The beauty industry has witnessed a significant shift in consumer preferences over the past few years. As consumers become more conscious of the ethical implications of their purchases, brands that position themselves as cruelty-free have gained a competitive edge. Here’s how beauty brands can brand themselves as cruelty-free and the potential impact on sales:
1. The Rise of Ethical Consumerism
The US cosmetics industry, which generated a whopping $62 billion in revenue in a recent year, is a testament to the evolving relationship consumers have with beauty products. More than just the shade or texture, consumers are now deeply concerned about how their makeup is produced. The conversation around ethically produced cosmetics has surged, especially on platforms like social media.
2. The Power of Social Media Conversations
Social media has become a pivotal platform for consumers to discuss their likes, dislikes, and concerns about beauty products. Over the past six years, there have been nearly 6.6 million conversations about cosmetics, makeup routines, and purchasing behaviors. A significant trend that has emerged from these discussions is the shift towards natural and eco-friendly products. The volume of these conversations tripled from 2014 to 2015 and continued to grow in subsequent years.
Among the various topics discussed, cruelty-free products have dominated the conversation. From having just a 20% share of voice in 2010, the cruelty-free discussion surged to 50% in 2016, making up more than half of all conversations about natural ingredients and eco-friendly makeup.
3. Consumer Boycotts and Brand Reputations
Brands that do not adhere to cruelty-free practices face significant backlash. For instance, MAC Cosmetics faced criticism and calls for boycotts for not being cruelty-free. Even celebrities like Pamela Anderson, a former brand ambassador for MAC, voiced concerns and urged the brand to adopt cruelty-free practices. L’Oreal too faced consumer ire for similar reasons.
4. The Legal Landscape
While there have been efforts to introduce federal bills to end cosmetics testing on animals, they have yet to be passed. However, consumers aren’t waiting for legal changes. They are actively boycotting products that don’t align with their ethical beliefs and are vocal about their concerns on social media.
Conclusion
Branding as a cruelty-free beauty product is not just an ethical choice but also a strategic one. As consumers become more ethically conscious, brands that align with these values stand to gain both in terms of reputation and sales. By actively participating in social media conversations, understanding consumer concerns, and adapting to these preferences, beauty brands can position themselves for success in the modern market.
But brand needs a way to effectively communicate their cruelty-free product to their customer.
Gratitude can help!
Gratitude enables businesses to become transparent by being powered by blockchain technology, with easy-to-use tools to record their supply chain, narrate the story, verify on blockchain and present the data in a beautiful landing page that can be issued via Gratitude’s QR Code or URL that can be placed on a physical product or embedded on digital marketing campaign or label, even in hotels. With this QR code, brands can put in place localized material or descriptions of their product so that the product can quickly hit the shelves while the full localization in progress. Customers can then simply scan the QR codes placed on the product or click the link on a digital campaign and clearly see the product’s journey, verify sustainability claims, or even company and brand stories that the company wants to reveal to the customer in language that they are familiar with.
Begin your business’ true transparency journey by implementing Gratitude to unlock the hidden value of your supply chain data. Talk to our representatives via the following channels for support or assistance in implementation:
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