Why Media Messaging is Important for Driving Beauty Product Sales

A deluge of coverage is the ultimate goal for beauty brands’ PR teams. It’s common to set KPIs around the number of mentions to gain, or the size of an audience to you want to reach. However, as important as getting those mentions is getting the media messaging right. After all, it’s the content of your coverage that makes consumers want to click through and make a purchase.

Many beauty PRs have already become experts in gaining a high volume of media mentions, with £116 million of earned media value (EMV) generated from in-depth features in the first quarter of 2021 alone. But, if brands are to get the most value out of their press and influencer coverage, it’s important to understand the crucial role messaging plays in their outreach. Here's why…

1. A Unique Hook Will Entice Press and Customers

Competition is fierce in the beauty market, but the best-selling brands all have a hook – whether they’re owned by a celebrity, like Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty, or they champion transparency, like The Ordinary. A unique backstory makes your brand more memorable in a crowded market, enabling press, influencers and, ultimately, customers to relate to your vision on a deeper level.

That’s true for each product in your portfolio, too. When you link it back to a trend or a reason to believe, you can build more excitement around a new launch or a long-awaited export. Milk Makeup did it by leaning into their cult US status when they launched in the UK, while Urban Decay re-promoted their famed setting spray as the solution for mask-proof makeup. Finding an angle gives press something fresh and new to talk about, while helping your product stand out on the pages of Stylist or Refinery29.

2. Retailer Mentions Improve the Customer Journey

When assisting press with product details for a beauty feature, ensure your chosen retailer is quoted in your email or press release. This is especially vital for digital outreach, where affiliate links are used. By recommending a preferred retailer, you can strengthen etail relationships, while improving readers’ path to purchase.

Deciding on the right etailer can be tricky if you work with a range of stockists, but pointing to one with the best commercial terms can prove lucrative for your brand. It is equally helpful to recommend stores that are aligned with your objectives, and are willing to support your products on their own media channels, so you can further widen your reach.

This becomes all the more pertinent when you consider the impact of Instagram Shopping. An etailer that posts about your product with a ‘Shop Now’ tag is giving consumers an easy way to buy your products. This clear and concise customer journey appeals to the ‘see it, want it, buy it’ generation of shoppers. And, while the feature is still in its infancy, we’re looking forward to seeing the data it produces over time.  

Just make sure that, when you work with an etailer on media mentions and shoppable tags, you choose one that has plenty of your product in stock. Directing readers to a sold-out product page can lead to frustration and missed opportunities.

3. The Right Price May Widen Your Coverage

In the fragrance and skincare industries, it’s common to have different bottle sizes with different price points. Dior’s Joy Eau de Toilette, for example, starts at £55 for 30ml, and goes up to £112 for 100ml. When approaching press with such products, consider what price point might appeal to their audience. By checking their demographics and existing coverage, you can identify what type of products they typically promote.

Then, ensure your messaging communicates the bottle size and price you think their audience will like. While some magazines will want to promote lower-priced items, others, like Tatler, may embrace the largest, most expensive perfume bottle.

4. Accuracy is Key For High Sales and Strong Ratings

It sounds obvious, but only because it’s such a crucial factor. When it comes to media messaging, accuracy is vital for increasing brand trust amongst your customers. Miscommunication can happen, resulting in press or influencers publishing false information. This could be anything from a wrong ingredient call-out to incorrect benefit claims.

This inaccurate press can lead to disappointment when the product doesn’t match up, resulting in poor reviews on etailer sites and a subsequent drop in sales. By monitoring media mentions with a beauty industry tool, such as mmi mediaPRO, you can quickly spot inaccurate messaging in press and on retailers. If the coverage is digital, you can then request amends.

Ensure, also, that your digital shelf content remains accurate. When you keep your messaging consistent – from press to product page – you secure a seamless customer journey that boosts sales.

Up next: discover why your competitors’ media data is so important when planning a beauty product launch.