Ariana Grande’s style has been known for her iconic ponytail and cat-eyeliner for years now. This year, she decided to celebrities up and release her makeup brand, r.e.m beauty.
Makeup Brands Celebrities
Based on her songs with an extra-terrestrial vibe, the brand has the premise of affordable, good quality, colorful makeup. But what does this rise in celebrity makeup brands say about the beauty industry today?
STARTING FROM THE TOP
In the 2000s, many celebrities such as Christina Aguilera, Beyonce, and Britney Spears had their perfume. Ariana herself, in fact, has one of the most profitable perfume lines, grossing more than $150 million in sales in two years. And her new makeup brand could not be different: days after the launch, many people already had the products in hand. It makes us think: why did this brand get so popular in the beauty community before it was even launched?
The obvious answer is: she already established a big fanbase. Ariana Grande is one of the most followed celebrities on Instagram, with more than 276 million followers. She’s since she was 16 for acting in the in the TV show “Victorious”. For that reason, Ariana had a significant fanbase and potential clients from the beginning and grew up with her fans. Consequently, she can appropriate her new products according to her fans’ ages, making it possible to sell even more.
“INFLUENCER” MARKETING IN MAKEUP BRANDS
In addition, Ariana Grande has an extensive network of famous contacts. From singers to movie stars, she can show her brand organically, without the need for Instagram or Facebook paid ads. This marketing strategy is a branch of influencer marketing, but I consider it “celebrity” marketing. As mentioned before, Ariana Grande’s fans have a specific age range. So, to approach more customers that are not her fans, she sends her whole makeup line to other celebrities. These celebrities, then, share the products online for their fans, who are inclined to check the products out. This strategy, however, is not new. Many celebrities who have created their makeup brands have used their famous friends to attract new customers. However, this is not always a recipe for success.
CELEBRITY’S MAKE UP BRANDS SUCCESSES AND FAILURES
Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty
Rihanna launched her makeup brand Fenty Beauty in 2017. With the premise of diversity and inclusion, the products have the broadest range of foundation shades in the market. In addition, Fenty Beauty had the most significant earning media measure in its first month, recording more than $72 million.
Kim Kardashian’s KKW Beauty
Kim Kardashian Beauty is another example of a successful celebrity makeup brand, but it wasn’t like that initially. In 2017, the lack of inclusivity in the contour stick caused a significant backlash to the brand. In addition, Kim was accused of blackface for KKW’s ad photoshoots, for which she apologized. Currently, in 2021, KKW is on hiatus. The team is working on a “new, more modern, elevated, and sustainable brand and customer experience.”
Lady Gaga’s Haus Laboratories
In 2019, Lady Gaga partnered with Amazon to launch her makeup line “Haus Laboratories”. The brand’s most significant commitment was to creating vegan and cruelty-free products. With a celebrity as famous as Lady Gaga, you’d expect that the Haus Labs would be a huge success. However, the quality of the products did not impress the public. With the partnership with Amazon, Haus Labs only sold the products online. This online exclusivity caused many fans to complain about not being able to test the products before.
In conclusion, celebrities are definitely dominating the beauty market with their new brands. Additionally, their fame makes it easier to promote and sell. However, there are cases of failure. This shows that the customers aren’t only concerned about buying from their idols’ brands but also buying products that fit them.