Banking on the Brand: When Celebrity Influencers Get It Right and Get It Wrong
Brands can’t be built just on celebrity.
Here’s a comprehensive analysis on who got it right and who got it wrong.
The success of influencer branding models has revolutionized the way companies launch their products. Especially when it comes to hair care and beauty commerce in the black community. According to Essence.com, African Americans contribute $1.2 trillion each year to hair care, personal grooming, and skincare markets. We dominate 86 percent of the ethnic beauty industry and are more likely to support authentic, black-owned businesses that cater to our needs. So it’s no surprise that household names are creating product lines targeting African Americans to secure the bag.
In the past ten years, we’ve seen countless celebrity brands promoted with the promise to provide inclusivity and self-love wrapped in a quality product. Celebrity brands like Fenty Beauty, KKW Beauty, Kylie Cosmetics and more. Most recently, this trend even birthed new haircare lines in the name of movie stars and primetime tv front runners like Tracey Ellis Ross’s (a.k.a T-Murda!) Pattern Beauty and Taraji P. Henson’s (a.k.a Forever our First Lyon) new line, TPH by Taraji.
To be clear, the excellent track records of both of these beautiful, blessed and thriving sisters should guarantee their products a spot among the coveted Design Essentials, Aunt Jackie’s and Mielle Organics products currently sitting under all of our sinks. But....the concept of celebrity status guaranteeing a successful product launch and actually resulting in a successful launch are two different things.
Photo credit: Patternbeauty.com
From a branding perspective, Tracey Ellis Ross’s launch for Pattern Beauty dominated every checkpoint:
1. Tracey Ellis Ross chose a product that fit her own personal brand by connecting with her audience through her most recognizable feature...her hair.
2. She clearly and consistently defined why she chose hair care as her next business venture. Tracey also communicated why her product is needed by consumers in today’s market and the void it fills in the lives of curly connoisseurs worldwide.
3. Her team executed a strong and cohesive social media rollout for the pre- and post-launch of Pattern Beauty. The brand created quality content that not only positioned Tracey Ellis Ross as the brand’s subject matter expert but also showcased the diaspora of curly men and women she created her products for. You might even notice that the brand took a note from IVY Park and built anticipation by previewing her products and providing a countdown for its official launch.
4. Tracey Ellis Ross understood the power of using her own products and teaching her consumers how to use Pattern Beauty for the best results. When Pattern Beauty first launched, Tracey Ellis Ross didn’t stop at engaging in a targeted press tour. She presented a live hair care demo from start to finish. By providing an educational hair care experience, Tracey Ellis Ross added credibility to her brand.
Photo credit: tphbytaraji.com
In the case of TPH by Taraji, there were clear areas of opportunity that her branding team dropped the ball on:
1. The promotion for TPH by Taraji was practically non-existent. With the exception of a slow and steady press tour and an Instagram post announcing the product’s availability in Target stores nationwide, the anticipation factor was left to be desired. It’s clear that the brand’s team did not leverage black media prior to the launch, because no one knew about it.
Now, I will give the brand props on the concept of Hair Dare University. It’s an excellent way to connect with consumers and showcase TPH products in person. However, TPH’s branding team did not leverage this concept to increase visibility within the black community. For example, the Essence + New Voices Entrepreneurship Summit and Target Market in December was the perfect platform to preview TPH by Taraji and Hair Dare University to consumers in one of the Meccas of hair care, Atlanta. Securing a prime spot at popular beauty events is the perfect way to build on the brand’s existing partnerships. It also generates new press and provides new speaking opportunities for the face of one’s brand.
2. According to Bustle.com, Taraji wants “TPH to be the Fenty Beauty of the Haircare World.” The most important aspect to note about Fenty Beauty is that the products were released in stages. Rihanna essentially A B tested what worked for her consumer before expanding the beauty empire that Fenty Beauty is today. From a logistics perspective, It did not make sense for TPH by Taraji’s debut to include 18 new haircare items within its first 6 months on the market.
3. The power of word of mouth within the hair care community is instrumental to the success of a new brand. Ten bad reviews on youtube can result in lost revenue and damage to that brand’s reputation. Unfortunately for TPH by Taraji, the news of its headlining gel product left prominent influencer twist outs and wash-and-gos covered in white flakes. An issue that would easily lose credibility points within the natural hair care community.
4. The most important component TPH by Taraji’s branding team missed during their planning process was the establishment of a solid social media campaign. Taraji P. Henson is known as your auntie’s favorite, the life of the party, and a teleportation expert thanks to Tyler Perry. The branding team missed a clear opportunity to create a dedicated program for “TPH hair chameleons.’ develop an easily relatable social media persona for the TPH brand and leverage Hair Dare University on a digital scale.
Yes, influencer style branding strategies can help celebrities secure the bag in the consumer market. But it’s important to create a campaign that provides a solid first impression and quality product for your brand. Otherwise, 86 percent of consumers will leave your products in the hair care aisle to collect dust.
Until next time....stay woke, mind your business and moisturize your ends sis.
1. The promotion for TPH by Taraji was practically non-existent. With the exception of a slow and steady press tour and an Instagram post announcing the product’s availability in Target stores nationwide, the anticipation factor was left to be desired. It’s clear that the brand’s team did not leverage black media prior to the launch, because no one knew about it.
Now, I will give the brand props on the concept of Hair Dare University. It’s an excellent way to connect with consumers and showcase TPH products in person. However, TPH’s branding team did not leverage this concept to increase visibility within the black community. For example, the Essence + New Voices Entrepreneurship Summit and Target Market in December was the perfect platform to preview TPH by Taraji and Hair Dare University to consumers in one of the Meccas of hair care, Atlanta. Securing a prime spot at popular beauty events is the perfect way to build on the brand’s existing partnerships. It also generates new press and provides new speaking opportunities for the face of one’s brand.
2. According to Bustle.com, Taraji wants “TPH to be the Fenty Beauty of the Haircare World.” The most important aspect to note about Fenty Beauty is that the products were released in stages. Rihanna essentially A B tested what worked for her consumer before expanding the beauty empire that Fenty Beauty is today. From a logistics perspective, It did not make sense for TPH by Taraji’s debut to include 18 new haircare items within its first 6 months on the market.
3. The power of word of mouth within the hair care community is instrumental to the success of a new brand. Ten bad reviews on youtube can result in lost revenue and damage to that brand’s reputation. Unfortunately for TPH by Taraji, the news of its headlining gel product left prominent influencer twist outs and wash-and-gos covered in white flakes. An issue that would easily lose credibility points within the natural hair care community.
4. The most important component TPH by Taraji’s branding team missed during their planning process was the establishment of a solid social media campaign. Taraji P. Henson is known as your auntie’s favorite, the life of the party, and a teleportation expert thanks to Tyler Perry. The branding team missed a clear opportunity to create a dedicated program for “TPH hair chameleons.’ develop an easily relatable social media persona for the TPH brand and leverage Hair Dare University on a digital scale.
Yes, influencer style branding strategies can help celebrities secure the bag in the consumer market. But it’s important to create a campaign that provides a solid first impression and quality product for your brand. Otherwise, 86 percent of consumers will leave your products in the hair care aisle to collect dust.
Until next time....stay woke, go vote, and moisturize your ends sis.
