Issue link: https://www.ascpskindeepdigital.com/i/1191176
48 ascp skin deep january/february 2020 With the ever-expanding popularity of social media, consumer pushback has become a force the beauty industry can no longer ignore. And, although the beauty industry still plays with our clients' emotions, social causes like the #bodypositivity movement (among others) are empowering us to celebrate our imperfections and differences. With all the consumer-driven resistance to exclusivity and body shaming, the beauty industry is finally listening. Advertisers have begun eradicating airbrushing; they're using models of various ethnicities, sizes, ages, and gender identities; and they're finally starting to make realistic claims about their products. Slowly, but surely, inclusion is becoming the desired norm. But what exactly does inclusion mean for your skin care business? Inclusion is where worth is recognized, and, through inclusive marketing, you should strive to create an advertising plan and strategy that represents all potential clients. Your inclusive skin care business and marketing plan will promote— and, more importantly, sustain—a sense of belonging. Cultivating new skills for marketing to a variety of demographic backgrounds, beliefs, and lifestyles—without the use of stereotypes—is key to building trust in your community. Inclusion Starts with Reflection To build a more inclusive business, start with you. Take a hard look at your own identity. How does who you are impact how you see the world? How does the world see you? Do you carry assumptions, preconceptions, or biases that you hold as the truth (possibly without merit)? How might these show up in your work? Next, take a look at your social media feeds. How many faces of color do you see? Do your posts consider gender identity or disability issues regularly? How many news sources do you follow that are centered on the experience of people different than you? Is inclusion in your online presence genuine, or is it strained? on hair products, Ovation Hair decided to test this niche market. The brand's partnerships with ethnic beauty gurus exceeded performance expectations by driving over 18,000 website visits and making them "the best performing influencers that Ovation has ever worked with."3 Ageism is also under consumer attack. In 2018, an AARP survey reported that 61 percent of women say they do not feel represented by images of women in media; 58 percent say they are more likely to purchase products from brands that use models who look like them in their advertising; and three- quarters of women say they prefer more authentic portrayals of women of various ages in ads.4 While inclusive skin care and makeup products have largely been targeted to millennials thus far, legacy brands are also trying to use new and inclusive approaches for rebranding and increasing their position in the marketplace. And just like advertisers, we as skin care professionals and business owners need to rebrand. We must take these cultural changes seriously in order to stay successful—and, most of all, relevant. RACE/ETHNICITY African American women spend 80 percent more than the general market on cosmetics, and twice that of other ethnic groups on hair products. Many African American girls have chemical relaxers applied to their hair for the first time during childhood; African American women are more likely than white women to use a greater number and variety of hair products and to have their hair chemically or professionally treated.5 BOLD, NOT OLD Over the past few years, skin care has become more focused on health benefits than antiaging, with the advertising emphasis on all women, no matter the age. Brands have the opportunity to formulate beauty lines for older skin, and skin care businesses have the opportunity to train staff to show older women the techniques and products to enhance their skin. Inclusion 101 INCLUSIVE SKIN CARE