Daniela Hernando Cracco

Glossier Case Study

Using a word document, briefly answer the following questions about the Glossier case. Only a
few bullet points are needed per question. (We will also discuss these issues during class.) You
will be graded on clear communication of relevant insights with a basis in the case materials.

1. What was Emily’s vision for Glossier, and how does it diverge from other brands?
 Emily’s vision was to create a makeup brand that had a relationship with its
customers. She believes she is the “First beauty brand that involved its community in
its creative process.” (1) This approach is quite different from other beauty
companies, whose product development was often behind the scenes.
 Unlike a lot of beauty brands that used to focus on dramatic transformations glossier
believed in lighter and “effortless” makeup. Glossier puts a lot of emphasis on
natural beauty and skin and made women feel empowered in their own skin. Her
vision was to have a brand that “spoke to women in an approachable way while
delivering a luxury experience & encouraging beauty as a part of an overall personal
style” (3)
 She “wanted to make beauty as much of an element of personal style as fashion” (2)
by making glossier “a way of life” (6). She wanted to make beauty more accessible,
inclusive, and empowering so that people would see makeup & skincare as vital
parts of their personal style and self-expression.
2. What consumer needs did Into the Gloss meet?
 Into the Gloss helped consumers learn about beauty by giving them beauty tips,
trends as well as honest opinions about products.
 It allowed other people to share their opinions and connect with people who shared
their beauty interests. As the article describes, this helped build a strong sense of
community where like-minded people could connect to each other.
 Moreover, it allowed readers to feel empowered by inspiring readers to embrace
their uniqueness and use makeup as a form of self-expression.
 This also led to the platform inspiring a lot of readers to try new looks and products.
3. What consumer needs does Glossier target?
 Makeup brand that is inclusive and celebrates all women.
 Products are simple and can be used in everyday use.
 Empowerment of oneself: it was never about the product but about “the person
wearing the product” (2) and how they feel.
 It is simple and offers easy-to-use products that enrich natural beauty.
 When looking at the prices of products, you can see that they offer products that are
relatively affordable.
4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of Emily’s approach for marketing Glossier?
 She really included her community in the whole process.

Advantages:
 Daniela Hernando Cracco

 Consumers felt heard because Emily included her in the development of the
products by asking customers for opinions and actually listening to them. This led to
consumers being more loyal since they felt heard and loved by the brand.
 Emily put a big technology which is very important, especially in today’s world. It
made it possible for them to communicate with customers on already existing
platforms and immediately reach a large audience.
 The personal touch of the relationship between the consumers and the brand
allowed for consumer-to-consumer conversations on social media that challenged
the previous hegemony of big brands.
 The editorial approach that Glossier already had due to Into the Gloss, made it stand
out from already existing beauty brands by portraying the brand as a lifestyle.
 Because Glossier built such a strong community and customer loyalty, it led to
positive word-of-mouth marketing from satisfied customers.

Disadvantages:

 Because Glossier chose to focus on a digital approach first, this could have limited the
reach to customers who preferred in-store shopping.
 They rely on customer feedback from current customers for product development,
which might result in new products that only appeal to existing customers rather than
luring new ones.

5. What marketing tools did the Glossier team predominantly rely on when launching the
brand?
 Paid Media Spending: social media played a vital role in Glossier’s marketing. It uses
multiple social media, but at the time of its launch, Instagram was a central one.
Other included: Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest…
 It used “consumer-to-consumer conversations on social media that challenged the
previous hegemony of big brands” (3). This made consumers feel as if they could
trust the brand.
 Peer-to-peer sales representative Program: recruiting reps who were loyal
customers and having them recommend and interact with other customers. This
way there was able to be a lot of recs and you could find someone who matches
your style and you choose who you want to assist in your sale.
 Paid Influencer marketing: This would pay influencers to promote the brand which
allows them to expand their reach to new people.
 Retail Showrooms & Popups: It would host some events where people in the Gloss
community could come and hang out with each other and try different products.
 Referral Programs: This rewards customers if they refer the brand to friends, which
helps the brand reach more people.
 Branded merchandise: allowed the brand to develop into more than just makeup
and was able to make the brand be more of a community where people join
together.
 Daniela Hernando Cracco

6. What did the competitive landscape look like?

 There were a lot of huge traditional beauty brands in the market such as Estee Lauder,
Procter & Gamble, and Loreal who offered a wide range of products.
 Some of the brands focused more on skincare.
 There were also more prestigious beauty brands that already existed in the market such
as Chanel or Dior.

7. What values do you think are typical among Glossier’s customers?

 Inclusivity is one of its core values I think it’s clear that this is why customers like it
so much. “Any of us could be a Glossier girl”.
 Natural: it celebrates your own beauty and does not look to try and bring images of
women & men that are not true
 Simplicity: Products are usually simple and the way you apply them is as well. They
enhance natural beauty and are lighter than heavy makeup.
 Transparency & Authenticity: From the start Glossier was very transparent about the
way it did business and constantly asked for customer feedback.
 Affordable: If you look at the list of products you can see most of the products are
very affordable and this is something consumers are looking for.

8. Davis said that Amazon is Glossier’s competitive foil. How do Glossier and Amazon differ
most starkly? What benefits does Amazon provide, as opposed to Glossier?
 Unlike Amazon, Glossier is a “breadth of human Connection” (1), where
relationships with customers are much deeper and the main focus of the brand.
 It has consumer-to-consumer conversations on social media that challenged the
previous hegemony of big brands.
 E-commerce, such as Amazon, is about driving to purchase and everything is
designed to eliminate any friction that reduces conversation. Glossier on the other
hand encourages communication and feedback from customers.
 “We’re the antidote to Amazon. The more convenient and quick Amazon is, the
more special and unique the online experience we offer is going to have to be.” –>
“They’re the commoditization of brands and products, they are the exact opposite.”
9. What are Glossier’s competitive advantages?
 They are great editors: “We were content editors first before we went into
commerce. That matters.”
 Their editorial approach: they are product experts, content experts, and experts at
building their community (3)
 They already have the customers –> into the Gloss readers were asked for their
opinions on every aspect of the company.
 Also, it has a strong digital presence which allows it to connect with large audiences.