Why Bare Escentuals Is Awesome At Marketing
Photo Credit: Holtsman
I’ll never forget the summer of 2002.
I was home from college after completing my freshman year. My mother excitedly told me about a mineral makeup line that she had ordered from QVC, that was “so good for your skin that you can sleep in it” and promised “maximum coverage.” Uhhhh-huh. I rolled my eyes and responded with something like “Mom, honestly, a powder could never legitimately give you that much coverage (she doesn’t even need much). You are going to be disappointed. What are you doing ordering makeup from QVC*, anyway?”
Well.
Add this conversation to the list of allllllll of the other things that she has been right about over the years. Don’t worry, she’s not afraid to point it out. No sooner had the package arrived, was I breaking into her stash so that I could swirl, tap, buff my way to glam perfection. Long before fall rolled around, I had gotten my hands on my own set to take back to school with me.
Before bareMinerals, I’d slather on foundation to hide red blotches on my nose and cheeks. After using bareMinerals, the redness went away even when I wasn’t wearing makeup. I sincerely believe that the very product that I was using to cover up the uneven skin tone was actually making the problem worse. Becoming a BE customer wasn’t just about having access to a product that worked for me, it was coming to a realization very early on that some of the most common beauty products could actually be doing damage.
So, it is clear – I love the product. But, you know what? I love the company too. Know what else? They are really darn good at marketing.
I’m such a sucker for the startup underdog that takes a leap-of-faith and makes it big. Bare Escentuals is one of those stories, which according to a recent article in the New York Times and a profile in Inc., went a little something like this:
After building a fabulous resume in the cosmetics industry, Leslie Blodgett was hired as CEO of the struggling Bare Escentuals. Using her understanding of color, complexion and the cosmetics industry, Leslie led their small team to re-launch an improved version of the mineral makeup line – bareMinerals. It was scary, rocky and uncertain. Sleepless, wondering if the company would make it through the next quarter, Leslie stumbled upon a product demo on QVC. Boom. Idea. She pitched it, booked it, and appeared on QVC, selling $45,000 of product (the entire supply) by the end of the first broadcast.
That’s the point in the story that gives me chills.
That was a big break, and nothing if not confirmation that there was a legitimate market for the product. Even so, Bare Escentuals would not be what it is today without the marketing savvy of Blodgett and her highly skilled team of makeup marketing masterminds. Here are a few reasons why I think they have been so successful:
- They are solving something. Although there are plenty of imitations on the market these days, bareMinerals was the first mineral makeup and remains the best today (just trust me). The need for safe makeup that wasn’t full of harmful chemicals? Solved. The need for a makeup that actually improves the quality of the skin, rather than detracting from it? Solved. The need for makeup that doesn’t clog the pores and leave a noticeable line of demarcation at the jaw line? Bingo. The product’s debut on the market was a value-add. There is a reason for the company to exist, and it is a compelling one.
- They show you how it’s done. Like many products or services, there is a significant level of complexity that needs to be addressed in order to adequately communicate the value of the product. Initially, the Bare Escentuals team had to do a lot of education, such as proper application of bareMinerals and the advantages to mineral makeup vs. traditional formulas. Instead of just talking about it, Bare Escentuals chose mediums that would allow them to demonstrate the product, such as QVC and infomercials. Anyone who is familiar will remember Leslie Blodgett demonstrating what happens when traditional foundation is applied to a piece of tissue (let’s just say, it isn’t pretty).
- They practice community management, rather than traditional customer service. From the start, Bare Escentuals focused on building strong relationships with customers instead of pursuing a traditional, transactional approach to customer service. The mindset is to build and manage long-term relationships with customers around a shared experience, rather than limit interaction to isolated events (a purchase, a return, etc.). They’ve been doing this all along, but in recent years, social media has only enhanced BE ‘s ability to facilitate discussion, foster connection and increase interaction with customers.
- They get me. Me, and the rest of the customer base. They are so tight with their customer base, that they have cultivated a superior ability to understand needs, wants, styles, concerns and preferences. They’ve also responded consistently with product and messaging. The most successful marketers see the world through their customers’ eyes.
The brand is truly about more than just makeup. The company has only been strengthened by Leslie Blodgett’s leadership, and it is clear that not just anyone could have done the job. Initially, I looked to Leslie Blodgett for guidance on how to rock a killer smoky eye or to learn which colors were hot for spring. As time has passed, and I’ve moved into my professional life, I look to Ms. Blodgett as a role model for the women of my generation who strive to combine their passion with a career. She gives credit to her mother, a feminist, for instilling her with her professional drive. Arguably, Leslie Blodgett has facilitated the most empowering movement for women: allowing them to feel beautiful, naturally and as themselves.
*I would later learn that QVC is actually the best place ever to buy makeup, especially Bare Escentuals. It is the place to be for amazing deals, exclusives and new product launches.
Update: Eleven Things to Abandon in 2011
Any change expert will tell you that attempting to change eleven things at one time is an amateur move, or at least completely ineffective. This is also true for those of us, like myself, who love change. It is better to prioritize 3-4 things, knock them out, and then reassess. Focus is always better. Always.
I’d like to think that even if I can’t check all of these things off of the list, I’ve at least taken baby steps, or in some cases re-evaluated whether they even apply to begin with. Here is the best part: school is over. I’m finally finished with grad school and can focus full-time on working and living. BINGO!
Prompt: It’s May. We’re five months into 2011, and here at Reverb HQ we’ve been thinking about how transformative life has been since December’s #reverb10. What is shifting in your life? Have any of the seeds you planted during Reverb10 manifested?
My progress, since listing my 2011 priorities in this post (updates only).
- An unworn yoga mat. I bought a Groupon for 30 days of yoga in my neighborhood. Now that school is finished, I actually have time to go.
- Dairy. Instead of limiting dairy, I’ve adopted a Gluten-free lifestyle. I feel awesome, but I’m now officially the most difficult person in the world, as I’m dining at the intersection of gluten-free and vegetarian.
- Real Housewives of Anywhere. I didn’t cancel cable. But I moved last week, and I haven’t had the appointment to transfer service yet, so now just might be the time to ditch it.
- Unread books…As soon as I finished school, I started reading. It is a breath of fresh air to read fiction without feeling guilty. Right now: Water for Elephants.
- Sleepless nights. I’ve gotten so much more sleep this year and it is amazing!
- Formal education – it’s over!
- Too many highlights. Success! Well, sort of. I went for a darker hue and the ombre effect. Unfortunately though, my color is pulling red tones, so I have no clue what is going on at this point (although that is apparently the hot hair trend for spring).
This post was written in participation with #Reverb11.
Unlearn What You Were Taught In School
I sat down at the hotel bar and ordered two drinks. One for me, and one for Merry Lake. It was noisy, but about to get noisier. She arrived. We squealed, clapped, giggled and did that little #bestfriends huggy-dancy thing and pretty much caused a scene. I’d like to tell you that we calmed ourselves down after that, but we didn’t. After all, we were in Austin, it was Merry’s birthday, it was almost my birthday, and we were kicking off SXSWi 2011.
So, we continued to pepper the hotel bar with #bestfriends-obnoxiousness and made lots of new friends along the way. One of them was Kenneth, an attorney from the Houston area. A true Texas man, distinctly polite with a strong southern drawl and lots of wisdom to share.
We asked him for career advice. He told us to stop talking.
Well, not stop talking, then, in that moment, but in life we should learn how and when to stop talking. The toughest part about his job, he said, was getting his clients to stop talking.
Evidently, this is a huge problem for attorneys when their clients take the stand in court. Most people, as it so happens, feel inclined to treat each question as if it were a prompt, spilling everything they know about the who-what-where-when-why-how in question. Attorneys coach their clients to simply answer the question as it is stated. Less is always more in the courtroom (defense), particularly in testimony. As soon as the person on the stand gives in to the temptation to spill, spill, spill, the prosecution pounces and pokes millions of holes in the credibility of the case.
This doesn’t just happen in the courtroom. If you ask me “are you wearing eye makeup?” instead of a simple “yes,” I tell you about my philosophy of smoky eye for that day and how I tried to experiment with the minimalism trend in makeup but ended up walking out of the house wearing more makeup than Kim Kardashian.
I blame education.
In school, we’re rewarded when we answer a question with as much information as we can possibly regurgitate on a given topic. Brevity is punished in academic environments. The problem is, that brevity and focus are key to keeping things on track in the real world. More words does not make a better answer.
Then again, maybe this inclination toward chaotic chatter comes from a good place too. When people take the stand, they want to give complete answers and add value to the process. They want to be thorough. Let’s not forget, providing a brief answer opens up space for silence, which is deafeningly uncomfortable for most of us.
Perhaps to be more effective in life, we will need to unlearn many of the behaviors that we learn in the classroom.
Thoughts?
My laughter erupted, colliding obnoxiously with the nearly silent restaurant. His lips moved into the silly smirk that I’ve grown to recognize as a simultaneous acknowledgment of his silliness and reinforcement of his seriousness. This time, he was expressing his disbelief at how people now spend more time on Facebook and less time on *ahem* other types of websites. In his fingers, he twirled a necklace that he found on the sidewalk as he walked to lunch that day, or at least that is what he said. I responded,
“Really? I totally get it. Facebook is so much more interesting.”
This will be one of the last (perhaps the last) of our meetings like this because he is leaving in ten days. His leaving will mark the end of an era. An era, that is ending for a number of reasons, not just because he is moving to Ubatuba.
On May 1st, I will (finally!) graduate from my dual-masters degree program. I’ve been attending part-time (while working continuously full-time) since 2006. For the past five years, my life has been consumed with work-work and school work. I really can’t wait to curl up with a copy of Glamour instead of Kissinger or Kotter. Eh…let’s not kid ourselves, I’m graduating, not abandoning my geeky ways.
An “older brother” type, my friendship with this fabulous fella from Brazil and his sister has represented a carefree aspect of my life in the past few years. With them, I’ve spent the rare moments where I’d stop working or thinking about working and just live. Really live. True friendship has this effect, when you can stop thinking about the to-do lists swirling around you and let yourself feel alive.
During #reverb10, I ignored what I believe is one of the most fundamental prompts of the entire exercise: One Word.
Almost two whole months into the 2011, I realize that the one word that most describes 2010 is friendship, because this word earned a new meaning to me last year. Many new friendships were cemented and old friendships were tested. The process has given me a better understanding of what friendship means to me in my life.
People often ask me if I will move to be closer to friends who live in other cities. However, I am continually fascinated by my generation’s ability to maintain close friendships without being bullied by geographical constraints. There are a couple of obvious reasons for this. First, we’re well-traveled, so getting on a plane is no big deal. Second, we’re able to maintain relationships virtually which makes staying in touch easier than it would have been 30 years ago. Sometimes I see my friends that live on the other side of the country more than I see my friends that live on the other side of the city (maybe it is that whole thing about bridges in Pittsburgh?) . Everyone is so busy, and it is much harder to blow off plans when you have hotel reservations and a plane ticket.
As I carry this understanding of my friendships into 2011, my focus is global. My ability to maintain these friendships, cultivate similar relationships and achieve satisfaction in my life hinges on a global perspective. In friendships, in travel, in work, in study, in life – my focus is global, which is already playing out quite literally this year.
As we walked out of the restaurant in our beautiful neighborhood, he twirled the necklace more rapidly whipping it around one side of his palm to the other. I asked him if he’d miss Shadyside, snowboarding or boozy Sunday brunches. I promised to visit soon.
In the mean time, good thing for Facebook.
The cardinal rule of social media marketing is that you shouldn’t spend resources promoting your product/service, but instead add value to the members of your community by providing meaningful content. Your relationship with your community is established and expanded upon by your ability to add value to your members.
So, if I’m selling you mascara, I’m not spending my time saying “buy my plumping-thickening-defining-fantabulous-gigantic-lash-factory-in-a tube”, but instead I give you information on “how to rock a smoky eye,” “how to apply false lashes,” and of course, the new trend sweeping across an eyelid near you: defined lower lashes.
You rarely see a brand screaming “buy me, buy me!” online anymore (this is a good thing). Interestingly though, this morsel of modern marketing theory hasn’t carried over to alumni organizations (colleges, universities, fraternities, sororities, etc.) looking to drum up support (donations, volunteer hours) via Facebook and Twitter.
The downfall is that alumni organizations are missing a huge opportunity to generate new sources of cash and volunteer hours from an automatically captive audience. While consumer and business brands spend months expanding their communities and gaining traction, alumni organizations can quickly build their follower count because most alumni are willing to solidify their online connection with little consideration. Despite the ease of access to their audience, alumni organizations are really dropping the ball when it comes to leveraging their communities to achieve the goals of their organizations.
Let’s face it, it isn’t as if these organizations don’t need new contributors. Universities are no exception to the decrease in non-profit giving that has taken place over the past few years. Moreover, it’s not just the cash, people are giving less of their time and many alumni organizations depend heavily on volunteer support to drive their initiatives forward.
Although engaging with alumni online is crucial to generating alumni support, I don’t think that current efforts are going to generate the results that they are looking for. Here are my thoughts on how increase alumni engagement and generate an outstanding ROI:
1. Stop banking on sentimentality. If an alum connects with the university online (lets say, “likes” the college or alumni group on Facebook), it is safe to assume that he or she has fond memories of their college experience. Asking alumni to share favorite memories from their college days is completely boring, and any interesting memories that could be shared, won’t. Interesting memories are either inside jokes that aren’t relevant to the masses or potentially detrimental to the personal brand.
2. Think about what is important to your audience and provide useful content. Who are your alumni? Engineers? Doctors? Attorneys? Designers? Scientists? Offer industry or other relevant content (perhaps created by a fellow alum). What do they want to read or know about? A few years ago (ok, more than a few, but who’s counting?), Kappa Alpha Theta published an article in the Theta magazine about identity theft and how to prevent it from happening. It wasn’t about Theta, but it was useful information that Thetas (among other North Americans) were dealing with. Alumni organizations should be publishing this kind of content.
3. Showcase your alumni talent at all levels. Start a blog and recruit alumni to serve as guest bloggers on a myriad of topics. Republish interesting content that alumni are posting on their personal and corporate blogs. Think about what kind of content your alumni want to learn about and be the gateway to that information. Don’t leave out the up-and-comers, sometimes those are the most interesting stories.
4. Create commerce. Create an ongoing conversation that encourages alumni to connect with one and other and do business together (I’m not talking about an alumni specific online community). Many alumni organizations spend a ton of cash publishing an alumni directory and think that they are achieving this, but is entirely ineffective. Your primary goal as an alumni organization should be to get people shaking hands, and this can start out online. If my membership in an alumni group made me money, I wouldn’t think twice about forking over the cash to make sure that those efforts continue.
The biggest take-away for alumni organizations: the transaction is over. Tuition was paid, fun was had, and the degree was received. I’m not going to donate money or time because I had a great time pomping the homecoming float or learned how to say “flying buttress” in German class ten years ago. If alumni organizations want to receive donations, they will have to give before they get.
