Researching the Aspirational Images Traditionally Set by the Korean Beauty Industry and Ways to Democratize Beauty in South Korea.
Is The Current Strategy Effective?
Yes, the current marketing strategy that the Korean beauty industry is certainly effective because it handles with the desire of Korean women to become beautiful in a society where lookism is prominent. However, the age of a lipstick being sold out because it was featured on a K-drama with a gorgeous actress is starting to go out of trend. Now, Korean women have started to value individualism and true effectiveness of cosmetics. On top of that, with feminism starting to spread in South Korea recently, especially among Generation Z, what the public now wants to see on media is not the typical model and beauty image.
Alternative Marketing Strategies
1. Use Models That Consumers Can Empathize With
Rather than using solely celebrity models in order to raise brand awareness, try using models that consumers are able to empathize with. Consumers are now tired of being exposed to the same ideal image in every single advertisement that they aren't able to empathize with. In order to choose a skincare line, consumers need to see models that have similar skin types with themselves and to choose a lipstick shade, they need to see models and a model that has similar feature with themselves. In cosmetic advertisements, companies should try to feature multiple makeup looks with models of various features, sizes, age groups and use models that the public can empathize with.
A great example of this would be glossier, an American cosmetic company that promotes natural beauty. Glossier is well known for using its own customers as their advertisement models and their unique makeup style that their customers can well empathize with. Their models in their advertisements are not always skinny and don't always have perfect skin. However, they look confident with their healthy skins with glossier products. Is Glossier successful? According to Forbes, "with some 1.5 million Instagram followers, Glossier has been named as a top beauty brand by Allure, Teen Vogue, Glamour, Nylon, Women’s Wear Daily and Cosmopolitan. It also won WWD Beauty Inc. 2015 Digital Innovator of the Year award, was named to LinkedIn Top Startups 2018 list, recognized by Fast Company as one of its Most Innovative Companies of 2017 and called out as one of Inc.’s Company of the Year 2017".
Click on the image on the right to read more on how Glossier was able to become so successful.
2. Focus On Feelings Rather Than Looks
Many Korean cosmetic advertisements zoom into the face of the models in front of a staged background and focus on how the product will be able to bring the consumer closer to the ideal image that they aspire to become. However, Korean women wear makeup not only to improve their physical features but also to feel confident from self-care and expressing individuality.
Advertisements should capture these positive emotions that comes along with the act of applying makeup.
This Bobbi Brown advertisement with Tara Sutaria focuses on how she feels in her career setting with Bobbi Brown products rather than focusing on her physical features and how Bobbi Brown products have dramatically improved her features.
3. Personalize Beauty & Promote Individuality
Many models in Korean cosmetic advertisements tend to wear similar makeup styles to promote particular images: cute, elegant, feminine, sexy etc.
However, beauty shouldn't be defined on set images. Each person has their own individual image and cosmetic products should be there to enhance those personal images that the individual wants to express.
In Missha's me's standards (me 의 기준) plays with the word 'me' that sounds like 美 (미) which means beauty. In both videos, each model confidently shows the beauty standards and images they have chose for themselves to express rather than what the society has set for them.
Video Descriptions:
How does Sandy Liang feel today? Like her Paw Paw [her grandmother]. The designer/founder talks eye bags, eyeliner, and feeling good about herself.
How does Rajni Jacques feel today? Like love and baggy jeans. The fashion director talks motherhood, avocados, and the joy of makeup.
How does Hannah Larsen feel today? Like she’s figuring it all out. The social worker/server/artist talks intimacy, makeup, and learning not to judge herself.
In Glossier's Feeling like ____ advertisement series, each model's personal skin type, occupation, life style, and even family is featured and shows how glossier products have immersed in their lives and has a positive impact on them.
4. Gender Neutral
Makeup being considered as a gender neutral tool is quite a progressive idea but is an idea that is widespread and well accepted in South Korea thanks to many
K-pop stars and actors that wear makeup. In South Korea, wearing makeup is no longer only for women: men wearing BB cream (foundation), drawing eyebrows, and using lip tints to enhance their images is considered completely normal.
Using both male and female models for the same product can break the norms of makeup being connected to a set female beauty image.
Two Korean cosmetic companies, LAKA and I'm MEME promote their brand and products as gender neutral and have both male and female models. On the left is LAKA's "color was always for all" and on the right is I'm MeMe's "For any lip #tiktoktint".