The pandemic has proved how important influencers are to the beauty industry

It would be an understatement to declare 2020 a year unlike any other. The onset of the global health crisis threw the conveyor belt of marketing into disarray, with conventional press conferences, glitzy launch events and other hype-building activities stalled. However, even as the red carpet was being rolled back, online influencers went on with their work, lending further heft to the notion that the future is digital. While new product launches were stymied by the absence of glossy product photoshoots, at-home content creators carried on unabated. Conditioned by years of putting in the elbow grease to set up tripods and camera lights, this tribe continued to mobilise purchase decisions from within the comfort of their bedroom duvets.

As the beauty industry adjusts to the new normal, all eyes are now on influencer marketing. With multiple restrictions on social movement still in place, brands will now have to revisit the drawing board to devise virtual activations that can bank on creators' cult-like following to clock in sales. We spoke to some of the key stakeholders in the industry to understand what the road ahead looks like, and here’s what we learned.

How beauty brands are meeting influencers in the virtual world

“I have had to spend a lot more time putting out fires rather than designing since the lockdown started,” says Masaba Gupta. The multi-hyphenate designer launched her beauty brand in conjunction with Nykaa last year, and recently celebrated the launch of a new range of perfumes, Moi by Nykaa, virtually. The launch couldn’t have been more different from the debut of the Lips and Tips collection last year, when friends of the brand swatched the new products over music and hors d'oeuvres while dressed in the designer’s signature prints. Fast forward to a year later, and the gallantry has now been swapped for an intimate roundtable conducted over a video call—open conversation, candid thoughts and shared sentiments abound instead. “Times change, and a part of being a successful business owner is changing with these times. Initially, we were a bit sceptical about having a digital launch, especially because it was a perfume, and people would obviously prefer to smell it before buying it. But this lockdown has opened up avenues of virtual soft launches and more extensive digital marketing strategies, which are low-cost and sustainable,” she says.

Freed from the formalities of on-ground events, influencers are welcoming the change of pace. Luxury content creator Natasha Luthra, who attended the virtual launch, believes that the online experience measures up to the physical events she has attended in the past. “As much as I miss attending events, I enjoyed the fact that I could sit on my bed in pyjamas for the online launch,” she says. Actor and presenter Roshni Chopra, who recently attended an educational series with Estée Lauder on skincare routines, believes that an online session allows for a more streamlined exchange of information. “While physical events have a great energy about them, the virtual event had its own relaxed and focused vibe.”

Why it’s essential for brands to build a strong network of influencers

With many sold-out launches attributed to their ability to swing followers, there is no questioning the power that influencers can wield over a company’s bottomline. A recent study offers further proof, with 82 per cent respondents admitting to purchasing or considering to purchase a product or service after seeing influencers post about it. The secret ingredient isn’t love—it is trust, opine the current generation of bloggers. Numbed by the steady drip of #sponcon or sponsored content over the years, the internet user of today can ID a paid post with a blindfold on. Authenticity, thus, assumes the driver’s seat in motivating product sales, and beauty blogger Aanam Chashmawala agrees. “The reason why consumers find influencers more trustworthy is that they can truly gauge how reliable their source is. Since I don’t edit my photos too much, I believe my audience relates to me because I’m the same person on my Instagram stories as I am on my feed. This connection is what makes the difference and results in great ROI for the brands I eventually work with,” she explains.

The pandemic has helped further bridge the gap between influencers and their audience. With an unprecedented lockdown in place, for the first time in forever, those doing the influencing and those being influenced were living the same life. Chopra believes that the lockdown has levelled the playing field for all content creators. “The pandemic has forced everyone to dig deep into our own creativity and make do with less. Now, it’s not about ‘follow me because my life is amazing’, but because I’m figuring how to make the best of the circumstances. It’s no longer about unattainable travel or luxury, but the conversations are instead moving in a healthier direction keeping a social conscience in mind.” Beauty influencer Saachi Bhasin Daga confirms that she has reconfigured her content strategy accordingly as well. “I do polls with my followers, take into consideration what they would like to see during these difficult times and integrate that into my content instead,” she says.

Why influencers have been able to adapt their content strategy better than anyone else

With commercial photoshoots put on hold, the spotlight was taken by content creators who have for years been creating content on their own—from unfolding hefty tripods to spending hours hunched over video editing software. Luthra reiterates that they have been prepared for this all along. “We are only now realising that we have been prepared for this eventuality because we have been shooting and recording content on our own for years now,” she says. New Delhi-based brand consultant Rasna Bhasin further elaborates, “Influencers and bloggers aren’t used to big sets and entourages to shoot with. I have always been amazed at the amount of content this community can churn out within a minuscule turnaround time and with limited resources.”

The latter might even serve as an edge over their celebrity counterparts. She agrees that both have their merits. “While a celebrity ambassador can serve as the face of the brand and reach an extremely large audience with their fanbase, I have always believed that micro-influencers are the ones who really drive consumers to make the sale. Celebrities are people you always look up to, while influencers are like that well-informed friend with intimate knowledge about a certain product. They’re more accessible, not bound by hard contracts and can give an honest view of what works or doesn’t. This makes it easy for the consumer to relate to them and trust their word on what to buy,” she surmises.

What the road ahead looks like for the beauty industry

While the business has witnessed a few speed bumps along the way, the key stakeholders in the industry unanimously agree that all eyes will be on the virtual-verse. Reena Chhabra, CEO of Nykaa Brands, foresees a mix of both traditional and digital activities paving the way forward. She says, “Creating consistent relationships with your core customers gives the business a definite competitive edge, thereby serving as an impetus to the bottomline. There are many innovative ways to achieve this emotional connection—however, storytelling is one of the strongest marketing tools for communicating the brand message, and evoking emotions is precisely the role that influencers play today. Through content creators and their followers, we also get an opportunity to listen to their feedback, which we have always taken seriously when working on our product portfolio.”

Gupta echoes the sentiment and says, “Where there’s a challenge, there’s also an opportunity. People are getting more comfortable with witnessing a launch digitally as opposed to getting stuck in a car due to traffic. We must push towards digital storytelling, where our communication is more conversational as opposed to a conventional product launch.” And for beauty brands looking to not just survive, but thrive in the revised pecking order, constructing a strong network of influencers will get half the job done.

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