MB Insights: From Salon to Sofa – The Evolution of the Beauty Industry

Consumer, Cosmetics, Health & Beauty, Industry, Insight, Retail, Social Media, Sustainability, Technology

Posted on 20 February 2023

Currently valued at over $571billion, the beauty industry is a global superpower. A superpower not just growing, but also in the midst of a momentous change.

As consumer behaviour continues to evolve, technology, social media, and the Covid-19 pandemic are sculpting the industry’s evolution. Now more than ever, customers favour convenience over tradition, with many moving toward DIY, and away from salon treatments.

But what alternatives are out there? Are they effective? And are they here to stay?

MacGregor Black takes a closer look at the evolution of the global beauty industry, why consumers are opting for at-home alternatives, and which brands are delivering the best salon-quality products, right to your sofa.

Are Salons Set to Recover?

Nail, hair, and beauty salons we’re among the worst hit during the recent Covid-19 pandemic. Turnover fell by an average of 45%, social distancing limited footfall, and as a result full-time employment in the industry plunged a whopping 21%.

But with any change… comes opportunity.

The sudden starvation from years of habitual beauty routines, coupled with a severe drop in revenue, spurred on a burst of innovation across the industry. In 2021 alone, the beauty tech revenue rocketed to $3.8 billion, with a range of new and exciting products available. This new formed bond between beauty and technology opened up a world of opportunity for customer and creator alike. Modern self-applied beauty treatments have evolved far beyond at-home facials and DIY pedicures. Utilising a mixture of light emitting diode (LED), microcurrent technology and even augmented reality (AR), brands are now looking to rival salons with the launch of their own high-tech equipment, for at-home use.

Light Emitting Diode – LED

First discovered by NASA in the 90’s, LED lights were used to observe effects on plant growth in space. Noting it’s interesting healing abilities, the technology has since shown great promise, quickly gaining interest among health and beauty manufacturers.

LED light therapy exposes the skin to varied wavelengths of light such as, red, near infrared, yellow, green, and blue light. According to research, the red light stimulates collagen growth, while blue light targets bacteria that causes acne, green light can alter pigmentation, and yellow light can have strong healing qualities.

Research also suggests that LED treatments can prove effective when it comes to reducing the symptoms of aging or sun-damaged skin, as well as treating certain skin conditions such as acne and rosacea. When administered by a salon professional, the equipment they operate is usually significantly more powerful, with treatments often priced between £80-£100 per session.

In an effort to replicate the same results at home, health, and beauty brand, CurrentBody, have launched what they’ve dub the ‘Skin LED Light Therapy Mask’, a substantial looking piece of equipment that combines both red and near infrared light wavelengths to ‘kickstart your skin’s collagen production’. And it doesn’t stop there. CurrentBody have also incorporated the same LED technology in their ‘Skin LED Hair Regrowth Device’, which the beauty brand proudly declares will “penetrate deep under the skin’s surface for instant and long-lasting results”.

Therabody, MZ Skin and Dr Dennis Gross Skincare are brands that have also released LED light therapy devices, all of which featured in a recent edition of British Vogue, labelled ‘The Best LED Face Masks’. At a cost ranging from £100 to £600, depending on the manufacturer, those planning on reaping the benefits of LED Light therapy can have the potential to save both time and money. A growing focus across much of the NPD within the Consumer and Retail industries.

Microcurrent Technology

Hoping to wipe surgical facelifts off the map, microcurrent technology applies weak currents of electricity directly to the face in order to stimulate and tighten the muscles. The whole idea behind microcurrent technology is that it can be used to improve blood circulation and stimulate collagen production to give the face a youthful glow.

Kriisti Atherton, MacGregor Black’s Health & Beauty Specialist sat down with Hrvoje Sarac, Chief Operating Officer at wellness brand, Foreo, to learn more about their use of microcurrent technology in their range of increasingly popular products. The creators of the well-known ‘Foreo Bear’ and ‘Foreo Bear Mini’ pride themselves on ‘making self-care simple, easy, and enjoyable‘ with their range of effective, clinically tested devices.

Microcurrent technology is something that’s been around in science for years,” Said Sarac.

We haven’t invented this technology. All we’ve done is simply adapt it to fit in both your hand and your budget. The Bear and The Bear Mini are our best-selling products, and how they work is, the microcurrent and T Sonic massage feature boosts microcirculation and lymphatic drainage, which feeds nutrients to the skin cells and eliminates toxins.

Before we launched the products, tons of research went into ensuring we used the right frequency to really get the right results, and paired with our jelly serum that acts as a conductor, our customers now have everything they need to get that professional face-lifting result at home. So many people say that they can feel the difference even after just one use, but if you really want the best results then we definitely recommend using it daily. It’s like going to the gym, if you go once a week, you probably won’t see much of a difference, but going to the gym every day, you’re going to see the results.

One of the most frequently asked questions consumers ask about microcurrent devices is, are they safe? Kriisti highlights this topic in her conversation with Foreo’s Hrvoje Sarac, who mentions the potential risks of using devices incorrectly and emphasises the need for safety.

Customers should always read the instructions before using these products, as with some of them on the market right now, there is actually a risk of burning your skin if the devices are either made, or used incorrectly. What makes our products truly unique is our highly advanced Anti-Shock System that actually scans and measures the customer’s skin’s resistance to electricity, and automatically adjusts the microcurrent’s intensity to ensure it’s not too intense. The Bear in particular is the most effective, safe-to-use, microcurrent facial device available, and that’s clinically tested.

Also on the list of beauty brands currently investing in microcurrent technology is, MyoLift, NuFace and Magnitone, having also released their own range of products designed for at home use.

Augmented Reality

No longer a futuristic feature in sci-fi movies, augmented reality has crept its way off the big screen and into our everyday lives.

In the world of health & beauty, it can allow customers the ability to virtually experiment with different looks in real time. AR has, in short, revolutionised the way many of us interact with our favourite brands and has personalised the way we experience their products. These advanced tools use facial recognition and AR technology to analyse customer’s skin tone, facial structure, and features to recommend cosmetics and skincare products in real-time. However, one AR feature proving widely popular amongst the younger generation has recently come under scrutiny…filters.

When first launched in 2015, filters (or ‘lenses’ as they were first referred to as) were primarily used for entertainment. Fast forward to today and social media platforms provide filters as an alternative to more permanent and costly alternatives. With options including enhancing their lips, lift their brows, change skin pigmentation, bone structure, eyes, lips, and the list goes on. All with just the click of a button. The numbers on the other hand suggest the opposite. Many plastic surgeons are reporting an increase in plastic surgery treatments, directly attributed the use of social media filters, giving a potential glimpse at a new you. Professionals have dubbed this social media surgery craze ‘Snapchat Dysmorphia’, declaring that it could soon be an overwhelming problem amongst younger social media users.

As an expansive range of new at-home devices are being launched, beauty brands may perhaps look to combat this growing concern in a sustainable and ethical manner, guiding their customers down the path to safer alternatives.

With this task in mind, many beauty technology companies have strategically partnered with influencers and celebrities in a bid to aid the switch from salon to sofa. Through engaging posts, reels & stories, influencers, and celebrities aim to showcase the brand’s latest high-tech products to their followers, demonstrating that you don’t need a salon appointment to see salon-quality results.

As we can see, technology, social media, and a shift in consumer thinking have all left a significant imprint on the beauty industry’s exciting evolution. Whilst a global pandemic has transformed our collective focus, advancements In technology have all but accelerated innovation, resulting in a plethora of inventive, state-of-the-art beauty technology.

So, whilst there is little sign of us eliminating salons altogether, the rapidly growing amount of advanced at-home products have, without a doubt, birthed a new approach to beauty. Today, it’s LED light masks and microcurrent facial massagers, tomorrow, it’s endless possibilities…

If you’d like to speak to a specialist in our dedicated Health & Beauty practice, get in touch today via 0191 691 1949 or email us at hello@macgregorblack.com

Advertising, Case Study, Consumer, Cosmetics, Fashion, Health & Beauty, Industry, Insight, Marketing, Retail, Social Media, Technology

Posted on 27 October 2022

When social media first popped up in the late 90’s, none of us could have predicted the astronomical growth it would undergo, nor the influence it would ultimately hold over our lives.

What began as a way to simply connect with friends, has since become one of the most powerful global platforms of our time, able to reach millions of targeted people in milliseconds and influence the way we shop, vote, and even feel. Evolving far beyond your typical networking tool, social media has opened up opportunities for not only the every-day-scroller, but for businesses also.

But is the way we use social media set to change? And have brands had enough?

MacGregor Black takes a closer look at social media, and why some brands are taking a permanent break from it.

Social Media vs… The Battle of the Brands

With Facebook alone connecting 2.11 billion users all over the globe, it’s no surprise that social media has come to play an integral part in many of our lives. But with such scale, how is it possible to monitor and control 2.11billion individual narratives? The simple answer is… it isn’t.

With such publicity, comes scrutiny. And as platforms such as Facebook continue to embed themselves deeper into our society, many users are beginning to highlight some of their potential negative effects. One particular issue that continues to dominate the conversation, is social media’s relationship with our mental health.

In recent years, research has provided us with a plentiful evidence pool linking social media usage with a number of mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and body dysmorphia. According to a 2022 Healthline study of 1,042 U.S citizens, 29% of participants of all age groups felt they needed to take regular social media breaks, in order to feel a benefit to their mental health. This number increased to a shocking 46% amongst 15–24-year-olds.

So, what can be done about this, and who’s responsibility is it to take control?

Lush Cosmetics

Noting the negative effects that social media was having on many of its customers, global cosmetics company, Lush, took a stand; and in 2021, decided to cut ties with online platforms Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and Facebook.

The British retailer released a statement to accompany their decision:

“From 26th November 2021, the global Lush brand will be turning its back on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Snapchat, until the platforms take action to provide a safer environment for users. This policy is rolling out across all the 48 countries where Lush operates. In the same way that evidence against climate change was ignored and belittled for decades, concerns about the serious effects of social media are going largely ignored now. Lush is taking matters into its own hands and addressing the issues now, not waiting around until others believe in the problem before changing its own behaviour.” 

Tesla Motors & SpaceX

Pre-dating Lush’s decision by almost three years, in March 2018, tech billionaire Elon Musk joined the race against social media; deliberately deleting both Tesla’s and SpaceX’s Facebook business pages.

Having regularly aired his opinion publicly, it is widely known that Elon Musk distrusts the way Facebook handles their consumer data. The decision then came to pull both his business pages, following a tragically historic week for the social media company, one that still sits fresh in our memory. In 2018, the Cambridge Analytica scandal prompted a wave of mistrust against Facebook, which later gave rise to the #deletefacebook hashtag.

At the time of the scandal, WhatsApp Co-Founder, Brian Acton tweeted in protest, “it is time #deletefacebook”, in which Musk responded sarcastically, “What’s Facebook?”. The Silicon Valley entrepreneur then went on to tweet that he thought Tesla’s Facebook page was “lame”.

In a final act, Musk was challenged by Twitter users to delete Tesla’s and SpaceX’s pages, “if he really was ‘the man’”, and in typical form, Musk declared he would delete them immediately. Sure enough, in under 30 minutes both business pages were cut from Facebook, and the following media attention, combined with the Cambridge Analytica Scandal, caused Facebook’s stock to plunge 6%.

Elon Musk has since gained the reputation as the modern day ‘Robin-Hood’ of free speech, as in April of this year, the eccentric billionaire made another daring move. This time, against Twitter.

In an effort to force change, on April 14th of this year, Musk made a bid to buy the social networking site for $54.20 per share, putting one of the world’s richest people at the helm of one of the world’s most influential platforms. Musk declared that, should the deal go through, his first priority would be to crack down on data management. However, only weeks after Elon’s rather rambunctious offer, he sought to terminate the deal, citing concerns over the social media company’s use of bots on the platform, artificially inflating their user numbers. Claims which were later supported by a company whistle blower. Twitter has since sued Musk to follow through with the acquisition. The judge overseeing the case has given both parties until the 28th of October to close the deal or face a trial in November.

Bottega Veneta

In 2021, globally established fashion house, Bottega Veneta announced their own bold move to completely cut social media from their marketing strategy.

Creative Director, Daniel Lee, stated in an interview with The Guardian that, “there is a mood of playground bullying on social media which I don’t really like. I wanted to do something joyful instead… I don’t want to collude in an atmosphere that feels negative.” However, despite personal comments from Lee, the Bottega Veneta company refrained from releasing an official statement to explain their swift exit from social media. Leading fans to believe that perhaps this was the company’s latest strategic move in creating the ultimate luxury brand?

Kalyani Saha Chawla, former VP of Marketing & Communications at Dior believes luxury brands need to re-consider the fine balance between over-accessibility and exclusivity, quoting to Grazia UK that,

“luxury brands are diluting their image by using the same social mediums that every high street brand is utilising. Luxury stands for exclusivity, and if it’s all over Instagram and Twitter, it becomes too accessible, which might not resonate with a niche audience.”

A message that sat fittingly with Bottega Veneta’s social media departure, as it came less than a month after it unveiled its exclusive “Salon 01 Spring/Summer Show”, which was being secretly recorded at the time. Shortly after Bottega Veneta’s decision to ditch social, luxury apparel brand, Balenciaga quickly followed suit, wiping all of its content from Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Perhaps another strategic move with this decision also preceding the brand’s first haute couture show in over 50 years…

Answering the Burning Question… What Happened Next?

In today’s society, it’s near impossible to picture a global company succeeding without a social media presence, but alas…some of our favourite cosmetics companies, automotive developers and high-end fashion brands claim they are already paving the way to find a successful future without ‘the Gram’.

Lush Cosmetics

After announcing their departure from its social media channels in 2021, cosmetics brand Lush turned to creating what they felt would be, authentic, quality content on the company’s online site instead. At the time, the company released a statement assuring shoppers that, ‘there are plenty of other places to take a dip into the Lush world’, stating that customers could still engage with the brand through shops, events, through the customer care team and on other digital platforms like Lush Player, Lush.com and their Lush Labs app. However, it’s worth noting that some individual stores and Lush staff continued to be active on social media and the company even encouraged customers to continue using branded lush hashtags to promote their content organically. Meaning Lush would remain true to its anti-social media protest, whilst also still staying fresh on the screens of shoppers across the globe.

SpaceX & Tesla

Following Elon Musk’s bold decision to delete both SpaceX and Tesla’s business Facebook pages, the company went on the make an even bolder move in 2020, officially dissolving it’s entire PR department; dubbing it the first automaker to no longer engage with the press. When asked to comment on the move, the billionaire business magnate stated that he wouldn’t go back to having a PR department because he ‘doesn’t believe in manipulating public opinion,’. He responded to a twitter user that encouraged the reinstatement of the Tesla PR team, saying, ‘Other companies spend money on advertising & manipulating public opinion, Tesla focuses on the product. I trust the people.’

So, with a much-reduced social media presence and absolutely no PR staff, how does a multi-billion-dollar business like Tesla expect to stay ahead of the curve?

Well, the American clean energy company relies heavily on one of the most effective marketing strategies out there, word of mouth. Tesla runs a highly popular referral program that encourages customers to share their love for the brand with their friends and family. Tesla enthusiasts, and their referees can earn rewards like free supercharger miles and cash to spend on energy efficient products. Not only that, but the electric vehicle manufacturer also manages multiple customer forums, hosts a global ‘owners club’, and is regularly involved in giving back to the communities they operate in. All of which are great ways to establish a strong brand message without even so much as a ‘share’. However, it’s worth noting that Musk himself has been a driving force behind Tesla and SpaceX’s ongoing success. His loud, charismatic, and sometimes even controversial social media presence certainly draws enough attention to both brands…

Bottega Veneta

Founded in 1996 in Vicenza, Italy by Michele Taddei and Renzo Zengiaro, Bottega Veneta has since firmly established itself as a high-end, luxury fashion house. Their fine leather handbags and quality crafted accessories don the frames of wealthy style icons in all corners of the world, that no doubt, enjoy scrolling as much as the rest of us.

Which is precisely what Bottega Veneta was counting on…

Despite not posting on their business account anymore, Bottega Veneta lives on through the Instagram pages of their loyal customers, influencers, and external partnerships. Rather than coming directly from the brand, content like product launches, events, and brand promotions make the rounds mainly through organic, user-generated content. Which enhances the brand’s exclusive image and cuts out a huge chunk of their workload. So, in theory, they can kick back and reap the rewards as customers are naturally drawn to their brand.

A strategy in which Bottega Veneta took to heart as at the time, the luxury brand doubled down on its quarterly online magazine in what they hoped would offer, “more progressive and more thoughtful” content. A goal in which many say they have successfully achieved since then. 

MacGregor Black’s Global Head of Marketing, Mark Thursby, commented:

“I couldn’t agree more with Kalyani Saha Chawla, in that many Luxury brands sit in a precarious position. One that almost caused the demise of the iconic British Fashion Brand Burberry during the 1990’s, where high demand was met with ease of accessibility. And I believe social media is currently turbocharging just that, or the false impression that luxury products are easily accessible.

Social media is a great equaliser in that it grants the average user access to countless celebrity and influencer lifestyles, mixed in with our friends and family. However, when our feeds are excessively filled with luxury goods, this directly drives demand to a potentially dangerous level. Therefore, when accessibility meets it, in the form of ‘replica’ products, via short-term financing options such as fashion rental, or services such as Klarna, a brand can pass a point of which it’s presence in a market is too heavily saturated and it ceases being perceived as ‘luxury’.

The same theory applies across the board. From cars, to homes, to holidays, and even our own physical appearance. When social media creates the illusion that all of these brilliant products are easily attainable, and not just that, they’re owned by your neighbour, your best friend, and the people you went to school with, the potential to damage a person’s self-esteem can be severe.

Therefore, with brands withdrawing from social media it’ll be very interesting to see what impact that has in the long-term. Will losing the central voice of their brand, do the opposite of what they aim to achieve, and create a more customer-controlled brand image? Or will it dampen demand down to sustainable levels and drive traffic through more ‘traditional’ channels where brands can better manage the battle between demand and access?”

Whilst there are many advantageous qualities to the root-and-branch reform of social media, something brands should consider is, one of most identifying features of a successful business is its powerful approach to customer loyalty. What social media offers consumers is the ability to receive quick responses via direct messaging, as well as the opportunity to engage with brands honestly and publicly on live comments. Some argue that, as a result of axing social media, businesses run the risk of potentially thinning the line of communication between themselves and their customers.

Is This the Way Forward?

Without doubt, social media is one of the most impactful and cost-effective marketing tools available today. But as we’ve recently discovered, some brands are beginning to stand up and take notice of the damage it may be causing to, not just to their customers or their brand image, but to wider society in general. Dubbed with a disregarding attitude towards mental health, rocky data management processes, and the potential to banish a brand’s luxury image, is the social media sparkle slowly dwindling?

And as globally recognised brands like Bottega Veneta, Tesla and Lush radically re-think their social media strategies, many of us are left asking the question, is this the beginning of the great social media snub?