online platforms. The use of real women in advertising reinforced Dove's commitment to authenticity. Investment in Share of Voice: Dove invested significantly in its advertising campaigns to ensure its message reached a broad audience. This investment helped Dove stand out in a crowded market and drive brand awareness. Flaming Tire of Astonishing Creativity: Dove demonstrated creativity in its approach to challenging beauty standards, using real women in its advertising and creating emotionally compelling campaigns that resonated with audiences. Creativity Spread Across Multiple Channels: Dove's campaign extended across multiple channels, including outdoor advertising, TV, and online platforms. This integrated approach ensured maximum exposure and impact. Courage: Dove showed courage in challenging societal norms and traditional beauty standards. By taking a stand on a controversial issue, Dove positioned itself as a brand that cares about its customers' well-being. @Moxie Garrett 

Apparently these days, dupes are just as popular with Gen Z as the real thing. (Link below) As a millennial ever-committed to saving up for the real deal this blows my mind. The article talks about Olaplex and Lululemon using dupe culture to their advantage in big campaigns. Lululemon clearly put a decent investment behind their strategy in the belief that quality always wins out. It will be interesting to see how this affects brand voice and copywriting. Will we dial back on the matey, bestie tone of voice? Or will we lean in to it even harder? https://lnkd.in/eqdvUW8d #copywriting #copywriter #toneofvoice

This write-up further elaborates on brands that are likely to succeed in driving social media engagement with these strategies. 1. Understand and leverage cultural moments - remember how we were bedazzled over Jeremy Allen White underwear campaign for Calvin Klein? 2. Create unique and engaging experiences just like Diesel's Y2K aesthetic and subversive content that truly resonates with young audience 3. Present visually captivating content - Jacquemus's Instagram average engagement is on the higher end at 2.6% vs fashion industry average 1-3%

"But that's how the beauty industry has always been...it's quite a touchy subject." This is a comment I recently received in response to an Instagram story I posted about a beauty brand using influencers and UGC (user-generated content) to advertise their neck cream. My issue wasn't with the content but with the highly, over-filtered appearance of the videos. None of the women talking about the neck cream looked like they had ever suffered from "tech neck" or age-related lines. There were no before and after photos to show whether the product was truly effective. Instead, with the exception of one video, every single creator appeared to have poreless skin that was always in soft focus. In other words, it was hard to believe anything coming out of the mouths of these sponsored creators. This brings me back to the responder's comment on my story discussing my issues with the way the neck cream was being advertised. While, for the most part, I agree with them that this tends to be common practice, there are numerous exceptions. Not to mention, overly filtered videos or posts shouldn't be the norm. 1) Using filters could be considered a violation of the FTC's Truth in Advertising rules. In other words, these overly filtered, sponsored ads could be considered false advertising because anyone who buys this cream could assume their neck will look flawless and free from lines. It's highly unlikely this cream can accomplish such a feat. 2) Just because the beauty industry has always done this, doesn't make it right. Yes, photos have been retouched, sometimes a little too retouched, but there also has been a movement to show real skin. This is especially important when you want to demonstrate the efficacy of your skincare product. 3) Using deceptive advertising practices erodes trust between brands and consumers. When consumers don't trust a brand, they won't buy from the brand. Keep being deceptive, and there won't be a brand to buy from anymore. 4) If gimmicks are the only way a brand can sell their products, maybe they need to rethink their products or hire a better advertising agency to create better ideas. Like my mom used to say, "If all your friends jumped off the roof, would you?" The answer was always no. I liked my brain and my body to function properly. In other words, beauty brands shouldn't be employing gimmicks, filters, scare marketing, false or overexaggerated claims to sell their products. "That's the way it has always been done", is not a justifiable excuse. It's lazy, deceptive, and not very creative.

Following up on my previous Super Bowl Ad post, here's a highlight from today’s Marketing Brew newsletter, discussing the tangible returns for beauty brands that purchased ad spots in this year’s Super Bowl. “Compared to the Sunday prior to the Super Bowl, search intelligence platform Captify® found that NYX Professional Makeup and E.L.F. BEAUTY saw search volumes increase by 63% and 52%, respectively. It also found that competitors that didn’t advertise in the game saw softer search interest during the game across all advertiser categories, according to a press release. Kantar’s 2024 Super Bowl Creative Effectiveness Report found that Dove’s ad was 73% more effective than other ads at encouraging audience involvement by sparking a “provocative conversation with millions of people at the same time”—in this case, around girls’ body confidence.” Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/evdHhmvF

This brand is absolutely slaying with its marketing strategies, from harnessing the power of UGC to its aesthetic IT girl content. 💅🏾 👀 So how has REFY successfully built a strong community of dedicated supporters? ✨ First off, they're all about understanding their audience. REFY makes products that cater to different skin tones and types, and they're all about being cruelty-free and vegan. To simplify beauty routines for their community, they created the Lip Blush which was born from Co-founder Jess Hunt’s personal experience with pale lips. This resonated with their community and led fans to purchase a product they didn’t even know they needed. The strategy employed by REFY resulted in acquiring loyal brand advocates. ✨ Then there's UGC (user-generated content). REFY's got this down pat. Majority of REFY’s product launches have gone viral and are loved by their community because of the power of UGC. REFY sends out their makeup products to content creators who create all sorts of cool content with them. Think GRWM looks, makeup tutorials and lifestyle vids. This fosters authenticity, boosts discoverability, sparks community engagement, and increases the likelihood of potential customers buying REFY’s products as they are being seen on real people. ✨ Now, let's talk Instagram. REFY's feed is chef’s kiss perfection. It's clean, it's minimalistic, and it's totally on-brand🤌🏾. They're not just posting product pics either; they're sharing lifestyle shots that capture the REFY vibe. It's like they're selling a whole lifestyle, not just makeup. I think this is my favourite part of REFY’s marketing strategy. ✨ And we can't forget about Jess Hunt herself. As the face of the brand, she does an awesome job of blending her personal life with REFY content. It's like hanging out with a friend who just happens to have killer makeup tips, through this fans feel like they know her, which makes them even more connected to the brand. What else did I miss? How do you think REFY is killing it on socials at the moment? #marketingstrategy #usergeneratedcontent #REFY #communityengagement

There’s an old advertising theory called the ‘Mediation of Reality’. You may not have heard of it, but you’re definitely familiar with it being put into practice. The theory goes like this: In advertising, it’s not the content of the ads that make them powerful but the incorporation of media to amalgamate actions and fictions. Now, in English- Ads work when they make us think and feel something related to our inner desires. Throughout the history of advertising, we’ve seen the ‘Mediation of Reality’ at play. Marlboro created the Marlboro Man. Why? The Marlboro Man associated smoking with being rugged, with being cool. People wanted to be like the Marlboro Man and, to be like the Marlboro Man, they needed to buy and smoke cigarettes. Perfume and fragrance ads take the ‘Mediation of Reality’ to entirely new heights. These companies associate their fragrances with wealth and opulence by using models who are inhumanly good-looking. They’re often at exclusive events or secluded luxury estates with an infinity pool looking into the dark horizon. They use sexual fantasy throughout most of their ads, taking it as far as showing a Turkish bath full of women wearing nothing but… Gold. These ads are intended to make the viewer feel rich. They want you to feel trendy and exclusive. They want you to feel sexy. That’s an extreme example, but what about your average household item ad? They take place in homes that only the top 9% of Americans can afford. They drive expensive cars and shop at Whole Foods. The people that use this product are successful and are doing life right. It’s the ‘Mediation of Reality’. Buy our product and you will feel a certain way. You’ll be a certain type of person. It’s not about wanting to swim in a pool of melted dark chocolate with half-naked mermaids. It’s about achieving an inner-desire of a type of status. That’s how the ‘Mediation of Reality’ is used powerfully in advertising.