Change does not occur overnight—or so the movies have led us to believe. After all, for any major transformation to have true import, it must be prefaced by months of prophetic warnings from sombre-faced scientists and conspiracy theorists alike. And yet, when the tectonic plates shifted beneath the beauty industry, few even felt a tremor. While the world was looking the other way with the pandemic, a new generation assumed the reins of the industry’s future. Demographic changes, of course, aren’t anything new for the beautyverse, which has proved its steadfast resilience in the face of global crises. But the dawn of Gen Z’s reign over the beauty industry is grounded in the sobering knowledge that they are the most disruptive cohort yet.
Culturally agile, self-educated and highly all-inclusive, Gen Z will define beauty for the next decade, according to a report by market intelligence firm WGSN. “Gen Zers champion the beauty of human diversity in all its forms and yet are laid low by the pressures of ‘selfie esteem’. Hungry for digital experiences and interaction, they also feel overwhelmed and in need of a tech-free sanctuary,” observes the firm’s managing director Carla Buzasi. Finding a way to translate this duality into bottom-line sales, however, is a task easier said than done. Can comic book-inspired packaging served in juicy bright colours and anchored with achingly on-trend lingo be enough to sway a Gen Z consumer into believing that the brand speaks their language? Or should marketers be focusing on this cohort’s radical need for inclusivity, offering proof that their choice of eyeshadow pigments can be an agent for social reform? And above all, how do you sell to someone who is deeply distrustful of being sold to? We investigate.