Chart 1 - Survey Question 13, Appendix 3
These claimed issues are exactly what Gen Z consumers care highly about and demands from brands and companies, according to Saunter and Shin (2019). By conducting the survey of this paper, it became evident that 33% of Danish Gen Z’ers believe that diversity regarding race and gender in the beauty industry is extremely important (Chart 1). Moreover, 29% of respondents found it very important, and 19% of respondents found it moderately important (Chart 1). The findings show that a majority of the respondents believe diversity in the beauty industry has a moderate to extreme importance to them. This is consistent with Saunter and Shin’s (2019) arguments about how Gen Z is demanding a more inclusive visual culture regarding all kinds of diversity aspects. It is evident from the survey that Danish Gen Z’ers highly value and demand diversity in general from the beauty industry. However, claims by Nduta and Fabech indicate that the Danish beauty industry might fail to live up to these demands and that the industry should be improved in this regard.
When looking at diversity in the beauty industry from an international perspective, the findings from the netnographic study correlates with the initial findings from the Danish beauty industry. There are numerous examples where different beauty brands have been heavily criticized for not showing diversity. Market-dominating international brands such as Estée Lauder, Yves Saint Laurent, and Tarte have been criticized by consumers on social media for producing non-inclusive shade ranges that cater mostly to lighter skin colors (Appendix 7) In Appendix 7, an overview of a Givenchy foundation launch can be seen. This launch was criticized for being non-inclusive and not catering to consumers with darker skin tones by consumers and prominent figures in the international YouTube makeup community such as Jeffree Star and James Charles. The latter is an American Gen Z himself with millions of followers (Wikipedia, n.d.).
When reviewing these cases in Appendix 7 it is evident that brands are being criticized for not having inclusive makeup launches, hereunder a lack of inclusive foundation shade ranges. It can be argued, on the basis of the netnographic study, there is a tendency among beauty brands to offer many lighter shades in a shade range compared to a lower number of darker shades. It appears if brands do not cater towards both light and dark skin colors, consumers and high-profile influencers in the beauty industry will point out the issue and share their critiques and demands online.
Despite the claims against beauty brands in Denmark, Nduta believes there are brands she can relate to outside of Denmark, who do have a good diversity and inclusivity policy (Appendix 2, l. 123). The findings from the netnographic study show that many brands have received positive reactions to their products or campaigns for valuing diversity and inclusivity. An example is NYX who is praised online for releasing an inclusive foundation shade range (Appendix 6). Nduta claims that NYX is the only brand in Denmark that she has respect for because she has always felt acknowledged by them (Appendix 2, l. 89-91). Furthermore, the netnographic study includes other brands such as Fenty, Juvia’s Place, and Uoma that have received positive feedback on Twitter and Instagram because of their inclusive shade ranges and models with different ethnicities (Appendix 5). These three brands have been founded on the basis of inclusivity and ethnic diversity (Uoma Beauty, n.d; Juvia's Place, n.d; Fenty Beauty, n.d.). However, two out of three of these brands cannot be found in some of the biggest
cosmetics stores in Denmark, making it, arguably, difficult for people of color in Denmark to find suitable makeup based on skin color. On the basis of these findings, one could argue there is a consensus amongst both consumers and industry experts that there is a lack of diversity in the beauty industry, and both Danish and global consumers find diversity and inclusivity important.
Ethnic Diversity in Danish Stores
In the section above, it is evident some brands lack diversity as well as brands that succeed in implementing inclusivity and diversity practices internationally. Thus, it is interesting to examine how ethnic diversity is represented in Danish cosmetic stores. This section will now investigate how ethnic diversity and inclusivity are reflected in Danish cosmetic stores by analyzing in-store observations. This section will also include a comparison between Sephora and Matas in order to illustrate the differences between the two main cosmetics retailers in Denmark and review their stance on diversity.
Nduta claims that it is difficult for people of color to find brands in Danish cosmetic stores that cater to their needs, and she expresses astonishment when brands do not expand their shade range. She states that she does not shop for makeup in Matas because the color range of selection does not match her needs (Appendix 2, l. 144-145). Furthermore, she criticizes the fact that people of color are not as widely catered to: “It doesn’t make sense that some people have a harder time than others just because of the color of their skin.” (Appendix 2, l. 147-148).
In an effort to investigate this claim, this paper will now include various examples of observations made in different Matas stores. Observations made in Matas Nørreport (Appendix 4) show that brands such as Maybelline, Rimmel London, and L’Oréal Paris arguably offer few colors to cater to dark-skinned people, and the brands offer a majority of their products in a lighter shade. Thus, the claim by Nduta might arguably be considered valid, provided that when examining the shade ranges objectively, it can arguably be concluded that less or no products are offered to dark-skinned consumers. Further observational findings from Matas Nytorv, Matas LIFE Frederiksberg Centret, Matas Frederiksberg Centret and Matas Købmagergade (Appendix 4) shows that Chanel, Lancôme, Dior and KVD Vegan Beauty offer a wide range of light/medium shades and few dark shades. It is evident from the observations that there is a
tendency for brands in Matas to have a wide range of lighter and medium shades products with only a couple of options for dark shades if any. This paper argues that some consumers might perceive this type of shade range as undermining the complexity of dark skin, only offering a couple of shades that they are expected to match, while light-skinned people have, arguably, a better opportunity to find the match for their skin color, without feeling like they need to settle for a non-match.
Nduta argues that Matas would be the first store to come to mind for consumers, when in the market for makeup, but due to their lack of diverse ranges, she feels excluded from Matas and has to go to Sephora when shopping for makeup. Nduta says: “If I would need a foundation or a mascara, Matas would be the first store to pop into my mind. [...] I would not think of Sephora to be the first place to go.” (Appendix 2, l. 11-15)
Observational findings from Sephora Købmagergade show a different result than observational findings from Matas stores. Here, many of the brands’ shade ranges go up to 40-50 shades with multiple options of darker shades. Brands such as Fenty, Too Faced and Sephora Collection arguably represent ethnic diversity very well in their product range (Appendix 8) However, they do hold some of the same brands as Matas such as Lancôme and Chanel with arguably non-inclusive shade ranges.
When observing how ethnic diversity is presented in campaigns on product display stands in-stores, both Matas and Sephora demonstrate ethnic diversity by showing models with different skin colors and ethnicities. However, it can be argued that some brands seem to better practice their claims on ethnic diversity than others. It is evident from the observations that several brands do not offer products that match the models they are showing. This can be argued to be perceived as diversity washing by some consumers, as the shown brands (Appendix 4) advocate ethnic diversity without offering products to these ethnic minorities. The issue of diversity washing will be analyzed further later in this paper.
Based on the observational studies made in the data collection of this paper, this paper argues that the findings in terms of shade range limitations are consistent with the claims and experiences that Nduta presents in the interview (Appendix 2). Although ethnic diversity might
be reflected in the campaigns and product display stands in Matas stores, this paper argues that some of these brands do not support diversity in their offerings.
Comparing Sephora and Matas
It is crucial to point out that this paper is not able to argue that a specific retailer, whether it be Matas or Sephora, can be held solely accountable for the brands they hold. Many makeup brands can be purchased in both Sephora and Matas. This goes for a majority of the classic, market-dominating beauty brands such as Estée Lauder, Lancôme, and Chanel. It is evident from the observations that there are more brands in Sephora that express and arguably live up to their claim of ethnic diversity, rather than in Matas. A potential reason for this could be that Sephora is a French multinational chain retailer with ethnic diverse, international consumers, and therefore, they arguably are more compelled to cater to a wider array of skin tones. Sephora has a clear diversity and inclusion mission stated on their website: “... championing all beauty fearlessly and building inclusive environments for our employees, consumers, and communities.” (Sephora, n.d.a), which arguably indicates that they are aware of the issue of lack of inclusivity in the beauty industry. Furthermore, Sephora supports black-owned companies by committing 15% of the store’s shelf space to Black-owned companies (Sephora, n.d.a). Sephora is also dedicated to featuring key nonprofits within their marketing channels to build awareness for their effort to drive inclusion (Sephora, n.d.b). This arguably indicates that they are committed to supporting diversity throughout their whole organization.
Comparatively, Matas is a Danish chain retailer selling products to consumers residing in Denmark, which one could say is primarily made up of lighter-skinned people. Arguably, this could be a potential explanation for their limited shade range offerings. Matas has a statement on diversity on their website as well: “... promotes the wellbeing and psychological resilience of Danish consumers, the right to be yourself on your own terms rather than abide by the norms of society and the feeling of self-esteem throughout life.” (Matas, n.d). However, this statement can be argued to be vaguer than Sephora’s statement, and it is not specifically related to ethnic diversity. Thus, it appears that there is a significant difference in how Matas and Sephora present and discuss the importance of ethnic diversity on their websites and value statements, which could arguably be due to the aforementioned differences between the two retailers, in terms of the ethnic makeup of the markets they each serve.
Arguably, it has now been established that there is a lack of diversity and inclusivity in the beauty industry, both internationally as shown in the case of the netnographic examples as previously argued, but also in the Danish beauty industry, as shown in the observations included. With this in mind, this paper will now turn its focus towards exploring this argued lack of diversity; why it exists, why there is such an increased focus on it, and how Gen Z consumers relate to it.
BLM and Diversity Washing
When reviewing the data collected for this paper, one of the areas of interest was the influence of the BLM movement on the beauty industry, as per the second sub question of this paper.
The data was collected partly based on the aim to explore whether BLM had had an effect on the industry in terms of consumers, and what they demand from beauty brands. In seeking to do so, this paper identified another area of interest and relevance for the analysis; diversity washing. These two areas of interest emerged from different parts of the data, which is what this paper will now examine.
Firstly, this paper will present the parts of the data that concern the BLM movement. This will, then, lead to the second part of this section, which will introduce and exemplify the argued issue of diversity washing in the beauty industry.
Nduta expressed being disappointed and in shock at the limited availability in the local drugstore, in this case, Matas, and that she, as a woman of color, was unable to find a shade to match her skin tone (Appendix 2, l. 3-6). She says:
I noticed a campaign picture with different shades of hands to show off the makeup. But it doesn’t make any sense, because there was not a single product on the product stand that was made for dark skin. They just chose to put that picture because they know it's something that people look for nowadays. (Appendix 2, l. 22-25)
Nduta’s claim that consumers, to a higher extent than before, are looking for diversity and inclusivity is consistent with this paper’s overall findings about Gen Z. When examining the results of the survey, it can be argued that the respondents might also notice the trend of looking
for inclusivity and diversity, which Nduta and this paper argues to be true. In question 14, 60%
of respondents said that they somewhat agree that beauty brands are beginning to promote inclusivity and diversity more on social media, and 22% of respondents stated that they strongly agree (Appendix3). Furthermore, in the data collected, there is evidence to suggest that there exists a discourse in society that brands are only promoting diversity, inclusivity, and BLM as a way to gain positive attention, without being an actual ally to the movement. This can be seen when Nduta says that:
I’m only interesting to them now […] due to Black Lives Matter and because they need to find someone they can post on their Instagram as a way of showing support. But they haven’t shown support in many years. (Appendix 2, l. 76-79)
This warrants the supposition that some consumers believe that some beauty brands use BLM as a marketing strategy due to the movement’s massive social media attention. In question 19, an overwhelming majority of the respondents said that they feel that some beauty brands only support BLM when it's trending (Appendix 3), with 72% of respondents either strongly agreeing or somewhat agreeing with the statement. Nduta states:
[...] If I go to a brand's Instagram and scroll all the way down to before Black Lives Matter [...] and they haven't posted a black girl a day in their life and now are coming to me because they are being attacked left and right. That makes me feel like they don’t want to collaborate with me because they like what I do, but only because they need me. [...] It’s a fucking joke and I’ve never felt so used. They don’t get to use me as a marketing strategy just because BLM is trending. (Appendix 2, l. 79-86)
The netnographic study found that several brands released statements related to BLM when the movement began to trend on social media platforms (Appendix 12 and 13). However, some of the statements were met with questions and comments from consumers. Maybelline was met with questions on deeper insights into Maybelline’s diversity and inclusivity policy (Appendix 12). L’Oréal Paris was claimed to be hypocrites due to a conflict with a transgendered model of color that had her fired, and therefore, consumers began to question the trustworthiness of L’Oréal Paris as well as the truth of their statement on supporting BLM (Appendix 13). As
argued by Fromm and Read (2018), brands should be willing to own up to their mistakes. In this case, L’Oréal did not respond quickly enough to the consumer's critique of their claimed support for BLM, arguably increasing the argument of using BLM as a tool of promotion (Appendix 13). When comparing the results of the survey and the netnographic study to the findings from the interview with Nduta, it is apparent that diversity washing is an issue that Nduta, as a professional, as well as consumers, sees in the industry. Furthermore, the issue of diversity washing is also evident when examining the product display stands observed in the different Matas’ stores.
The observational study was especially done in order to confirm or disprove two claims that arose from the data collected: firstly, that many brands in Matas stores did not carry an inclusive shade range, and secondly, that some beauty brands were promoting themselves as being inclusive without catering to people of color. These claims were derived from both the survey, the interview with Nduta, and from various other data collected. Notably, different beauty brands marketed their products with phrases such as “Find your perfect shade” (Appendix 9) or campaign photos that arguably would suggest that the shade range could cover a wide array of skin tones. However, on closer inspection, many of these brands did in fact not offer the shade range that was advertised (Appendix 9) and did not have shades that would match the models of darker complexions that the brands had included in the campaigns. This can arguably be seen as an act of performative activism or diversity washing, as the brands are marketing themselves in a way that would suggest to consumers that the brand values inclusivity and diversity, without genuinely offering products that would be suitable for everyone.
Nduta also touches on this when discussing her personal struggles with the lack of representation in the danish beauty industry, saying:
I’m actually quite light-skinned in the sense that you can easily find much darker-skinned girls than me. And they have an even harder time than I do. Imagine that.
(Appendix 2, l. 107-109).
Thus, when examining the data from the observational study, this paper argues that the aforementioned claims derived from the collected data may have a certain degree of truth to them.
Given the data and statements presented above, it can be argued that this paper is able to argue that BLM has affected the beauty industry. This paper will now turn its focus on a theoretical application to further examine the values of Gen Z consumers, and how it may be reflected in their consumer behavior. This paper will now be applying The Personality Approach by Heding et. al. (2016) along with Belk’s theory of The Extended Self (1998).
The Personality Approach
According to The Personality Approach, congruence between the personality characteristics of a brand and the consumers’ actual or ideal self will create a consumer preference towards that brand (Heding et. al., 2016, p. 120). Based on the above-mentioned argument of this paper, along with the data collected and presented, it can be argued that the BLM movement has. The vast majority of respondents in question 13 (Appendix 3) of the survey said that diversity in the beauty industry regarding race and ethnicity is either very important (29% of respondents) or extremely important (33% of respondents).
Furthermore, in question 17, the results also show that the respondents value alignment between their own personal values and the values of the beauty brands they support, with 37%
and 31% marking it as either moderately or very important (Appendix 3). This is consistent with what this paper has previously argued to be characteristic of Gen Z. This, coupled with The Personality Approach by Heding et. al. (2016), gives reason to argue that consumers today, Gen Z in particular one might argue, to a higher extent value diversity and inclusivity, and therefore, they demand the same from beauty brands.
A possible explanation for Gen Z’s argued demand for diversity and inclusivity may be found when looking at the diversity of the generation itself. As previously stated, Gen Z is the most ethnically diverse generation with 48% of members being ethnic minorities. Although this number is based on U.S. consumers, it can be argued that as the whole world is becoming more multiracial, the trend of being a diverse generation might also apply to Danish Gen Z’ers, however, there are no existing statistics at the time of writing, that illustrate the percentage of Danish multiracial Gen Z’ers. It can thus be argued that, to Gen Z consumers, diversity might be synonymous with authentic representativity, as they wish to see themselves reflected in e.g.
the marketing campaigns of the brands they chose to support. Furthermore, as has also been
previously stated, 52% of Gen Z’ers identify as some other than completely heterosexual.
Correspondingly, research shows that consumers are more likely to consider or to purchase a product they perceive as being diverse and inclusive (Zalis, 2019). Moreover, 69 % of black consumers say they are more likely to support a brand whose branding reflects a positive view on their race or ethnicity (Zalis, 2019), while 71 % of LGBTQ+ consumers express being more likely to interact with a brand they perceive as being authentically representing their sexuality (Zalis, 2019). This, in combination with the diversity of Gen Z, provides a reason to argue for the importance for brands of supporting diversity and inclusivity, when seeking to reach Gen Z consumers, as it might arguably help create value alignment.
This argued new consumer demand is then, in accordance with The Personality Approach, something that Gen Z consumers seek out when they deem brands suitable or unsuitable for their consumption and support. They want to see themselves and their values reflected in the brands they support and use consumption as a way of signaling value (Heding et. al., 2016, p.
118).
Arguably, brands such as Fenty Beauty, who is responsible for the creation of the so-called
“Fenty Effect” (Saputo, 2019) have also been part of creating this relatively new consumer demand and preference towards brands who support and promote inclusivity and diversity.
With The Personality Approach in mind, it can be argued that brands, such as e.g. Fenty Beauty, would be preferred for Gen Z consumers, as they would arguably achieve congruence between their own values and brand personality characteristics that they might attach to Fenty, due to the brand values they promote.
Witt and Baird argue that brands need to have an identity that young people care about (Witt
& Baird, 2018, p. 42). Thus, it is up to brands who wish to cater to Gen Z consumers to determine what they want to represent to Gen Z. Witt and Baird further argue that if a brand has an identity that Gen Z respects and cares about, the brand will be significantly closer to achieving brand–audience alignment (Witt & Baird, 2018, p. 43). Thereby, it can be argued that Gen Z values congruence between their own values and brand values when deciding on a brand to support.
Possessions and the Extended Self
This paper argues that the consumption of cosmetics can be a way for consumers to ‘extend themselves’ symbolically. Belk argues that consumers regard possessions as part of themselves (Belk, 1988, p. 145), and this paper argues that the same may be true about cosmetics. One might argue that cosmetics is not a product that one can physically use to signal consumer values in the same way that e.g. using a reusable linen shopping net can be used to express to the outside world that a person cares about the environment. This might be true, given the fact that once a cosmetic product is on the consumers’ face, the branding and accompanying brand values that might be attached to that specific brand, are lost in terms of value signaling to one’s peers. However, this paper still argues that the purchasing of cosmetics products can be said to be a way of expressing a “desired self” i.e. an extended self in accordance with Belk’s theory.
This is because Gen Z, especially, is a generation that tends to share their purchases on e.g.
social media in the form of so-called ‘hauls’1. This public sharing of one's purchases, and oftentimes included hashtags or tagging of the brand, makes the brands and accompanying brand values very visible to the given consumers’ peers. This, in addition to following beauty brands on social media, as many members of Gen Z do, is arguably part of how Gen Z uses consumption of beauty products as a way to express themselves. This argument is reiterated in The Gen Z Frequency by Witt and Baird, who argue that Gen Z consumers often see brands as a way to express a multifaceted identity and that Gen Z communicates who they are to others partly through association (Witt & Baird, 2018, p. 51). Hence, it can be said that, although the products themselves might not be a complex identity statement in and of itself, it is the brand that the product comes from that conveys the information about consumers’ desired identity, as consumers feel like they are part of what the brand represents. Furthermore, according to Witt and Baird, when a consumer chooses a brand, they choose to be aligned with what that brand means or promises (Witt & Baird, 2018, p. 51).
It can be argued that Gen Z consumers are looking for opportunities to convey their personal identity and that their consumption to a high degree is influential in this process. In line with the topmost part of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, which is self-actualization, Gen Z consumers arguably believe that the brands, along with the brand identity and message they consume,
1 Haul: slang A video posted online in which one shows and discusses many recent purchases. Also called a
"haul video." From: https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/haul