How Beauty Brands Are Going Back To Basics To Sell Products

Business of Fashion recently reported that beauty brands are going back to traditional marketing and sales methods to sell their products. Indie beauty and lifestyle brands that used to rely on Instagram and TikTok influencers to promote their products are now hiring traditional sales reps to drive sales at retailers like Sephora and Ulta, now that stores are finally seeing an uptick in foot traffic.

In effort to engage consumers on and off social media platforms, many growing brands have relied on traditional store ambassadors and field associates to train store staff and promote their company’s products. Many consumers who buy in-store rely on sales associates to discover new, effective products.

According to Sara Eisenman, founder of skincare company Bubble, in an interview with Business of Fashion, “The way consumers get excited about trying a brand nowadays is by getting an expert opinion. Experts are dermatologists and estheticians, but also associates in specialty stores.”

The role of field associate is imperative to the growth of indie beauty brands competing against legacy brands that have more budget and in-store shelf space. According to Amy Liu, founder of Tower28, “The ideal situation is for field people to get into the store and have as much impact as they can … educating the salespeople so that when someone walks into the store with eczema, they point them to Tower 28,” Liu said.

But the cost of hiring an field associate and in-store help is not cheap. According to Salary.com, the role pays on average $46,499 to $60,048 annually, but some brands are paying upwards of $100,000 as demand surges. As many consumers are becoming less engaged with influencer posts are ads or sponsored, more brands are relying on more organic ways to showcase the efficacy of their products.