Fenty Beauty and the Business of Diversity in the Beauty Industry

Picture from Fenty Beauty

#fentybeauty #beauty #Rihanna #beautyindustry

By: Vanessa Chen

Robyn Rihanna Fenty’s recent release of new foundation shades to bring their total to 50 shades has sparked discussion in the beauty industry about the business of diversity and inclusion within marketing practice. For those who haven’t already been converted, here is a brief timeline of Fenty Beauty: In September 2017, Rihanna launched her cosmetics brand Fenty Beauty by Rihanna under the motto of “Beauty for All.” In the first month, Fenty Beauty reportedly gained an impressive $72 million in sales revenue. Later in the year, Time Magazine named Fenty Beauty as one of its 25 Best Inventions of 2017. A year later, Time Magazine listed Fenty Beauty as one of its 50 Genius Companies in 2018. In January 2019, Fenty Beauty launched 10 new foundation shades to bring their range to 50. From analyzing their marketing strategy and business practice, it becomes increasingly clear that the success of Fenty Beauty lies in its authentic inclusion of diversity within its business strategy, its leverage of consumer-led sharing and e-Word of mouth on social media, and its strategic modes of communication with customers.

As many would be aware, the beauty industry has historically defined a narrow ideal of beauty. However, social media has the power to democratize representation and allow for more people to participate in their own definitions of beauty. Particularly with the beauty industry, consumers have more power to share their opinions online, participate in like-minded communities, and spend in companies that share their values. Fenty Beauty noticed a gap within the beauty industry and has focused on creating solutions for a more diverse customer base. As Rihanna explains, “Fenty Beauty was created for everyone. For women of all shades, personalities, attitudes, cultures, and races. I wanted everyone to feel included. That’s the real reason I made this line.”

While other companies may have made initial steps into diversifying their brand, Fenty Beauty is the first to meaningfully incorporate diversity into the discussion. As Gina Barton demystifies in her video essay for Vox, titled How Beauty Brands Failed Women of Color, the beauty industry has historically made inaccurate claims about the financial and practical difficulties of catering to a more diverse customer base, when in fact diversity has been enormously helpful for businesses. In addition to business practice, the issue of marketing also arises. Fenty Beauty differentiates itself from other brand because it equally represents a diverse group of people without relying on stereotypical or tokenistic imagery. It expands the importance of representing all types of diversity, including, but not limited to, race. In all their campaigns, they equally feature people of different races, cultures, and aesthetics without visually,  narratively, or temporally prioritizing one type of beauty over the other. Moreover, the Fenty Beauty campaigns are less about pushing product to achieve a specific look, but more about highlighting the ability of makeup to contribute to individual self-expression. More recently in 2018, Fenty Beauty released a new advertisement to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and men who wear makeup, thus further broadening definitions of diversity and showing that all expressions of beauty are treated as valuable to the company. Fenty Beauty’s celebration of diversity within the beauty community rings authentic and its success indicates that people are hungry for diverse representation. The financial and social success of Fenty Beauty highlights the importance of meaningfully incorporating diversity in an increasingly diverse world.