The likes of Tash Oakley, Jess Gomes and Adut Akech are flying the flag for Australian girls and the beauty industry. These models (and every other Aussie gal who calls this island home) seem to manage to look immaculate and composed despite our nation’s “less than ideal” weather conditions. A true feat in and of itself.
Our bevy of home-grown babes has the whole world talking and it’s proving extremely lucrative for the local beauty industry. Australian beauty brands are particularly popular in the United States and Europe, all thanks to a delicious elixir of great products, lush content and social media marketing that’s helping skyrocket sales.
So how are Australia’s biggest brands graduating into some of the WORLD’s biggest brands?
Here’s us, a group of Aussie ladies who happen to be beauty enthusiasts AND digital marketers, observing the best performing Australian beauty brands and how they’ve managed to win us and the market over.
Go-To Skincare: Putting the Fun back into Beauty
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We know that the beauty industry is serious business. The revenue from cosmetics sales last year reached $4 billion in Australia alone, while beauty services garnered a total of $7 billion.
With high fashion now synonymous with esteemed beauty brands, the industry is turning into a saga of overly serious sartorial snobs who have perfected the art of looking uninterested and really, it’s all getting a bit heavy.
While everyone else is trying to accomplish high ‘farshun’, Aussie brands stay true to their irreverent repartee and bring the FUN!
Brands like Go-To Skincare are set apart from their international counterparts, because they’re willing to provide a healthy dose of All-Australian humour and light-heartedness to their content. One of our favourite examples of this includes the packaging of Go-To’s coveted mask set. Each mask has a cute slogan and promises to make your skin “even more amazinger”!
With a slogan that promises “uncomplicated, effective, cruelty (and bullshit)-free skincare”, this brand has an army of over 155,000 followers that enjoy its real person voice, consistently peachy images and the odd mention of cupcakes and champagne.
The wordplay and bright packaging are a breath of fresh air to an industry that, of late, seems to take itself too seriously. Hang out with Go-To Skincare and you’ll feel like you’re hanging out with your girl gang.
Sand and Sky: The Proof Is in The Social Proofing
Brands are trying to penetrate the market like Hyaluron to the epidermis. They’re trying to break through and stay there, for the long haul! But unless you’ve got some serious public support in this age of social proofing, your marketing efforts will fall flat on its face, no matter how good that complexion is.
Top Australian brands know that not having positive reviews on social media can make or break your brand. That’s why so many of them are reaching out to key influencers and beauty enthusiasts in a bid to gain their support and consequently the loyalty of their target market.
Brands like Sand and Sky are selling a mask a minute. The key to their success is that they don’t just feature aspirational lifestyle creative in their ads. They also showcase real reviews, with real people and real results. There’s hardly a supermodel in sight on their Instagram page, and this genuine support for the everyday woman is a real eff you to the status quo of the beauty space.
Social proofing is the backbone to any product-based business, so be sure to you have a user generated content strategy in place to supplement your overall marketing.
Frank Body: For the Millennials
With the previous point fresh in mind, Aussie brands are creating their social media campaigns with the millennial market in mind. They showcase some serious target market research and carefully thought out strategies, meeting millennials where they are and impacting them based on their behaviours.
Frank Body does this best (and no beauty list would be complete without Frank!), hitting up millennials on Instagram who use the platform to discover new beauty products causing a stir.
Their offering also showcases items coupled with themes that matter to millennial beauties most. Things like natural skincare, sustainable skin care, skincare that’s high quality, easy to use and Australian made.
Its copywriting is nothing short of genius, and it’s plastered all over social platforms, the website and the packaging. It’s cheeky and innovative, and we guarantee it’s like nothing you’ve ever seen before. Ready to get dirty with Frank? You will once you’ve cast your eyes over their content.
With all these things coupled together, it’s no wonder Frank Body has made a name for itself as one of Australia’s cult brands.
Mecca: Exhibiting Absolute Luxury
Don’t let the biodegradable bottles or natural ingredients fool you. These aren’t products you’ll find a patchouli scented hippie selling in the woods. These new-gen Aussie beauty brands are often science and nature driven but part of their appeal is that they’re also extremely luxurious.
While a good product often sells itself, weaving an air of luxury into the storytelling of a product is the catalyst to securing that first sale.
Australian beauty house Mecca Cosmetica does this so well with all of their designer products, sharing the unique stories of each item and the artisanal background behind every bottle, tube or jar.
Each unique story and fun fact makes the transaction a cultural exchange rather than a commercial one, enhancing the overall lifestyle and luxury factor of each piece.
Make Up for Your Brand
Australian brands are causing a stir online and making a profit in the process. Our local faves are well on their way to becoming cult classics and it all stirs a little bit of Aussie pride in our hearts.
Not only are they successful due to the effectiveness of their products, but their social presence is daring, thought out and curated to suit the tastes of their target audience.
For any brand hoping to break into the world of beauty in the current social media climate, you’d do well to study these big names before embarking on your journey. Be sure to also stick to your guns and showcase what makes you uniquely you. Beauty after all comes in all shapes and sizes and that’s a beautiful thing.
Impressive works closely with Australian eCommerce brands that want a voice in the industry. Speak to our strategists for a digital strategy that glows like your highlighter.
