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Artist availability may vary. Please request via BBR Support Page3 Steps to hiring the right vendors for your beauty activations
Imagine this: a brand spends millions on a campaign only to face backlash because it alienated key audiences.
Missteps like Youthforia’s flawed foundation launch, where the darkest shade resembled black paint instead of a wearable tone, show how a lack of inclusivity at all levels—product formulation, marketing strategies, and influencer partnerships—can destroy a campaign and harm a brand’s reputation.
Both the internal team and external collaborators, including marketing vendors and influencer agencies, failed to address the needs of consumers with darker complexions, leading to backlash. Read more about the Youthforia case study here.
How do you avoid this? Here are four essential steps to make sure the people you collaborate with get it right:
1. Review Portfolios for Both Diversity and Cultural Depth
A diverse portfolio isn’t just about showing faces of different races—it’s about how those faces are represented.
Do campaigns include a wide range of hair textures and skin tones, lit and styled beautifully? Look for evidence of cultural depth, like sensitivity to traditions, attire, or styling that resonates authentically with different communities.
2. Assess Technical and Cultural Expertise
When hiring stylists, makeup artists, or agencies, avoid vague questions like “Do you work with Black hair?”
Instead, ask specifics about their understanding of kinky and coily textures, porosity, undertones for darker skin tones, and the cultural importance of certain looks. Cultural expertise is as crucial as technical skills.
3. Prioritize Clear Communication in Briefs
Even experienced agencies need direction. Be crystal clear in your expectations, from the audience you want to connect with to the cultural context and look you’re aiming for.
Take Dyson, for example—providing insights and messaging is critical. Their product wasn't supposed to straighten hair, but its look and design resembled tools commonly used by Black people to straighten hair.
Without the right communication to clarify this distinction, the audience misunderstood its purpose, leading many to think the product wasn’t effective. Clear, culturally informed messaging could have bridged this gap and avoided the confusion.
4. Bonus tip: Test for Sensitivity and Authenticity
It’s not just about understanding textures and tones—it’s about understanding cultural nuances, too. Before launch, test your campaign with diverse focus groups. This extra step can reveal any potential issues and ensure your campaign connects authentically with its audience.
The Takeaway
Collaborating with vendors and agencies that lack inclusivity can cost your brand more than just money—it can damage your reputation and alienate your audience. By reviewing portfolios, diving into technical and cultural expertise, communicating clearly, and testing for authenticity, you’ll not only avoid costly mistakes but also create campaigns that resonate, inspire, and truly connect.
Inclusivity isn’t just good business—it’s the future of marketing.