The Depiction of Beauty-by-Beauty Influencers On Instagram and Generations Z S Perception of Them

Journal of Promotion Management
ISSN: (Print) (Online) Journal homepage: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/wjpm20
The Depiction of Beauty-by-Beauty Influencers on

Instagram and Generations Z’s Perception of Them
David E. Williams, Breanna Pochipinski, Michaela MacDonald & Jane

Caulfield
To cite this article: David E. Williams, Breanna Pochipinski, Michaela MacDonald & Jane
Caulfield (14 Nov 2023): The Depiction of Beauty-by-Beauty Influencers on Instagram
and Generations Z’s Perception of Them, Journal of Promotion Management, DOI:
10.1080/10496491.2023.2279765
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/10496491.2023.2279765
Published online: 14 Nov 2023.
Submit your article to this journal
Article views: 156
View related articles
View Crossmark data
Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at

https://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=wjpm20
https://doi.org/10.1080/10496491.2023.2279765
The Depiction of Beauty-by-Beauty Influencers on

Instagram and Generations Z’s Perception of Them
David E. Williams, Breanna Pochipinski, Michaela MacDonald and Jane
Caulfield
University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
ABSTRACT KEYWORDS
Social media influencers (SMIs) are immensely popular and act beauty; social media
as cultural gatekeepers for beauty. While advertisers commonly influencers; Generation Z;
believe that “beauty sells,” this study asks (1) what types of Instagram
beauty do SMIs depict and how does it compare to that por-
trayed in fashion magazines over thirty years ago? (2) as cul-
tural gatekeepers what cultural values do SMIs depict and how
are they related to the types of beauty? And (3) what are
Generation Z’s (Gen Z) perceptions of the types of beauty
depicted by beauty SMIs? These questions are answered
through a content analysis of the top-100 beauty influencers
and interviews with 20 Gen Z consumers analyzed using
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis The study found that
standard beauty ideals are still valuable when used by SMIs,
but the weight of each type is more fluid and SMIs can flow
between more than one. SMIs are also helping to grow new or
nonstandard beauty ideals, categorized as “other.” The study
proves extant knowledge evolves and adapts to this new revo-
lutionary digital format and highlights future possible paths for
the future of Gen Z beauty advertising.
Introduction
Since the earliest days of advertising, physical attractiveness has been
important for sources, such as models and celebrities. In 1992, Solomon,
Ashmore, and Longo identified the different types of beauty found in
advertising images, such as Classic, Exotic, and Girl-Next-Door. These
beauty types were confirmed in a further study of both magazine ads and
music television by Englis et al. (1994). Since the early nineties, however,
SMIs have radically changed how beauty is marketed (Gerdeman, 2019);
many consumers now get their beauty information online from influencers
(Sandler, 2023) and in the cosmetics industry social media is now the
major communication channel (Fakhreddin & Foroudi, 2022). The beauty
CONTACT David E. Williams [email protected] Department of Management and Marketing,

Edwards School of Business, University of Saskatchewan, 25 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5A7,
Canada.
© 2023 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
2 D. E. WILLIAMS ET AL.
and personal care industry totaled $511,401 million USD in sales in 2021,
and the market is expected to grow annually by 4.75%; an estimated 22%
of total revenue generated will be through online sales. In 2022, online
beauty sales driven by Gen Z will reach $18.6 billion more than double
the sales in 2019 (eMarketer, 2022). Social media is a significant discovery
channel for beauty brands worldwide (Statista, 2021) and this importance
will increase (Schwarz, 2022) as beauty retailing moves to social commerce
(Bain, 2021; Liffreing, 2021) and personalization (Gray, 2022). Beauty
influencers are collaborating with established brands (Flora, 2021) and
launching their own brands. Because of the impact of SMIs, spending on
influencer marketing is expected to reach $32.5 in 2023 (Stewart, 2023).
In addition to the rise of SMIs, advertisers have had to shift their
messages to accommodate changing beauty ideals (Corona, 2021;
Maheshwari & Friedman, 2021; Neff, 2021; Tungate, 2011), including
upstart beauty brands attempting to create new beauty standards (Corona,
2021). During all this change, it is unclear how modern images presented
by SMIs confirm or contradict the types of beauty uncovered by adver-
tising scholars over thirty years ago creating a research gap. Indeed, even
in that paper, Englis et al. (1994, p. 60) noted “a clear need to extend
this work to other media vehicles.” It is time to reexamine the existing
typology of advertising beauty categories to understand whether it has
continued relevance. This study does so by examining the types of images
presented by beauty influencers on Instagram.
In the circuit of culture (Hall, 1997), SMIs are an integral part of
advertising and the fashion systems; two mechanisms that transfer cul-
tural meaning from the culturally constituted world to consumer goods
(McCracken, 1986). Beauty influencers on Instagram have partially
replaced traditional advertising as “a conduit through which meaning
constantly pours from the culturally constituted world to consumer
goods,” (McCracken, 1986, pp. 75–76). In the fashion system, SMIs act
as “opinion leaders who help shape and refine existing cultural meaning”
by virtue of their beauty (McCracken, 1986, p, 76). As fashion and
beauty editors, SMIs act as symbolic encoders, as did the magazine
advertisers in the studies of the early nineties, because “they play a
pivotal role in defining and sanctioning ideals of beauty” (Solomon
et al., 1992, p. 24). Advertisers and SMIs face changing social and cul-
tural values in transferring cultural meanings to products, as shown by
Dove’s campaign for real beauty, as well as changing expectations toward
more diversity, inclusivity, and sustainability (Culliney, 2020; Miller,
2021; Pasquarelli, 2021). Therefore, as SMIs are modern-day cultural
gate keepers, this study also examines the cultural values beauty influ-
encers espouse on Instagram, and how those values intersect with
beauty types.
Journal of Promotion Management 3
Beauty SMIs are very popular with Gen Z, they are driving change in
the beauty industry (Paramount, 2019), act as a catalyst for many beauty
trends, propel the rise of social commerce (Fromm, 2022) are disrupting
advertising (Southgate, 2017) and many leading beauty brands and retailers
are targeting them. In addition, there is a need for more research on
generational cohorts (Taylor, 2021) and a content analysis can be strength-
ened by including the viewpoints and perceptions of actual respondents
(Carlson, 2008).
Therefore, to answer the demand for further scholarship on influencer
marketing (Taylor, 2020), this study asks:
RQ1: What types of beauty do SMIs depict on Instagram and how do these
beauty types compare with those uncovered through previous advertising
research on magazine images?
RQ2: As cultural gatekeepers, what cultural values do SMIs depict and
what is the relationship between the types of beauty and cultural val-
ues?
RQ3: What are Generation Z consumers’ perceptions of the types of beauty
depicted by beauty SMIs on Instagram?
The conceptual framework behind these research questions is mapped
out in Figure 1.
The findings contribute to advertising theory by updating and extending
the previous typology of beauty types to examine its relevance in a chang-
ing media environment, and by linking different types of beauty to their
underlying cultural values. The study contributes to advertising practice
by examining an important consumer group’s responses to different types
Figure 1. Conceptual framework.

of beauty, which has implications for successful partnerships between

advertisers and SMIs in the beauty industry.
Theoretical development
The beauty typology in advertising
Physical attractiveness is an extremely contentious (Liu et al., 2017) and

complex (Debono & Telesca, 1990) issue in endorser strategy that is not
easy to define (Joseph, 1982). However, a “what is beautiful is good”
stereotype exists (Dion et al., 1972; Joseph, 1982) and the use of attractive
endorsers is near compulsory in advertising because advertisers believe
“beauty sells” (Brumbaugh, 1993). Kamins (1990, p. 4) noted, “a consid-
erable amount of research exists both in the social sciences and marketing
supporting such a strategy” of using physically attractive models to aid
persuasion, especially for attractiveness-related products.
Borges and Felix (2014) and Ohanian (1990) observed that previous
research finds a positive and significant impact of endorser attractiveness
on attitudes toward the ad, attitude toward the brand, and purchase inten-
tions. Prior empirical work reveals physical attractiveness raises advertiser
believability, willingness to purchase, attitudes toward the product, and
actual purchase (Brumbaugh, 1993). Although “physical attractiveness
seems to have been granted greater influence than can be supported
empirically” (Bower & Landreth, 2001, p. 1), it can “significantly enhance
communicator persuasiveness” (Chaiken, 1979, p. 1394) and is a “safe bet”
(Trampe et al., 2010), creating a genuine rationale why advertisers would
wish to ally their products with attractive individuals (Goodman et al.,
2008; Till & Busler, 2000). Indeed, studies show that attractive people tend
to be better liked, and are assumed to be more sociable, independent, and
exciting (Brigham, 1980), indicating why marketers tend to depict such
individuals.
Generally, physical attractiveness denotes and has concentrated on facial
attractiveness and features (Caballero & Solomon, 1984; Joseph, 1982).
There is extensive consensus among observers about what denotes facial
attractiveness (Hamermesh, 2011); however, “the notion of beauty is a
multidimensional construct based upon personified qualities” (Fowler &
Carlson, 2015, p. 140). Assessments of beauty are subject to personal
preferences of taste and evaluations, creating a beauty ideal. A beauty ideal
can be classified as a total “look” including physical attributes, different
products and services including clothing and cosmetics, and even plastic
surgery (Englis et al., 1994; Etcoff, 1999).
Standards of beauty vary over time in society (Hamermesh, 2011). As
popular culture continually evolves, it creates different ways for individuals
to be considered beautiful (Englis et al., 1994). While specific cultures

may have a beauty ideal, there is no singular look or definition of beauty
that is classified as the utmost epitome of beauty that encompasses all the
cultures in the world. The United States is a country made up of several
different groups of peoples and therefore there are multiple ideals of beauty
that reflect the accumulation of many lifestyles, cultures, and ethnic groups
that help make up American culture (Englis et al., 1994). Beauty ideals
commonly ensue from the imprints maintained by media gatekeepers.
Cultural gatekeepers of beauty “create media messages and indirectly teach
members of the general public how to think about physical attractiveness”
(Solomon et al., 1992, p. 23). Idealized media images of attractive people
can be regarded as “prototypes that are used by audiences to evaluate
their own looks and to guide their own consumption activities” (Englis
et al., 1994, p. 52).
Beauty ideals and cultural prototypes of attractiveness can be “summed
up in a sort of cultural short-hand” (Englis et al., 1994, p. 50) to create
a typology of beauty types. Solomon et al. (1992) asked magazine editors
to categorize images of models based on their similarity of appearance,
and then used multidimensional scaling to identify eight different types
of beauty commonly found in American publications. These were: Classic,
Feminine, Sensual, Exotic, Cute, Girl-Next Door, Sex Kitten, and Trendy
(see Table 1). The authors found specific brands of perfume were associ-
ated with different types of beauty (e.g. Chanel and Classic Beauty, White
Linen with Girl-Next-Door, etc.). This “fit” between a model’s beauty type
Table 1. Types of beauty definitions.

Type of beauty Definition
Classic beauty Blonde/light hair WASPish appearance. Commonly associated with Nordic facial
features but Aryan features are not a prerequisite.
Cute Casual attire, youthful appearance, movement, and an interesting combination of
awkwardness and naturalness. May appear as though she has fallen out of a pose and
was caught off guard. This awkwardness may signal youthfulness. Cute models tend to
be shorter and wear a smaller dress size than do other models.
Sensual Sexually attractive in a classy, understated way
Girl Next Door Models are outdoorsy and active. The most central part of this look is athleticism. The Girl
Next Door is less awkward than cute and more likely to be wearing a bathing suit. Girl
Next Door wearing a swimsuit looks more like a swimmer.
Exotic Ethnic looking—ethnicity is further from the white European norm
Feminine Soft image, feminine apparel. Classic Beauty and Feminine looks are slightly older than
an average fashion model. If accessorized, their accoutrements appear as part of a
gestalt (i.e. not as “tacked on” or unintegrated “extras”)
Trendy Contains two distinct types of models both of which have clothing that contrasts and/or
clashes. One type wears current and faddish clothes and displays a lot of oversized
accessories. The other appears ethnically nonwhite and their attire and pose are
provocative and challenging, as well as tousled and sexy.
Sex Kitten Usually wearing sexy attire (e.g. bathing suit, lingerie, revealing or light clothes. They do not look
directly at the camera and do not appear as intelligent or personable as the other types of beauty. Do not
appear “natural” as they are in uncomfortable poses (e.g. the “cheesecake” pose, when the arms a raised with
the hands on the back of the head and the chest thrust forward and an arched back). If wearing a swimsuit,
looks more like someone in a swimsuit contest of a beauty pageant.
Source: Englis et al. (1994), Frith et al. (2005), Goodman et al. (2008), and Solomon et al. (1992).
and a brand’s image was named the beauty match up hypothesis. The
authors conclude that “perceivers distinguish multiple types of good looks,
and that in advertising, certain beauty ideals are more appropriately paired
with specific products than with others” (Solomon et al., 1992, p. 23).
Building on this study, Englis et al. (1994) conducted a content analysis
of ads in American fashion magazines and found that Classic/Feminine
(23.6%) and Exotic/Sensual (23.1%) were the most popular beauty types.
Girl-Next-Door (13.9%), Sex Kitten (10.3%), and Cute (3.1%) were less
prevalent. The study found specific fashion magazines were associated
with different types of beauty (e.g. Trendy with Vogue, Sensual/Exotic
with Cosmopolitan, etc.). Thus, models with different types of beauty were
best matched with brands that share similar cultural meanings, once again
supporting the beauty match up hypothesis in a different context.
In a cross-cultural study comparing magazine advertisements, Frith et al.
(2005) dropped the Exotic category, as they reasoned that what is con-
sidered “exotic” in North America could be considered “standard” in other
countries. They then combined the other categories into Classic/Feminine,
Cute/Girl-Next-Door, and Sensual/Sex Kitten, as the authors felt these
categories shared mutual properties. They found Classic/Feminine had
universal appeal, Sex-Kitten was used more often in the United States,
Cute/Girl-Next-Door more often in Taiwan, and Trendy more often in
Singapore. Consequently, the authors suggested beauty ideals in advertising
are based on cultural values, although those values were implicit in
the study.
More recently, Goodman et al. (2008) explored American women aged
18–26 responses to beauty advertisements and found that beauty ideals
existed on a continuum and were multidimensional. One end of the con-
tinuum was anchored by Sexual/Sensual (SS) and the other end was
anchored by Classic Beauty/Cute/Girl-Next-Door (CCG). They found CCG
models had significantly greater pleasure and arousal than high SS models
(Goodman et al., 2008).
In summary, previous advertising research into beauty images supports
a typology of eight different beauty types, each with a specific cultural
meaning that can be matched to different brands according to that brand’s
image (Englis et al., 1994). The use and prevalence of each type of beauty
image may be linked to cultural values, and different beauty types may
provoke different consumer responses. However, the communication of
beauty ideals has partially shifted from fashion magazines to beauty influ-
encers on social media platforms. As media use changes it is reasonable
to assume that the types of beauty may have evolved, and new categories
may have been created. It is important to survey the different types of
beauty that exist in influencer posts on social media to understand if the
beauty typology developed from traditional magazine advertising still has
relevance today as the world shifts from print publications to SMIs per-
suasion tactics.
Social media influencers, beauty types, and cultural values
Many competing definitions of SMIs exist. Delbaere et al. (2021), identify

several common themes from the various definitions: opinion leadership,
social capital acquisition, a specialized genre of celebrity (known as the
microcelebrity), and the ability to communicate brands’ marketing messages
with or without the brand’s consent (such as sponsored and unsponsored
content). Delbaere et al. (2021, p. 2) synthesize the definitions of SMIs to
be “users of social media who have achieved celebrity status and who
develop social capital in the form of large followings on social media
platforms and who have a position of influence on their audience.” More
specifically, an Instagram influencer has been defined as, “any popular
Instagram character with a high number of followers, who has a high
taste in fashion and lifestyle, which enables them to monetize their appear-
ance” (Jin et al., 2019, p. 3). SMIs help build “sound relationships” with
potential consumers and facilitate impulse buying (Rana et al., 2023).
Beauty SMIs are radically changing how the beauty industry markets
beauty (Gerdeman, 2019), especially on Instagram, as they are the primary
way consumers get beauty information about brands. Consumers are skep-
tical of traditional brand advertising (De Veirman et al., 2017) and looking
for more personal and interactive experiences (Feng et al., 2021). “Instagram
is a platform that is based on visual aesthetics and filtered images, which
makes it a suitable ecosystem for promoting beauty products” (Jin et al.,
2019, p. 56). Instagram, as one of the top image-based, user-generated
content platforms, provides certain users with the opportunity to build
large followings in various genres of content and the chance to achieve
different levels of fame to become SMIs.
SMI attractiveness helps build followers’ attention (Lou & Yuan, 2019)
and creates a favorable first impression; attractiveness is more important
than expertise in influencing brand trust and brand image (Wiedmann &
von Mettenheim, 2021). It boosts connection (Kim & Kim, 2023), inspiration
(Ki et al., 2022), and likability among audiences (Hu et al., 2022). SMI
attractiveness also impacts perceptions about source expertise and source
trustworthiness (Filieri et al., 2023) and physically attractive endorsers influ-
ence parasocial communication (Lee & Watkins, 2016; Manchanda et al.,
2022). SMI attractiveness, “is related to the admiration of the message source.
It indicates the receiver’s aspiration to resemble or identify with the message
source” (Mir & Salo, 2023, p. 3), has positive effects on the reposting of
content on social media platforms (Loureiro & Sarmento, 2019) and author
attractiveness influences brand participation (Robinot et al., 2023).
Hund (2017) proposed that Instagram creates a “measured” beauty that

does not challenge prevailing Western beauty norms; this proposition sug-
gests SMIs may follow the traditional beauty ideals of magazines, as
described in Solomon et al. (1992) beauty typology. Other research supports
this traditional view, demonstrating that fashion bloggers try to mimic
upscale fashion magazine ads (McQuarrie et al., 2013). On the other hand,
some scholars suggest popular beauty SMIs are not perceived as archetypal
beauty models (Kim & Kim, 2021), so perhaps the eight types of beauty
no longer apply on social media. This study uses a content analysis of
images posted by popular beauty SMIs on Instagram to explore this question.
Furthermore, the study by Frith et al. (2005) suggested the eight beauty
types are linked to the cultural values of a society, as different beauty
types were more prevalent in the ads from different countries. However,
the underlying values of the different beauty types were not explained
by previous research. Values have been defined as a set of enduring beliefs
“governing preferable modes of conduct or end states of existence”
(Rokeach, 1973, p. 5). Cultural values are regarded as the governing ideas
and guiding principles for thought and action in a given society
(Srikandath, 1991), and a powerful force shaping consumers’ motivations,
lifestyles, and product choices (Tse et al., 1989). Cultural values are at
the very core of each advertising message; they are endorsed, glamorized,
and reinforced in advertising (Pollay et al., 1990). Thus, not only are
advertisements selling a product but a cultural value, to consumers.
Beauty advertisers have had to shift their messages to reflect changing
social and cultural values because consumers around the world are demand-
ing a higher level of responsibility from companies in dealing with societal
issues; brands may have to become more overt in displaying their cultural
values as consumers demand that brands “do good” (Diehl et al., 2016).
Where beauty brands used to stress quality or luxury, for example, they
might have to discuss sustainability or empowerment. Advertisers’ choices
of models to embody these cultural values exert an indirect, yet powerful,
influence on the implicit conceptions of beauty held by the general public.
SMIs are modern-day cultural gatekeepers of beauty (Hund & McGuigan,
2019) that “have increasingly become cultural contexts for everyday living,
individual identity, and affective relationships” (Banet-Weiser, 2012, p. 4).
However, very little research exists to understand the cultural values linked
to beauty types or beauty SMIs posts.
Cheng (1994) identified thirty-two cultural values used in advertising;
Cheng and Schweitzer (1996) found the dominant cultural values in U.S.
television advertisements were enjoyment (15.3%), modernity (11.9%),
individualism (7.0%), economy (6.2%), and youth (6.0%). Khairullah and
Khairullah (2003) found the cultural values most prevalent in popular U.S.
magazine advertisements were convenience (10.7%), effectiveness (9.8%),
leisure (9.8%), technology (7.5%), adventure (6.5%), and courtesy (5.6%).

Taylor et al. (2013) studied the prevalence of cultural values in U.S. mag-
azines aimed at different age groups and found those popular with young
adults were sex (27%), social status (13.0%), uniqueness (6.0%), modernity
(5.0%), and adventure (4.0%). This study uses the values uncovered in
previous advertising research to explore the values beauty SMIs depict,
and the relationship between those cultural values and different types of
beauty. By focusing on SMIs as gatekeepers of not only beauty ideals but
also cultural values, this study answers the call by Englis et al. (1994, p.
51) that: “Research on the transmission of symbolic and aesthetic imagery
in popular culture must redress the lack of attention to those agents
responsible for the encoding of consumption relevant imagery.” However,
not all consumer groups are equally influenced by beauty SMIs on social
media. Younger adults, those considered part of Gen Z, have a unique
affinity for persuasive beauty content on social media.
Generation Z
Gen Z has a fluid definition (see Table 2) but possesses a common age
range of being born between 1995 and 2010. The main identifier for Gen
Z is that they grew up as Internet and mobile technology rapidly advanced,
“from earliest youth, they have been exposed to the internet, to social
networks, and to mobile systems. They are commonly referred to as “digital
natives” Nigam, 2022) as, “Technology gadgets and smart devices are con-
stantly adopted and used by Generation Z” (Dogra & Kaushal, 2021, p.
674) and 71% of Gen Z use Instagram and they prefer social commerce
to e-commerce (Hazari & Sethna, 2023). This has produced a hypercognitive
generation very comfortable with collecting and cross-referencing many
sources of information and with integrating virtual and offline experiences”
(Francis & Hoefel, 2018, p. 2). Gen Z has developed unique purchasing
behaviors that are vastly different from previous generations, limiting the
Table 2. Definitions of Generation Z.

Author Definition of Generation Z
Turner (2015, p. 103) Those born between the years of 1993 and 2005
Dimock (2019, p. 2) Those born between the years of 1997 and 2012
Wood (2013, p. 1) Individuals born from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s
Dangmei and Singh (2016, p. 2) Generation Z is born and raised with the social web, they are digital
centric and technology is their identity. They are born in the 1990s
and raised in the 2000s.
Fromm and Read (2018, p. 1) Birth years of 1996–2010
Weise (2019, p. 14) Born between 1995 and 2006
Witt and Baird (2018, p. XV) Born between 1996 and 2011 (approximately), Gen Z may not have
reached full maturity, but they are sophisticated and nuanced in how
they approach their world.
Francis and Hoefel (2018, p. 2) Loosely, people born from 1995 to 2010. They have been exposed to the
internet, to social networks, and to mobile systems.
application of previous research about marketing to young consumers

(Weise, 2019). Gen Z has a dependence on technology for seeking out
information about goods and services before making a purchase decision,
and they have a strong reliance on e-word-of-mouth (WOM) advertising
(Becerra, 2019; Cruz, 2016). Ameen et al. (2023, p. 1) observed that “Gen
Z consumers have a complicated relationship with brands because they are
cautious about spending and they are looking for authentic brands that
align their vision with key issues that truly matter to them.”
Gen Z differs from other generational cohorts wants are different from
other generations in their wants (Mason et al., 2022). They search for
honesty, uniqueness, and morals in brand relationships (Feng et al., 2021)
and seek value conscious purchases (Ameen et al., 2023).
They have higher levels of materialism, narcissism, mental health issues,
suffer from loneliness low self-esteem, and low confidence and are con-
cerned with sustainability, and have a fear of missing out (Ameen et al.,
2023; Mason et al., 2022; Narayanan, 2022; Schroth, 2019; Writer, 2017).
Gen Z is, “multitaskers, justice-minded, faster information processors,
and change seekers (Hazari & Sethna, 2023, p. 521).
Gen Z makes up ~40% of U.S. consumers (Fromm, 2021). The gener-
ation represents $44 billion USD in direct buying power (Weise, 2019).
Gen Z consumers make purchasing decisions based on authenticity—espe-
cially from influencers, personalization, and true-life content—showing the
realistic aspects of products, and products/companies that support social
matters (Wansi, 2020). This is especially apparent for industries, such as
beauty and fashion. Gen Z members rely on social media platforms
(YouTube, Instagram, and Tik Tok) to seek out information on beauty
trends and the ideal products to buy (Weinswig, 2016).
The quality of products is one of the main purchase criteria of Gen Z
consumers (Priporas et al., 2017). Gen Z members tend to “attach great
important to personal appearance: they are the first generation to grow
up “in public” online, i.e. documenting their lives on social media.”
(Weinswig, 2016, p. 1). The obsession with looks from a young age explains
why the beauty and skincare are very important to them (Biondi, 2021).
Therefore, this study will explore the perceptions of women consumers in
the Gen Z cohort in terms of their responses to the different types of
beauty depicted on Instagram.
Methods
Study 1
Using lists of the top beauty influencers on Instagram (Hype Auditor,

2021) and from around the world (Amra & Elma Digital Marketing Agency,
2020), a list of the top 100 influencers in the beauty category was com-
piled. These commercial lists were the only published sources the authors
could find, and their methodologies are unknown. Influencers had to have
at least 30,000 followers and a connection to the beauty industry. Influencers
had to have 30,000 followers because to ensure they had a large following.
The researchers developed a list of the top 100 beauty influencers based
on the number of followers by combining both lists and removing any
duplicates. Influencers came from a range of backgrounds including pro-
fessional makeup artists, beauty and style bloggers, creators, owners of
cosmetics companies, and hobbyists. More traditional celebrities, such as
actors and musicians were not included in this study because they were
not unknown before and did not build their fame and followers based on
their own personal efforts (Schouten et al., 2020) of generating authentic
“grass roots” content on Instagram and their knowledge of beauty.
Influencers had a wide range of followers; 45% had a million or more
and 11% had over 10 million revealing their importance as cultural gate-
keepers for beauty. The average number of likes per image was 232,689
and the average number of comments per image was 3,543.
Instagram was chosen because Instagram is a popular with beauty influ-
encers. The “Instagramization of beauty” has occurred; Instagram is the
preferred social network for anyone interested in beauty (Wagner Mainardes
et al., 2023). Instagram has created an “ecosystem for promoting beauty
products” (Jin et al., 2019, p. 567) as “Instagram’s impact reaches far
beyond its role as a promotional business tool to the very ways consumers
choose to style themselves in the first place” (Hund, 2017). In addition,
Instagram is very popular with SMIs (Feng et al., 2021; Mir & Salo, 2023)
and beauty influencers (Sokolova & Kefi, 2020); it is the most popular
platform for influencer marketing (Casalo et al., 2020, De Veirman &
Hudders, 2020), especially with Gen Z.
The five most recent images of each influencer from Instagram were
collected in January 2021 to create a sample of 500 images. These included
organic and sponsored posts. The beauty type of the SMI in the image
was coded; if there were other people present in the image, they were not
included in the coding. To be included in the sample, the “model” (influ-
encer) had to be present in the photo, facing toward the camera, and the
model’s full face must be in the photo, along with the torso or full body.
To ensure that beauty could be coded, images of only the hand, torso, or
some other body part of the influencer were not included.
A coding protocol was created to rate images by the presence or absence
of different types of beauty, the types of products featured, and cultural
values depicted. The eight types of beauty were taken from the studies
by Solomon et al. (1992) and Englis et al. (1994) as detailed in Table 1;
this is a typology used in many previous advertising studies (Tipgomut
et al., 2022). To allow for the discovery of new and emerging beauty
ideals, an “Other” category was used.
Influencer images were coded to allow for multiple types of beauty and
cultural values within a single photo, as the beauty types are not mutually
exclusive (Fowler & Carlson, 2015) and beauty is multidimensional
(Goodman et al., 2008). The classification of cultural values was based on
the values originally developed by Cheng (1994). The images also were
coded for model age, gender, ethnicity, type of background and setting,
promoted products and brands mentioned (visually and verbally), followers
per influencer, likes, and comments per image. The text in the many
comments was not coded.
An additional 25 images from five influencers were collected to train
the coders; these were not included in the study. Each rater used the
coding sheet to separately classify each image. Discrepancies in coding or
understanding of category qualifications were discussed between coders
to improve reliability before the study began.
Using the coding protocol, two raters independently coded every image
in the sample. Any disagreements about coding decisions were resolved
by discussion. For each category, intercoder reliability was rated at 81%
or above using the Rust and Cooil (1994) Proportional Reduction in Loss
Method (PRL). The PRL method has been determined to be more accurate
in calculating inter-rater reliability for content analysis studies than Cohen’s
kappa or the Perrault and Leigh measure because of the correction factor
that PRL uses to adjust for chance agreement.
Crosstab tables and chi-square analyses highlighted significant associa-
tions between the types of beauty, cultural values, and product categories.
Subsequent standardized residual analysis (Agresti, 2002) revealed the
categories contributing most to the associations (Hays, 1981).
Study 2
The perceptions of Gen Z consumers to the types of beauty depicted by

beauty SMIs on Instagram were assessed using Interpretative Phenomenological
Analysis (IPA). This approach focuses on the participant’s lived experience
through their interpretation of that personal experience. It enables the
experience to be articulated in its own expressions, rather than according
to predefined grouping methods (Smith et al., 2022; Smith & Osborn, 2008).
After receiving permission from the University’s Research Ethics Board,
twenty North American participants (see Table 3) classified as Gen Z (born
between 1996 and 2001) who followed beauty influencers on Instagram
(participants were able to list 3–7 beauty SMIs that they followed) were
recruited using convenience and snowball sampling. Twenty participants
were deemed suitable to reach theoretical saturation (Boddy, 2016).
Table 3. Study participants.

Pseudonym Age Occupation
Ashley 23 Health Field
Brittney 24 Insider sales
Carly 23 Administrative Assistant
Dianna 24 Human Resource Assistant
Evelyn 21 Human Resources
Francine 21 Retail Worker
Grace 23 Bank Manager
Hannah 25 Server
Isabelle 22 Accountant
Jessica 25 Development Coordinator
Kelly 23 Bank Member Advisor, Dance Instructor
Lisa 24 Learning Facilitator in Human Resources
Mary 21 Bank employee
Noelle 20 Administrative Assistant
Olivia 24 Legal Aid
Penelope 25 Business owner/ Hairstylist
Quinn 26 Commercial Management Trainee
Rebecca 22 Crisis intervention worker
Stacy 23 Nurse
Taylor 25 Continuing Care Assistant
In the semi-structured interviews lasting an average of 1 h, participants

were asked which beauty SMIs they followed and why, and each partic-
ipant was shown exemplars of the different types of beauty depicted on
Instagram from the content analysis (see Figure 1) and asked to rate
them as like, dislike or neutral and their reasons for doing this to gen-
erate discussion. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed produc-
ing over 180 pages of text. Data analysis involved separating full interviews
into a collection of fragments and putting them back together in an
additional new whole that suggested understanding of the research ques-
tions (Smith, 2004).
Data analysis was guided by the strategies outlined by Smith et al.
(2022). The first step of data analysis involved data immersion. The next
phase included line-by-line analysis of the transcripts to stay close to the
data and generate short active codes (Charmaz, 2008). In this iterative
process, subsequent transcripts were then compared for textual and inter-
textual analysis (Thompson, 1997). Once each transcript had been analyzed,
a list of subordinate themes with supporting quotes was constructed to
create superordinate themes (Smith et al., 2022) telling a narrative of Gen
Z’s perceptions of the beauty depicted by beauty SMIs on Instagram.
Study 1 content analysis results

Description of SMIs
The model was alone 81% of the time; 11% of beauty SMIs posts feature
both men and women, and 8% feature only men. This shows women are
more commonly represented in the beauty community on Instagram and
Table 4. Types of products mentioned.

Types of product mentioned Freq (%)
None 287 (57.4%)
Make up (not eye) 52 (10.4%)
Eye makeup preparations 49 (9.8%)
Clothing, shoes and handbags 47 (9.4%)
Skincare 21 (4.2%)
Hair (non-coloring) 10 (2.0%)
Other 34 (6.8%)
that a few men have become beauty influencers and cultural gatekeepers.
Eighty-four percent of models appear to be under 30, suggesting partici-
pation as well as the main target audience of the top beauty influencers
to be women under 30.
Most influencers do not expressly identify their sexual orientation
through their photos; thus, 93% did not contain information to identify
the model’s sexuality. White models accounted for 51% of the sample.
Those classified as nonwhite came from a multitude of different back-
grounds, making up 49% of the sample; this figure shows the ethnic
diversity of the top beauty influencers on Instagram. SMIs have moved
beyond advertisers’ preoccupation with “whiteness” (Frith et al., 2005),
the “paleness” and “purity” long associated with beauty (Tungate, 2011).
Although all the SMIs were wearing beauty products, over half (57%)
of the images featured no mentioned products at all. The most mentioned
products were makeup products (not eye) (10.4%), eye makeup (9.8%),
and clothing, shoes, and handbags (9.4%) (Table 4).
RQ1: What types of beauty do SMIs depict on Instagram and how do these
beauty types compare with those uncovered through previous advertising
research on magazine images?
Feminine, at 92.6% was the most popular beauty type (Table 5) and Sensual
is a close second at 83.4%. The third most prevalent classification was
Exotic at 62%, Classic Beauty, came in fourth at 23%. Exemplars of the
different types of beauty can be found in Figure 1.
To capture emerging or new types of beauty depicted by SMIs on
Instagram that fall outside of Englis et al. (1994) classification, an Other
(15.4%) category was used. This category, with exemplars in Figure 2,
shows this category was more theatrical, bizarre, and outlandish compared
to the other idealized dimensions of beauty and could resemble fantasy
makeup (Wiid et al., 2023). These “other” images bordered on the dis-
crepant images found in high fashion advertising (Phillips & McQuarrie,
2011). This means SMIs are copying the grotesque imagery found more
often in high fashion ads, instead of the other types of beauty found more
often in beauty and personal care ads (Phillips & McQuarrie, 2011).
Table 5. Types of beauty depicted by beauty SMI on Instagram.

Frequency (%)
Feminine 463 (92.6)
Sensual 417 (83.4)
Exotic 311 (62.2)
Cute 151 (30.2)
Classic beauty 113 (22.6)
Trendy 98 (19.6)
Sex Kitten 36 (7.2)
Girl Next Door 31 (6.2)
Other 77 (15.4)
When comparing beauty types depicted by beauty SMIs to the beauty

types found in fashion magazines (Englis et al., 1994), Table 6 shows
Sensual/Exotic and Classic Beauty/Feminine are still the most popular
types of beauty depicted by cultural gatekeepers, but they are even more
popular with beauty SMIs. This finding demonstrates that there are a few
dominant beauty types on Instagram and in fashion magazines that have
endured over time. Trendy, Sex Kitten, and Girl Next Door have declined
in popularity as a percentage of the types of beauty depicted but Cute
has increased.
RQ2: As cultural gatekeepers what cultural values do SMI depict and what is
the relationship between the types of beauty and cultural values?
Unsurprisingly, as the goal of beauty products is to enhance the wearer’s

attractiveness and give a youthful appearance, youth (97%) and beauty
(94%) are the most frequently appearing values. Individualism, Quality,
and Enjoyment all hold 91%, followed by Effectiveness at 90% (Table 7).
A sense of Adventure was present in 89% of images, and Neatness (84%)
and Sex (82%) followed. This finding demonstrates these are the most
represented cultural values in the beauty industry, as depicted by the top
influencers. These highly present cultural values are markedly higher than
the prevalence of cultural values commonly found in U.S. television com-
mercials (Cheng & Schweitzer, 1996), popular U.S. magazines (Khairullah
& Khairullah, 2003) and U.S. magazines popular with young adults (Taylor
et al., 2013).
Compared to previous research individualism, enjoyment, and youth
ranked high in SMI posts and U.S. television programs (Cheng & Schweitzer,
1996) while adventure, effectiveness, and to an extent leisure ranked high
in SMI posts and popular U.S. magazine advertisements, but convenience
and technology ranked lower (Khairullah & Khairullah, 2003). Sex, unique-
ness, and adventure were prevalent in both SMI posts and U.S. magazines
popular with young adults (Taylor et al., 2013). Appearing least often at
under 10% frequency are competition, nurturance, patriotism, safety,
Figure 2. Examples of types of beauty.

Table 6. Types of beauty depicted on Instagram compared to the types of beauty depicted
in fashion magazines.
Instagram SMIs Fashion magazines
Beauty type Frequency (%) Frequency (%)
Sensual/exotic* 728 (44.9) 45 (23.1)
Classic beauty/feminine* 576 (35.6) 46 (23.6)
Cute 151 (9.3) 6 (3.1)
Trendy 98 (6.0) 51 (26.2)
Sex Kitten 36 (2.2) 20 (10.3)
Girl Next Door 31 (2.0) 27 (13.9)
*
Englis et al. (1994) combined Solomon et al. (1992) classic beauty/feminine and exotic sensual.
Table 7. Cultural values.

Cultural value Frequency (%)
Youth 486 (97.2)
Beauty 472 (94.4)
Individualism 455 (91.0)
Enjoyment 454 (90.8)
Quality 453 (90.6)
Adventure 445 (89.9)
Effectiveness 451 (90.2)
Neatness 424 (84.8)
Sex 410 (82.0)
Leisure 388 (77.6)
Uniqueness 339 (67.8)
Social status 315 (63.0)
Wealth 253 (50.6)
Courtesy 221 (44.2)
Modernity 204 (40.8)
Collectivism 129 (25.8)
Natural 117 (23.4)
Popularity 107 (21.4)
Magic 96 (19.2)
Family 83 (16.6)
Convenience 79 (15.8)
Health 70 (14.0)
Economy 68 (13.6)
Tradition 63 (12.6)
Safety 47 (9.4)
Work 46 (9.2)
Technology 45 (9.0)
Competition 36 (7.2)
Nurturance 28 (5.6)
Wisdom 27 (5.4)
Patriotism 27 (5.4)
Respect for the elderly 9 (1.8)
technology, wisdom, and work, with respect for the elderly appearing the
very least at 2%.
Statistical comparisons by the types of beauty with products featured
and cultural values were conducted using chi-square analysis. If the rela-
tionship was significant, standardized residuals were analyzed to ascertain
what drove the association.
Due to their low occurrence, Girl Next Door, Sex Kitten, and Other
beauty type categories were combined into an Other category for this
analysis. The cultural values of competition, nurturance, patriotism, respect
for the elderly, safety, technology, wisdom, and work were combined into
an Other category of cultural values as they occurred <10% of the time.
Several cultural values demonstrated strong relationships to the different
types of beauty depicted (see Appendix A). Sex, as could be expected was
present with sensual (92%), and adventuresome was strongest with images
featuring Sensual beauty (94% present) as it suggests boldness, daring,
bravery courage, or thrill. The types of beauty less likely to feature
Adventuresome were Classic (76% present) and Cute (81% present) as
they are more conservative.
Collectivism, with its emphasis on belonging to a reference group, was
more present in the wholesome category of Cute (41% presence) and was
less likely to be present with the individualistic Trendy (29% present).
Courtesy, which stresses politeness and friendship, was more likely to be
used with Cute (65% present) as was nature (31%). Tradition had a higher
degree of presence with Cute (23%) while sex (73%) and uniqueness (75%)
were more likely to be missing from this with this more conforming
beauty type. Uniqueness (88.8%) and modernity (76%) were very likely
to be present with Trendy as were leisure (64% present) and magic (28%
present) but quality (83%) was less likely to be present.
Study 2 IPA findings

RQ3: What are Generation Z’s perceptions of the types of beauty depicted
by beauty SMI’s on Instagram?
The perceptions of Gen Z to the different types of beauty depicted by

SMI on Instagram can be grouped into two subordinate themes of
Manufactured Beauty and Attainable Beauty (see Figure 3). Different
themes arose for each of the nine types of beauty. The types of beauty
of Sensual, Exotic, Sex Kitten, Trendy, and Other are considered the man-
ufactured types of beauty as they have either unattainable looks (editing,
art styling, or bold beauty) or negative themes associated with them
(materialism, narcissism, and sexualization). Classic, Feminine, Cute, and
Girl Next Door types of beauty were decided as the attainable types of
beauty as they portray more natural, relatable, and achievable depictions
of beauty. Common themes for manufactured beauty included beauty as
art, dislike for bold beauty, distrust of promoted products, materialism,
narcissism, sexualization, and unrealistic beauty. The common themes for
attainable beauty include beauty for the sake of beauty, natural beauty,
realistic beauty, and relatable/achievable beauty. Table 8 provides further
support for these themes and shows how they were derived from the lived
experiences of participants with supportive and illustrative quotes (Figure 4).
Figure 3. Other types of beauty.
Manufactured beauty describes beauty that has been enhanced in some

way, such as plastic surgery or Botox or editing and filters added to the
photos. The theme of manufactured beauty describes the makeup and look
of the Sensual photo. Participants voiced opinions as to why they consid-
ered the photo to showcase manufactured beauty:
I don’t like how overly edited it is. You can really tell especially the pores on her
skin and her lip. The lips are really blurred out at the edges—kind of part of the skin
(Ashley).
Participants felt that the sensual photo was sexual, leading to the theme
of sexualization. Participants did not enjoy the pose in the photo; Carly
voiced their opinion noting the beauty SMIs’ open mouth,
The pose, more than like the facial expression, it’s like, too elaborate it’s like more so
she’s sending the message of the sex appeal side of things. (Carly)
Some participants stated it seemed like the influencer was not trying
to showcase her look to those who would replicate it, but rather was
trying to gain attention from viewers:
I think she’s just playing the role of like a female trying to get male attention. (Quinn).
Exotic beauty produced the themes a dislike for bold beauty and unre-
alistic beauty. Dislike for bold beauty is a theme used to explain a dislike
Table 8. Types of beauty and themes.

Types of Superordinate
beauty Selective illustrative extracts Themes themes
Sensual • “I don’t like how overly edited it is you can really tell especially Unrealistic Manufactured
the pores on her skin and her lip. The lips are really blurred out beauty beauty
at the edges kind of part of the skin.” Ashley
• “I think that’s just a little too edited, whether the Botox or
filters probably both.” Penelope
• “There’s a disconnect between what she’s sharing and what Sexualization
she’s trying to be relatable with.” Brittney
• “Um, the pose, more than the facial expression, to elaborate
more it’s more so she’s sending the message of the sex appeal
side of things.” Carly
• “She’s posing very much for the male gaze that sort of picture
just kind of makes me uncomfortable because I know it’s not
meant for me.” Noelle
• “She’s definitely got the sex appeal that is looked for in a lot of
Instagram models and influencers.” Noelle
Exotic • “I don’t like the colors, I don’t like that it’s not super natural Dislike for
like the yellow eye shadow.” Grace bold
• “I think her makeup is a little bit too much by a little bit I mean, beauty
a lot of it too much, not just for what I would like for myself.”
Kelly
• “Her skin looks way too blurred and almost like it does not Unrealistic
match the rest of her skin color” Ashley beauty
• “It’s just the unrealistic expectation of what you would see her
as in public… she’s not gonna look airbrushed and as polished
as she does in this image.” Carly
Sex Kitten • “When you’re promoting a brand. By editing the picture you’re Distrust of
changing the way the clothes look on you. That’s not even promoted
accurate to how it fits.” Ashley products
• “It seems very staged. It has a certain audience that she’s going
for a brand deal to make money.” Rebecca
• “I find that those images are posted for attention, other times Narcissism
people post them because they feel really good about
themselves.” Carly
• “And if you’re looking at beauty wise it’s more of a sexual Sexualization
beauty than a face beauty, she’s just in lingerie and I don’t
know it just looks like it’s not for an audience of women, it’s
more so an audience of men.” Dianna
• “It’s very bold, I typically don’t like looks that show a lot of
skin, but maybe it’s because I have a bias toward looking too
sexy.” Hannah
• “There’s an issue with hyper sexualized and the women, and
the fact that that is affecting young girls so badly is just so
harmful to me.” Mary
Trendy • “And his makeup, again the no eyebrows that’s a signature but Dislike for
it just looks scary he looks scary… his eye makeup like really bold
dark and he’s got no lips.” Dianna beauty
• “I feel like just the fit the hair everything if it like love Jeffrey but
it’s just like it’s tacky and I think it comes with that too.” Grace
• “Something feels a little icky about when influencers flaunt Materialism
their wealth, especially if it’s extravagant wealth. Nobody needs
this many cars to be fulfilled or further everyday life.” Hannah
• “I am kind of iffy about this, don’t really think like the car in
the background is necessary because I feel that’s just getting
materialistic a bit.” Isabelle
• “I think he’s playing into the whole l got this lot of money so
he’s playing into some kind of like rich person.” Quinn
• “And the clothes that he’s wearing he’s trying to show off his Narcissism
accumulated wealth, which seems a bit narcissistic to me had
not helpful.” Brittney
• “It definitely is playing into the whole materialism culture. Look,
I am beautiful, I am successful, I’m fashionable. And I’m better
than you.” Mary
(Continued)
Table 8. Continued.
Types of Superordinate
beauty Selective illustrative extracts Themes themes
Other • “It is definitely like a work of art like I give this person a lot of Beauty as art
credit for making makeup look like an art project it’s so
significant.” Francine
• “I like it in terms of just the way that it doesn’t look like it’s a
photo, it almost looks like it’s art.” Kelly
• “You’re promoting a makeup brand, but you’re not, you’re Distrust of
editing the way the makeup looks on the face I can’t tell if promoted
they actually blend that long, or not.” Ashley products
• “I think people will have higher expectations about how
makeup is supposed to perform, and people might just think
they’re not good at makeup or set to be a beauty influencer
when these people are just editing, their looks.” Brittney
• “His face is very face tuned, or edited to smooth it out. And Unrealistic
that’s not how makeup actually looks on a person.” Brittney beauty
• “Yes, they airbrushed and did the collar bones and made their
face. It’s not normal and not what you’d walk out to see in
public.” Carly
Classic • “I think a simple natural look has always been a thing I don’t Natural Attainable
think that’s ever going to go out of style.” Dianna beauty beauty
• “I think I like to see just natural, just kind of more like timeless
beauty.” Grace
• “It’s that natural glam were you know someone’s wearing makeup
but it just really complements their natural beauty.” Lisa
• “Yeah, I like this one because it’s like simple and there isn’t a Relatable/
whole lot going on.” Evelyn achievable
• “She’s just taking a photo of herself and posting it online beauty
because she feels she looks good.” Isabelle
Feminine • “She’s very attractive, and I feel this is more of the type of Beauty for
picture or beauty that I would like to go for it because she’s the sake
very presents herself very feminine and cute.” Brittney of beauty
• “You can see that she’s exposing herself She said it took about
50 photos for her to take this, so it just shows you how realistic
and how much time it really takes into putting one photo on
the internet.” Dianna
• “Her hair is done, and she’s got a full face of makeup on,
though it’s trying to look a little bit more natural.” Kelly
• “But it’s still a more natural realistic looking picture. Her outfit Relatable/
and everything she’s wearing again like it’s like achievable and achievable
attainable. And I just think it’s realistic looking.” Francine beauty
• “I liked how it’s a bit more modest than a lot of beauty
influencer content that comes across my screen.” Hannah
Cute • “I like this photo the most because it just seems very natural, Natural
you know, she is with her dog, and her dogs very cute, and beauty
she’s smiling, and she looks happy.” Brittney
• “It’s more natural than the others. It looks like it’s a real photo
that she was sitting on her couch with her dog and actually
took that photo instead of posing.” Carly
• “She’s beautiful but it’s achievable because she’s wearing like Realistic
sweats, or leggings and a sweater. She also has a dog.” Lisa beauty
• “I think she just looks comfy in her sweatshirt hanging out in
her house with her dog just a blanket kind of messy on the
couch, you know, just very casual.” Penelope
Girl Next • “More natural as well, like outdoors like she’s again, it could Natural
Door just be the angle as well but she’s outside. Her hair is kind of beauty
wispy, you know, she looks posed but not as posed.” Carly
• “I would say just natural every day, attire like someone you just
pass on the street.” Isabelle
• “The hairs not perfectly styled you know; it’s got its frizzy ends Realistic
and you know if I was hanging out at the lake, I’d probably beauty
take a similar picture.” Jessica
• “Yeah, I just actually like how her makeup is done and show
their hair done but she’s in a sweatshirt and I believe that I feel
like that’s very my vibe.” Penelope
Figure 4. Summary of Gen Z perceptions.
for beauty that strays from natural or day-to-day looks. The Exotic photo
shows a woman wearing bright eyeshadow, a look that was considered
too bold for participants:
It’s a little too bold for me personally (Hannah).
I think her makeup is a little bit too much by a little bit I mean, a lot of it. It’s too
much, not just for what I would like for myself. (Kelly).
Dislike for bold beauty can be related to the second theme for Exotic
beauty, unrealistic beauty. As the bold look is not realistic for an everyday
look and is not likely to be replicated for non-influencers each day, the
look can be considered unrealistic. Additionally, participants identified
editing or enhancements in the photo:
Her skin looks way too blurred and almost does not match the rest of her skin color
(Ashley).
Sex Kitten produced three themes of distrust of promoted products,

narcissism, and sexualization. Beauty SMIs present promoted products in
ways that lead to an uncertainty about wanting to purchase the products.
The photo depicting Sex Kitten beauty is a sponsored post showcasing
lingerie; multiple participants noted that the editing of the photo made
them distrust the product promoted as it may not look the same way if
they were to purchase it. Participants identified that the sexual photo came
off as narcissistic. They voiced opinions that photos are not always posted
to share beauty but rather influencers may post for attention or personal
gratification:
I find that those images are posted for attention, other times people post them
because they feel really good about themselves (Carly).
Participants did not like this hyper sexualization on their Instagram feeds:
And if you’re looking at it beauty wise it’s more of a sexual beauty than then a face
beauty, she’s just in lingerie and I don’t know it just looks like it’s not for an audience
of women, it’s more so an audience of men. (Dianna).
Trendy produced the themes of dislike for bold beauty, materialism,

and narcissism.
Many participants stated that the look was off-putting and bizarre,
creating a dislike for bold beauty:
And his makeup, again the no eyebrows like that’s a signature but it just looks scary
like… his eye makeup is really dark and he’s got no lips (Dianna).
Although bold beauty looks can be appreciated for the skill that goes
into them, they are often regarded as unrealistic for day-to-day makeup
by Gen Z. In the Trendy beauty photo, the influencer is wearing designer
clothing in front of luxury cars—many participants felt that the photo was
materialistic:
I am kind of iffy about it. I don’t really think like the car in the background is
necessary because I feel that’s just getting materialistic a bit (Isabelle).
Trendy beauty was seen as unattainable to participants as not only did

it showcase materialism, but the photo presented showed an unaffordable
look and lifestyle:
It definitely is playing into the whole materialism culture, Look, I am beautiful, I am
successful I’m fashionable. And I’m better than you (Mary).
Mary’s statement gives an insight into how materialism and narcissism

are related. Participants voiced opinions about how not only did the photo
show a manufactured type of beauty it also gave a feeling of showing off
how the SMI could afford the look but others could not, leading to a
narcissistic theme.
The photo that was used for the Other category was an artistic makeup
look, leading participants to give responses that providing themes of beauty
as art, distrust of promoted products, and unrealistic beauty. Participants
gave insight into their admiration for the look but noted that it was not
an attainable day-to-day makeup look.
You know they use it to probably not going out to the grocery store like this, they’re
using, they’re using their creative outlet and sharing it on Instagram (Penelope).
Although participants admired the makeup looks, they felt that the look
was more of an art piece than a wearable makeup look:
It is definitely a work of art. I give this person a lot of credit for making makeup
look like an art project, it’s so significant (Francine).
Even though Generation Z participants did not aspire to recreate the

beauty looks for themselves, they did appreciate the time and effort to
execute looks that fall into the Other beauty category.
The second of the two superordinate themes is attainable beauty defined
as beauty that is easily replicable and executed by all individuals, no
matter their beauty skills, economic status, or career.
Classic beauty is underpinned by the themes of natural beauty and
relatable/achievable beauty. Participants enjoyed that the beauty portrayed
in the photo was natural, which in turn made it feel more attainable:
I think I like to see just natural, just kind of more timeless beauty (Grace).
The Classic beauty photo showcased natural beauty with minimal

makeup and messy hair, leading to a relatable/achievable theme; a look
that that could easily be replicated in the morning before heading off to
work was a desire commonly stated by participants:
I like this one because it seems achievable (Noelle).
Participants found that the beauty displayed in the Feminine photo was
a regular makeup look that would be easily replicable on a day-to-day
basis meaning themes of beauty for the sake of beauty and relatable/
achievable beauty were discovered. Participants regarded the beauty style
portrayed in the feminine beauty photo gave the essence of someone using
makeup for the sake of feeling beautiful—the makeup enhanced their
beauty as opposed to using a “full glam” makeup look to stand out. They
appreciated beauty for the sake of beauty:
She’s very attractive, and I feel this is more of the type of picture or beauty that I
would go for because she presents herself very feminine and cute (Brittney).
Francine summarized the opinions of Gen Z for relatable/achiev-

able beauty:
But it’s still a more natural realistic looking picture. Her outfit and everything she’s
wearing is achievable and attainable. And I just think it’s realistic looking. (Francine)
Cute beauty exhibited the themes of natural and realistic and many
participants found the outfit and style to be attainable:
She’s in comfy clothes and a hoodie and based on what I wear every day this is just
something that I can relate to (Isabelle).
The natural beauty seen in the photo resonated with participants, as

some noted that not every person wears a full face of makeup or profes-
sional clothing every day. Participants found Girl Next Door it to be the
most achievable type of beauty to portray as it was natural and realistic:
I would say natural every day, someone you just likely pass on the street (Isabelle).
Realistic beauty emphasizes the opinion that Girl Next Door beauty is
the type of beauty you see each day by people you may pass on the street:
Yeah, I just like her makeup done and how their hair is done but she’s in a sweat-
shirt and I believe that that’s very much my vibe (Penelope).
The photo also represents a more candid type of beauty as participants

pointed out that she is at the lake enjoying life:
I think it’s nice to see beauty influencers out and at the lake and that cabin doesn’t
look very fancy. (Penelope).
Discussion
The findings contribute to advertising theory by updating and extending
the previous typology of beauty types to examine its relevance in a chang-
ing media environment, and by linking different types of beauty to their
underlying cultural values. It also adds to advertising practice by examining
responses from an important consumer group to different types of beauty,
which has implications for successful partnerships between advertisers and
SMIs in the beauty industry.
This study answers Englis et al. (1994) call to extend their beauty
typology to other media vehicles and uncovers how the types of beauty,
as expressed through SMIs Instagram, explicitly reveal cultural values
related to beauty ideals. It does highlight that the beauty typology estab-
lished by Solomon et. al in 1992 is still relevant, even when applied to
the new cultural gatekeepers of SMIs. Feminine, Sensual, and Exotic are
still popular beauty ideals, similar to those found in magazines over
25 years ago (Englis et al., 1994). They remain as the top varieties of
beauty for SMIs and fashion models (Solomon et al., 1992). Girl-next door
and Sex Kitten are not popular beauty ideals in SMIs, like magazines
(Englis et al., 1994) but Cute has reclaimed its status; as it was surprisingly
prevalent despite its low appearance in magazines and the dated
observation that, “cute is simply not an acceptable look for female models”
(Englis et al., 1994, p. 54).
Our results build upon existing theory by demonstrating how the types
of beauty depicted by SMIs on Instagram are fluid and fall into multiple
categories that are not mutually exclusive (Goodman et al., 2008) and can
be combined to make up the “Instagram face” (Tolentino, 2019). Often,
influencers exhibited multiple types of beauty and cultural values within
one photo, even moving interchangeably between categories in different
photos. This fluidity of beauty is because SMIs have more leeway to show
multiple types of beauty because they can post multiple pictures, making
them less constrained as cultural gatekeepers than more traditional roles,
such as magazine editors.
Yet, being less constrained does not mean SMIs are hastening the way
standards of beauty change over time in a society (Hamermesh, 2011).
What we see is that beauty typology remains stable, even with the emer-
gence of an Other category, reinforcing the measured beauty that Instagram
creates (Hund, 2017) and is still similar to the discrepant images found
in fashion magazines (Phillips & McQuarrie, 2011). This means that pre-
vailing Western beauty standards remain relatively unchallenged (Hund,
2017) and images that fall under the Other category tend to only capture
archetypal beauty models (Kim & Kim, 2021). This insight, while perhaps
disheartening to some, can provide important insight for practice, especially
when building campaigns that require SMIs to help sell specific products
or services. The Other category also contradicts the heteronormative stan-
dards of beauty normally depicted on Instagram (Drenten et al., 2020).
Beauty types and cultural values
This study also explicitly links cultural values to different beauty types—a
connection that was implied but not yet measured (Frith et al., 2005). We
demonstrate that SMIs reinforce and do not challenge the prevailing cul-
tural values. As expected, the cultural values of sex, beauty, and youth
had high levels of occurrences in SMIs posts, like the appeals found in
U.S. magazines (Taylor et al., 2013). This finding reaffirms the feminist
critique of advertising depicting women as sex objects. However, the high
levels of adventure, individualism, quality, enjoyment, and neatness suggest
SMIs are no longer exclusively concerned about highlighting their beauty
and sex appeal alone and must bolster their appeal in other ways.
Influencers most often promote the values of beauty, youth, individu-
alism, quality, enjoyment, effectiveness, adventuresome, neatness, and sex.
Similar to Pollay’s (1986) “distorted mirror” of advertising, “this endorses,
glamorizes, and inevitability strengthens particular values while ignoring
others” (Morris & Nichols, 2013, p. 51). This conclusion matches Instagram’s
visual representation of achievement and triumph (Verdina, 2013). This

research demonstrates that perceptions from Gen Z introduce new cultural
values of narcissism and materialism, previously negatively received, sug-
gesting that future research should consider additional negative cul-
tural values.
Generation Z and beauty SMIs
Gen Z uses the idealized beauty images depicted on Instagram as proto-

types (Englis et al., 1994) to gage their own appearance. Sensual and
Exotic beauty are heavily depicted by SMIs on Instagram, but they do not
resonate with Gen Z whereas Cute and Girl Next Door are very well
received but depicted at a very low rate. Along with the two superordinate
themes of attainable and manufactured beauty, we gain a common insight:
a desire for authenticity and honesty from beauty SMIs. Gen Z values
authenticity and brands must figure out what authenticity means (Cannon,
2023). As Gen Z values sharing their lives with others on social media
as well as viewing content that others may share about their lives, it is
important to Gen Z that what is shared is authentic and honest (Weinswig,
2016) as over-modified model images decrease consumers’ perceived
authenticity (Lv et al., 2022). The insight from the participants of this
study reigns true in the beauty industry as brands are encouraging con-
sumers to define their own beauty standards by challenging “toxic” beauty
standards (Kiefer, 2022), advertising agencies are refusing to work with
influencers who edit or distort their faces for ads and future legislation
may require influencers to disclose digitally edited content (Bowler, 2022).
However, the participants did not object to plastic surgery or digital
enhancements so long as they were disclosed.
SMIs use specific beauty products on Instagram, but we found low
levels of mentioned product endorsements. The products are seamlessly
interwoven into the type of depicted beauty, which increases perceived
credibility and authenticity. This increases their validity as relatable and
“trusted tastemakers” in their specialized niche (De Veirman et al., 2017,
p. 798), rather than flagrant endorsers of brands. In this regard, trusted
SMIs became personal advisors, rather than advertisers for Gen Z
(Merineau, 2022). However, the perceived manufactured beauty seen in
Sensual, Exotic, Sex Kitten, Trendy, and Other creates a separation between
Generation Z and their trans-parasocial relationship with beauty SMIs
(Lou, 2022).
The distrust of promoted products due to editing and unrealistic beauty
is an important issue for Gen Z as the quality of products is a main
purchase criterion for Gen Z consumers (Priporas et al., 2017).
Approximately 40% of Instagram users say they feel unattractive while
using the social media platform (Milmo & Skopeliti, 2021). This could be
attributed to the practice of altering or editing images. Editing and unre-
alistic beauty impact the opinions that Gen Z has of the manufactured
beauty types as the enhancements lead to unattainable expectations of
products and appearances (Manovich, 2017). Similar to Goodman et al.
(2008), Gen Z saw sexiness as hypersexual and the negative traits made
the image disagreeable, which can lead to detachment. Indeed, SMI may
gain from showing a less flawless and idealized look (Fernandes et al., 2022).
Endorser and SMI attractiveness have been positively linked to several
desirable outcomes in advertising practice (Borges & Felix, 2014; Lou &
Yuan, 2019; Wiedmann & von Mettenheim, 2021). This research demon-
strates how this would work best for the types of beauty that Gen Z sees
as attainable, such as Classic and Girl Next Door. However, some of these,
such as Classic and Girl-Next-Door, are infrequently depicted by beauty
SMIs despite the potential for positive brand associations. Social respon-
sibility, sustainability, and empowerment did not show up as cultural values
for Gen Z and are not part of the cultural values assessed in the content
analysis, the closest was Natural defined as suggesting spiritual harmony
between human beings and nature.
The implications of this study is that although new categories of beauty
are emerging in the Other category the traditional categories of beauty
formulated over 30 years ago still dominate modern beauty influencers.
Even though their names nay now seem socially unacceptable and even
grotesque they are still prevalent and reflect classic beauty types in this
era of body positivity. These findings can enhance work done by adver-
tising professionals, specifically when targeting Gen Z by outlining how
Gen Z builds relationships with brands through SMIs within the beauty
industry, it is evident that attempting to challenge prevailing beauty stan-
dards via this marketing strategy may prove to be more detrimental than
what it first appears. However, when looking to capitalize on the benefits
of working with SMIs, especially within the beauty industry, our research
indicates that strategies should be reflexive of the standard beauty values
as well as values of individualism and adventure. It also highlights the
need to maintain authenticity when delivering advertising messages
through SMIs.
This study only analyzed the visuals on of beauty influencers and not
the accompanying comments which can “form an important and integral
part of Instagram imagery” (Tiggemann & Velissaris, 2020). While we
only focused on beauty influencers on Instagram, we do acknowledge that
they will possess “platform agnosticism” and be influential across various
platforms (Brooks et al., 2021). Future research, therefore, could be
expanded to other platforms or rely on machine learning techniques to
analyze the sentiment of follower comments for underlying beauty themes
and perceptions and study the top beauty influencers in a non-westernized

context. The cultural bias of the study to North America must be acknowl-
edged given the varying nature of cultural values around the globe. This,
the small sample size and the time the images were analyzed given the
rapidly changing nature of social media, may limit the generalizability of
the findings. However, there have been calls for more context-specific
studies in marketing (Stremersch et al., 2023).
Conclusion
The major types of beauty depicted by the new cultural gatekeepers of
SMIs are Feminine, Sensual, and Exotic. This shows the Solomon et al.
(1992) typology still has relevance as the beauty types are like those
depicted over 30 years ago. So, while some aspects of beauty, such as
fashion styles or color palettes, have changed over time the associated
cultural values remain relatively unchanged. However, the role of SMI’s
and participant responses indicates that Gen Z’s preference for authenticity
and honesty highlights a shift in cultural values that are more inclusive
toward idealistic fluidity, attainability, and replicability. Advertisers, then,
should take note—the next generation to have extreme buying power in
the very near future is not looking for something flashy or ridged and
adaptations to beauty campaigns are going to be vital.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
References
Agresti, A. (2002). Categorical data analysis (2nd ed.). Wiley-Interscience.
Ameen, N., Hosany, S., & Taheri, B. (2023). Generation Z’s psychology and new-age
technologies: Implications for future research. Psychology & Marketing, 40(10), 2029–
2040. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.21868
Amra & Elma Digital Marketing Agency (2020). 100 top beauty influencers in the U.S.
to follow in 2020. Retrieved January 15, 2021, from https://www.amraandelma.com/
top-beauty-influencers-to-follow-in-2020-in-us/
Bain, M. (2021). Sephora is betting that social commerce will catch on in the US. Quartz,
June 1. Retrieved from https://qz.com/2015310/sephora-is-betting-that-social-commerce-
will-catch-on-in-the-us/
Banet-Weiser, S. (2012). Authentic™: The politics of ambivalence in a brand culture. NYU Press.
Becerra, A. (2019). Generation Z: Social media, influencers, and brand loyalty in enter-
tainment [Masters of Arts in Strategic Public Relations]. University of Southern
California.
Biondi, A. (2021). How Gen Z is changing beauty. Vogue Business, July 2. Retrieved from
https://www.voguebusiness.com/beauty/gen-z-changing-beauty
Boddy, C. R. (2016). Sample size for qualitative research. Qualitative Market Research: An
International Journal, 19(4), 426–432. https://doi.org/10.1108/QMR-06-2016-0053
Borges, A., & Felix, R. (2014). Celebrity endorser attractiveness, visual attention, and
implications for ad attitudes and brand evaluations: A replication and extension. In E.
M. González and T. M. Lowrey (Eds.), LA – Latin American advances in consumer
research (Vol. 3, pp. 58–59). Association for Consumer Research.
Bower, A., & Landreth, S. (2001). Is beauty best? Highly versus normally attractive mod-
els in advertising. Journal of Advertising, 30(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1080/00913367
.2001.10673627
Bowler, H. (2022). Ogilvy will no longer work with influencers who edit their bodies or
faces for ads. The Drum, April 7. Retrieved from https://www.thedrum.com/
news/2022/04/07/ogilvy-will-no-longer-work-with-influencers-who-edit-their-bodies-or-
faces-ads
Brigham, J. (1980). Limiting conditions of the physical attractiveness stereotype: Attributions
about divorce. Journal of Research in Personality, 14(3), 365–375. https://doi.
org/10.1016/0092-6566(80)90019-7
Brooks, G., Drenten, J., & Piskorski, M. J. (2021). Influencer celebrification: How social
media influencers acquire celebrity capital. Journal of Advertising, 50(5), 528–547. https://
doi.org/10.1080/00913367.2021.1977737
Brumbaugh, A. (1993). Physical attractiveness and personality in advertising: More than
just a pretty face? In L. McAlister and M. L. Rothschild (Eds.), NA – Advances in
consumer research (Vol. 20, pp. 159–164). Association for Consumer Research.
Caballero, M., & Solomon, P. (1984). Effects of model attractiveness on sales response.
Journal of Advertising, 13(1), 17–33. https://doi.org/10.1080/00913367.1984.10672870
Cannon, J. (2023). Marketers to focus on Gen Z in 2023 with dollars moving to TikTok,
raw approach to creative. Digiday, January 3. Retrieved from https://digiday.com/
marketing/marketers-to-focus-on-gen-z-in-2023-with-dollars-moving-to-tiktok-raw-
approach-to-creative/
Carlson, L. (2008). Use, misuse, and abuse of content analysis foe research of consumer
interest. Journal of Consumer Affairs, 42(1), 100–105. https://doi.
org/10.1111/j.1745-6606.2007.00096.x
Casalo, L. V., Flavian, C., & Ibanez-Sanchez, S. (2020). Influencers on Instagram:
Antecedents and consequences of opinion leadership. Journal of Business Research, 117,
510–519. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.07.005
Chaiken, S. (1979). Communicator physical attractiveness and persuasion. Journal of
Personality and Social Psychology, 37(8), 1387–1397. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-
3514.37.8.1387
Charmaz, K. (2008). Grounded theory. In J. Smith (Ed.), Qualitative psychology: A prac-
tical guide to research methods (2nd ed., pp. 81–110. Sage.
Cheng, H. (1994). Reflections of cultural values: A content analysis of Chinese magazine
advertisements from 1982 and 1992. International Journal of Advertising, 13(2), 167–183.
Cheng, H., & Schweitzer, J. (1996). Cultural values reflected in Chinese and U.S. television
commercials. Journal of Advertising Research, 26, 27–45.
Corona, L. (2021). Jasmine Green is changing the face of advertising by redefining
beauty standards. Adweek, July 27. Retrieved from https://www.adweek.com/inside-the-
brand/jasmine-green-is-changing-the-face-of-advertising-by-redefining-beauty-standards/
Cruz, M. (2016). Generation Z: Influencers of decision-making process [Master’s thesis].
Catolica University: Catolica Porto Business School.
Culliney, K. (2020). A year of renewal? Top 5 EMEA beauty trends to watch in 2021.
Cosmetics Design Europe, December 22. Retrieved from https://www.cosmeticsdesign-
europe.com/Article/2020/12/22/Beauty-trends-2021-in-EMEA-region-include-tech-self-
care-and-green-says-C osmeticsDesign-Europe?utm_source=copyright&utm_
medium=OnSite&utm_campaign=copyright
Dangmei, J., & Singh, A. (2016). Understanding the Generation Z: The future workforce.
Amarkantak, India: Indira Gandhi National Tribal University.
De Veirman, M., & Hudders, L. (2020). Disclosing sponsored Instagram posts: The role
of material connection with the brand and message sidedness when disclosing covert
advertising. International Journal of Advertising, 39(1), 94–130. https://doi.org/10.1080
/02650487.2019.1575108
De Veirman, M., Cauberghe, V., & Hudders, L. (2017). Marketing through Instagram
influencers: The impact of number of followers and product divergence on brand at-
titude. International Journal of Advertising, 36(5), 798–828. https://doi.org/10.1080/026
50487.2017.1348035
Debono, K., & Telesca, C. (1990). The influence of source attractiveness on advertising
effectiveness: A functional perspective. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 20(17),
1383–1395. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.1990.tb01479.x
Delbaere, M., Michael, B., & Phillips, B. (2021). Social media influencers: A route to
brand engagement for their followers. Psychology & Marketing, 38(1), 101–112. https://
doi.org/10.1002/mar.21419
Diehl, S., Terlutter, R., & Mueller, B. (2016). Doing good matters to consumers: The ef-
fectiveness of humane-oriented CSR appeals in cross-cultural standardized advertising
campaigns. International Journal of Advertising, 35(4), 730–757. https://doi.org/10.1080
/02650487.2015.1077606
Dimock, M. (2019). Defining generations: Where Millennials end and Generation Z begins.
Pew Research Center.
Dion, K., Berscheid, E., & Walster, E. (1972). What is beautiful is good. Journal of
Personality and Social Psychology, 24(3), 285–290. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0033731
Dogra, P., & Kaushal, A. (2021). An investigation of Indian Generation Z adoption of
the voice-based assistants (VBA). Journal of Promotion Management, 27(5), 673–696.
Drenten, J., Gurrieri, L., & Tyler, M. (2020). Sexualized labour in digital culture: Instagram
influencers, porn chic and the monetization of attention. Gender, Work & Organization,
27(1), 41–66. https://doi.org/10.1111/gwao.12354
eMarketer (2022). US beauty ecommerce: How to win over Gen Z and the ever-evolving
online. Shopper, May 25. Retrieved from https://www.emarketer.com/content/us-beauty-
ecommerce-2022
Englis, B., Solomon, M., & Ashmore, R. (1994). Beauty before the eyes of beholders: The
cultural encoding of beauty types in magazine advertising and music television. Journal
of Advertising, 23(2), 49–64. https://doi.org/10.1080/00913367.1994.10673441
Etcoff, N. (1999). Survival of the prettiest: The science of beauty. Anchor Books/Doubleday.
Fakhreddin, F., & Foroudi, P. (2022). Instagram influencers: The role of opinion leadership
in consumers’ purchase behavior. Journal of Promotion Management, 28(6), 795–825.
Feng, Y., Chen, H., & Kong, Q. (2021). An expert with whom I can identify: The role
of narratives in influencer marketing. International Journal of Advertising, 40(7), 972–993.
Fernandes, T., Nettleship, H., & Pinto, L. (2022). Judging a book by its cover? The role of
unconventional appearance on social media influencers effectiveness. Journal of Retailing
and Consumer Services, 66, 102917. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2022.102917
Filieri, R., Acikgoz, F., Li, C., & Alguezaui, S. (2023). Influencers “organic” persuasion
through electronic word of mouth: A case of sincerity over brains and beauty. Psychology
& Marketing, 40(2), 347–364. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.21760
Flora, L. (2021). The merch-ization of beauty. Glossy, September 7. Retrieved from https://
www.glossy.co/beauty/the-merch-ization-of-beauty/
Fowler, J., & Carlson, L. (2015). The visual presentation of beauty in transnational fash-
ion magazine advertisements. Journal of Current Issues & Research in Advertising, 36(2),
136–156. https://doi.org/10.1080/10641734.2015.1023872
Francis, T., & Hoefel, F. (2018). True Gen’: Generation Z and its implications for companies.
McKinsey & Company.
Frith, K., Shaw, P., & Cheng, H. (2005). The construction of beauty: A cross cultural
analysis of women’s magazine advertising. Journal of Communication, 55(1), 56–70.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-2466.2005.tb02658.x
Fromm, J. (2021). Five undeniable truths about marketing to Gen-Z. Forbes, January 7.
Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/jefffromm/2021/01/07/on-youtube-tiktok-
and-ben–jerrys-five-undeniable-truths-about-marketing-to-gen-z/?sh=2e3f46eab972
Fromm, J. (2022). Gen Z fuels social commerce trends: Nu Skin’s CEO shares views.
Forbes, May 4. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/jefffromm/2022/05/04/gen-
z-fuels-social-commerce-trends-nu-skins-ceo-shares-views/?sh=3accbd184da8
Fromm, J., & Read, A. (2018). Marketing to Gen Z: The rules for reaching this vast and
very different generation of influencers. AMACOM.
Gerdeman, D. (2019). How influencers are making over marketing. Forbes, December 13.
Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/hbsworkingknowledge/2019/12/13/how-
influencers-are-making-over-beauty-marketing/?sh=78389d61203e
Goodman, J., Morris, J., & Sutherland, J. (2008). Is beauty a joy forever? Young women’s
emotional responses to varying types of beautiful advertising models. Journalism &
Ma s s Communication Quar terly, 85(1), 147–168. https://doi.
org/10.1177/107769900808500110
Gray, J. (2022). Three co-founders on what’s driving the personalization of beauty. Retail
Brew, February 1. Retrieved from https://www.morningbrew.com/retail/stories/2022/02/01/
three-co-founders-on-what-s-driving-the-personalization-of-beauty
Hall, S. (1997). Representation. Sage Publications.
Hamermesh, D. (2011). Beauty pays: Why attractive people are more successful. Princeton
University Press.
Hays, W. (1981). Statistics (3rd ed.). CBS College Publishing.
Hazari, S., & Sethna, B. (2023). A comparison of lifestyle marketing and brand influenc-
er advertising for Generation Z Instagram users. Journal of Promotion Management,
29(4), 491–534. https://doi.org/10.1080/10496491.2022.2163033
Hu, X., He, L., & Liu, J. (2022). The power of beauty: Be your ideal self in online reviews
– An empirical study based upon face detection. Journal of Retailing and Consumer
Services, 67(July), 102975. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2022.102975
Hund, E. (2017, July 28–30). Measured beauty: Exploring the aesthetics of Instagram’s
fashion influencers. Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Social Media
& Society, Toronto.
Hund, E., & McGuigan, L. (2019). A shoppable life: Performance, selfhood, and influence
in the social media storefront. Communication, Culture and Critique, 12(1), 18–35.
https://doi.org/10.1093/ccc/tcz004
Hype Auditor (2021, January 15). Top beauty influencers on Instagram: By the number
of quality and engaged followers. Retrieved from https://hypeauditor.com/top-instagram-
beauty/
Jin, S., Muqaddam, A., & Ryu, R. (2019). Instafamous and social media influencer mar-
keting. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 37(5), 567–579. https://doi.org/10.1108/MIP-
09-2018-0375
Joseph, W. (1982). The credibility of physically attractive communicators: A review. Journal
of Advertising, 11(3), 15–24. https://doi.org/10.1080/00913367.1982.10672807
Kamins, M. (1990). An investigation into the “match-up” hypothesis in celebrity adver-
tising: When beauty may be only skin deep. Journal of Advertising, 19(1), 4–13. https://
doi.org/10.1080/00913367.1990.10673175
Khairullah, H., & Khairullah, Z. (2003). Dominant cultural values. Journal of Global
Marketing, 16(1-2), 47–70. https://doi.org/10.1300/J042v16n01_03
Ki, C.-W. (Chloe), Park, S., & Kim, Y.-K. (2022). Investigating the mechanism through
which consumers are “inspired by” social media influencers and “inspired to” adopt
influencers’ exemplars as social defaults. Journal of Business Research, 144(May), 264–277.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.01.071
Kiefer, B. (2022). Dove’s disturbing deepfakes expose social media’s toxic influence on
teen girls. AdWeek, April 28. Retrieved from https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/
doves-disturbing-deepfakes-expose-social-medias-toxic-influence-on-teen-girls/?itm_
source=parsely-api
Kim, D., & Kim, H. (2021). Trust me, trust me not: A nuanced view of influencer mar-
keting on social media. Journal of Business Research, 134(September), 223–232. https://
doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.05.024
Kim, D., & Kim, H. (2023). Social media influencers as human brands: An interactive
marketing perspective. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, 17(1), 94–109.
https://doi.org/10.1108/JRIM-08-2021-0200
Lee, J. E., & Watkins, B. (2016). YouTube vloggers’ influence on consumer luxury brand
perceptions and intentions. Journal of Business Research, 69(12), 5753–5760. https://doi.
org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2016.04.171
Liffreing, I. (2021). L’Oreal partners with TikTok to test e-commerce tools. AdAge, June
2. Retrieved from https://adage.com/article/media/loreal-partners-tiktok-test-e-commerce-
tools/2341001
Liu, M., Huang, Y., & Minghua, J. (2017). Relations among attractiveness of endorsers,
match-up and purchase intention on sport marketing in China. Journal of Consumer
Marketing, 24(6), 358–365.
Lou, C. (2022). Social media influencers and followers: Theorization of a trans-parasocial
relation and explication of its implications for influencer advertising. Journal of
Advertising, 51(1), 4–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/00913367.2021.1880345
Lou, C., & Yuan, S. (2019). Influencer marketing: How message value and credibility
affect consumer trust of branded content on social media. Journal of Interactive
Loureiro, S. M., & Sarmento, E. M. (2019). Exploring the determinants of Instagram as
a social network for online consumer-brand relationship. Journal of Promotion
Management, 25(3), 354–366. https://doi.org/10.1080/10496491.2019.1557814
Lv, X., Liang, Y., Luo, J., & Liu, Y. (2022). Icing on the cake or gilding the lily? The
impact of high-modified model images on purchase intention. Journal of Retailing and
Consumer Services, 68(September), 103078. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2022.103078
Maheshwari, S., Friedman, V. (2021). Victoria’s secret swaps angels for ‘what women want.’
Will they buy it? The New York Times, June 16. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.
com/2021/06/16/business/victorias-secret-collective-megan-rapinoe.
html?searchResultPosition=1
Manchanda, P., Arora, A., & Sethi, V. (2022). Impact of beauty vlogger’s credibility and
popularity on eWOM sharing intention: The mediating role of parasocial interaction.
Journal of Promotion Management, 28(3), 379–412. https://doi.org/10.1080/10496491.20
21.1989542
Manovich, L. (2017). Instagram and contemporary image. New York, NY: The City University
of New York. Retrieved from http://manovich.net/index.php/projects/instagram-and-
contemporary-image
Mason, M. C., Zamparo, G., Marini, A., & Ameen, N. (2022). Glued to your phone?
Generation Z’s smartphone addiction and online compulsive buying. Computers in
Human Behavior, 136(November), 107404. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2022.107404
McCracken, G. (1986). Culture and consumption: A theoretical account of the structure
and movement of the cultural meaning of consumer goods. Journal of Consumer
Research, 13(1), 71–84. https://doi.org/10.1086/209048
McQuarrie, E. F., Miller, J., & Phillips, B. J. (2013). The megaphone effect: Taste and
audience in fashion blogging. Journal of Consumer Research, 40(1), 136–158. https://
doi.org/10.1086/669042
Merineau, E. (2022). Customers want personal advisors, not advertisers. AdWeek, June 1.
Retrieved from https://www.adweek.com/performance-marketing/customers-want-
personal-advisors-not-advertisers/
Miller, S. (2021). Olay launches #DecodeTheBias initiative to fight discriminatory beauty
searches. AdWeek, September 14. Retrieved from https://www.adweek.com/brand-
marketing/olay-launches-decodethebias-initiative-to-fight-discriminatory-beauty-searches/
Milmo, D., Skopeliti, C. (2021). Teenage girls, body image and Instagram’s ‘perfect storm’.
The Guardian, September 18. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/
technology/2021/sep/18/teenage-girls-body-image-and-instagrams-perfect-storm
Mir, I. A., & Salo, J. (2023). Analyzing the influence of social media influencer’s attributes
and content esthetics on endorsed brand attitude and brand-link click behavior: The
mediating role of brand content engagement. Journal of Promotion Management. Advance
online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/10496491.2023.2251461
Morris, P., & Nichols, K. (2013). Conceptualizing beauty: A content analysis of U.S. and
French women’s magazine advertisements. Online Journal of Communication and Media
Technologies, 3(1), 49–74. https://doi.org/10.29333/ojcmt/2410
Narayanan, S. (2022). Does Generation Z value and reward corporate social responsibil-
ity practices? Journal of Marketing Management, 38(9–10), 903–937. https://doi.org/10.
1080/0267257X.2022.2070654
Neff, S. (2021). Unilever drops ‘normal’ from its beauty lexicon to accentuate the positive.
Advertising Age, March 9. Retrieved from https://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/unilever-
drops-normal-its-beauty-lexicon-accentuate-positive/2320511
Nigam, A. (2022). Online gaming and OTT consumption: An exploratory study of
Generation Z. Journal of Promotion Management, 28(4), 420–442. https://doi.org/10.10
80/10496491.2021.2008576
Ohanian, R. (1990). Construction and validation of a scale to measure celebrity endors-
ers’ perceived expertise, trustworthiness, and attractiveness. Journal of Advertising, 19(3),
39–52. https://doi.org/10.1080/00913367.1990.10673191
Paramount (2019, March 7). How Gen Z is changing the face of modern beauty. Retrieved
from https://www.paramount.com/news/audience-insights/how-gen-z-is-changing-the-
face-of-modern-beauty
Pasquarelli, A. (2021). Ultra beauty pledges millions in diversity support. Advertising Age,
February 2. Retrieved from https://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/ulta-beauty-pledges-
millions-diversity-support/2310171
Phillips, B., & McQuarrie, E. (2011). Contesting the social impact of marketing: A re-char-
acterization of women’s fashion advertising. Marketing Theory, 11(2), 99–126. https://
doi.org/10.1177/1470593111403215
Pollay, R. (1986). The distorted mirror: Reflections on the unintended consequences of
advertising. Journal of Marketing, 50(2), 18–36. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224298605000202
Pollay, R. W., Tse, D. K., & Wang, Z.-Y. (1990). Advertising, propaganda, and value change
in economic development: The new cultural revolution in China and attitudes toward
advertising. Journal of Business Research, 20(2), 83–95. https://doi.org/10.1016/0148-
2963(90)90053-G
Priporas, C.-V., Stylos, N., & Fotiadis, A. (2017). Generation Z consumers’ expectations
of interactions in smart retailing: A future agenda. Computers in Human Behavior,
77(December), 374–381. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2017.01.058
Rana, S., Bag, S., Ghosal, I., & Prasad, B. (2023). How do influencers moderate purchase
motives? An application of S-O-R model to assess the effects of reviewers’ rating on
online Purchase. Journal of Promotion Management, 29(8), 1168–1197. https://doi.org/
10.1080/10496491.2023.2216292
Robinot, E., Boeck, H., & Trespeuch, L. (2023). Consumer generated ads versus celebri-
ty generated ads: Which is the best method to promote a brand on Social Media?
Journal of Promotion Management, 29(2), 157–181. https://doi.org/10.1080/10496491.20
22.2143982
Rokeach, M. (1973). The nature of human values. Free Press.
Rust, R. T., & Cooil, B. (1994). Reliability measures for qualitative data: Theory and
implications. Journal of Marketing Research, 31(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.2307/3151942
Sandler, E. (2023). Influencers are inspiring beauty purchases both online and in-store.
Glossy, July 21. Retrieved from https://www.glossy.co/beauty/influencers-are-inspiring-
beauty-purchases-both-online-and-in-store/
Schouten, A., Janssen, L., & Verspaget, M. (2020). Celebrity vs. influencer endorsements
in advertising, the role of identification, credibility and product-endorser fit. International
Journal of Advertising, 39(2), 258–281. And https://doi.org/10.1080/02650487.2019.163
4898
Schroth, H. (2019). Are you ready for Gen Z in the workplace? California Management
Review, 61(3), 5–18. https://doi.org/10.1177/0008125619841006
Schwarz, R. (2022). Why social media marketing will only become more popular in the
beauty industry in 2022. Forbes, February 15. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/
sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2022/02/15/why-social-media-marketing-will-only-
become-more-popular-in-the-beauty-industry-in-2022/?sh=5db18ba42bb3
Smith, J. A. (2004). Reflecting on the development of interpretative phenomenological
analysis and its contribution to qualitative research in Psychology. Qualitative Research
in Psychology, 1(1), 39–54.
Smith, J. A., Flowers, P., & Larkin, M. (2022). Interpretative phenomenological analysis
theory, method and research. SAGE Publications Ltd.
Smith, J., & Osborn, M. (2008). Interpretative phenomenological analysis. In J. Smith
(Ed.), Qualitative psychology: A practical guide to research methods (pp. 53–80). Sage.
Sokolova, K., & Kefi, H. (2020). Instagram and YouTube bloggers promote it, why should
I buy? How credibility and parasocial interaction influence purchase intentions. Journal
of Retailing and Consumer Services, 53(1), 101742. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretcons-
er.2019.01.011
Solomon, M., Ashmore, R., & Longo, L. (1992). The beauty match-up hypothesis:
Congruence between types of beauty and product images in advertising. Journal of
Southgate, D. (2017, June). The emergence of Generation Z and its impact in advertising.
Journal of Advertising Research, 57(2), 227–235. https://doi.org/10.2501/JAR-2017-028
Srikandath, S. (1991). Cultural values depicted in India television advertising. Gazette:
The International Journal for Mass Communication Studies, 48(3), 165–176. https://doi.
org/10.1177/001654929104800302
Statista (2021). Distribution of Instagram users worldwide as of January 2021, by age
group. Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/statistics/325587/instagram-global-age-
group/
Stewart, R. (2023). L’Oréal hands over the creative reins to influencers over 40. AdWeek,
January 17. Retrieved from https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/loreal-hands-over-
the-creative-reins-to-influencers-over-40/
Stremersch, S., Gonzalez, J., Valenti, A., & Villanueva, J. (2023). The value of context-spe-
cific studies for marketing. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 51(1), 50–65.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-022-00872-9
Taylor, C. (2020). The urgent need for more research on influencer marketing. International
Taylor, C. (2021). Generational cohorts and advertising to various age cohorts. International
Taylor, K. A., Miyazaki, A. D., & Mogensen, K. B. (2013). Sex, beauty, and youth: An
analysis of advertising appeals targeting U.S. women of different age groups. Journal of
Current Issues & Research in Advertising, 34(2), 212–228. https://doi.org/10.1080/1064
1734.2013.787581
Thompson, C. J. (1997). Interpreting consumers: A hermeneutic framework for deriving
marketing insights from the texts of consumers’ consumption stories. Journal of
Marketing Research, 34(4), 438–455. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224379703400403
Tiggemann, M., & Velissaris, V. G. (2020). “You look great!”: The effect of viewing ap-
pearance-related Instagram comments on women’s body image. Body Image, 33(June),
257–263. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2020.04.004
Till, B., & Busler, M. (2000). The match-up hypothesis: Physical attractiveness, expertise
and the role of fit on brand attitude, purchase intent and brand beliefs. Journal of
Tipgomut, P., Paas, L., & McNaught, A. (2022). Beauty types of female advertising mod-
els in Asia. International Journal of Market Research, 64(6), 799–821. https://doi.
org/10.1177/14707853211055054
Tolentino, J. (2019). The age of Instagram face. The New Yorker, December 12.
Trampe, D., Stapel, D., Siero, F., & Mulder, H. (2010). Beauty as a tool: The effect of
model attractiveness, product relevance, and elaboration likelihood on advertising ef-
fectiveness. Psychology & Marketing, 27(12), 1101–1121.
Tse, D., Belk, R., & Zhou, N. (1989). Becoming a consumer society: A longitudinal and
cross-cultural content analysis of print ads from Hong Kong, the People’s Republic of
China, and Taiwan. Journal of Consumer Research, 15(4), 457–473. https://doi.
org/10.1086/209185
Tungate, M. (2011). Branded beauty: How marketing changed the way we look. Kogan
Page.
Turner, A. (2015). Generation Z: Technology and Social Interest. The Journal of Individual
Psychology, 103–113.
Verdina, Z. (2013). [A picture is worth a thousand words] [Master’s thesis]. University of

Antwerp.
Wagner Mainardes, E., Portelada, P. H., & Damasceno, F. (2023). The influence on cos-
metics purchase intention of electronic word of mouth on Instagram. Journal of Promotion
Management, 29(7), 961–991. https://doi.org/10.1080/10496491.2023.2167897
Wansi, J. (2020). How do Instagram influencers affect the consumer buying behaviour of
Gen-Z?. Artevelde University of Applied Sciences.
Weinswig, D. (2016). Gen Z: Get ready for the most self-conscious, demanding consum-
er segment. Deborah Weinswig: The Retail Technology Strategist. Retrieved from https://
www.deborahweinswig.com/gen-z-get-ready-for-the-most-self-conscious-demanding-
consumer-segment/
Weise, S. (2019). InstaBrain: The new rules for marketing to Generation Z. Sarah Weise.
Wiedmann, K., & von Mettenheim, W. (2021). Attractiveness, trustworthiness and exper-
tise – Social influencers’ winning formula. Journal of Product & Brand Management,
30(5), 707–725. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-06-2019-2442
Wiid, R., Müllern, T., & Berndt, A. (2023). The face of nonbinary beauty communication
on Instagram: A content analysis. Journal of Current Issues & Research in Advertising,
44(1), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/10641734.2022.2089786
Witt, G. L., & Baird, D. E. (2018). The Gen Z Frequency: How brands tune in & build
credibility. London: Kogan Page.
Wood, S. (2013). Generation Z as consumers: Trends and innovation. Raleigh, NC: NC
State University.
Writer, S. (2017). 34% of Gen Z feel they lack the confidence to lead. Human Resources
Online, April 4. Retrieved from https://www.humanresourcesonline.net/34-of-gen-z-feel-
they-lack-the-confidence-to-lead
38
Appendix A: Comparison of cultural values in beauty types

Type of beauty
Cultural value Classic Feminine Sensual Exotic Cute Trendy Other
Adventuresome Present 86 (76.1%) 419 (90.5%) 392 (94.0%) 285 (91.6%) 122 (80.8%) 87 (88.8%) 119 (82.6%)
Absent 27 (23.9%) 44 (9.5%) 25 (6.0%) 26 (8.4%) 29 (19.2%) 11 (11.2%) 25 (17.4%)
Total 113 463 417 311 151 98 144
x2 = 49.4 df = 6 p < 0.001
Beauty Present 107 (94.7%) 450 (97.2%) 404 (96.9%) 301 (96.8%) 140 (92.7%) 94 (93.6%) 125 (86.8%)
D. E. WILLIAMS ET AL.
Absent 6 (5.3%) 13 (2.8%) 13 (3.1%) 10 (3.2%) 11 (7.3%) 4 (4.4%) 19 (13.2%)

Total 113 463 417 311 151 98 144
x2 = 34.6 df = 6 p < 0.001
Collectivism Present 36 (31.9%) 117 (25.3%) 98 (23.5%) 74 (23.8) 62 (41.1%) 28 (28.6%) 38 (26.4%)
Absent 77 (68.1%) 346 (74.7%) 319 (76.5%) 237 (76.2%) 89 (58.9%) 70 (71.4%) 106 (73.6%)
Total 113 463 417 311 151 98 144
x2 = 21.6 df = 6 p < 0.001 0
Convenience Present 30 (26.5%) 73 (15.8%) 57 (13.7%) 49 (15.8%) 23 (15.2%) 15 (15.3%) 29 (20.1%)
Absent 83 (73.5%) 390 (84.2%) 360 (86.3%) 262 (84.2%) 128 (84.8%) 83 (82.1%) 115 (79.9%)
Total 113 463 417 311 151 98 144
x2 = 12.8 df = 6 p < 0.05
Courtesy Present 55 (48.7%) 210 (45.4%) 182 (43.6%) 131 (42.1%) 98 (64.9%) 31 (31.6%) 46 (31.9%)
Absent 58 (51.3%) 253 (54.6%) 235 (56.4%) 180 (57.9%) 53 (35.1%) 67 (68.4%) 98 (68.1%)
Total 113 463 417 311 151 98 144
x2 = 43.0 df = 6 p < .001
Economy Present 25 (22.1%) 60 (13.0%) 42 (10.1%) 40 (12.9%) 21 (13.9%) 13 (13.3%) 31 (21.5%)
Absent 88 (77.9%) 402 (87.0%) 374 (89.9%) 270 (87.1%) 130 (86.1%) 85 (86.7%) 113 (78.5%)
Total 462 416 310 151 98 144
x2 = 19.2 df = 6 p < 0.05
Effectiveness Present 105 (92.9%) 427 (92.2%) 389 (93.3%) 284 (91.3%) 123 (81.5%) 88 (89.8%) 125 (86.8)
Absent 8 (7.1%) 36 (7.8%) 28 (6.7%) 27 (8.7%) 28 (18.5%) 10 (10.2%) 19 (13.2%)
Total 113 463 417 311 151 98 144
x2 = 23.6 df = 6 p < .001
Enjoyment Present 102 (90.3%) 433 (93.5%) 396 (95.0%) 294 (94.5%) 141 (93.4%) 90 (91.8%) 113 (78.5%)
Absent 11 (9.7%) 30 (6.5%) 21 (5.0%) 17 (5.5%) 10 (6.6%) 8 (8.2%) 31 (21.5%)
Total 113 463 417 311 151 98 144
x2 = 47.8 df = 6 p < .001
Family Present 26 (23.0%) 79 (17.1%) 62 (14.9%) 46 (14.8%) 50 (33.1%) 12 (17.3%) 15 (16.0%)
Absent 87 (77.0%) 384 (82.9%) 355 (85.1%) 265 (85.2%) 101 (66.9%) 86 (80.7%) 79 (84.0%)
Total 113 463 417 311 151 98 94
(Continued)
Type of beauty
x2 = 33.4 df = 6 p < .001
Leisure Present 83 (73.5%) 367 (79.3%) 337 (80.8%) 244 (78.5%) 134 (88.7%) 63 (64.3%) 97 (67.4%)
Absent 30 (26.5%) 96 (20.7%) 80 (19.2%) 67 (21.5%) 17 (11.3%) 35 (35.7%) 47 (32.6%)
Total 113 463 417 311 151 98 144
x2 = 34.2 df = 6 p < .001
Magic Present 25 (22.1%) 82 (17.7%) 66 (15.8%) 52 (16.7%) 22 (14.6%) 27 (27.6%) 42 (29.2%)
Absent 88 (77.9%) 381 (82.3%) 351 (84.2%) 259 (83.3%) 129 (85.4%) 71 (72.4%) 102 (70.8%)
Total 113 417 311 151 98
x2 = 21.4 df = 6 p < 0.05
Modernity Present 47 (41.6%) 183 (39.5%) 161 (38.6%) 119 (38.3%) 35 (23.2%) 74 (75.5%) 82 (56.9%)
Absent 66 (58.4%) 280 (60.5%) 256 (61.4%) 192 (61.7%) 116 (76.8%) 24 (24.5%) 62 (43.1%)
Total 113 463 417 311 151 98
x2 = 85.3 df = 6 p < .001
Nature Present 29 (25.7%) 105 (22.2%) 87 (20.9%) 72 (23.2%) 47 (31.1%) 12 (12.2%) 47 (32.6%)
Absent 84 (74.3%) 368 (77.8%) 330 (79.1%) 239 (76.8%) 104 (68.9%) 86 (87.8%) 97 (67.4%)
Total 113 473 417 311 151 98 144
x2 = 20.9 df = 6 p < 0.05
Neatness Present 96 (85.0%) 400 (86.4%) 366 (87.8%) 271 (87.1%) 119 (78.8%) 76 (77.6%) 106 (73.6%)
Absent 17 (15.0%) 63 (13.6%) 51 (12.2%) 40 (12.9%) 32 (21.2%) 22 (22.4%) 38 (26.4%)
Total 113 463 417 311 151 98 144
x2 = 26.7 df = 6 p < .001
Quality Present 103 (91.2%) 428 (92.4%) 385 (92.3%) 287 (92.3%) 126 (83.4%) 93 (93.9%) 121 (84.0)
Absent 10 (8.8%) 35 (7.6%) 32 (7.7%) 24 (7.7%) 25 (16.6%) 6 (6.1%) 23 (16.0%)
Total 113 463 417 311 151 99 0 144
x2 = 22.5 df = 6 p < .001 5
Sex Present 80 (70.8%) 396 (85.5%) 383 (91.8%) 270 (86.8%) 110 (72.8%) 73 (74.5%) 97 (67.4%)
Absent 33 (29.2%) 67 (14.5%) 34 (8.2%) 41 (13.2%) 41 (27.2%) 25 (25.5%) 47 (32.6%)
Total 113 463 417 311 151 98 144
x2 = 81.5 df = 6 p < .001
Social Status Present 79 (69.9%) 303 (65.4%) 290 (69.5%) 206 (66.2%) 89 (58.9%) 56 (57.1%) 68 (47.2%)
Absent 34 (30.1%) 160 (34.6) 127 (30.5%) 105 (33.8%) 62 (41.1%) 42 (42.9%) 76 (52.8%)
Total 113 463 417 311 151 98 144
x2 = 29.7 df = 6 p < .001
Tradition Present 21 (18.6%) 60 (13.0%) 45 (10.8%) 35 (11.3%) 34 (22.5%) 9 (9.2%) 11 (7.6%)

Absent 92 (81.4%) 403 (87.0%) 372 (89.2%) 276 (88.7%) 117 (77.5%) 89 (90.8%) 133 (92.4%)
Total 113 463 417 311 151 98 144
39
(Continued)
40
Appendix A. Continued.
Type of beauty
x2 = 23.1 df = 6 p < .001
Uniqueness Present 69 (61.1%) 311 (67.2%) 282 (67.6%) 215 (69.1%) 76 (50.3%) 87 (88.8%) 117 (81.3%)
Absent 44 (38.9%) 152 (32.8%) 135 (32.4%) 96 (30.9%) 75 (49.7%) 11 (11.2%) 27 (18.8%)
Total 113 463 417 311 151 98 144
x2 = 55.8 df = 6 p < .001
D. E. WILLIAMS ET AL.
Wealth Present 66 (58.4%) 243 (52.5%) 231 (55.4%) 162 (52.1%) 75 (49.7%) 45 (45.9%) 48 (33.3%)
Absent 47 (41.6%) 220 (47.5%) 186 (44.6%) 149 (47.9%) 76 (50.3%) 53 (54.1%) 96 (66.7%)
Total 113 463 417 311 151 98 144
x2 = 25.3 df = 6 p < .001
Other Present 88 (9.7%) 225 (6.1%) 156 (4.7%) 143 (5.7%) 97 (8.0%) 52 (6.6%) 99 (8.6%)
Absent 816 (90.3%) 3483 (93.9%) 3153 (95.3%) 2345 (94.3%) 1111 (92.0%) 732 (93.4%) 1053 (91.4%)
Total 904 3708 3309 2488 1208 784 1152
x2 = 49.9 df = 6 p < .001
Bolded cell is significant at p < 0.05 based on standardized residuals.

The Depiction of Beauty-by-Beauty Influencers On Instagram and Generations Z S Perception of Them

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

The Depiction of Beauty-by-Beauty Influencers On Instagram and Generations Z S Perception of Them

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Journal of Promotion Management

ISSN: (Print) (Online) Journal homepage: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/wjpm20

The Depiction of Beauty-by-Beauty Influencers on

David E. Williams, Breanna Pochipinski, Michaela MacDonald & Jane

To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/10496491.2023.2279765

Published online: 14 Nov 2023.

Submit your article to this journal

Article views: 156

View related articles

View Crossmark data

Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at

The Depiction of Beauty-by-Beauty Influencers on

CONTACT David E. Williams [email protected] Department of Management and Marketing,

Figure 1. Conceptual framework.

of beauty, which has implications for successful partnerships between

Physical attractiveness is an extremely contentious (Liu et al., 2017) and

to be considered beautiful (Englis et al., 1994). While specific cultures

Table 1. Types of beauty definitions.

Social media influencers, beauty types, and cultural values

Many competing definitions of SMIs exist. Delbaere et al. (2021), identify

Hund (2017) proposed that Instagram creates a “measured” beauty that

leisure (9.8%), technology (7.5%), adventure (6.5%), and courtesy (5.6%).

Table 2. Definitions of Generation Z.

application of previous research about marketing to young consumers

Using lists of the top beauty influencers on Instagram (Hype Auditor,

The perceptions of Gen Z consumers to the types of beauty depicted by

Table 3. Study participants.

In the semi-structured interviews lasting an average of 1 h, participants

Study 1 content analysis results

Table 4. Types of products mentioned.

Table 5. Types of beauty depicted by beauty SMI on Instagram.

When comparing beauty types depicted by beauty SMIs to the beauty

Unsurprisingly, as the goal of beauty products is to enhance the wearer’s

Figure 2. Examples of types of beauty.

Table 7. Cultural values.

Study 2 IPA findings

The perceptions of Gen Z to the different types of beauty depicted by

Figure 3. Other types of beauty.

Manufactured beauty describes beauty that has been enhanced in some

Table 8. Types of beauty and themes.

Figure 4. Summary of Gen Z perceptions.

Sex Kitten produced three themes of distrust of promoted products,

Trendy produced the themes of dislike for bold beauty, materialism,

Trendy beauty was seen as unattainable to participants as not only did

Mary’s statement gives an insight into how materialism and narcissism

Even though Generation Z participants did not aspire to recreate the

The Classic beauty photo showcased natural beauty with minimal

Francine summarized the opinions of Gen Z for relatable/achiev-

The natural beauty seen in the photo resonated with participants, as

The photo also represents a more candid type of beauty as participants

Beauty types and cultural values

visual representation of achievement and triumph (Verdina, 2013). This

Generation Z and beauty SMIs

Gen Z uses the idealized beauty images depicted on Instagram as proto-

and perceptions and study the top beauty influencers in a non-westernized

Verdina, Z. (2013). [A picture is worth a thousand words] [Master’s thesis]. University of

Appendix A: Comparison of cultural values in beauty types

Absent 6 (5.3%) 13 (2.8%) 13 (3.1%) 10 (3.2%) 11 (7.3%) 4 (4.4%) 19 (13.2%)

Tradition Present 21 (18.6%) 60 (13.0%) 45 (10.8%) 35 (11.3%) 34 (22.5%) 9 (9.2%) 11 (7.6%)

You might also like