The Changing Face of Beauty: A Digital Makeover by Hanna Fowler

The Changing Face of Beauty A Digital Makeover

Hanna Fowler N0309716 Research Project Stage 1 FASH30001

Contents

The Base Coat: Introduction......................................... 11-13 The Beauty Tools: Methodology....................................... 17-19 The Beauty Canvas: Overview of Market............................. 23-25 Beauty Conscious: The Beauty Consumer.......................... 29-37 General change in attitude 29-31 Not yet, Darling

Maybe, but maybe not

Count me in

The Battlefield:

Talk, Share, Listen:

Building a social community..................... 55-59

The Dark Side of Beauty: Online Trust............................................. 63-65 Imperfections in the Market: Conclusion............................................... 69 The Final Touches: My Recommendation................................ 73-80 Introduction 73-74 Personalisation 75 Social 76-77 Ecommerce Interaction 78 Consumer Journey 79

Beauty counters vs. online..................... 41-43

Watching Beauty: The Power of YouTube......................... 47-51 Introduction

Ford Fiesta

Brand vs. non brand

Estee Lauder case study

50-51

The Future 80

The Appendix..................................... 86-139 see page 85 for full appendix contents

The Base Coat

Introduction

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;These days, practically everyone turns to the web first when researching anything from whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the best baby stroller to buy to which corporate accounting firm to hire for your business. We start with Google or another search engine and we tap our online network of friends, family members, and colleagues via email, instant messaging, chat rooms, Facebook and Twitter.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; (Scott in Halligan, 2010, p.1)

Without a doubt, the internet has forged its way as one of the best tools any consumer can use when buying products. Whether they buy directly online, review a product or research the best deal they can get. The change in how consumers demand products is forcing brands to develop new ways to interact with their consumers on a more personal level. Within the beauty industry, consumers have begun to change where they get their information from; instead of relying exclusively to beauty brands they are now looking for a new authority. Real people. These people have created their own social communities online which consumers grow to love and trust. Many value their opinion and authority over the traditional over the counter experts.

fig 1: My make-up collection, 2013, own image

The internet has allowed these people to progress online, creating blogs and review sites, using Facebook and YouTube to spread their message. The beauty industry relies on the conversation that is created by beauty products, the word of mouth recommendation from a friend or family member that encourages them to buy. Online uses this theory on a much bigger scale, consumers can connect to a blogger and resonate with them much more than they can a corporate brand. My own interest in this area started over two years ago, when I found beauty YouTube videos that helped me do anything from applying eye shadow, to which products are the best in the industry. From then, I have become an addict, relying on YouTube and blogs for all my beauty information. I began to question why I preferred accessing beauty online, rather than in store, which led me to research how beauty is changing towards more digital friendly content. What frustrated me most about this area was the accessibility problems I encountered, many beauty ecommerce sites donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t incorporate tutorials or reviews, making it much harder to research and shop beauty in one place. This research document will look at the relationship between consumer and beauty brands, the role of the beauty counter, how blogs and YouTube are creating a new form of beauty interaction and whether there is a gap in the market to create a collective space to access beauty online more efficiently.

The Beauty Tools Methodology

There were many goals I wanted to achieve from my research, these were to have a clearer understanding on how consumers use online as a shopping tool, not only for beauty, but analysing what else they use online for. I researched the differences between the older and younger consumer, and whether they have opposing opinions about online vs. traditional beauty counters. As well as a consumer perspective, I wanted to contact beauty bloggers and industry professionals about their opinion of the digital beauty market, as they know first-hand the impact of online and what works successfully. I also wished to study beauty locations over the UK, from department store beauty counters to standalone beauty stores. This allowed me to see directly the relationship between consumer and expert, as well as taking photographs for my project. There were a number of hypotheses I wanted to answer throughout my research to see whether they were correct.

Hypotheses The younger, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;tech savvyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; consumer is more willing to adopt the new online approach when purchasing beauty products. The online beauty market will increase in the next few years as bloggers gain more popularity and authority. Beauty brands will increase their online presence to reach more consumers and to compete with beauty bloggers and YouTube beauty gurus. There is a gap in the market to create an online space for beauty that incorporates tutorials, reviews, a social community and an e-commerce friendly platform.

Methodology: Research Methods

Many different data collection methods were used to underpin the research and prove that the initial hypotheses were correct. Firstly to find out a more comprehensive understanding of the beauty market secondary sources were used to broaden my own knowledge. These sources included up to date reports and journals from sites such as WGSN, which provided valuable insider knowledge and the general opinion in the industry. This industry knowledge and opinion based research allowed me to build on my own understanding and develop my own interpretations of the research I found.

For a more personal and consumer driven response, interviews were used to find out more about the consumer journey and how they use online to buy beauty products. These were conducted in a more interactive way to engage the respondents. Samples of women were selected to answer further questions about their online beauty interaction, each from a different age demographic to once again see the differences and segment my consumer further (see appendix 4c-f). These women were then asked to take photographs of their beauty collections and space. I felt this was an important part of the interview as it showed me how vital beauty is in their lives and allowed me to visualise the consumer more clearly (to see all photographs, see appendix 6)

Also, I collected statistics and figures about the online beauty market as a whole to give me quantitative data to use in my research. These allowed me to test my hypotheses, establish the growth in the market and try to predict what the future may hold. All of this secondary data provided a good basis to develop my own primary research.

As well as gaining a consumer focus for the research, it was important to gather knowledge from other sources to have a wide knowledge of opinions and viewpoints. I spoke to online bloggers and YouTube personalities about their opinions of how the future is developing for beauty online. I secured two interviews with Sophia Ford and Meg Lucas through email; who both currently run their own websites and YouTube channels independently (appendix 2d-e). I sent emails out to five more bloggers, with two responding that they were unable to take part due to time restraints and the further three not responding to my emails (see appendix 2d for email correspondence). I also wished to contact more industry professionals about their opinions on traditional routes to market versus the digital age i.e. online shopping versus the beauty counter. I hoped this would develop my understanding from an industry perspective and add further credit to my research. I contacted Emine Ali Rushton, who is a freelance beauty editor and Shannon Nelson who is a social media consultant; however both were unable to answer any questions at the time. All correspondence can be seen in appendix 3.

For primary research, again it was important to use both quantitative and qualitative methods to establish the facts but also get a personal response and feeling from consumers and bloggers. To do this I set up a questionnaire which was sent out to a selection of women, aged 18-55 (see appendix 1). This broad selection was purposely done, as I wanted to gauge the response from a younger demographic to an older market, to see where the differences in their internet use lies. This gave a clear indication on the demographic differences and informed my future recommendation at the end of this document.

On the 26th November I visited London to visit different department stores across the city. These stores included Debenhams, House of Fraser and Selfridges. Whilst in Selfridges, I spoke to Dior beauty assistant Megan Coleman on her thoughts about beauty counters and whether they are still important to consumers. The short clip of the interview was transcribed, see appendix 7b. The informal nature of the interview allowed me to speak to her not only as an interviewer but also as a consumer. Her thoughts allowed me to gauge the viewpoint from a brand representative but still taking in to consideration that she may be biased towards the brand she works for.

All of the above research was carried out in accordance to the ethics guidelines, and each participant was willing and fully informed about the project and what their response would be used for. All respondents filled out consent forms and read a short paragraph about the aim of my research, to make sure all understood the nature of their involvement. I have taken in to consideration the reliability of my research and hoped to achieve a number of different perspectives to gain a balanced view. The samples I have used for my questionnaire were 56 women in total, with 36 respondents being 18-34 year olds and the rest 35+. If I had a larger time scale and more resources I would have liked to even this number out to ensure a balanced sample was taken from both age groups. I have taken this in to consideration when analysing my results and have tried to evidence my finding further through conducting more consumer interviews. 16

The Beauty Canvas Overview of Market

The Beauty market has remained relatively consistent over recent years, slowly growing and increasing its presence. Currently the beauty and personal care market is worth around £14.8 billion and Mintel expects the market to achieve sales of £18.3 billion in 2016 (Beauty Retailing, 2012). According to CBI UK, growth within the UK in terms of the economy will be flat this year, with it improving slowly in to 2014 (CBI, 2012). The director of the CBI commented that ‘While we expect underlying momentum to pick up modestly next year and to be slightly stronger in 2014, the pace will remain relatively lacklustre’ (Cridland, 2012).

There are many risks that continue to trouble the economy, including the Eurozone crisis continuing and the impact of inflation in the UK. All of these factors will in turn impact what consumers buy and how much they spend, so consideration of all these external factors will have to be taken when recommending an idea for the future. However, the beauty market is showing good signs of improvement and development. In fact the beauty market is one of the few markets that is more robust in downturns; this is often referred to as the “lipstick effect” (Hill, 2012). The theory suggests consumers who cannot afford to spend money on a full outfit turn to other feel good purchases that cost less, which is often makeup and other beauty products.

‘Traditional retail is declining, ecommerce is growing at

14-24%

a year and digital continues to increase the level of importance it has to people’s purchases’ (Galloway in Ramiez, 2010: online)

fig 2: Online beaty stats, 2013, own image

What is most interesting is the development of the online beauty market and how this is increasing most rapidly. Although the online beauty market represents just 2% of the total online retail sales in the UK (Beauty online: Mintel, 2010), it has been rising consistently and is set to continue to grow. This growth has been implemented by consumers gaining access to more online platforms, brands increasing their presence online and social media playing a key role in the conversation of beauty products. Mintel (Beauty online, 2010) predicts the sales of beauty products online will reach £855 million by 2015, showing how this online market is a growing area that can be developed and utilised. From another Mintel report in 2010 (Social Media: Beauty and Personal care), only 44% of internet users had bought a beauty product online that year, compare that to 2012, where in a study by Brandbank on Health and Beauty over 63% of women expect to be buying their health and beauty products online in the next 12 months (Brandbank 2012 Report: Health and Beauty).

Although this online market is growing, there are still many hurdles which stop consumers from using online as a buying platform. Many women still like to see, feel, smell and test the product in person before buying. This is one of the main disadvantages of the online beauty market and something which will always be a hindrance for many consumers. This is almost impossible to overcome practically, but with tutorials, review sites and YouTube becoming more popular, this is likely to improve interaction online which then could lead to increased sales in the future. Another problem I found regarding accessing beauty online is that most of the official brand websites are not integrated enough; they don’t allow the customer to see any reviews, watch any tutorial content or get involved with the brand. This then leads to the consumers going elsewhere for this information, such as blogs and YouTube. The consumer journey one must go on to obtain the information,

watch a tutorial, read a review and then actually buy the product takes you through many websites and different media outlets. From my own personal experience of this, it is very frustrating and time consuming. This report will look in to this accessibility further regarding brands and non-brand communication and will suggest a possible solution to this problem within the outcomes. The Beauty market looks set to develop further in the coming years, both online and offline. For online to become more successful; more interactive and consumer led content needs to be created to secure the loyalty of generation y and z, who will be at the forefront of this development. They are the consumers that are sharing, liking and changing the way they interact with beauty. This will be looked at further in the consumer section of this report, as well as how social media and blogging is impacting this change.

The Beauty Cons cious Who is the consumer?

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;In recent years, the influx of technology that helps us with our everyday shopping has transformed consumerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needs and that power they have when purchasing. Technology has empowered consumers, giving them the confidence to become smarter shoppers. Online has become one of the main drivers in changing consumer behaviour, as well as the growth in smartphone usageâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; (World Retail Congress in Melius, 2012)

The new consumer’s mind set has shaped the way retailers and brands are exploring new ways to adapt, with many brands already improving the overall customer experience and provide a better ecommerce experience (Stockil in Melius, 2012). A key trend in consumer behaviour that the WRC Congress 2012 placed emphasis on was the need for personalisation. Consumers now more than ever want to feel connected to a brand or retailer they buy from. A more personal shopping experience will make the consumer feel like they’re getting a tailored experience just for them. Instead of it feeling corporate and inaccessible, consumers want to feel engaged and valued. It is this consumer change that has seen the rise of non-branded sites gain popularity, such as blogs and review sites. Sites where consumers can gain information and research in a nonbiased way and that offer a more personal and relatable approach are rising in demand.

fig 5: The new consumer, 2013, own image

Fig 3: Karen’s makeup bag: open and closed, 2012, own image Fig 4: Sophie’s makeup bag: open and closed, 2012, own image

Consumer’s attitudes have developed and changed; they are now more demanding than ever in an age where you can tweet your complaints or speak directly to a brand through social networks. This consumer has been termed as the “anywhere, anytime” consumer by WGSN’s World Retail Congress insights 2012. The research found suggests that ‘...multichannel shopping has fast become the norm for consumers who are now more accustomed to shopping how and when they wish to’ (Melius, 2012). This puts a huge emphasis on the need for brands and retailers to think forward to the future and implement more multichannel shopping solutions to respond to consumer’s needs. Dan Cobley, the Google UK managing director explained that consumers who mix in-store and online purchasing are generally more satisfied than those who shop in store alone (Cobley in Melius, 2012).

Looking at the female consumer more specifically regarding her fashion and beauty purchasing, in a 2012 survey referenced on WGSN, women are a lot more conscious and considered when buying; they have become less impulsive and more thoughtful when purchasing (Rumsey, 2012). The findings also found that over 69% of women research products online first before buying, showing again how there is a shift to a more considered approach and how online sites are providing a platform for this. This consumer has been referenced as the ‘Millennials’ by many, these are consumers who ‘extensively research and follow brands online both before and after purchases, making up their own minds about quality, value and customer care’ (Preston, 2012). These consumers range from the midteens to early thirties, but all have the same desire to research and be a part of an online conversation. From my own primary research, over 42% of women aged 18-34 had bought a beauty product online (Questionnaire results, 2012: see appendix 1b). It is these consumers who actively want to share and engage online that will be the target consumer for the recommendation. These consumers again can be segmented further regarding how they use online to aid their buying.

Not yet

darling

Although these consumers will not be the focus of my recommendation, it is important to reference them in regards to the different consumer groups. This demographic are the oldest and the least likely to engage online with any beauty platforms or buy products online. This is seen through my own research which found that only 4% had bought a beauty product online in the last year (Questionnaire, 2012: see appendix 1b). They have the lowest level of debt and are more settled in their buying habits (Rumsey, 2012: online) therefore making them less experimental and more traditional. These women are loyal; sticking to the brands they have known and loved for years.

Maybe

but maybe not

These consumers fit in to the 18-34 age categories and are the users who are showing some signs of online usage when buying beauty products. A great number of these consumers now bookmark websites online when researching (Rumsey, 2012) showing how an increase in online interaction is growing. These consumers like to research online before they shop in store, relying on websites to make an informed shopping decision. They are still wary about shopping for beauty online but are not opposed to being seduced by the idea.

Count me

These consumers are the most active online and are seen as the influencers and tastemakers to their peers. They use blogs and sites to their advantage and use online to be part of a social community. This consumer is where the biggest growth for online beauty lies, as previously mentioned 42% have already bought a product online this year and over 60% use online sources when researching beauty (questionnaire, 2012: see appendix 1b). They want to be constantly in the know, relying on blogs and YouTube to aid their beauty choices. This consumer still shops in store but they are the most willing to experiment online and take the chance with a beauty purchase.

The Battle field Beauty counters vs. online

Fig 9: MAC counter in Selfridges, London, 2012

Although online is gathering major growth in the beauty market, beauty counters are still considered one of the best ways to buy products. This is due to the face to face value this experience offers, the consumer can browse, interact with the sales assistants, test the products and gain more knowledge on products that interest them. The beauty assistants offer authoritative knowledge and offer conversation which most beauty consumerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s desire. In a recent WGSN report, Galloway, the founder of L2, a think tank for digital innovation commented that â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I think there will always be a consumer that wants to speak to a humanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; (Galloway in Ramirez, 2010).

Fig 10: Beauty counter in Selfridges, London, 2012

Whilst visiting Selfridges in London, I interviewed a Dior makeup artist whose opinions mirrored what Galloway suggests. She recalled a time when a customer had walked away crying, only to return a few minutes later with a gift, she explained ‘she wrote me a letter saying “thank you so much for changing me in to someone I didn’t think I could be, you’ve completely made me feel like a different woman” I felt like crying you know’ (Coleman, 2012: Interview, see appendix 7b for full transcript). The beauty counter has always relied on this quality, the one on one conversation and spoken advice that keeps consumers coming back for a personalised experience. Women who could never dream of changing their appearance can enter a new world of beauty and come away feeling like a new woman. Coleman pointed out that it is the older women who value this service the most; they are less experimental with their beauty choices so relish the counter service where they can become someone different. Nevertheless, from my own primary research, this view was contradicted by most of the respondents, with only 15% saying that the personal relationship and conversation with beauty assistants was the reason they visited (see appendix 1b). It is important to point out that the majority of the questionnaire was answered by the younger demographic, so their opinion may differ to the older consumer. It is these younger consumers who are engaging the most online and will be high priority for the recommendation.

This statistic I found could be due to the high number of online sources now available for consumers more readily; consumers can more easily than ever search a product online and see a number of reviews and opinions at the click of a mouse. It is these growing blogs and review platforms consumers use that are changing the beauty landscape from merely in store to more multichannel, with WGSN commenting that ‘The rise of the vlogger and a young, technicallyfluent consumer begets a decrease in value of in store advice’ (Ramirez, 2010: online). This shows how vital developing the online market for beauty is, consumers are constantly using online as a source and it should not be ignored when considering expansion in this industry.

Another aspect which proves to be a factor when using beauty counters is the level of trust between customer and assistant. Many beauty brands offer commission to employees on top of their salaries, questioning the level of authenticity in the advice they give. From my own experience, you never know whether the information is 100% fact or a sales technique used to persuade and sell. Speaking to a blogger about her own experiences of this, she observed that ‘so many make-up counters have sales assistants who are near-dependent on commission which basically rules out any possibility of objectivity’ (Lucas, 2012: Interview, see appendix 2d ). It could be said that the beauty gurus and non-brand affiliated blogs are more authoritative because of this; they offer non biased information and as a result gain the trust of valued consumers online; this will be explored later in more detail in the social community section. But it is not simply the issue of commission related trust on beauty counters, many women are not confident about approaching them and taking their makeup off in front of an audience. The online realm offers comfort in their own homes, whilst they watch a YouTube tutorial or read what’s set to become the next big beauty trend.

Fig 11: Dior Counter at Department Store

However, as mentioned previously, the barriers which hold women back online are still prevailing; the tactile nature of makeup and the personal preferences women need are easier to demonstrate face to face, such as testing the product first before buying. Yet there are still a growing number of women who are increasingly using online as a shopping tool; if it was made easier for women to access all the information, then I believe this could lead to increased sales online. The confidence women are lacking when approaching beauty counters is not helped by bad experiences women encounter by a beauty assistant. While you would presume all of the staff on a counter are professional make-up artists or at least trainees, sometimes they are anything but. Speaking to a friend about her experience, she describes a time when the woman didn’t apply anything correctly which made her feel more selfconscious, but also how the woman told her ‘she normally works in the brand’s office but that they were short-staffed on counter that day’ (Evans, 2012: see appendix 5b). Many women, including myself endure a bad beauty counter experience and feel apprehensive about returning. It seems there are many factors which can go in favour of an in store environment, but there are also many which sway consumers to explore new possibilities, such as online interaction.

Watching Beauty

The Power of YouTube

Fig 12: YouTube stats, 2013

The popularity of YouTube has risen over the years, with the site now pulling in over 800 million unique visitors every month (YouTube, 2013). YouTube has become not only a source for music videos, viral comedies and cute animals but a platform for users to interact with others and start a career. This can be said for many beauty gurus on the site, many started from just talking to a camera about their favourite products but now have a vast amount of subscribers and video views to prove how influential they are. This popularity of the site looks set to grow, not only worldwide but more importantly amongst my target consumer. In 2010, women who regularly use YouTube was at 56% compared to a massive increase of 88% in 2012 (Rumsey, 2012, Transformed Consumers).

Women who use YouTube: 2010 vs 2013

The power of YouTube: Brand vs. non brand

The power of YouTube: Ford Fiesta

Nevertheless, it is not just brands that have the power to influence online sales, individuals, sometimes without realising can use their opinion and power on YouTube to impact consumers buying. Make-up artist Lisa Eldridge is an important name in the beauty industry; she has built her reputation through working with magazines, celebrities and advertising campaigns throughout her long career. She began her YouTube channel to share her skills and show women how they can recreate her looks that appear on the covers of Elle and Vogue.

Brands can use Youtube successfully to drive online sales as mentioned, with YouTube becoming one of the top sources of traffic for twice as many brands this year (Ramirez, 2010). However with beauty videos, there is a major divide between non-branded videos and branded. On the site, over 98% of the top beauty videos are non-brand related (Beauty Brands: digital ranking, 2010) and are produced by vloggers (video bloggers) meaning that brands either need to collaborate with existing personalities or compete with them. This could highlight the lack of interaction brands currently use on Youtube but also how many consumers go to non-branded content instead of ‘official’ brand information. I feel this is related back to the trust issue with brand representatives and how non-biased most vloggers are on YouTube. They give their honest opinion about a product and because they are not affiliated to one specific brand, can offer a more truthful observation. Yet, it seems like many beauty brands are realising the power of bloggers and YouTube in creating a larger network of fans for their brand. Many are choosing to collaborate with vloggers, which can benefit not only the brand but also the ambassador.

Fig 13: Impact of Ford Fiesta online campaign, 2013, own image

YouTube has proved itself to be a key tool that brands can use to promote and sell their products. YouTube is a great way to generate buzz about a product, promote it to potentially millions of online users and gain a lot of views that consumers can share, like and comment on. It is not only beauty brands that use this to tap in to a new consumer base, but many brands in other industries. The car brand Ford used the site to increase consumer interest in their new Fiesta model. They were clever as they used 100 already influential social media individuals to complete missions which were then documented on various channels. This allowed them to reach a larger consumer base than they necessarily could do by themselves, people who might have showed no previous

interest in Ford watched the missions because they were subscribed to the individuals’ channel. As a result of this online campaign, the videos generated 6.5 million views on YouTube, they received 50,000 requests about the car from non-Ford drivers and when it finally became available to buy in 2010 over 10,000 cars were sold in the first six days (Divol et al, 2012). YouTube has the power to connect to consumers on an interactive level, feel much more personal and less corporate driven than using a print campaign. Online also offers the user to come back and watch the video again, or even better watch related videos by other people. It is this sharing and collaborative environment that online consumers like to interact with, therefore proving one of the best platforms brands can use to promote and sell.

From an article about who are the real brand influencers, Carmel Allen and Jason Metz look at the relationship of brands and social media and how social media has changed the dynamic between the two. One of the case studies they use is how Kathy Philips, who is the former beauty director of British Vogue, gave Lisa Eldridge a new tanning product to sample on her video, and when Lisa did this, ‘within a few days, 300 were sold. Now that’s influence in action’ (Allen & Metz, 2012). The level of trust and authority is as important online as it is in store, if the consumer trusts the person they are watching then their opinion can resonate more permanently and influence their buying a lot more effectively.

Case Study: Estee Lauder

Fig 15: Emily Schuman posing for blog post, 2012

Emily Schuman is a fashion and beauty blogger who has gained popularity over the last few years; in 2010 she won the Webbie award for ‘Best Fashion Blog’ and since then she has gained a large following through her website. Emily’s influence and success caught the eye of beauty brand Estee Lauder, who in 2012 employed her as their social media and digital guest editor (Happi, 2012). This is the first time Estee Lauder has included a bloggers voice in to their own brand communication and is a huge step forward for a prestigious brand to incorporate bloggers on to their online platforms.

Fig 14: Cupcakes and Cashmere book cover with Emily Schuman, 2012

Emily’s role for the brand will include making YouTube videos and guest posts on Estee Lauder’s website, ranging from beauty tips, How-to tutorials and showing her favourite products, as well as having a dedicated section on their Facebook and Twitter pages. From looking at Estee Lauder’s YouTube page, six of the most viewed videos are from Emily, with those six videos gathering over 250 thousand views alone. Emily has proved to be a success; by using Emily’s existing audience and merging it with Estee Lauder fans, the collaboration continues to help both parties. The collaboration has helped increase Estee Lauder’s online engagement with customers, as the comments and likes on Emily’s videos are much greater than the brands own (Hunt, 2012). Hunt also commented that Estee Lauder have created content which builds a ‘great community instead of merely paying for views’, something which is important to keep consumers coming back to the website. On Hunt’s blog, she also touches on the negatives this collaboration could bring, such as Emily not maintaining a brand neutral approach to keeping her existing audience. This is the most delicate aspect of a blogger and brand association, as individuals want to keep their own identity and opinions but still promote the brands’ products (Hunt, 2012). This is something which will form the basis for my own recommendation, as whether the implementation will be brand focused or brand neutral is a key factor in gaining consumer trust and increasing sales online. 49

Talk, Share, Listen

Building a social community

‘Social media is a unique component of the consumer decision journey: it’s the only form of marketing that can touch consumers at each and every stage, from when they’re pondering brands and products right through the period after a purchase, as their experience influences the brands they prefer and their potential advocacy influences others.’ (Divol, 2012)

Social Community - Instagram

Fig 20: Skin Care regime, Pixiwoos instagram account, 2012

Fig 18: Nail art posted on Instagram by user hannalouise, 2012

Fig 19: Moustache shoes, LucyHale89 instagram account, 2012

Creating a social community online is one of the fundamental ways to connect with a consumer. The beauty industry has always relied on the word of mouth relationship consumers have; sharing opinions, talking and recommending products to family members or friends. The online communities that have been created are a further extension of this, beauty sites and blogs give consumers the chance to access the information more readily. Meg Lucas, a beauty and lifestyle blogger of ‘Lips So Facto’ commented that ‘It’s just like a recommendation from a trustworthy friend but on a much bigger scale’ (Lucas, 2012: appendix 2d). This may in fact be correct, as bloggers have the ability to harness consumer trust and create a relationship with the reader through a computer screen.

Instagram is a social site which has proved to have the ability to convert pictures to purchases. As noted in the consumer section, there has been a rise in the ‘Count me in’ consumers who are more frequently using social sites to become tastemakers and brand ambassadors. These consumers can post their daily outfit choices or their recently bought items which people can then like and comment on. As seen in Figures 21 and 22 this type of interaction creates an online conversation and creates a demand for the items they show. This was outlined in a WGSN report ‘Instagram driven purchases’ where it was highlighted that there seems to be shift from the traditional brand to consumer selling system to more peer to peer shopping. Preston (Instagramdriven purchases, 2012) added ‘Key items posted on apps such as Instagram create conversational threads...these conversations can translate directly into online sales or shift brand perceptions’. It is these sites which increase brand conversation and introduce more peer to peer interaction which are proving to be an authoritative source to the 18-35 year old consumer.

Fig 16: Purchases posted on Instagram account, 2012

Fig 17: Products posted on Instagram account, 2012

Fig 21: online conversation on LucyHale89 account, 2012

Fig 22: online conversation on Pixiwoos account, 2012

Social Community: Homebase case study

fig 23: House of Inspiration, Homebase Facebook page, 2013

A brand which has created an online community to reach their consumers more effectively is Homebase. The DIY industry is another market similar to beauty which has a strong consumer following and relies on showing tutorials and guides to aid customers in their purchasing decisions. It is these aspects which prompted Homebase to reach a wider audience by using social media. Homebase marketing director Jo Kenrick commented that this new move was a natural progression for the retailer, who are already being talked about throughout the social media space. They wanted to provide ‘inspiration and practical advice from our expert team, all in the space where they are

already active’ (Kenrick in DIY Week, 2011). The retailer has improved their customer service by increasing their presence online, making it easier for customers to get the help and advice they need. Facebook, Twitter and YouTube accounts have been created to allow easier access to the Homebase brand and to inspire customers to engage more interactively. One way they hope to achieve this is through their ‘How To’ videos and the ‘House of inspiration’ Facebook feature, which allows customers to upload their own DIY successes, create mood boards and share their creations on any social media platform (Homebase Facebook, 2013).

Within the last year, the Homebase website has seen a visitor increase of 15% and their ‘Reserve and Collect’ sales have risen by 35% (Home Retail Group Annual Report, 2012). Also highlighted in the annual report was a third of Homebase customers now browse online before they buy, suggesting how the changes they executed at the end of 2011 have successfully improved the customer shopping experience. This case study also suggests how by actively targeting existing users online, Homebase were able to easily adapt their retailing to become more multi-channel. However, although extending their multi-channel platforms this way has proved to be a success, a report on Datamonitor (‘Homebase’s social media strategy’, 2011) proposes that Homebase has missed out on an opportunity to begin a social platform of their own. Given that they already operate a standalone social site called ‘getintogardening.co.uk’ which features forums, competitions, embedded videos and instructional content, many expected the retailer to develop on this and start their own network for DIY lovers.

Datamonitor also showed how Homebase’s competitor B&Q control their own online community called the ‘Social Hub’ which integrates the brand’s Twitter and Facebook feeds seamlessly. The report continues to suggest that ‘Homebase could have created an online community of DIY enthusiasts with a strong sense of brand identity, while embedding it into its website would have increased the frequency and time customers spent browsing and heightened the likelihood of them making purchases’.

This issue raised by the report is the same I have encountered when exploring beauty online. The stand-alone platforms for beauty already exist such as blogs, YouTube channels and ecommerce sites; yet there never seems to be a collective platform which joins together all of the above to encourage increased browsing time, encourage feedback and conversation and increase the chances of more purchases being made online. For my recommendation I will look at the possibilities of creating a new online space to inspire the consumer to research, review and shop for beauty all in one place.

The Dark Side of Beauty Online Trust

When speaking about the barriers of the online beauty market, I mentioned that many consumers are still uneasy when purchasing beauty products online. This online trust is simply not an issue for beauty consumers but many consumers in general. Bargh and McKenna (2004 in Whitty, 2009, p97) have described the Internet on many occasions as taking a “leap of faith”, ‘Purchasing online compared to a bricks and mortar store requires a belief that the goods will arrive, that they will be as described on the website...’ This is one of the negatives of an online environment, but with ecommerce sites becoming increasingly more accessible and easy to use, more and more customers can now shop online safe and securely.

Fig 24: Top 5 ways consumers research beauty, created by myself, 2013

This is also supported by my own primary research which found that over 98% of respondents (female 18-34 year olds) now use online for shopping (Questionnaire, 2012: see appendix 1b). It was important for me to see what women are currently buying online, as well as gathering their opinions on beauty. This allowed me to target my consumer more specifically for my recommendation and tap in to the social sites they already use.

From my research I could see quite clearly that the older demographic were less comfortable with using online for clothing, accessories and beauty, with only 10% of 45-55 year olds using online shopping sites for these items. In contrast women aged 18-34 were more than happy to shop clothing online and almost half admitted to buying a beauty product online in the last year (see appendix 1b). This statistic is very important, as it indicated how my target consumer is behaving right now and how I can impact change through my recommendation.

Interestingly, regarding online trust, what I found was a shift away from brand authority to more peer to peer information. Similar to the YouTube and Instagram case studies, many women choose to use non brand sources to influence what they buy. Only 9% of respondents reported using brand websites when researching products, compared to a massive 60% who use non brand sources collectively, which is shown in figure 24. Whether this is due to the brand websites not offering them what they need or a case of trust is not officially known, however it could be deduced that consumers want honest opinions and reviews of products, something which is lacking on brand websites.

Online consumers want proof that the item they are willing to buy is suitable, Graves (2010: p64) says that ‘Social proof, in the form of bestseller lists, testimonials, or customer reviews, is also a hugely influential factor. Retail clients tell me that those products that have the best reviews will sell best; it’s no surprise that, in the absence of seeing what other people are buying, such information is important to online customers’. Yet, the power of customer reviews and testimonials are not used to their full potential, only 2% of consumers I asked had used a review site for beauty products (see appendix 1b). I think this is due to the accessibility of these sites and how many women don’t know where to start looking. At the moment, it is much easier to pick up a magazine with the top ten beauty picks and ask a friend for help than it is to source out a good review, an informative tutorial and a relatable blog all in one place.

From the research conducted, the number one way consumer’s research beauty products is through recommendations from a family or friend (35%) followed by blogs at 18%. When speaking to Sophia Ford, the beauty blogger of ‘Tattooed Tea lady’ she commented that she would most definitely trust a friend over a brand, ‘The brand is trying to sell a product at the end of the day, and whilst their information is useful for active ingredients or key features, a friend who has tested it and isn’t being compensated will always be the most trustworthy’ (Ford, 2012: appendix 2e). It seems that most people believe the opinion of someone they know or trust a lot more than believing a brand. This human interaction cannot be ignored, this is what pushes people to buy and keeps them coming back to see what others are saying.

But this type of written confirmation is seen as one of the most persuasive ways that can alter consumer behaviour (Katz & Lazarsfeld, 1955, in Bickart & Schindler, 2012) and consumers are being responsive to it, sometimes without realising. Most interact with social sites and create conversational threads where they raise questions and decide for themselves whether they want to buy a product. Only 6% of women asked in my questionnaire do not research beauty in any way, shape or form, so the motivation behind researching beauty is already there in the consumers’ minds. By creating an online solution which is easily reachable, this would be improving customer’s chances of accessing all the information they need before making an informed buying decision.

‘ 62

Imperfections in the market Conclusion

Imperfections in the market: conclusion

In conclusion, I think that throughout my research has shown an opportunity to create something new for beauty online. From the beginning, one of my initial hypotheses was to see whether my thoughts about the target consumer were correct; that the younger, tech savvy consumer are more willing to adopt online when purchasing beauty. From conducting primary and secondary research, I feel like I have pinpointed who the demographic are that are beginning to use online more frequently to aid their buying. Not only are the consumer I have mentioned using online, they are becoming more demanding in the part they play when interacting with brands. They now, more than ever want to be part of an online conversation and are becoming individuals that other customers can look to for advice. This realisation I found impacted another one of my hypotheses, that the online beauty market will increase as bloggers gain more popularity and authority. I believe this to be true, from speaking to bloggers myself about their influence; it is their love for what they do and their unbiased opinion that sets them apart in the industry. Consumers can relate to them and begin to trust what they say, which is turn can lead to increased interaction online for beauty. This interaction is also having an effect on consumersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; online purchases; bloggers and leading beauty figures are showing real influence over consumerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s online spends. One of my other predictions when starting my research was that beauty brands will increase their presence online to reach more consumers and compete with the individuals I mentioned above. I have found a number of case studies that prove that brands are acknowledging this shift to a more personalised retail space, with many beauty brands such as Estee Lauder taking the first steps by incorporating a bloggers voice in to their own communication. However what I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t expect to find was the shift in the consumer mind set. I feel like there is a real backlash against beauty brands and trust and where consumers go to find the information they need. Customers are relying on themselves and the trust of other customers to access beauty online; peer to peer they have formed social communities which rely on non-brand information. From different sources, I found the amount of people who are already buying beauty online surprising, from my own research over 42% had bought a product online in the last year and many other reports suggested that women are open to this new change. Although there are still many drawbacks with trying to create an online environment for beauty, such as the tangibility of the products and the face to face value of beauty counters, I found that there are just as many reasons why women would like to use online more frequently. The instant access an online platform creates, the ability to watch a video over and over and share a product or style you love with your friends are key features which help dominate online as a beauty tool.

The Final Touches The Recommendation

My last hypothesis links directly to my own recommendation from the research I have undertaken. I proposed that there is a gap in the market to create an online space for beauty that incorporates tutorials, reviews, a social community and an ecommerce friendly platform. From my research, I have found that almost all of my target consumers are researching beauty, whether it is through friends or on a blog. All of them are gathering opinions and thoughts from different sources, mixing and matching various platforms to ensure the best choice. Interestingly, I found that official brand websites seem to be left behind; instead consumers are relying on the trust of other peers and influential bloggers and figures. I propose that a new beauty platform can be created to incorporate everything the current beauty consumer is doing; reviewing, watching and creating conversation about beauty products. As noted in my research, one of the problems women find is the accessibility of this information and how all the sources are in different places throughout the web. By joining the best websites together in one place, I believe it will increase the level of conversation online and will increase the chances of purchasing being made.

The Final Touches: Personalisation

What will make the site unique from a beauty blog or watching a Youtube tutorial is that it will be personalised to meet the needs of the consumer. There is a growing ecommerce trend that highlights the importance of personalisation online, with Simpson from Maxymiser (an online solutions company) commenting that ‘consumers are going to see sites that increasingly reflect their interests, wants and needs – and have little patience for sites that don’t (Ecommerce Trends, 2013). This website will reflect just that, instead of searching your way through endless videos and blog posts to find the right one, this site will use the details you give to filter the best information for you. It will use the consumers own preferences, influencers and followers to design their very own beauty dashboard full of reviews, videos and recommendations.

This website hopes to focus on what really matters, the consumer and their opinions.

Once on the website, consumers will create their own account that can be personalised and altered whenever they want. To start, the site will ask for a minimum of four of their beauty influencers that they admire and value the opinion of. These can be anyone, from their favourite beauty blogger, celebrity, makeup artist or even a friend or family member. The sites main purpose is to make it easier for consumers to access all their beauty needs in one place. A unique platform will be created from the influencers they have chosen, giving them a collection of sources on their homepage that they can read and watch. For example, if the user chooses a Youtube beauty guru as one of their main influencers, then the site will filter videos on the user’s homepage directly from Youtube, and if the consumer picked a beauty blog as an influence, then alongside the videos, there will be blog posts from that blogger. The site brings together one person’s beauty influences all in one place, so instead of opening endless tabs on Google, the site will act as their in-between source.

The personalisation doesn’t end there; from my research it was important to acknowledge the barriers of accessing beauty online. The main factors were that most consumers like to see the products in front of them, to determine the colour, texture and feel. Although a solution for this is difficult, it can be helped by improving the personalisation of beauty products online. As well as identifying their own influencers, the site will then allow the user to create their own online profile by giving selected details. These details will include their age, skin type and skin colouring, but the user can choose to give more information if they want to filter the products further, such as favourite brands and what texture of product they prefer e.g. liquid foundation or powder. Simpson (2013) again observed that ‘consumers will begin to see the data they share online – age, geography, life stage, social profile information put to use in offering them a more relevant shopping experience. The result? No more wading through irrelevant offers or products to get what matters to you’. The site I propose wants to create a more relevant experience for beauty lovers. For instance, if the user has inputted that she is 24, has oily skin and is very fair, then a new product by Bobbi Brown for dry, dark skin will not be broadcast on her recommendations. Instead when relevant products appear to match the consumer’s preferences, these will appear, in which case the consumer can then choose to explore the product further or click ‘not interested’. I believe these personalised features will increase interaction for beauty online, by offering a more tailored experience; the user can create their own platform that is catered for them and uses the opinions and thoughts on the people they trust. From my research I found many consumers did not use brand websites to research beauty, instead relying on peer to peer recommendations. The site capitalises on this and offers a brand neutral approach, instead using the reviews and attitudes by other consumers to aid their beauty purchases.

The Final Touches: Social

fig 25

The social elements of the site are key in generating conversation and recommendations from user to user. As noted in my research, the majority of consumers use word of mouth recommendations from family and friends. Blogging has taken advantage of this characteristic and consumers now value the opinion of these online sources as they would a friend. A site which incorporates the social characteristics of a spoken conversation and the authority of a beauty blog will I think prove to be a winning combination, with Omaha (2013) observing that ‘consumers are gravitating to niche social sites’ that appeal to their personal interests.’

The website will be a social hub for beauty information, allowing consumers to create their own personal beauty space which holds all their beauty needs. Once the consumer has created an account, it is then theirs to come back to whenever they need a quick how to guide or an opinion on a new MAC foundation.

fig 26

25. Amiee’s nail varnish collection 26. Sophie’s makeup brushes 27. Karen’s makeup bag 28. Cath’s makeup draw 29. Sophie’s makeup

Once logged in, as mentioned in the personalisation section, consumers can access a site fully personalised to meet their beauty needs. They choose who to follow on the site and after following can see that users own influencers and favourite products. The log in requirements will begin their social journey, from their account they can then share products, comment on reviews and create conversations with other members.

The main aim of the site is to create a brand neutral approach to researching beauty. Instead of a brand telling you their product has seen ‘100% decrease of wrinkles’, the user can search a product and see for themselves. The search will then access the reviews on the site and any related videos and blog posts from over the web. The site offers not one view from a brand, Youtube video or blog post but a wealth of knowledge from other consumers who have tried and tested the product. Also, if a user has their own opinion on a product then they need not keep quiet, they can add their voice to the conversation and agree or disagree.

fig 27

fig 28

74 fig 29

The Final Touches: Ecommerce Interaction

The personalisation and social elements of the site I hope will encourage longer lasting interaction online for beauty, therefore resulting in more online sales. Although this isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the main aim of the site, the interactive elements embedded will start to change the consumers mind set when buying beauty online. As previously mentioned, the site will embed existing YouTube videos in to the website, so the user can watch and share without leaving the webpage. From my research, I found that whilst most brands now incorporate written instructional content (Ramirez, 2010) most brands are still missing the video content which consumers love to watch. This may be one of the reasons why consumers use other sources more frequently than brand websites. Wayne (2013) indicated how important video can be for a site, commenting that images alone only show the basics and are not very clear, while videos aid the purchasing decision and can help rank your website higher in search engines. I feel videos are even more intrinsic within beauty, they offer a strong, authoritative voice that can connect to the consumer better than a still image.

I am aware that, as shown in my research there are still a number of consumers who are wary about buying beauty online, but the site is making it easier to source beauty in one place and is planting the seed for ecommerce growth. Whether they go on to buy in store or online, the site will be there throughout their consumer journey, collecting their recommendations and favourites, aiding them with a list of wanted products they can purchase in store or at home. This consumer journey is outlined more visually in figure 26.

Fig 30: Consumer journey of recommendation

While the site will mainly function as a go to source for beauty research, I want the website to be ecommerce compatible, as a number of my consumers showed interest in buying beauty online through my research. Once a consumer has read a review or watched a video, they can then directly click on a product to find out more information, i.e. the brand and different available colours. The user can then add this item to their favourites, allowing them to build a collection of products they then want to purchase in store. Alternatively, the user can directly buy any products from the site, as the site will offer one-click purchasing.

Where interaction within a beauty counter only offers you that one brandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s products and knowledge, the website I recommend will offer all of the advice and knowledge for all brands under one platform, meaning consumers can work out the best product for them without the anxiety of feeling obliged to buy. As well, the site will cut out the time spent accessing different brandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s websites, as the consumer can now purchase products across different brands in one place, whilst still reading and watching reviews.

Looking Forward... Looking at the future of the site, one way I can see the website developing is through its ecommerce features. If brands wanted to encourage more sales of their products online then a collaboration between the website and beauty brands could prove beneficial. As mentioned, users will be able to add products in to their favourites; these items are the items they wish to buy or are thinking about buying either in store or online. To encourage more online sales, offers could be presented to users who have 3 or more products from the same brand in their favouriteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bag. The brand could offer online discount if the user purchases these items together online. This would help the brandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s online sales but also encourage more interaction through the website. It would be rewarding loyalty to consumers, not only those who are brand loyal but also those who choose to use my website over the brandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own. A more detailed analysis of my recommendation can be seen in appendix 8, where I have produced a swot analysis of my idea.

Word count: 7615

The Appedix

The Appendices

References 86-88

Appendix 5 - Consumer ancedote

List of Illustrations 89-90

a. Consent form.............................. 129 b. Luce Evans................................... 130

Bibliography 91-95 Critical Path 96

Appendix 6 - Consumer photos

Tutorial Sheets 97-105

a. Consent forms............................. 131 b. Amiee & Cath................................... 132 Gemma & Soph............................... 133 Jodie & Karen................................... 134

Appendix 1 - Questionnaire a. Questionnaire...................... 107 b. Results.................................... 108-109

Appendix 7 - London Visit a. Consent Form.............................. 135 b. Dior assistant interview.......... 136-137

Appendix 2 - Blogger interview a. Email to bloggers............... 110 b. Email correspondence.... 111 c. Consent forms..................... 112 d. Meg Lucas Interview........ 113-114 e. Sophia Ford Interview..... 115-116

Appendix 8 - Analysis SWOT analysis................................ 138 Ethical Approval............................. 139

Appendix 3 - Industry contact Emails to Industry.................. 117-118 Appendix 4 - Consumer interview a. Interview example............ 119 b. Consent forms.................... 120-123 c. Gemma Fox.......................... 124 d. Karen Fowler....................... 125 e. Sophie Holmes.................... 126-127 f. Jodie Fisher........................... 128

References

Ramirez, E. (2010). Beauty Brands: digital ranking. [pdf] WGSN Available via http://www.wgsn. com/content/report/Marketing/Communication_Strategy/2012/November/digital_ranking_

Halligan. B & Shah, D, (2010) Inbound Marketing: Get found using Google, Social media, and Blogs.

beautybrands.pdf. Last accessed 15th Nov 2012.

John Wiley & Sons, Inc, New Jersey. YouTube, (2013) Statistics [online] YouTube, Available at: http://www.youtube.com/t/press_statistics Monk, H (2012) Beauty Retailing – UK – January 2012 [online] Mintel, Available via: http://academic.

Last accessed 6th January 2013

mintel.com/display/590004/ Last Accessed 20th November 2012 Divol, R et al. (2012) Demystifying Social Media [online] McKinsey Quarterly, available at: http:// Cridland, (2012) Economy flat this year, with a modest pick-up throughout 2013/14 [online] CBI,

www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Demystifying_social_media_2958 Last accessed 6th January 2013

Available at: http://www.cbi.org.uk/media-centre/press-releases/2012/11/economy-flat-this-yearwith-a-modest-pick-up-throughout-2013-14/ Last accessed 7th December 2012

Allen, C & Metz. J (2012) Under the Influence. [online] Brand Influencers, Issue 45. Available at: http://www.brand-influencers.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/01_Features_45.pdf Last

Hill, S. (2012) Lipstick, the Recession and Evolutionary Psychology [blog] The Scientific American,

accessed 20th December 2012

Available at: http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/2012/06/27/lipstick-the-recession-and-

Anon, (2012) Estee Lauder Signs Fashion Blogger [online] Happi.com, Available at: http://www.

evolutionary-psychology/ Last Accessed November 28th 2012

happi.com/news/2012/02/03/est%e9e_lauder_signs_fashion_blogger Last accessed 14th December 2012

Strutton, M (2010) Beauty online – UK – December 2010 [online] Mintel, Available at: http:// academic.mintel.com/display/480959/ Last Accessed 27th November 2012

Hunt, T (2012) Engaging a Brand Advocate vs. Advertising Spend: Case Study [blog] TaraHunt.com, Available at: http://www.wwd.com/beauty-industry-news/people/blogger-emily-schuman-

Richmond, A (2012) Social Media: Beauty and Personal Care – UK – April 2012 [online] Mintel,

promoting-her-book-with-este-lauder-6402597?src=rss/recentstories/20121011 Last accessed 5th

Available via: http://academic.mintel.com/display/618538/ Last Accessed 25th November

December 2012

Anon, (2012) Women in 18-35 age group increasingly buy their health and beauty products online

DIY week, (2011) Homebase launches on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube [online] DIY week.net,

[blog] Brandbank, Available at: http://www.brandbank.com/blog/women-in-18-35-age-group-

Available at: http://www.diyweek.net/news/news.asp?id=15034&title=Homebase+launches+on+Fac

increasingly-buy-their-health-and-beauty-products-online/ Last accessed 10th December 2012

ebook%2C+Twitter+and+YouTube Last accessed 5th January 2013

Melius, L. (2012). The multichannel consumer: WRC 2012 insights [online] WGSN, Available

Homebase, (2013) Homebase House of Inspiration [Facebook] Available at: http://www.facebook.

via: http://www.wgsn.com/content/report/Marketing/Consumer_Insight/2012/October/the_

com/homebase/app_310179562389446 Last accessed 18th January 2013

multichannelconsumer.html. Last accessed 15th Nov 2012. Home Retail Group Annual Report (2012) Homebase business review – Homebase is a leading Rumsey, A. (2012). Transformed consumers: UK women [online] WGSN. Available via: http://

home enhancement retailer [pdf] Home Retail Group Annual Report 2012, Available at: http://www.

www.wgsn.com/content/report/Marketing/Consumer_Insight/2012/November/transformed_

homeretailgroup.com/ar/2012/_downloads/homeretail_ar_homebase_business_review.pdf Last

consumersukwomen.html. Last accessed 15th Nov 2012

accessed 5th January 2013

Preston, LJ. (2012). Instagram-driven purchases: digital youth consumer. [pdf] WGSN Available

Datamonitor, (2011) Homebase’s social media strategy has a magnolia finish [online] Datamonitor

via: http://www.wgsn.com/content/report/Youth/Youth_Think_Tank/2012/August/Millennials_

research store, Available at: http://www.datamonitor.com/store/News/homebases_social_media_

reaching_the_digital_youth_consumer.pdf Last accessed 15th Nov 2012

strategy_has_a_magnolia_finish?productid=5E22F599-3153-4945-9BFA-BB0CD194D077 Last accessed 4th January 2013

List of Illustrations Whitty, M & Joinson, A, (2009) Truth, Lies and Trust on the Internet. Psychology Press, Great Britain. Graves, P. (2010) Consumer.ology: The Market Research Myth, the Truth about Consumers and the Psychology of Shopping. Nicholas Brealey Publishing, UK. Bickart, B, Schindler, R.M. . (2001). Internet forums as influential sources of consumer information. [Journal] Journal of Interactive Marketing, Volume 15, Issue 3, Available via: http://ac.els-cdn. com/S1094996801701843/1-s2.0-S1094996801701843-main.pdf?_tid=4684552a-2b38-11e2-980900000aab0f6b&acdnat=1352553327_8ef016e03a29a4ae1b5ee9e2036fe44a. Last accessed 10th

Figure 1: Series of make-up collection photographs, 2013, own image Figure 2: Online beauty stats, Info graphic, 2013, own image Figure 3: Karen’s makeup bag: open and closed, 2012, own image Figure 4: Sophie’s makeup bag: open and closed, 2012, own image Figure 5: The new consumer, Info graphic, 2013, own image

November 2012

Figure 6: Karen, consumer, taken 2011 by myself

Simpson, M (2013) 13 E-commerce Trends for 2013 [online] Website Magazine, Available at: www.

Figure 7: Catherine, consumer, Photo taken from Facebook page, taken 2012, Available at: http:// www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150986002006189&set=a.484790136188.284658.684836188& type=1&theater

websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2013/01/02/13-e-commerce-trends-for-2013. aspx Last accessed 8th January 2013

Figure 8: Ellie, consumer, taken 2013 on my camera by herself Omaha, N (2013) Bloom’s New Photo Sharing Beauty App Lets you Shop Your Favorite Looks [online] The Sacramento Bee, Available at: www.sacbee.com/2013/01/14/5113749/blooms-newphoto-sharing-beauty.html Last accessed January 8th 2013 Wayne, (2013) Five E-commerce trends of 2013 [online] The Ion Blog, Available at: www.iondigital. co.uk/five-e-commerce-trends-of-2013/ Last accessed 10th January 2013

Textured background collages, 2013, own image Figure 9: MAC counter in Selfridges, London, 2012, own image Figure 10: Beauty counter in Selfridges, London, 2012, own image Figure 11: Dior make-up counter in Department store, Available at: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/DzXaNp5KxjA/Tsx-YyHEK_I/AAAAAAAABmM/PTTqYAPZR_E/s1600/photo-12.JPG Figure 12: YouTube infographic, 2013, own image Figure 13: Ford Fiesta infographic, 2013, own image Figure 14: Cupcakes and Cashmere book cover with Emily Schuman, 2012, available at: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v8OpzXMuOc4/UAiynzrsBtI/AAAAAAAACDw/Ag8lqoZ_9-E/ s1600/9781419702105.jpg Figure 15: ‘Emily Schuman posing for blog post’, Nov 9th 2012, South Moon under blog, Available at: http://southmoonunder.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/a-quick-q-with-emily-schuman-of.html Figure 16: Clothing purchases posted on Instagram account, 2012, Available at: http://instagram. com/p/U_1rQ1vaXU/ Figure 17: Products posted on Instagram account, 2012, Available at: http://instagram.com/p/ UKEdprvaWV/ Figure 18: Nail art posted on Instagram by user hannalouise, 2012, Available at: http://instagram. com/p/TiyF4IpL7L/

Figure 19: ‘Moustache shoes’, Screenshot taken by myself from LucyHale89 instagram account, 2012, Available at: http://instagram.com/p/Ub1ARowunP/

Bibliography

Figure 20: ‘Skin Care regime’, Screenshot taken by myself from Pixiwoos instagram account, 2012 Available at: http://instagram.com/p/UdNv7Mrge3/ Figure 21: User comments, Screenshot taken by myself from LucyHale89 account, 2012, Available at: http://instagram.com/p/Ub1ARowunP/ Figure 22: User comments, Screenshot taken by myself from Pixiwoos Instagram account, 2012, Available at: http://instagram.com/p/UdNv7Mrge3/

Allen, C & Metz. J (2012) Under the Influence. [online] Brand Influencers, Issue 45. Available at: http://www.brand-influencers.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/01_Features_45.pdf Last accessed 20th December 2012

Figure 23: House of Inspiration, Homebase Facebook page, 2013, Available at: http://www.facebook. com/homebase/app_310179562389446

Anon, (2009). Magazine Launches Online Shopping Portal. [online magazine] GCI Magazine, Available at: http://www.gcimagazine.com/marketstrends/channels/onlinetv/47210902.html . Last accessed 13th Nov 2012.

Figure 24: Top 5 ways consumers’ research beauty, Info graphic, created by myself, 2013 Figure 25: Amiee’s nail varnish collection, 2013, own image Figure 26: Sophie’s makeup brushes, 2013, own image Figure 27: Karen’s makeup bag, 2013, own image

Anon, (2012) Estee Lauder Signs Fashion Blogger [online] Happi.com, Available at: http://www. happi.com/news/2012/02/03/est%e9e_lauder_signs_fashion_blogger Last accessed 14th December 2012 Anon, (2012) Women in 18-35 age group increasingly buy their health and beauty products online [blog] Brandbank, Available at: http://www.brandbank.com/blog/women-in-18-35-age-groupincreasingly-buy-their-health-and-beauty-products-online/ Last accessed 10th December 2012 Anon, (2012). M&S Your Beauty - Marks and Spencer’s new beauty hall. [blog] Your Beauty Industry. Available at: http://yourbeautyindustry.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/m-your-beauty-marksand-spencers-new.html. Last accessed 13th Nov 2012.

Figure 28: Cath’s makeup draw, 2013, own image Figure 29: Sophie’s makeup, 2013, own image Figure 30: Consumer Journey of recommendation, info graphic, own image

Aprison, M. (2012). YOUTUBE BEAUTY BLOGGERS: WHAT MARKETERS SHOULD KNOW. [online] ZdNet, Available at: http://www.zdnet.com/tech-gigs-ios-apps-html5-in-seo-social-media-netout-7000001138/. Last accessed 13th Nov 2012. Bickart, B, Schindler, R.M. . (2001). Internet forums as influential sources of consumer information. [Journal] Journal of Interactive Marketing, Volume 15, Issue 3, Available via: http://ac.els-cdn. com/S1094996801701843/1-s2.0-S1094996801701843-main.pdf?_tid=4684552a-2b38-11e2-980900000aab0f6b&acdnat=1352553327_8ef016e03a29a4ae1b5ee9e2036fe44a. Last accessed 10th Nov 2012. Brown, R (2012) Blogger Emily Schuman Promoting Book with Estee Lauder [online] WWD.com, Available via: http://www.wwd.com/beauty-industry-news/people/blogger-emily-schumanpromoting-her-book-with-este-lauder-6402597?src=rss/recentstories/20121011 Last Accessed 3rd December 2012 Cridland, (2012) Economy flat this year, with a modest pick-up throughout 2013/14 [online] CBI, Available at: http://www.cbi.org.uk/media-centre/press-releases/2012/11/economy-flat-this-yearwith-a-modest-pick-up-throughout-2013-14/ Last accessed 7th December 2012 Datamonitor, (2011) Homebase’s social media strategy has a magnolia finish [online] Datamonitor research store, Available at: http://www.datamonitor.com/store/News/homebases_social_media_ strategy_has_a_magnolia_finish?productid=5E22F599-3153-4945-9BFA-BB0CD194D077 Last accessed 4th January 2013

Davis, J. (2008). The Face of Change: Social Media’s Impact on Beauty Branding. [online magazine] GCI Magazine, Available at: http://www.gcimagazine.com/business/marketing/27924924.html. Last accessed 5th November 2012.

Homebase, (2012) Homebase House of Inspiration [Facebook] Available at: http://www.facebook. com/homebase/app_310179562389446 Last accessed 18th January 2013

Divol, R et al. (2012) Demystifying Social Media [online] McKinsey Quarterly, available at: http:// www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Demystifying_social_media_2958 Last accessed 6th January 2013

Home Retail Group Annual Report (2012) Homebase business review – Homebase is a leading home enhancement retailer [pdf] Home Retail Group Annual Report 2012, Available at: http://www. homeretailgroup.com/ar/2012/_downloads/homeretail_ar_homebase_business_review.pdf Last accessed 5th January 2013

DIY week, (2011) Homebase launches on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube [online] DIY week.net, Available at: http://www.diyweek.net/news/news.asp?id=15034&title=Homebase+launches+on+Fac ebook%2C+Twitter+and+YouTube Last accessed 5th January 2013

Hunt, T (2012) Engaging a Brand Advocate vs. Advertising Spend: Case Study [blog] TaraHunt.com, Available at: http://tarahunt.com/2012/10/24/engaging-a-brand-advocate-vs-advertising-spendcase-study/ Last accessed 5th December 2012

Easey, M. (2009) Fashion Marketing: Third Edition. Wiley-Blackwell Publishing, UK.

Jimenez, A (2012) 10 things a makeup counter salesperson doesn’t want you to know [online] Total Beauty, Available at: http://www.totalbeauty.com/content/gallery/makeup-counter-secrets/ p83582/page5 Last accessed 2nd January 2013

Foster, K (2012) Another Win for bloggers! Estee Lauder hires Emily Schuman of Cupcakes and Cashmere [blog] Catwalk Queen.tv, Available at: http://www.wwd.com/beauty-industry-news/ people/blogger-emily-schuman-promoting-her-book-with-este-lauder-6402597?src=rss/ recentstories/20121011 Last accessed 8th December 2012 Gignan, L. (2012). Tech gigs: iOS apps, HTML5 in; SEO, social media, .Net out. [online] ZdNet, Available at: http://www.zdnet.com/tech-gigs-ios-apps-html5-in-seo-social-media-netout-7000001138/. Last accessed 13th Nov 2012. Glenday, J (2012) Homebase launches custom YouTube Channel [online] The Drum, Available at: http://www.thedrum.com/news/2012/12/04/homebase-launches-custom-youtube-channel Last accessed 5th January 2013 Graves, P. (2010) Consumer.ology: The Market Research Myth, the Truth about Consumers and the Psychology of Shopping. Nicholas Brealey Publishing, UK. Grubow. (2010). The Online World—Beauty Counter of Tomorrow. [online magazine] GCI Magazine, Available at: http://www.gcimagazine.com/marketstrends/channels/onlinetv/90034892. html?page=3. Last accessed 10th Nov 2012. Halligan. B & Shah, D, (2010) Inbound Marketing: Get found using Google, Social media, and Blogs. John Wiley & Sons, Inc, New Jersey. Harrison, N (2010) Homebase unveils networking website [online] Retail Week, Available at: http://www.retail-week.com/multichannel/online-retail/homebase-unveils-networkingwebsite/5011016.article Last accessed 4th January 2013 Hill SE, Rodeheffer CD, Griskevicius V, Durante K, & White AE (2012). Boosting beauty in an economic decline: Mating, spending, and the lipstick effect. Journal of personality and social psychology, 103 (2), 275-91 Hill, S. (2012) Lipstick, the Recession and Evolutionary Psychology [blog] The Scientific American, Available at: http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/2012/06/27/lipstick-the-recession-andevolutionary-psychology/ Last Accessed November 28th 2012 Home Retail Group Annual Report (2012) Homebase business review – Homebase is a leading home enhancement retailer [pdf] Home Retail Group Annual Report 2012, Available at: http://www. homeretailgroup.com/ar/2012/_downloads/homeretail_ar_homebase_business_review.pdf Last accessed 5th January 2013

Kline Blogs. (2012). Beauty’s Social Sales – New Media Cosmetics Marketing. [blog] Kline Group, Available at: http://blogs.klinegroup.com/2012/05/02/beautys-social-sales-new-mediacosmetics-marketing/. Last accessed 13th Nov 2012 Marie, N. (2011) My Dior experience. [blog] natashagutierrez, Available at: http://natashagutierrez. blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/my-dior-experience.html Last accessed 25th January 2013 McDougall, A (2012) The Power of YouTube: Skin Care brand sponsors blogger following viral success. [online] Available at: http://www.cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/Market-Trends/Thepower-of-YouTube-skin-care-brand-sponsors-blogger-following-viral-success Last accessed December 16th 2012 Melius, L. (2012). The multichannel consumer: WRC 2012 insights [online] WGSN Available via: http://www.wgsn.com/content/report/Marketing/Consumer_Insight/2012/October/the_ multichannelconsumer.html. Last accessed 15th Nov 2012. Omaha, N (2013) Bloom’s New Photo Sharing Beauty App Lets you Shop Your Favorite Looks [online] The Sacramento Bee, Available at: www.sacbee.com/2013/01/14/5113749/blooms-newphoto-sharing-beauty.html Last accessed January 8th 2013 Petersen, R. (2011). 12 case studies that prove Social Commerce ROI. [online] Barn Raisers. Available at: http://barnraisersllc.com/2011/07/34-case-studies-prove-social-commerce-roi/. Last accessed 10th Nov 2012. Pixiwoo. (2012). YOUTUBE BEAUTY BLOGGERS: WHAT MARKETERS SHOULD KNOW. [online] Available at: http://app.two-magazine.com/. Last accessed 13th Nov 2012. Preston, LJ. (2012). Instagram-driven purchases: digital youth consumer. [pdf] WGSN Available via: http://www.wgsn.com/content/report/Youth/Youth_Think_Tank/2012/August/Millennials_ reaching_the_digital_youth_consumer.pdf Last accessed 15th Nov 2012 Ramirez, E. (2012). Beauty Brands: digital ranking. [pdf] WGSN Available via http://www.wgsn. com/content/report/Marketing/Communication_Strategy/2012/November/digital_ranking_ beautybrands.pdf. Last accessed 15th Nov 2012. Ramirez, E. (2012). Harvey Nichols unveils Beauty Bazaar campaign [online] WGSN Available via : http://www.wgsn.com/content/report/Marketing/Campaigns/Best_Practice/2012/November/ harvey_nichols_beautybazaar.html. Last accessed 15th Nov 2012.

Redwood. (2009). Boots Health & Beauty e-zine. [online] Redwood. Available at: http:// redwoodgroup.net/health-beauty-e-zine/. Last accessed 13th Nov 2012. Ross, D (2011) Encounters of the cosmetics kind: Deborah Ross goes behind the beauty counter [online], The Independent, Available at: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/features/ encounters-of-the-cosmetics-kind-deborah-ross-goes-behind-the-beauty-counter-2301074. html Last accessed 3rd January 2013

WGSN trend team. (2013) US Retail Themes 2013. [online] WGSN, Available via: http://www. wgsn.com/content/report/Business_Strategy/Business_Insight/2013/January/us_retail_tag_ themes2013.html Last accessed January 11th, 2013 WGSN trend team. (2013) Trend Apps of 2013. [online] WSGN, Available via: http://www.wgsn.com/ content/wgsn/unifiedsearch.html?q=apps&tags=&type=all&t=all&_charset_=utf-8 Last accessed January 11th, 2013

Sarah, (2013). Blog Love: Cupcakes and Cashmere. [blog] Harpers Shadow, Available at: http://www. harpersshadow.com/2013_01_20_archive.html Last Accessed January 26th 2013

Whitty, M & Joinson, A, (2009) Truth, Lies and Trust on the Internet. Psychology Press, Great Britain.

Saunter, L. (2012). The multichannel store experience: IR 12. [pdf] WGSN Available via: http://www. wgsn.com/content/report/Business_Strategy/Thought_Leadership/Conference_Reports/2012/ October/internet_retailing_2012multichannel.pdf. Last accessed 15th Nov 2012.

Wong, A. (2012) The Psychology Behind the Lipstick Effect [online] Brain Blogger, Available at: http://brainblogger.com/2012/09/26/the-psychology-behind-the-lipstick-effect/ Accessed November 27th 2012

Shearman, S (2012) Homebase adds YouTube social commerce channel [online] Marketing Magazine, Available at: http://www.marketingmagazine.co.uk/News/MostRead/1162644/ Homebase-adds-YouTube-social-commerce-channel/ Last accessed 3rd January 2013 Simpson, M (2013) 13 E-commerce Trends for 2013 [online] Website Magazine, Available at: www. websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2013/01/02/13-e-commerce-trends-for-2013. aspx Last accessed 8th January 2013 South Moon Under. (2013) A Quick Q&A with Emily Schuman of Cupcakes & Cashmere. [blog] South moon under, Available at: http://southmoonunder.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/a-quick-q-withemily-schuman-of.html Last accessed 26th January 2013 Strutton, M (2010) Beauty online â&#x20AC;&#x201C; UK â&#x20AC;&#x201C; December 2010 [online] Mintel, Available at: http:// academic.mintel.com/display/480959/ Last Accessed 27th November 2012 The Daily Hundred. (2012). Who Are the Real Online Influencers? [online] Daily Hundred. Available at: http://dailyhundred.com/2012/06/25/who-are-the-real-online-influencers/. Last accessed 13th Nov 2012. Tiffany, M. (2011). Three of the Most Influential UK Based Beauty Bloggers.[online] Rubber Republic. Available at: http://www.rubberrepublic.com/2011/09/three-of-the-most-influential-uk-basedbeauty-bloggers/. Last accessed 13th Nov 2012. Tungate, M. (2011) Branded Beauty: How Marketing Changed the Way We Look. Kogan Page Publishing, London. Wayne, (2013) Five E-commerce trends of 2013 [online] The Ion Blog, Available at: www.iondigital. co.uk/five-e-commerce-trends-of-2013/ Last accessed 10th January 2013 Weber, H. (2012). How top beauty brands seduce you with emotional design: A UX study. [online] The Next Web, Available at: http://thenextweb.com/dd/2012/03/09/how-top-beauty-brandsseduce-you-with-emotional-design-a-ux-study/. Last accessed 10th Nov 2012. WGSN trend team. (2013) Marketing Top Trends. [online] WGSN, Available via: http://www.wgsn. com/content/report/Marketing/Communication_Strategy/2013/January/2013_marketing_ toptrends.html Last accessed January 10th, 2013

critical path/planner

tutorial sheets

presentation feedback

100

101

102

103

appendix 1a Online questionnaire

By clicking ‘submit’ online the user accepted the conditions of my questionnaire and gave their willing consent to be used for my research.

Questionaire template

5. If Yes, why do you use these sites? Please tick appropriate boxes To ensure I get the best price To leave my own review on a product/service To ensure the quality of the product is good A product/service which is recommended is usually the best I can research products and make a more informed buying decision Other

1. What is your age? 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-55 55 or older 2. Do you shop online? Yes No

6. Have you ever bought any beauty products online? Yes No

3. If yes, what do you buy? Please tick the appropriate boxes Clothing and Accessories Electronics Gifts Books and gifts Music Grocery Other

7. What do you value the most about beauty counters? Their expertise and knowledge To test the products in person For one to one makeup tutorials/makeovers Personal relationship and conversation

4. Have you ever used an internet forum or review site? Yes No

8. Do you research a beauty product before buying? Yes No Sometimes 9. If yes, how do you research? Tick any that apply Recommendation from family/friend Beauty blogs Magazines The makeup brand’s website Other

105

appendix 1b

% of consumers who bought beauty products online in 2012

Online questionnaire results

Clothing and Accessories online purchases

18-34 year old consumer

18-44 45-55+

18-34 Use online shopping

35-55+

Do not use online

18-34 consumer group

Bought beauty online

How consumers research beauty (%)

Never bought beauty online

Recommendation: Family & Friends

2 6

Magazines

Blogs

What consumers value the most about makeup counters (%)

YouTube

18 Brand Website

15 38

Review sites

Their expertise and knowledge To test the products in person For a tutorial/makeover

Clothing, Accessories & Beauty online

The personal relationship/conversation

why consumers use review sites (%) 35-55+

To make a more informed buying decision

18-34 35-55+

recommended products are the best To ensure the quality

18-34 To leave a review

100

To get the best price

106

107

appendix 2a Example of email sent to bloggers

appendix 2b

correspondence with bloggers

Example of email sent to 11 online bloggers

Hi,

Firstly I just want to say I love reading your beauty blog, I have become a beauty addict and your blog is always on my go to list for reviews and new products! I’m currently a student at Nottingham Trent University studying Fashion Communication and Promotion. I’m in my final year, and as a result I have to produce a dissertation type research project on a chosen area of my choice. As I love beauty, it was an easy decision to focus on this area for my project.

For my project, I’m researching the online beauty market, more specifically the influence of online bloggers and YouTube beauty channels to consumers buying habits, and the overall rise of customer interaction online for beauty. I’m really passionate about this project and keen to find out as much as I can for my degree.

I was just emailing to ask whether either of you would be available to answer a short number of questions either over email, skype, or in person as I live in Nottingham. Mainly just about your experience of your blog popularity and any other insights in to the beauty market online. Your answers would be much appreciated, and would only be used to inform my research and go in my end of year report. All answers will be confidential, so consent will be presumed if you email accepting to help. I want a broad category of research from bloggers like yourself, to beauty brands and online consumers so I hope you can help.

Thank you for taking the time to read this email! Hanna Fowler

108

109

appendix 2c

Consent Forms

Each participant was emailed a copy of the consent form to look at to make sure all were aware of the nature of the research. Consent was taken from their email correspondence (see appendix 2b.

appendix 2d

Meg Lucas Interview

Email interview with Meg Lucas Blogger and You tuber Website: http://www.lipssofacto.com/ Date: 16/11/12

When you started your YouTube channel, did you realise how popular beauty gurus could become on YouTube?

MEG: No, not at all. The first people I watched were Pixiwoo but I didn’t realise ‘normal’ girls could become even a fraction as ‘popular’ as Sam and Nic. Why do you think people love reading your blog and watching your tutorials?

MEG: I hope it’s because they’re looking for honest detailed reviews! Are there any sources online where you go to find beauty tips, make up reviews, and trends?

MEG: I tend to look at catwalk beauty reports around fashion weeks, but for the rest of the time I stick to my favourite blogs and youtube channels and occasionally read makeupalley reviews. Do you buy beauty products online without testing the product in person?

MEG: Quite frequently, although I like to try things in store from time to time. But if it’s a product I hear about from a brand and then hear lots of positive reviews about from my favourite blogs, then I’m usually happy to buy blind. I love beauty blogs because I sometimes find makeup counters a bit daunting, do you agree with this view?

MEG: Yes, so many makeup counters have sales assistants who are near-dependent on commission which basically rules out any possibility of objectivity (Benefit are the worst offenders in my experience!). They are also almost always are one-brand counters, meaning cross-sales will be within one brand, when in reality most girls find their favourite products by taking the best from different brands - which is what blogs tend to help with! After Lisa Eldridge reviewed and tested a product on YouTube, over 300 units of that product were sold in one day, why do you think beauty experts and bloggers can create so much demand?

110

MEG: I think by now most people understand that the beauty pages of big magazines predominantly feature products that have been placed there through some kind of deal (whether monetary, usually, or sending a beauty editor for a week long spa break!), which has made them less trustworthy sources of information. As beauty bloggers, we have no in-between of a huge magazine - so if a product we recommend is rubbish we get the backlash and people won’t come back for your opinion on something. Unlike magazines and adverts saying ‘this is out there’, bloggers are normally saying ‘this is good/fantastic/rubbish’. And if it comes from someone like Lisa who has access to so many products yet recommends a £6 lipstick, there is definitely more chance of people buying it. It’s just like a recommendation from a trustworthy friend but on a much bigger scale.

Meg Lucas Interview continued

appendix 2e

Sophia Ford Interview

It seems to me that brands are trying to interact with customers online a lot more, either through their website or a Facebook page, from your own personal experiences, have you noticed this change in the beauty market?

MEG: Yes, particularly with new brands who aren’t so hung up on channeling all of their resources into getting print media coverage. They’re using Twitter and Facebook effectively for exposure and to get samples and products into the hands of existing and potential customers.

YSL’s engagement on social media, considering they are a heritage brand, is most astonishing to me. They created a Facebook fan eye shadow palette and are active on Twitter which has made them seem much more accessible (at least as a special purchase or treat) to a much younger market than before. When a new beauty product is launched, are you more likely to trust what the brand tells you about the product or a friend? Explain Why.

MEG: Most definitely a friend! A friend is going to be honest and open, whereas a brand always has an alternative motive - selling! It’s only recently that companies have begun to realise how influential bloggers can be, do you see yourself as an influencer for all your followers?

MEG: I don’t tend to think about it until somebody says they have purchased something on my recommendation...and then I feel the pressure a bit! Lastly, do you think there any beauty brands that are getting it right? A brand you think knows their customer well and you love?

MEG: I think YSL are getting it right, it was a brave step to take a prestigious brand onto social media but they’ve essentially opened up a younger market for themselves.

Email interview with Sophia Ford Blogger http://www.tattooedtealady.com/ Date: 18/11/12 When you started your blog, did you realise how popular beauty gurus could become online?

Sophia: No, definitely not! I started my blog as a hobby and somewhere to rant about my obsession with makeup, now I get thousands of people reading which is a little scary. Why do you think people love reading your blog and watching your tutorials?

Sophia: I’m not sure, I’m honest and different, I don’t look like the girls in the pages of magazines. I’m a real person with real insecurities, just like every other girl I’m sure! I like to think people can relate to me. Are there any sources online where you go to find beauty tips, make up reviews, and trends?

Sophia: I read blogs! I have lots of friends who blog so I regularly read theirs. Do you buy beauty products online without testing the product in person?

Sophia: Yes I do, especially for my blog, I like to buy products that I have heard about and test them for all my readers. Although, obviously I do test some products in store first when I pop in to Boots or Debenhams. I love beauty blogs because I sometimes find makeup counters a bit daunting, do you agree with this view?

Sophia: Absolutely, I have found some counters very intimidating and quite a scary experience, especially if the women make assumptions about you, which happens a lot from my own experience. I think that is one of the main reasons I started my blog, I wanted to review products away from the dreaded beauty counter, for it to be a place where girls enjoy coming to! After Lisa Eldridge reviewed and tested a product on YouTube, over 300 units of that product were sold in one day, why do you think beauty experts and bloggers can create so much demand?

Sophia: It’s kind of crazy how some people can create a massive impact like that online. But we see in in motion every day, when I watch a video or read an interesting blog post I am definitely more inclined to find out more and go on to purchase that product. I think good bloggers have the ability to become more than just a person speaking to a consumer but more like a friend to friend relationship. I have met/spoke to so many girls since setting up my blog and all of them instantly connect to you and share your love for makeup!

112

113

Sophia Ford Interview continued

appendix 3 Industry Correspondence

Example of email sent to a number of industry professionals in Social media, Beauty and PR.

Sophia: Yes, definitely, although sometimes it fails. Personally, I don’t follow that many brands on Facebook or twitter, simply because I don’t want my wall clogged up with useless information that doesn’t interest me. But some brands do use it effectively, the other month I saw John Frieda do an interactive Facebook giveaway which got a lot of consumers involved online. Things like that are fun and catch your attention. When a new beauty product is launched, are you more likely to trust what the brand tells you about the product or a friend? Explain Why.

Hello, Firstly I just want to say I really admire your work and love your perspective of the beauty industry. As a beauty addict, your blog is always interesting and has great content. I’m currently a student in the UK at Nottingham Trent University studying Fashion Communication and Promotion. I’m in my final year, and as a result I have to produce a dissertation project on a chosen area of my choice. As I love beauty, it was an easy decision to focus on this area for my project.

Sophia: A friend! The brand is trying to sell the product at the end of the day, and whilst their information is useful for active ingredients or key features etc., a friend who has tested it and isn’t being compensated will always be the most trustworthy.

For my project, I’m researching the online beauty market, more specifically the influence of

It’s only recently that companies have begun to realise how influential bloggers can be, do you see yourself as an influencer for all your followers?

customer interaction online for beauty. I find it interesting how bloggers and certain journalists can

Sophia: I don’t think of myself as an influencer as much, but just someone to come to for honest, friendly advice! If I can help people make their beauty choices easier then I think I’m doing a good job. Companies have long thought of bloggers as the weakest link in the media chain, but I think it is changing; bloggers really do create an impact online and become more influential than some industry leaders. Lastly, do you think there any beauty brands that are getting it right? A brand you think knows their customer well and you love?

Sophia: I really love Urban Decay, I think they have a strong brand message and image and stick to it! Everything in their communication is coherent and seamless. I would want to see more interaction from them online because I think they are a brand that can definitely translate well and generate new consumers online.

online bloggers and YouTube beauty channels to consumers buying habits, and the overall rise of

resonate with the consumer and seem to strike a nerve where brands can’t. I’m really passionate about this project and keen to find out as much as I can for my degree.

I was just emailing to ask whether you would be available to answer a short number of questions either over email or Skype. Mainly just about your experience working within the beauty industry, your expertise within social media and the rise of online interaction between beauty brands and customers. Your answers would be much appreciated, and would only be used to inform my research to go in my end of year report.

I understand how busy you might be, so thank you for taking the time to read this email.

Regards Hanna Fowler

114

115

appendix 4a Consumer interviews - Questions asked

These questions were sent via email and answered through email and Facebook messages. This allowed me to get a quick and immediate response, however because of this, some respondents answered in more detail than others. I can obtained consent from the participants face to face and received their signatures.

Example of Questions to 4 consumers

1.) Where do you buy most of your beauty products from? 2.) Have you ever bought a beauty product online? If Yes explain why you used online rather than in-store. 3.) Would you be happy to buy more beauty purchases online? Why/Why not? 4.) Do you research beauty products before you buy? 5.) If yes, how do you research? E.g. watching videos, reading blogs, magazines 6.) Would you rather get advice from a beauty counter or a tutorial online? Explain why 7.) Do you trust what a brand representative tells you about a product, or are you worried that they are only working on commission to sell?

117

appendix 4b Interview consent forms

119

120

121

appendix 4c Gemma Fox interview

appendix 4d Karen Fowler Interview

Gemma Fox Interview – 1st January 2013 Age: 21 Where do you buy most of your beauty products from? Gemma: I buy most of my beauty products from mac, this is because they provide a lot of makeup which is mineralized, giving a nice sheen to the makeup and finished look, also the applicators and brushes are of a high quality. However for nail varnish I use OPI, they continually have new products available and stay in trend. Have you ever bought a beauty product online? If Yes explain why you used online rather than instore. I have never bought a beauty product online, however I have used it to search for products I may be interested in and have an account with mac to keep me updated on new season products. Would you be happy to buy more beauty purchases online? Why/Why not? I wouldn’t be happy to buy a beauty product online, as the colours are not exact on the computer screen so I would not be happy to purchase an item then have to return it if the colour was not as expected. In particular I refer to foundations I feel it is important to get an exact colour match, this you can receive help with, from a professional in store, however online you are just guessing. Also in store you can receive advice on how to apply your new purchase of beauty product to best suit you. In comparison to online, advise is not tailored to your individual need. If i could not purchase a particular product in store, which I use on a regular bases, then I would certainly consider ordering it online but not with a new product. Do you research beauty products before you buy? If Yes, how? (Blogs, videos, reviews) Yes, i will very often see a particular look I like and use the internet to help me to create this look and then use online sites to see if products can be provided to match this. I tend to use magazines to see what they promote and see people’s opinions of these products, although I do tend to stick to mac products unless it is eyeliner and mascara which I buy from channel. Would you rather get advice from a beauty counter or a tutorial online? Explain why I would rather get advice from a beauty counter because this is a one to one interaction where you can ask questions and get the advisor to tailor the products to your individual needs. However an online tutorial can be helpful if you are looking for a specific look which you already have the products to use to test and follow this.

Karen Fowler Interview - 17th December 2012 Age: 48 Where do you buy most of your beauty products from? I generally go to boots for my make up because of its convenience and location. Have you ever bought a beauty product online? If Yes explain why you used online rather than instore. I’ve not bought any make up on line, a part from the odd gift for my daughters, but even then it is more nail art and smelly sets than make up. I would never think to buy any makeup online when I can just pop to the shop. Would you be happy to buy more beauty purchases online? Why/Why not? Skipped question. Do you research beauty products before you buy? If Yes, how? (Blogs, videos, reviews) Yes, I generally go into the store and browse or look for things I’ve seen in a magazine. Would you rather get advice from a beauty counter or a tutorial online? Explain why No, I would not go online for a tutorial. Would you rather get advice from a beauty counter or a tutorial online? Explain why I would prefer to ask sales staff in store Do you trust what a brand representative tells you about a product, or are you worried that they are only working on commission to sell? I feel that they are not working on commission to sell and gladly show lots of different products

Do you trust what a brand representative tells you about a product, or are you worried that they are only working on commission to sell? I have a mixed opinion on brand representatives, I tend to think they are working off commission, I prefer to test a product for myself and will only buy if I feel it would suit myself or need it for a client. I tend to know what I want already and know what suits my own complexion. However I do ask for a representatives help on how to apply the product and see if they could suggest anything which may improve the overall look I am trying to achieve. 123

appendix 4e Soph Holmes interview

Soph Holmes – Interview 2nd January 2013 Age: 19 Where do you buy most of your beauty products from? I buy most of my products from Boots or Superdrug, and occasionally go to MAC or department stores.

Sophie Holmes Interview continued

Do you trust what a brand representative tells you about a product, or are you worried that they are only working on commission to sell? Definitely not, I always find that sometimes they only seem interested if they can tell you’re a guaranteed spender, when most of the time women go to browse beauty products just as much as they do clothes shopping. I feel like there’s a pressure to buy when you test a product, when most of the time you want to go away and think about it. I suppose that’s because there is a commission over every customers head and most of the time the beauty ‘experts’ are just sales assistants that don’t have much more authority than you do. That’s why I like researching products online beforehand then going in to buy straight away – or even like I said buying a few products online if I know the product has been raved about a lot.

Have you ever bought a beauty product online? If Yes explain why you used online rather than instore. I have used online quite a lot in recent months for looking at beauty products and also buying them. I recently bought a makeup set on ASOS, as it was on offer and the makeup looked really good. I also recently bought products from MUA makeup academy, as I got told they were good products for really cheap. Also the makeup artists I watch on Youtube have a collection called Real Techniques, and I bought their makeup brushes online a few weeks ago. Would you be happy to buy more beauty purchases online? Why/Why not? I think I might be okay with buying more purchases online if I knew the quality was good. I would definitely have to research the products first before committing to buying online, although I have sometimes gone out on a whim and bought a few products just to try, most of them were cheaper options though. Online makes it so much easier to access the information, rather than going in store and speaking to a sales assistant. I can also watch videos on Youtube and see whether I want the product too. Do you research beauty products before you buy? Yes If yes, how do you research? E.g. watching videos, reading blogs, magazines I’m always on Youtube, mainly I watch make up tutorials by my favourite make-up artists, and then if I like a product they use or recommend then I look in to it further and buy it. Most of the time I research online and then buy in store when I pop to boots, but there are a few brands that aren’t available in store that I would buy online definitely. I prefer watching videos as I can see the product rather than reading about it. Would you rather get advice from a beauty counter or a tutorial online? Explain why I have mixed opinions on this, simply because I really like watching tutorials online because I can re-watch them and use them whenever I want, and when I go to the counter they’re not creating a look I would recreate at home, they are just trying to match me with my right shade or trying out a new blush. Beauty Counters are great at getting the best colouring for your skin tone and the more technical side, whereas online you can get people’s real opinions and see amazing makeup artists create looks that you can do at home. 125

appendix 4f

Jodie Fisher interview

appendix 5a Luce Evans Counter Experience - Consent form

Previous to this project, a friend of mine told me a funny acedote of a makeup counter experience she went through. Remembering her experience, I asked her to write it up for me, explaining what exactly happened that day. Jodie Fisher – Interview 13th December 2012 Age: 20

The anedote was received through email.

Where do you buy most of your beauty products from? Boots mostly Have you ever bought a beauty product online? If Yes explain why you used online rather than instore. Yes, mac felt uncomfortable with the shop assistants, they didn’t approach me once so left empty handed. I went home and bought the items online instead. Would you be happy to buy more beauty purchases online? Why/Why not? Answered above. Do you research beauty products before you buy? Yes If yes, how do you research? E.g. watching videos, reading blogs, magazines Yes, because I usually get products based on recommendations from friends or YouTube videos Sometimes Watching videos on YouTube or asking my flatmates for their help or advice Would you rather get advice from a beauty counter or a tutorial online? Explain why Tutorial online, don’t like shop assistants haha! Like I said they either ignore you because they presume you’re not going to buy or they harass you in to buying something. The balance just isn’t right. Online you can browse stress free with no presumptions. Do you trust what a brand representative tells you about a product, or are you worried that they are only working on commission to sell? Definitely would listen to what they had to say but obviously would mostly be trying to sell the product, so yeah, I would take their advice because most of them are quite knowledgeable but I wouldn’t take it at face value. I’d mix their opinion with a video’s and a friends or something.

127

appendix 5b Luce Evans Counter Experience

appendix 6a Photo Consent

All the participants were shown a short paragraph stating the purpose of the images and an agreement to sign.

Consumer Beauty Counter Experience Luce Evans Email 15th November

I was in a big department store a couple of months ago, they were a new instalment and I wanted to try them out. I approached with a small amount of apprehension and started swatching some pretty makeup. Within about a second, I’d been jumped on and ‘dusted’ with a powder brush. The sales assistant introduced the brand and I braced myself for the hard sell but she seemed to calm down once she realised she had my attention and that I really did want to hear about some of the products! I pointed out a couple of things that I was interested in and asked if it would be ok for me to try them. She practically screamed and showed me over to the makeup counter, signalling for me to sit down. I realised that we’d clearly had a communication situation when she started playing bigtime makeovers on my face. On top of my already applied foundation, so it looked so thick and horrible already! I only asked to try a new blush and eye liner and there I was getting my face done for what looked like a night out in Liverpool! Haha! In fairness to her, I’m one of those who suffers in silence. I always say I’m going to man up and say something but I never do. I sat there with a semi-smile glued to my face, praying I could escape soon. She moved on to the eyebrows, painting them (literally) black with the help of a wet brush and a liberal dose of powder. I watched in horror as she (all the time telling me about her marriage breakdown and subsequent move to London) transforms me into a cartoon version of myself. I looked ridiculous. “There!” she proclaims. I sunk away clutching two products, in fairness one of which is now one of my favourites and found the nearest toilet in an attempt fix the mess on my face. I wish I had taken a picture to prove how awful I looked. I had to return 10 minutes later because the SA had given me the wrong shade for one of my products at which point she apologises and confides that she’s still learning on the job. Why would that be? Well, she normally works in the brand’s office but that they were short-staffed on counter that day. I couldn’t believe it; I thought she was a professional make-up artist! I never went back again to that brand counter and it made me feel a little scared to go back to any other counters!

128

‘My project is looking at the online beauty market and the relationship between beauty and consumers. Looking further in to this interaction, I want to collect images of people’s makeup spaces to use in the body of my report. The images will only be used to inform my research, and all photographs will be deleted from my laptop after the hand in.’ I confirm that the purpose of the project has been explained to me, that I have been given information about it in writing, and that I have has the opportunity to ask questions about the research I give permission for Hanna Fowler to take photographs of my makeup space I agree to the terms outlined in the paragraph above. I understand that my participation is voluntary, and that I can withdraw at any time without giving any reason and without any implications for my legal rights

appendix 6b

Consumer make up space photos

Gemma Fox

Consumer make up space photos

Amiee Littlefair Cath Lamb

Soph Holmes

130

131

appendix 7a

Jodie Fisher

London Visit

Whilst visiting London on the 26th November, I noted the interaction between consumers and assistants and secured an interview with a Dior sales assistant about her views on the beauty counter.

Karen Fowler

132

appendix 7b Dior Interview

M: and she wrote me a letter saying ‘thank you so much for changing me in to someone I didn’t think I could be, you’ve completely made me feel like a different woman’ I felt like crying you know, she said that like her husbands never bothered and her husband like H: that’s so nice

Monday 26th November – Dior Counter in Selfridges Clip of Interview with Megan Coleman (Dior makeup artist and sales assistant) Participants: Megan Coleman, myself and Clare Smith (a fellow student) Length: 4:49

M: and that was so special...and I hate funky socks but she saw them and thought I must love them,

(Short clip due to the fact she was at work and had other customers to tend too, but was able to be recorded for a short amount of time)

like I am so happy with everything like you know, she didn’t talk to me the whole way through the

and she bought me a pair, do you know what I mean, not expensive you know, she just bought me them, and a little letter saying thank you so much, like I can’t believe what you’ve done today, makeup C: So do you think like, it’s like a self-esteem thing, like -

Hanna: are finding that less people are coming to makeup counters? Megan: No, not if they get a good experience, they will come back and won’t stay at home, they’ll think, you know what I’m gonna go back. Dior are genuinely amazing anyway H: Yeah I think it is that, it is, customer service has got to be amazing otherwise, like, people are gonna use online a lot more. I think that’s what some people are scared of as well, like going to a beauty counter and speaking to a person, cos some people have had had bad experiences M: I had a woman who came in the other day, she looked very sheepish, you know head down, you know, when I did her makeup, always with the head down...literally she was sat there and won’t make any eye contact any of the time then left...anyway she walked in, and it looked like she was crying, literally walked in crying and I’m thinking oh god, oh my god I’ve ruined her H: had you done her makeup? M: no no no, I’d done it, and that day, what did I do...that day I erm...I’ve forgot what she bought me, she’d seen that I had some crazy socks on, like crazy, I think it was a day that we were promoting, it was a couple of months ago, and I like had crazy socks on and she was always looking down all the time and she went off and she came back within 15 minutes and just handed me this bag...and just walked off, so I’m like oh my god freak, do you know what I mean, like what a nutter H: yeah

M: Well some woman don’t like their makeup being completely took off...I do their eyes then do their foundation then do it, other people aren’t bothered, and some people ask to get taken to a private suite upstairs and do it, especially middle eastern, they have a lot of money they don’t wanna look like that, cos their religion is basically, they have to look immaculate...but I dunno I don’t know what it is, genuinely most people look alright, I think it’s like most of the magazines and everything that we see these immaculate woman...and then you walk in here and some women shit themselves because there is absolutely, girls in here we get, we buy, like in my job interview I had to walk in and they said yes or no straight away but just looking at me, my appearance is H: It’s getting more and more like that M: they didn’t hear what I had to say so they didn’t really know Clare: yeah like should advertising be, like kinda like I don’t know, at the end of the day we all want to kind of be like them a little bit, we want, everyone wants that little bit of hope that we can look like someone in those pages M: yeah, definitely, and it’s like here, when these women, you know some women are older than others and been working here going on years, most of these girls are immaculate, if I get caught with my nails like this [shows chipped nail polish] I would be done, have to go down those stairs and change them straight away...like my shoes I didn’t have any tights on and they told me off and you can’t even tell you know but you have to be immaculate, you gotta H: It’s all about that image isn’t it M: you see if I like put a little bit of weight on...[inaudible] you do it, you have to do it cos these women aren’t real, I’ve done modelling in the past, all my modelling has been...they look nothing like me, I had a photo thing and my hair was like out here [raises arms out]...its crazy how they actually change you

Clare: she’d bought you a present? M: well I didn’t know, all I’m thinking is like what a nutter, just walked in then walked off like crying, like what an absolute freak...so I turned around and thought right I’m on my lunch so...I opened it and it was a pair of socks. All: awww 135

appendix 8

Swot Analysis

School of Art & Design

fcp3

Declaration Form 2012/13

Module: Negotiated Project Stage 1 Module Leader: Tim Rundle Ref. no: FASH30001

I confirm that this work has gained ethical approval and that I have faithfully observed the terms of the approval in the conduct of this project. This submission is the result of my own work. All help and advice other than that received from tutors has been acknowledged and primary and secondary sources of information have been properly attributed. Should this statement prove to be untrue I recognise the right and duty of the board of examiners to recommend what action should be taken in line with the Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s regulations on assessment contained in its handbook. signed ............................................................................................................... date ..................................................................................................................

136