The Vision
A people-powered brand
Glossier isn’t just another beauty brand. Glossier is a “people-powered beauty ecosystem”. With the individual at the heart of its business model, the brand relies on its relationship with its customers for growth. They are the ones who inspire the products through feedback. They are the ones who promote the brand on social.
How they're doing it
Each customer is an influencer
Sharing User Generated Content (UGC) is only natural when a brand is so close to its customers. Glossier’s influencers are real, regular people. They are the fans who engage on Instagram and are present at the pop-up events. Their Instagram accounts might not have hundreds of thousands of followers, but they ensure real-talk and honesty. To top it off, from their social accounts, we’re led towards a personalized page on Glossier where we can buy their top-favorite products.
Content drives product creation
Another smart Glossier move was the city-specific Slack channels for their best customers. About 150 people, who not only regularly buy Glossier products and can give them feedback, but who can also provide Glossier with the information on the products they want. On the contrary to the big brands, the brand simply asks them what its customers want. Then it proceeds in creating it.
Founder and CEO, Emily Weiss flipped the industry standards. Using social media to gain consumer feedback from the beginning, Glossier ensures that there is strictly no time-loss while creating a product. In the Glossier world, cosmetics aren’t just cosmetics: they’re content. And every product is an opportunity for engagement.
Direct-to-consumer leader
Glossier was one of the first brands to advantage of the new web tools for growth and reputation. It is now a household name in the United States and ships to six countries in total, with others coming soon.
Glossier’s marketing strategy is based on social networks, influencer marketing and customer data, which all result in a unique experience for its clients. From consumers’ involvement in the product creation process to the grammable packaging and the branded hashtags (#glossierpink, #igtopshelfie) for sharing one’s purchases, and therefore promote the brand, every, single detail has a purpose.
No surprise then that Glossier is now a cult brand, that turned the beauty industry upside down.
Emily Weiss, CEO, on the Insights That Grew Glossier