Topolinski 556 Com Plan
Topolinski 556 Com Plan
Topolinski 556 Com Plan
Madison L. Topolinski
JRN 556: Public Relations Capstone, Spring 2023
Central Michigan University
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TABLE OF CONTENTS.
Table of contents 1
Executive summary 2
Client research 3-5
Audience research 6
Survey 7-9
SWOT 9-10
Social media audit 11
Problem research 12
Goals and strategies 13
Objectives 14-15
Key messages and talking points 16
Tactics 17-24
Channels 25
Personnel 26
Budget 27
Timeline 28
Evaluation 29-31
Conclusion 32
Appendices 33-45
1
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.
The makeup and skincare company Glossier was launched with
the mission of creating a “people-powered beauty ecosystem.”
Beauty consumers were invited to an online conversation about their
preferences and dream products; a community quickly developed.
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CLIENT RESEARCH.
In 2010, a Vogue Magazine fashion assistant named Emily Weiss
started a blog called “Into the Gloss.” ITG featured the aesthetically
pleasing beauty routines of art gallery directors, fashion and beauty
editors, actresses and more. As the blog garnered millions of views, a
community developed. Looking to grow, Weiss had an idea to leverage
the minimalistic aesthetic that she popularized; in 2014, “Glossier”
was launched as an e-commerce direct to consumer company.
Immersive IRL (in real life) pop-ups drew in crowds around the
country. Glossier and ITG made waves by often featuring women
of color and of various backgrounds. “Glossier literally defined a
category — the millennial, direct-to-consumer beauty brand,” states
Light Years Consultancy founder Lucie Greene. By 2018, users couldn’t
scroll through Instagram without seeing a mood-board like post from
Glossier.
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CLIENT RESEARCH.
While other makeup ecommerce makeup brands grew during the 2020
pandemic, Glossier was overcome by controversy. Former employees
came forward with claims of racism and a toxic work environment.
This was the last straw for some of Glossier’s community members,
especially those who were critical of the brand for “only being for
model-like women with perfect skin.”
In 2022, Kyle Leahy took over as CEO with Weiss now acting as an
Executive Chairwoman. In 2023, Glossier recommitted to “deeply
listen to their customers” and has opened more permanent
storefronts, launched at Sephora,and reformulated Balm Dot Com
to be vegan. Glossier is expected to reach $275 million in retail sales
by the end of 2023. These changes have slowly started to change
the narrative, but Glossier’s community want Glossier to be more
responsive and exceed industry standards.
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CLIENT RESEARCH.
most significant findings
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SURVEY.
survey demographics
• When asked how they want their beauty products to make them feel,
participants responded with key words like glowy, dewy, hydrated,
clean, natural, confident, refined, light, and flawless.
• When asked what brands they prefer over Glossier, 37.5 percent
said elf, 32.1 percent Rare beauty, 26.8 percent Fenty Beauty, and
others wrote in Urban Decay and Clinique.
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SWOT ANALYSIS.
strengths
• Glossier is widely attributed to be the OG minimalist, no
makeup-makeup brand
weaknesses
• Glossier has faced claims of racism and workplace toxicity
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SWOT ANALYSIS.
opportunities
• Glossier has the resources to reformulate their products, refine
their social media and branding, and to become overall more
inclusive and accessible
threats
• Consumer may accuse Glossier of changing solely for the sake of
money
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SOCIAL MEDIA AUDIT.
most significant findings
Glossier has
• 400,000 Facebook likes
• 160,000 Youtube subscribers
• 2.7 million Instagram followers
The most liked posts featured Glossier brick and mortar stores,
Glossier merchandise, and aesthetic, mood-board like images (i.e., a
photo of flowers being carried in their net bag.)
• Increased online sales are not offsetting the decline in in-store sales
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GOALS.
• Strengthen Glossier’s community and recommit to a people-
powered beauty ecosystem
STR ATEGIES.
• Product and merchandise development
• Ulta partnership
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OUTPUT OBJECTIVES.
Glossier. Clean.
Announcement via press release
Launch press release
Announcement social media post
Launch social media post
Influencer pitch
Influencer posts
Glossier. Shade.
Announcement via press release
Launch press release
Announcement social media post
Launch social media post
Influencer pitch
Influencer posts
GlossiWEAR
Extend merch line
Announce via social media post
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IMPACT OBJECTIVES.
• informational objective
• attitudinal objective
• behavioral objective
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KEY MESSAGES.
• Glossier aims to foster an inclusive community
TALKING POINTS.
• Glossier aims to foster an inclusive community through
representation, a wide-shade range, reasonably priced products
and the ability to shop online or in-store.
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TACTICS.
GLOSSIER. CLEAN.
“Clean” makeup and skincare has cemented its place in the beauty
industry and in the minds of both Gen Z and Millennials. Brands like Kosas
have taken what was once a niche and has made it more accessible, raising
beauty industry standards in the process. An increasing number of Gen Z
and Millennials are starting to probe brands about their ingredients; the
Glossier Clean campaign is a response to the Glossier community’s want for
cleaner products.
• A press release and social media post that would be released six months
prior to the re-launch of the product, social media posts upon launch
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TACTICS.
GLOSSIER. CLEAN.
• A three-month clean influencer campaign starting the month of
launch; three influencers would team up with Glossier for three
posts that would be shared over the course of three months, on their
platforms and ours. Two posts would be 60 second videos that would
be minimally edited to include Glossier branding (in the style of the
Get Ready With Me videos) and posted as short form content on
Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Youtube. The other would feature
a photo and caption that showcased the product along with other
products from the influencer’s routine.
• Influencer examples
• Extending the shade ranges of the Perfecting Skin Tint and Stretch
Concealer from 12 shades, and the Wowder from 5 shades, to 30
nuanced shades.
• A press release and social media post that would be released six
months prior to the re-launch of the product, and social media
posts upon launch.
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TACTICS.
GLOSSIER. SHADE.
• A three-month social media campaign featuring Glossier employees
from around the country and their perfect shade match. Posts
would start the month of launch; six employees would produce
three posts at their leisure. The posts would be shared over the
course of three months on our platforms. Two posts would be 60
second videos that would be minimally edited to include Glossier
branding (in the style of the Get Ready With Me videos) and posted
as short form content on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Youtube.
The other would feature a photo and caption that showcased the
product along with other products from their usual routine.
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TACTICS.
GLOSSIER IRL - ULTA PARTNERSHIP
One of the most common questions from Glossier community members
in recent years has been “why don’t you sell at Sephora or Ulta?”
Glossier launched at Sephora in February 2023, to the delight of many
fans. However, survey findings and demographic information suggest
that Gen Z tends to favor Ulta over Sephora. Ulta has more stores,
spread throughout the country, and has the reputation of being less
expensive compared to Sephora.
• A press release and social media post that would be released upon
finalization of the deal and a press release and social media post
that would be released for the opening-day micro-events across the
country.
• Opening-day Micro-events:
Small opening-day events would be held at the largest Ulta in each
state. A 20% (30% for employees) discount would be offered for that
day only and a display depicting a giant size of a Glossier bubble pouch
would act as a photo spot. Some merchandise would be sold for that
day only. Photographers would be in attendance.
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TACTICS.
GlossiWEAR
Many Glossier community members were drawn to the company
because of its bold, unrelenting branding. The Glossier community
wants to be fully immersed in Glossier’s aesthetics. The Instagram posts
that get the most engagement are the posts that feature IRL stores
and merchandise. Glossier merch is often limited-edition, meaning it
often sells out fast. While there are upsides to this strategy, the more
merchandise Glossier offers, the more we can feed into the community
member’s want for an comprehensive, aesthetic lifestyle. It is also
important to note, that it would be advisable to lower some merch
prices; $45 candles will easily scare away Gen Z.
In this project
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TACTICS.
social media and brand refining
Glossier has always had a bold, strongly-held aesthetic. However, at
times it has become too repetitive or out-of-touch. Glossier’s branding
needs to evolve while maintaing its roots. The goal is to have Glossier
Community members reguarly visiting the Instagram page for lifestyle
aesthetic inspiration.
• Keywords
Utilitarian chic, high/low culture, feminine, natural, youthful,
modernism, glossy, clean lines, warm
• Popular posts
Glossier IRL
GlossiWEAR
Aesthetic, mood-board like imagea
Mini-mood board
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TACTICS.
emily weiss and kyle leahy feature
Founder, former CEO and current Executive Chairwomen Emily Weiss
continues to be the well-known face of Glossier, even after she has
stepped down as CEO.
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CHANNELS.
Controlled Media
• Graphics
• Press releases
Uncontrolled media
• Feature
• Coverage
• Ulta promotions
• USA Today
• Glamour
• Refinery29
• Harper’s Bazaar
Photographers
Formulators
Video editors
Merch distributors
• PR team
Copywriter
Spokesperson
Event coordinator
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BUDGET.
Ulta deal - 40% to 60% of sales
Merch, $25,000
Photographers, $25,000
Printed materials
Large events
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TIMELINE.
May 2023 Clean reformulation begins
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EVALUATION.
output objectives
• Glossier. Clean.
Announcement via press release
Launch press release
Announcement social media post
Launch social media post
Influencer pitch
Influencer posts
Press releases, social media posts, and influencer pitches are created
and released, influencer content is posted
• Glossier. Shade.
Announcement via press release
Launch press release
Announcement social media post
Launch social media post
Influencer pitch
Influencer posts
Press releases, social media posts, and employee pitches are created
and released, employee content is posted
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EVALUATION.
output objectives
• Glossier IRL- Ulta Partnership
Announcement via press release
Launch press release
Announcement social media post
Launch social media post
Micro-events
Press releases and social media posts are created and released,
store displays are created, measure sales from each store that hosts a
microevent
• GlossiWEAR
Merch
social media post
30
EVALUATION.
impact objectives
• Informational
Increase Instagram follower engagement from .63 percent to 4 percent
by 2025
• Attitudinal
Reinforce the perception inclusive, Glossier is constant self-improving,
People-powered beauty ecosystem in Glossie community members
and makeup and skincare users
• Behavioral
Engage in social media, buy products
31
CONCLUSION.
Actions speak louder than words; the tactics of this campaign will
give Glossier community members tangible assurance that their
voices are valued and that Glossier is committed to evoloving not only
for the betterment of the company, but also for the betterment of the
culture around the beauty industry.
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APPENDICES.
survey results
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APPENDICES.
press release example
Over the past two years, Glossier has recommitted to inclusivity and
representation; one of the ways the brand hopes to accomplish this is
through the Glossier Shade Campaign.
-30-
Glossier is a people-powered beauty ecosystem. Buy our products online, at Glossier
IRL, or an Ulta or Sephora.
For more information, go to www.Glossier.com
@glossier
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APPENDICES.
feature pitch example
Hello,
Over the past two and a half years, Glossier has been committed to
self improvement for the betterment of Glossier's community and the
beauty industry overall. With an extended shade range, reformulated
products and retail partnerships, Glossier has made enormous strides
that we would like to reflect on publicly.
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APPENDICES.
social media pitch example
Subject: Glossier Partnership
Hello,
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APPENDICES.
instagram post example
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RESEARCH LINKS.
https://bettergoods.org/glossier/
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/15/style/glossier-gen-z-make-up-skin-care.html
https://nyunews.com/culture/bstyle/2023/02/28/new-glossier-store-opening-soho/
https://www.fastcompany.com/90849720/glossiers-sephora-launch-is-part-of-a-bigger-transforma-
tion
https://www.businessoffashion.com/case-studies/beauty/elf-beauty-brand-strategy-cosmetics-skin-
care/
https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2022/02/10854189/what-happened-to-glossier
https://roshnikanayalal.home.blog/2019/03/03/glossier-a-people-powered-beauty-ecosys-
tem-and-a-digital-winner-in-the-beauty-industry/
https://cdr.lib.unc.edu/concern/masters_papers/9z903862b
https://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?handle=hein.journals/wmaybur13&div=25&g_sent=1&casa_to-
ken=xJORcP36sk0AAAAA:HdXh-uv1lH9NV1DuEUWWu7KRiWydu7UuT8cki9Cq_4y4k_9C8F-
5w1a079W8Pd5H5CI0d5CSlWw&collection=journals
http://dln.jaipuria.ac.in:8080/jspui/bitstream/123456789/1334/1/How-COVID-19-is-changing-the-
world-of-beauty-vF.pdf
http://thinkific-import-development.s3.amazonaws.com/8603/GenZShoppingSeparatingMythfrom-
Reality-201007-150632.pdf
https://www.statista.com/forecasts/1340132/glossier-cosmetics-and-make-up-brand-profile-in-the-
united-states
https://www.cosmeticsinfo.org/product-reformulation/
https://www.hunterlab.com/blog/spectrophotometers-help-cosmetic-brands-create-more-di-
verse-foundation-shades/
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