Brand Voice Analysis: Glossier Makeup
Glossier is a relatively new makeup brand that has recently been disrupting the beauty industry. The minimalist-chic online makeup store has become wildly popular and has over 10,000 people on their waiting list for new products. The Glossier brand can be described by their motto “skin first, makeup second.” The makeup line started as a blog called Into The Gloss, a makeup blog created by Emily Weiss that focused on what women wanted in their cosmetics. Now the Glossier CEO, Emily Weiss perfectly embodies the Glossier brand— powerful, unique, authentic and chic. From the packaging to the products, Glossier has a distinct image. Products come in a cardboard box with a light pink interior that features either the words “You look good.” or “Skin first. Makeup second. Smile always.” These words promote confidence, empowerment and self-love and evoke imagery of natural beauty.
Along with the products that one orders, the company always includes a small pink makeup bag and a sheet of fun Glossier stickers in each package. Even the product containers are sleek and feminine. Their packaging and social message that they embed into each of their products imply that the company is a trustworthy and unique brand. One of the reasons that Glossier makes their products so visually pleasing is because they have a massive social media following that encourages people to photograph their
products and post them online. Unlike other makeup brands, their social media posts are unique. Instead of using supermodels to advertise their products, they post customer submitted photos that are taken on iPhone cameras, showing the results of their products on real people. They are against airbrushing models and believe in showcasing natural beauty and embracing flaws. In addition to these authentic photos of consumers, they post practically any photo in their color scheme including flowers, the sky, fashion, and any other unique photo they see fit. This media decision makes their social media very distinct compared to other brands, who typically only post photos of products. When Glossier posts photos of their products, they always display them in a unique approach. They usually show swatches of the colors, squeeze the products out of the tubes, or feature products humorously or creatively. They also feature the products on an everyday makeup shelf and feature them next to its competition. This interesting approach is a testament to founder Emily Weiss’ belief that skincare is a “recipe” as opposed to a one- size-fits-all approach.
The tone and content of Glossier’s website and advertising are very similar to their social media. Their website has the same imagery of their packaging: clean, white and pink color scheme and eye-catching photos of their products. The site’s graphics are well done and professional. Each product has several photos of the actual product packaging and the colors of the product, and many even feature videos of the product. Glossier makes sure to showcase how each color looks on different skin-tones to ensure that people get the color they want. They also feature a witty and detailed description of each product including the use, ingredients, benefits and more. Their advertising is analogous to their website and social media because they use the same unique approach.
Though most of their advertising is on social media outlets such as Facebook and Instagram, they often display ads on billboards and in the NYC subway. These advertisements usually show a natural and diverse model using one of their products and pair it with a witty motto, such as “Essential skincare. Happy makeup.” or “Skin first. Makeup second. Smile always.” These advertisements continue to promote the empowering and self-love feeling that their brand embodies.
Glossier’s target audience would be the younger generations of females, especially Millenials and Generation Z. Their brand appeals to women that are social media savvy and appreciate a social cause behind their beauty products. If the brand were to be a person, I would describe her as a beautiful and empowered young woman that is hardworking and intelligent but makes sure to keep up with fashion trends and always makes sure to take care of herself. Compared to other cosmetic brands, such as Chanel or Maybelline, Glossier differs immensely. Chanel has a much higher price and promotes exclusivity, which appeals to older women who enjoy classic styles and are not as welcoming towards change. Maybelline would appeal to women who would instead buy their makeup at a drug store without much thought behind the products they are buying. The target audiences between these products do not just differ in age, but more the type of person and how much they care about their skincare and makeup routines.
In my opinion, Glossier has an unusually effective brand voice that is changing modern marketing. I am a huge fan of their products myself and discovered Glossier on social media. I would say that most women my age have heard of or use Glossier products just because they see their marketing on social media and find it aesthetically pleasing and appealing, which entices their curiosity and leads them to buy Glossier products. I also think that women enjoy the female empowerment idea behind their marketing because it relates to our current society. All in all, I think Glossier is already hugely successful and will continue to grow exponentially in the next couple of years.