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Glossier: Painting the Beauty Industry Millennial Pink

Community Led Launches

Hi Operators ⚙️

Mr. Beast and Logan Paul are leveling up, and no, it’s not with a controversial new video. They teamed up to launch a Prime x Feastables food combo, Lunchly.

Content creators becoming product creators isn’t exactly a new trend.

As Logan Paul put it,

We spent years cranking out content and building our brands. Now, we want to build businesses.

Logan Paul

With their massive fanbases, it’s no surprise that celebrity-driven brands drive sales up shortly after launch. Because why wouldn’t you want to try a product from your favorite star?

But here’s the thing: the celebrity-driven model isn’t all that it’s hyped up to be even if you have millions of subscribers. Having a celebrity get your brand out there is good for a short while, but once the hype dies down, so do the sales. Let’s circle back to Logan Paul a bit.

In 2023, Logan launched his own brand of energy drinks called Prime. The hype behind it was so massive, that stores didn’t have enough stocks to sell. Fast forward a year later, Prime sales dropped by 50%.

Now I’m starting to think that this whole Lunchy thing was launched to get the most out of Prime’s remaining inventory.

The hard truth is that while people love celebrities, they can’t connect with them on a level deep enough to establish trust.

For those of us without the pull of Mr. Beast and Logan Paul, there’s another path: community-driven brand building. 

Instead of leveraging star power to turn people into paying customers, this strategy focuses on forming genuine connections with the audience. But that’s just the start. You can eventually build products with your community and make them feel a part of something bigger.

There’s no better example of this than Emily Weiss’ Glossier. No celebrity endorsements, no Mr. Beast, Logan, or pull from any viral star.

Just a natural vision of beauty, a blog, and millions of community members who helped give rise to one of the most promising cosmetics brands in the world.

Let’s dive deep into how this creator-led business model can rival (or outlast) the quick successes of many celebrity-backed ventures. 

How Emily Weiss Built Glossier's Community-First Approach

Emily Weiss’ life has always been centered around the beauty industry. Her first stint was an internship at an internship at Ralph Lauren as a teen, which led her to Teen Vogue and eventually to The Hills as the "super intern." 

But as with any other aspiring writer, her real dream was to be editor-in-chief of a major magazine.

After college, Weiss got a gig at Vogue and while this was amazing, it wasn’t until 2010 that she laid the true foundations for Glossier. And that came in the form of a beauty blog that changed everything: Into the Gloss.

Into the Gloss set itself apart by featuring all-too relatable models and their beauty routines. Beauty wasn’t just the heart of the blog, it was used as the talking point to build a community.

Within six months, the blog had over 200,000 monthly users, jumping to 1.3 million by 2016. While legacy brands struggled to connect with younger consumers, Weiss was already talking to her audience, asking what they wanted, and listening.

And this. It’s this audience-first approach that laid the foundations for Glossier. It was built to feel like a community that listens, not just another brand that releases many products, hoping that one would be a hit with the market.

Sure, Mr. Beast and Logan Paul might have millions more followers compared to Glossier, but how many of them actually share a deep connection with Prime or Feastibles?

Into The Gloss was a small community but the connections it had were far deeper. What’s the thing that people say? Quality over quantity. 

By centering community in everything they do, Glossier didn’t just stand out—they reshaped the beauty industry.

Glossier's Skincare-First Philosophy

Emily Weiss's career path and Into the Gloss, gave her an idea of what the beauty industry was missing. This isn’t the 90s anymore! 

Millennials don’t want to look like Barbie or the stars walking on the red carpet. They wanted to look like their natural beautiful selves.

This insight shaped Glossier's mission when it launched in 2014. Forget about the sculpted contouring that was all the rage; Glossier championed a "no-makeup makeup" look, making skincare the star of the show. 

The timing was more than perfect.  A 2017 study showed that about 59% of women love the “natural look,” including 54% of Millennials. While Millennials are slightly less likely to prefer it, they rock natural makeup even more—71% wear it compared to 68% of all women.

And the execution? Even better.

Glossier kicked things off with a direct-to-consumer (DTC) model, launching exclusively on its website. This simple approach had a few important advantages:

  • Direct access to customer data: Aside from insights from Into the Gloss, Glossier also got customer data through their website. This allowed them to refine their products better.

  • Better control: Glossier had control over everything—from sleek website design to Instagram-ready packaging. 

  • Higher profit margins: They didn’t have to share their profit with anyone else, so what they earned was solely theirs… Minus taxes, of course.

The initial product lineup showcased Glossier's skincare-first philosophy:

  • Priming Moisturizer

  • Balm Dotcom (a versatile skin salve)

  • Soothing Face Mist

  • Perfecting Skin Tint

Priced between $12 and $28, these products felt both affordable and luxurious, making Glossier a go-to for millennials and Gen Z.

Fast forward two years, and Glossier opened its first permanent store in NYC in December 2016, seamlessly blending online and offline experiences that resonated with the Instagram generation. 

By late 2019, their annual revenue topped $100 million, and by July 2022, it was estimated at $180 million. By 2023, Glossier had expanded to 12 stores worldwide.

As their product line grew, so did their cult following. Best-sellers like Boy Brow and Cloud Paint became staples, and by 2023, the skincare range had expanded to 17 products, each launch supported by savvy marketing that kept their community engaged and attracted new fans.

But Glossier came across a little predicament. DTC was good but it was limiting. Their business model potentially shuts them out of a larger audience.

Glossier made a strategic pivot in February 2023 by partnering with Sephora, launching in 600 stores across the US and Canada. 

That pivot from DTC to omnichannel meant a larger reach for Glossier but that was it. The company still kept its community-first approach. 

As the beauty world changes, Glossier’s killing it with its mix of digital and in-store magic, all while keeping customers at the heart of it. But as they grow, hanging onto that tight-knit feel is gonna be key.

From DTC to Omnichannel

Glossier’s rise to a million-dollar company didn’t start with the launch of their great products or with the Sephora partnership. Everything started with Into the Gloss.

Their motto, "We create the products you tell us you wish existed," perfectly captures this ethos. And products like the Milky Jelly Cleanser are born from customer feedback. How I wish my favorite fastfood restaurants make the monstrosities I cook in my mind.

Where Glossier really shines is in its marketing. They ditched airbrushed beauty standards and embraced real, diverse women—freckles, tattoos, and all. This was refreshing for millennials and Gen Z who wanted things au naturel.

So for its marketing, Glossier leans on user-generated content (UGC). If you’re out of the loop, this is content made by your customers. Testimonials, reviews, contest entries on social media—these are all UGC. 

Glossier regularly reposts customer content, fostering a two-way relationship with their audience and keeping the fresh, authentic content flowing. It's working—70% of Glossier's online sales come from peer-to-peer referrals.

And this shouldn’t be surprising as 50% of consumers trust UGC more than content made by brands. And it all boils down to the inevitable truth: people trust people.

If its connection with its audience isn’t strong enough for you, check out how Glossier is taking things further: 

  • Micro-influencer program: No, micro-influencers aren’t bacteria with a viral following. These are influencers with 10,000-100,000 followers. Glossiers works with these creators to turn them into ambassadors. The incentive? Promo codes and a share of sales.

  • Top 5 stories: Glossier launches a weekly Top 5 Stories on their Instagram account which highlight UGC from their customers. Can’t imagine just how special Glossier’s customers must feel if they get their stories highlighted.

  • Content marketing: Glossier takes a lot of cues from Into the Gloss by using interviews, tutorials, and beauty tips to keep their customers engaged. This doesn’t just turn them into a source for all things beauty, regular posting of content will also make them more visible on search engines.

Glossier literally wraps things up with their iconic millennial pink that lines their packages. They even trademarked packaging style, making their products and online presence unmistakable.

Glossier has flipped the traditional beauty marketing playbook on its head. By prioritizing real connections, leveraging UGC, and sticking to their brand identity, they've built a loyal fanbase that promotes their products as much as they buy them. 

But with growth comes some real challenges. The rise of celebrity beauty brands means Glossier has to juggle expansion while keeping its core fans engaged. Their shift to physical stores and teaming up with Sephora shows they can adapt, but the real test will be staying true to their community vibe as they reach new crowds.

Conclusion

Glossier’s at a turning point, blending digital innovation with traditional retail and giving us a glimpse of beauty’s future. They've shaken things up, setting new standards for customer engagement and product development.

And I personally think there are three major lessons to learn from it’s story:

  • Building connections within the community does wonders: Lots of brands are capable of engaging with their community. But the true gold mine lies in being able to connect with them. As Glossier’s story tells us, there’s no better customer than one who can relate with the product.

  • UCG is a good marketing approach: While celebrity endorsers can connect you with millions, having the Average Joes and Janes talk about your brand is still effective. People value the opinion of common people because they can relate to their problems.

  • Stick to your roots, but be ready to adapt: Glossier’s DTC approach was good but it locked them out of a bigger market. Instead of biting the bullet and hoping for the best, they adapted and partnered with Sephora. But they didn’t stray too far from their principles as they’re still all about empowering the community.

But with competition from celebrity brands and niche newcomers, they'll need to keep innovating, especially in the fast-paced world of social media. 

If they can stay true to their community roots and keep pushing boundaries, Glossier might not just shape beauty's future—they could define it. From a blog to a beauty empire, they’re showing everyone how to build an authentic brand.

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