Dear Beauty Brands,
We see you just launched a new set of darker foundation shades, congrats! The new campaign? Loved the diversity – and how it’s just in time for your quarterly sales goals! Sure, it looks like progress, but most of the effort seems reserved for the marketing department.
Diversity and inclusivity have become buzzwords. Buzzwords that sell. Instead of trying to create real change in the industry, many companies are treating it like a mere trend – one that will die out eventually.
Brands love to flaunt models of all races and backgrounds in ad campaigns. It gives the illusion that they are working towards a mission of complete inclusivity. In reality, however, the people behind the camera are all the same. It’s a clear sign of tokenism over progress. Without investing in diverse hiring, leadership and long term support for underrepresented voices, this “inclusive” branding is simply performative.
It is important to have a diverse staff that is making decisions. Without that, whole groups go unnoticed in the beauty world. Why do you think it took so long to have more than two darker concealer shades? No one was concerned because the people making decisions weren’t the ones being left out. Diverse voices weren’t in the room – or even the conversation.
Inclusivity isn’t a tactic to secure more profit. So, beauty brands, stop leaning in only when it is convenient! Stop only caring about diversity during product launches or awareness months, only to quietly shift back into old practices once the buzz dies down. The world, this country and your audience are made up of real, diverse people.
Genuine inclusion isn’t a trend – it’s consistency. Representation should not be a brand strategy, but a core value, so stop treating it as a way to get engagement. This is a generation that knows when you are being inauthentic, and they’ll call you out on it. The best way to make more money, and fix such a flawed industry, is committing to being genuinely and honestly inclusive.
We love the models and the larger shade ranges, but don’t forget that real diversity also includes the C-Suite.
From,
Someone Not Impressed (yet)
