Public Relations and the Beauty Industry

Since the turn of the millennium, the beauty industry has made several modifications to relate to real people, not man-made artificial creations. This “real beauty” trend is in response to the longtime standards of beauty conceptualized as unnatural, unrealistic and unhealthy for both men and women. 

According to The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty, only 2 percent of people worldwide describe themselves as beautiful. This statistic began a global conversation to uncover what is beautiful and why people think they are not.

The beauty industry needed public relations professionals to help recover its reputation. The work included destroying the old standard of beauty that media outlets have promoted in order to create the new image and increase self-esteem.

In the last 10 years, the global beauty industry has grown by 4.5 percent per year and continues to set historical records. From product innovation, organic industry growth and continued growth into the male population, the beauty industry continues to offer a diverse set of profitable franchising opportunities.

The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty and Pantene’s “Sorry Not Sorry” campaign are two popular, positive self-image and self-esteem campaigns increasing global awareness. These successful works help people see themselves and others more positively, too. While Dove’s campaign is to see past the media’s standards of beauty, Pantene’s “Sorry Not Sorry” campaign teaches men and women how to feel more confident. It addresses how over-using the “S-O-R-R-Y” word can reduce credibility and can affect people psychologically by decreasing self-esteem and confidence.

The beauty industry has grown to be more than just a marketplace with new-age remedies and technology; today’s beauty industry offers insight on personal and mental education that improves men and women’s perspectives of themselves. The beauty industry is now a place that offers products and services rich in value and free of charge: knowledge and personal-confidence, the most attractive trends that will always be in-style. 

By Ali Geary

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