Blake Lively is the latest celebrity to launch a beauty brand
My two cents on what will make Blake Brown Beauty successful.
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This isn’t gossip, girl: Blake Lively is launching a beauty brand.
The company, called Blake Brown Beauty, posted an Instagram photo of a woman with her back facing the camera, and her hair styled in an effortlessly messy bun. From the hair color to its texture, it’s screams Blake.
And although it’s unclear what Blake Brown Beauty will specialize in—cosmetics, skincare, etc.—it’s likely that the root of the line is hair care (at least, judging by the first brand image).
This, in my expert opinion, is a smart move since Blake is known for her voluminous beachy waves. However, in today’s oversaturated market and with an overflow of celebrity-owned beauty brands it won’t be enough to set Blake apart.
For one, there are already countless of hair care brands founded by celebrities, including Priyanka Chopra, Jennifer Aniston, Tracee Ellis Ross, Taraji P. Henson, Jessica Alba, Gabrielle Union, Gwyneth Paltrow, and more recently, Beyoncé and Rihanna.
Additionally, many of these brands already fill a void: They either cater to specific hair types (curly, fine hair, etc.), a specific ethnicity (Black hair, South Asian hair, etc.), or a specific ideology that resonates with consumers (it’s synthetic-free, powered by science, etc.).
Secondly, Blake’s a little too late to the game. Again, the market is oversaturated. Consumers need more persuasion to buy a product than they did five years ago, and a celebrity attachment to a brand isn’t enough to make someone purchase a product. It needs to feel authentic, it needs to fill a gap, it needs to be inspiring and inventive, and it needs to add value to a person’s lifestyle. Of course, it needs to be good—but people need a more hearty reason to buy it, and performance alone won’t cut it.
These qualities matter to consumers because they are smarter than ever before. They can easily research a brand’s ethos to see if it aligns with their own, trace a brand’s political affiliations, decode ingredients on the back of a label, and so much more. And they have to be detectives because they are deceived every day, watching influencers with filtered videos and clever edits sell them a product that might not work the way they think it will.
That’s why performance alone won’t cut it. Consumers need that extra connection, using a body wash that smells like a childhood memory or creates a spa-like experience, making the act feel more like a ritual than a necessary hygienic practice. Moreover, in today’s economy, when essentials like groceries, gas, and everything else are astronomically high, it’s going to take a lot to convince consumers to buy a product.
Blake isn’t just entering a tough market, but she also has to prove herself more than other celebrity founders. After all, she’s already faced backlash for her Betty Booze beverages because she doesn’t drink, and yet, is selling alcohol. For consumers, this disconnect factors into their spending.
Here’s my two cents on Blake Brown Beauty: If Blake doesn’t want her new beauty line to look like a cash grab and if she wants to stand out, her hair care line should cater to new moms, addressing pregnancy and postpartum hair loss. This will not only feel authentic to Blake—considering she and Ryan Reynold’s welcomed their fourth child last February—but it’s a very specific hair issue her audience will relate to and that hasn’t necessarily been prioritized in the hair care space.
It’s an easy marketing strategy that bridges her personal and professional life. She can infuse a rich brand story about her postpartum hair care journey and how being a busy mom inspired this intentionally curated line. This messaging will not only maintain the authenticity and credibility she needs to enter the beauty space, but she’ll spark dialogue about an unspoken, yet common, experience.
But only time will tell if she takes this approach or gets lost in the shuffle following trends.
You know you love me, xoxo….oh, and Blake, if you need a consultant, call me!
Totally agree with your take on how this would be successful... it would make me want to try it!