Beauty & The Business of Community Building

In a world that’s increasingly crowded with brands, social media content and a growing number of creators, learning to cut through the online noise and connect with one’s audience has become an art. The most successful brands today are backed by a strong community that instils trust to new prospective customers. This is especially true in the beauty industry, where recommendations from trusted sources heavily influence behaviour and purchase decisions.

But it’s more than just partnering with the biggest beauty influencers out there. Building a strong community has become a full 360 strategy, spanning events and IRL activations, and interacting with audiences in a way that feels authentic. Harnessing the power of peer-to-peer influencing is key: brand community members convert more than regular customers with 78% of shoppers saying product reviews from other customers are most influential to their purchases (BazaarVoice, 2023).

What are the key steps to forging a thriving, loyal community?

In the midst of today's community-led era, influencer marketing has undergone a significant evolution. Building and nurturing a group of 'super fans' by way of KOLs and content creators has transitioned from an amplification tool to an integral — and, for many beauty brands, central — component within the wider marketing funnel. Now often part of a broader talent strategy, beauty brands are embracing a multifaceted approach: the magnetic appeal of Celebrity and their fandom, the influential power of Niche influencers whose authenticity and specific interests resonate deeply within peer-to-peer networks, the expansive and undeniable reach of Macro talents, and the invaluable credibility provided by the Expert Eye. We speak to KILAN Paris about their leading celebrity strategy and how it helps cement their brand identity in the eyes of their customers.

Meanwhile, prolonged periods spent at home and an increasingly digital lifestyle are prompting younger generations to re-seek a sense of community in real life. Gen Z’s interest in the “third space” — a location outside home or work where they can affordably socialise — is driving traffic to brands’ physical pop-ups and stores. The Business of Fashion and McKinsey & Company (2023), global beauty retail sales are expected to grow by 6% annually through 2027. As a result, brands like MAC Cosmetics are finding innovative ways to pop-up where their customers are. Its activation during New York Fashion Week cleverly leveraged distinctive elements of the city — think I Love NY souvenirs and key New York talent — generating $2.5M EMV, according to Lefty data.

And, in this era of collaborations, the ones that resonate deeply are those that have meaning. More than just a strategic way to expand your audience, brand partnerships can help position your brand alongside others who share your values. Charlotte Tilbury Beauty is one brand that capitalised on this, with a unique partnership with the F1 Academy, an organisation promoting more female racers into the world of motorsport. Being female-founded, there are clear value alignments between the brand and the Academy. Since the partnership's announcement, it has generated $3.71M EMV and over 38M impressions, according to Lefty data. “Through this groundbreaking partnership, we are leading the charge, reshaping conventional sponsorships, and pushing boundaries as we’ve always done,” exclusively revealed Charlotte Tilbury MBE, Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Charlotte Tilbury, to Karla Otto. “We’ve consistently been a disruptive brand at the forefront of innovation and technology, and F1 Academy is doing the exact same thing in the world of motorsport.”

Finally, we unpack the power of a strong founder positioning. One of the beauty world’s most anticipated launches of the year; Bella Hadid’s new venture into fragrance makes for a stellar case study. The announcement, which revealed only the name “Orebella” and not the product itself, created an air of mystery that fuelled conversations and generated a total of $30.55M EMV since February 2024. According to Lefty data, these posts reached over 305M users across Instagram and TikTok, showcasing how a celebrity founder comes with an established fanbase that’s instantly excited and engaged about the product and its content.

Interested in learning more about how to strategically build a new community strategy? Reach out to us today.