Introduction:
The beauty industry is growing larger and larger each day by Billions of dollars. In the past most of its consumers are females and there was a wide pool of money generated from females alone. However, in the 21 century, more and more men are increasingly becoming interested in shaping their own appearance. This encouraged me to conduct this case study based on a makeup brand called Huda Beauty the makeup industry and how it managed to position itself to be one of the top makeup brands in the beauty world.
My favorite brand is Huda beauty cosmetics a makeup brand by a Middle Eastern blogger and makeup artist called Huda Kattan originally from Iraq. She launched her line in 2010 after experiencing a massive success on her social media platforms as she become number one beauty Instagram account in the world reaching over 29.2 million followers and still growing (Kattan). This brand is my favorite cosmetic brand in the whole makeup industry, to me, Huda beauty is more than a makeup brand its success encourages me to work hard and want more for myself as it set by a woman and most importantly Middle Eastern women. Seeing the successes this brand reached changed my views and mindset as now I feel like if she did it I can too which is really empowering. Huda beauty hit Mile stone for every Arab woman as motivation to follow our dreams and fight the norms of the typical Arab woman. I also like Huda beauty makeup brand as it has amazing products that I use religiously from her FauxFilter foundation which changed the game in the industry it comes in 30 diverse skin shades to the amazing Rose Gold Remastered eye shadow Palette and its more special as each shade of it has an interesting name that is based on the Arabic culture. Most of her products allow me to enhance my features and be creative which is the fun part of the brand. Huda Beauty is constantly working on giving us better she recently updates some of her formula products which show me she doesn’t only do it for the money she is always going back o products she released in the past and improving them.
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Brand Equity:
Brand equity is the psychological and emotional views of customers the moment they think about the company and this is a subjective matter of opinion set on the personal experiences of each customer. According to Keller Et al brand equity is the way how consumers or the public perceive the brand based on its products, services, and marketing efforts. The brand equity theory model consists of four major steps that indicate that most consumers asked questions that build the overall perception. The four steps break down into six brand building blocks. To have a 100% successful brand equity brands must reach the last step of the pyramid where a positive relationship exists with consumers (Keller, Aperia, and Georgason)
Brand Salience: Identity
The first step in the brand equity theory pyramid is called salience, this step is the identity of the brand and it is really important as it is the foundation or base in other words of the pyramid brands must have a strong salience to support the rest of the pyramid. Salience is the first question asked by consumers in the public eye which is “who are you” as a brand this step is the identification of the brand as a whole. This step is mainly to the image consumers perceive the brand when they distinguish it from competitor brands. This is a really important step as it plays a huge role when it comes to customers making a decision on purchasing (Keller, Aperia, and Georgason) (Maguire).
Based on that Huda Beauty is seen and known to be one of the leading and trendsetter brands in the makeup industry today. Huda Beauty is considered a high-end makeup brand due to its high-quality products; this image comes not only from the marketing behind Huda beauty but also from the luxurious feel and experience when purchasing Huda beauty products at Huda beauty makeup branches. Usually, you can only find her makeup in expensive department stores such as Selfridges in the UK and Brown Thomas in Ireland this screams high-end to consumers to showcase that these are higher quality. When consumers make their decision to choose Huda beauty over other competitors' products due to reasoning like experiences they had or heard people talk about down the line or even when they scroll down their Instagram and see trending Huda beauty products used by their favorite public figures his causes consumers creating an excitement positive image this may be caused in the Salience stage.
Brand performance and Imagery: Meaning
The second stage of the brand equity theory is where consumers are aware of the brand and are more intrigued and curious. Consumers now expect in-depth information on the overall brand. This step of the pyramid is split into two blocks; brand performance and brand imagination. Brand performance: the performance and the operations of the brand what it produces, how it carries itself, and what makes it different from the rest. These showcase how good the brand's product is if it fits its purpose and most importantly if it deserves its value (Maguire).
Brand imagery: is the factor that sets out the perception and impression of the brand in the mind of the consumers. These perceptions are made and meet consumers’ social and psychological needs. Each consumer can perceive the brand differently hence why it’s important to make sure that everyone gets a similar idea. (Maguire).
Huda's beauty makeup brand performance in the makeup industry is viewed as one of the top brands out there. Huda Beauty is constantly working on improving her formulas to make sure she’s meeting everyone’s expectations due to her products being pricy. Huda beauty performance is also at its best at the moment all the products are cruelty-free and this is very important to the majority of makeup users. However, the makeup industry is constantly evolving Huda beauty is very consistent with every aspect of the business and that is really important for makeup brands to hold value and stay relevant.
As for brand imagery, Huda beauty first known for her amazing eyelash packaging caused a trend within the beauty industry by many people would hold her eyelash packaging as it pictured the style of each lash on Huda’s eyes this caused excitement that allots of people had recreated the same pose. Another great image people have of Huda’s brand is the diversity behind the brand when she launched her foundation she included male and female models from different races to showcase how the brand is open to everyone and wants to make people feel accepted and appreciated. Including males and females is a great move for inclusivity for a Middle Eastern brand.
Brand Judgments and Feelings: Response
The third step of the brand equity pyramid is brand response, thus is a very important stage that can help the brand evolve and grow by responding to the judgment positively so they can build a trustworthy positive relationship with customers. This section splits into two blocks consisting of judgment and feels these are kind of similar but hard to differentiate. Both judgment and feelings are personal pieces that are different to each consumer one consumer may find the brand appealing and another irrelevant which makes it hard to quantify how the public really feels about the brand and if they trust it. (Keller, Aperia and Georgason)
In this case, Huda's beauty makeup brand is seen as very strong in the makeup industry and is seen on all social media platforms as one of the most popular brands that happen to be relevant consistently. At least one Huda beauty product is a must and is included in most of the girls' makeup routines. In other facts, the products are also seen to be high-end products that are high quality and long-lasting. Makeup consumers are very picky and hard to keep them interested however Huda beauty they are very loyal and trustworthy brand each time she releases a product consumers know that it will meet their expectations as the brand is always working hard to keep at its best.
Brand Resonance: Relationship
The last step of the pyramid is resonance as it is the most difficult and hard due to it being the number one goal of brand equity to every brand. This is achieved when the brand has positive loyal consumers that will prefer them over competitors. This is also an attitudinal and psychological attachment customers will hold for the brand (Maguire).
Huda Beauty is constantly trying to have and building her brand resonance even though the makeup industry is a very competitive environment. However, Huda's beauty level of time and effort is spent to create the perfect bond with consumers by providing them with amazing products and unique packaging. Huda Beauty also sponsors small makeup artists on social media platforms and shares the looks they create with her products on hr number one beauty page Instagram in the world to make them feel involved, recognized for their talent, and most importantly a part of a community.
Brand Positioning:
Brand positioning is the activity a brand focuses on to create a permanent image in the minds of its target market. The image positioning of a brand does not have to be a unique different image, however, the whole purpose is to locate a manipulative image that constantly comes up to a consumer when they think of the brand. This is an important factor in the marketing strategies of brands to showcase what they stand for to consumers and why they choose them over competitor products (Keller, Aperia and Georgason, consumer-based brand positioning).
The above is a perceptual map showcasing a visual positioning of where Huda Beauty is positioned next to competing brands.
Points of Parity:
According to Keller points of parity are the small elements competitor brands have and share in common, however, these elements can be as basic as selling the same type of products and having the same target market (Keller, Aperia, and Georgason, consumer-based brand positioning).
Huda Beauty’s competitors are Kylie Cosmetics, Anastasia Beverly Hills, and Fenty beauty all of these brands sell a huge range of trendy makeup in the same industry. All of these brands come from celebrity owners meaning they have massive power over the industry due to their big names; they have huge power over their fan base that they know how to make them go today and purchase.
Points of difference:
Points of difference are factors that make the brand different and stand out from the rest; this is increased of chances of consumers choosing the brand over competitors. This showcases the brand's unique selling point that consumers are aware of and associate with the brand that they would choose over similar brands because they appreciate it (Keller, Aperia, and Georgason, consumer-based brand positioning).
Huda Beauty's target market initially was females based only, they shared posts on their social media platforms of women beauty influencers using their products. This was their aim to influence their target audience to encourage them to purchase their products. Recently the company expanded its target market by including males as well. Due to the world's gender rights change and cultures being redefined. Makeup now is seen for everyone and not considered only for women. Huda Beauty is seen as one of the top high-end and honest brands.
Top competitor Makeup brands
- Kylie cosmetics: is a makeup brand run by Kylie Jenner reality TV star she started her business based on Lip kits due to her famous pout she came up with this idea due to her childhood insecurity about her lip size. However, Kylie did not have honest success due to the false marketing of her big pout from her lip kits as she had lip injections. Kylie Jenner is a fun feminine brand however it’s also seen as a rich celebrity brand that only aims to capitalize from, however, Kylie does not need to turn to others to promote her brand and products, due to already being a well-known celebrity.
- Anastasia Beverly Hills: is an American makeup brand run by Anastasia Soare this brand is the oldest brand of them all it was known for its great eyebrow products. Due t the brand being an older brand it has a staple position in the makeup brand. Anastasia's target market is not specific she invites everyone to explore her makeup. This brand is constantly facing backlash on their formulas not being the best for their price, even though they have been in the makeup industry for decades they still need to work on it.
- Fenty Beauty: is an American company set up by the famous singer Rihana. The company is seen as empowering as it’s known for its diverse foundation shades when she released 50 shades that changed the makeup industry as she saw there were not enough shade ranges for everyone. Rihana is also a famous celebrity who does not need a lot of promotion however she still does to target everyone from different races and backgrounds.
Brand Personality:
Brand personality is several human characteristics each brand has. There is the psychology behind it is to make the brand connect with consumers to give them sort of feelings about the brand. Brand personality divides into five human traits; sincerity, excitement, competence, sophistication, and ruggedness. (L.AAKER)
Huda Beauty Brand Personality:
Sophisticated & Excitement
Huda Beauty brand is sophisticated and always wants the best for themselves and the most updated products also they are honest, confident, and compassionate. They have a distinctive personal style that is both peculiar and highly regarded. When they show a high degree of etiquette, dignity, and appreciation, they feel they are seen as classy and elegant. Huda Beauty Brand never lets her emotions determine her actions. That doesn't mean she's a snob, but rather a dignified and considerate woman who does everything in moderation. Her looks and social status aren't her only qualities; they also got personality. In the past, only the aristocrats were regarded as classy, but today's society no longer emphasizes social classes. Huda Beauty allows everyone to have class.
Huda Beauty Makeup showcases sophistication and excitement through the way they design and package their products. There always on top of the market by releasing products and perfecting their formulas the brand uses a lot of famine soft colors to attract their target market to feel luxurious and the best when they purchase their products and while using them.
Brand Communicating communication strategy:
Huda Beauty communicates to her target audience mainly through online advertisement. Huda Beauty cosmetics organized an online advertising campaign for its new Easy Bake powder before its launch this advertising campaign was mainly advertised on its social media platforms which entail Facebook, Instagram, and its website hudabeauty.com.On Instagram for example, the campaign focused on posting several pictures of the Easy Bake powder. The pictures showcased Kattan in the kitchen baking to emphasize the baking powder and how it is easy to use. Also, Huda Beauty focuses on Instagram due to her having the highest following on beauty Instagram she advertises her products by posting tutorials of her using them. Huda Beauty also sponsors your favorite beauty influencers by sending PR packages every time she releases a collection, Beauty influencers then tag her pages using her products via Instagram and YouTube. This is a great method for Huda beauty as a brand to advertise on social media as most of her target market is active on social media platforms.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, the different types of strategies that have been employed by Huda Beauty have been useful, the company has been able to increase its customer base through the use of social media to create awareness and brand loyalty. This way they have become successful at the start in the Middle East and now worldwide.