Founded in 2014, Glossier is a beauty brand known for its minimalist aesthetic and "no-makeup" makeup philosophy. The brand was at its peak when I was entering my teenage years; products like the Balm Dotcom and Cloud Paint Blush shaped my early experiences with self-expression. Although over time, I witnessed the brand lose momentum as competitors emerged. This assignment gave me the opportunity to analyze Glossier's positioning, and was completed in collaboration with @Adelle Abaño, @Isabelle Gutierrez, @Jibreel Atienza, and @Sajele Geeverghese for MKT 535: Integrated Marketing Communications.
SWOT Analysis
Competitive Analysis
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The beauty industry has become increasingly saturated, with brands competing for the same Gen Z and millennial consumers. The brands featured above compete directly within the same niche, focusing on the trending minimalist aesthetic best known as “clean girl makeup". Glossier originally differentiated itself through a community-first approach, using user-generated content to shape its products and marketing. The brand gained rapid traction through founder Emily Weiss' blog Into The Gloss and social media. While this approach was disruptive to the industry at the time, new brands have since adopted similar strategies. Now, competitors rely more heavily on influencers or celebrity founders, rather than everyday users. As illustrated in the perceptual map, Glossier now sits between affordable brands like e.l.f. and prestige brands like Tower 28 and Kosas, without a clear advantage in either affordability or community-driven positioning. This reflects a loss of its original differentiation and presents an opportunity to reposition the brand.
Into The Gloss Homepage in 2014
User-Generated Content for Glossier
The Campaign
Desktop
Mobile
MadeWithYou re-establishes Glossier's community-driven value by inviting consumers to be collaborators. In January of 2016, the brand launched its first product: the Milky Jelly Cleanser. In the year prior, they released a blog post titled "The Glossier Cleanser: What is Your Dream Face Wash?" which prompted readers to describe anything and everything they value within their ideal product. “The response was so positive…Customers wanted to be in on the development process, generating almost 400 comments – all of which were recorded and consolidated and sent right to the chemist. That became the checklist for everything we wanted in the final product.” (Source: Into The Gloss). To revive this, Glossier will utilize social media platforms and its retail website to host interactive polls, inviting users to share the problems they face in their beauty routines. Glossier will release early concepts, allowing users to vote on packaging prototypes, scent preferences, and other details. Real customers whose suggestions inspire final products will be credited, reminding audiences that Glossier is powered by its community. Instagram and TikTok will be used primarily as they align with the brand’s core demographic. Millennial and Gen Z women spend the majority of their screen time on these platforms, using them not only for entertainment but also for product discovery, trend participation, and peer validation. The campaign’s messaging will centre on the idea that Glossier is not reinventing itself as something new, but rediscovering what made it meaningful in the first place: its ability to listen, respond, and create with and for its audience.
