As a brand founder, every choice you make contributes to building your brand's legacy over the long run. From the seemingly small to the obviously grand, every nuanced brand touch point ladders up toward cementing your brand's identity, experience and legacy. From the tactile nature of packaging to the visual and auditory experience of a brand's digital presence, these nuances make every interaction with a brands deeply engaging and unforgettable.
The beauty industry is seeing a rise of a new guard of prestige beauty brands that bring opulent aesthetics, bold brand personas, and distinctive packaging designs. Beyond their cutting-edge formulas, exceptional performance, and the premium quality associated with higher price points, these contemporary brands provide a deeper sensory journey compared to your average beauty brand. They just bring a little 'extra' to the table. For small indie brands operating on a lean budget it's important to remember that constraints are when creativity really flourishes. Consider focusing on dialing up one or two key areas where you can truly amplify your brand's sensory experience.
Here are 3 standout prestige beauty brand examples to take note of:
1. Video Content Finesse: Isamaya Beauty
Prestige brands consistently reflect their core identity across all forms of content, with a keen eye on details such as typeface, music, color schemes, transitions, lighting, and styling. Even with diverse creative directions for each campaign, their video content always aligns unmistakably with the brand's essence, avoiding a repetitive or overly similar appearance. As video production budgets increase to meet the demand for more content, this moment is ideal for beauty brands to explore how their video content can more effectively embody and enhance their brand identity for sustained brand development.
Isamaya Beauty distinguishes itself with video content that, while evolving with each piece and seasonal campaign, unmistakably remains true to its unique brand identity.
2. Leveraging the Power of Scarcity: Pat McGrath Labs
Pat McGrath Labs masters the art of scarcity marketing, turning every limited release into an event as sought-after as entry to an elite club. This approach not only magnifies the appeal of each product drop but also builds anticipation for future releases. Adding a gamified waitlist introduces an element of excitement and engagement. For limited edition strategies in the beauty industry to be effective, the products must stand out — be it through unique formulas, innovative packaging, or exclusive collaborations.
When brand founders evaluate limited edition collaborations and partnership opportunities with their brand's DNA, values, and audience compatibility in mind, the resulting campaigns resonate perfectly with their target market.
3. Down to the Last Detail: Prada Beauty & Queen Musia
For high-end brands, packaging is more than just functional; it represents a mark of luxury and quality, with every detail telling a piece of the brand's narrative. Prada's latest makeup and skincare collection, rooted in its illustrious fashion history, embodies this concept. Their lipsticks provide not only fashion forward colors but also textures that echo the brand's renowned Saffiano leather and nylon bags, showcasing how product design can reflect and honor a brand's heritage.
Even the newest brands, regardless of their brief history, have fascinating tales to tell. Take, for example, the rising brand Queen Musia. The brand's signature color is inspired by the enchanting pistachio green eyes of a cat that became a viral internet sensation which the brand is named after. Moreover, Queen Musia's distinctive packaging design echoes the founder's passion for literature, fine arts, and architecture, illustrating that every brand, no matter how new, carries a distinct and meaningful story.
These new trailblazers of the luxury beauty scene offer essential lessons for indie beauty brand founders looking to make their mark in a competitive arena. Fully immersing in the art of sensory experiences, paying close attention to every detail, preserving steadfast brand identity, and cleverly leveraging scarcity marketing, these emerging brands set themselves apart. Adopting some of these practices can offer a pathway to help other newer brands on the journey towards becoming a household name. You're welcome to reach out and get in touch.
Author: Effie Asafu-Adjaye
Effie Asafu-Adjaye is the Founder of Beautiful Sparks. Beautiful Sparks helps beauty and fashion businesses get more fanatics in love with their brands, by refining their brand strategy, messaging, branding, content storytelling, and community-building strategy. Read more about Effie here. Linkedin | Youtube
