To Gen Z and beyond THE GENERATION GAME


Brands are obsessed with Gen Z, but not for the reason you think: their influence on the industry is winning beauty’s prized older consumers


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link and you wouldn’t miss it. The beauty industry’s fixation with Gen Z over the past five years has been clear for all to see, with spunky start-ups, legacy


players and pretty much every brand in between swooping in with fresh concepts and bright colourblock design hues to capture this young consumer group. It’s easy to see why: linking beauty with self care, wellness and mental health, this is a demographic that has challenged and reclassed beauty as a tool for self-expression and inner confidence above all, as they demand both performance and a sense of play from the products they use. Brands that have met this demographic’s expectations have created a new blueprint in beauty – but while they started with Gen Z, they certainly aren’t ending there. Beauty brands that predominantly target Gen Z are now speaking to older demographics, including Gen X and Boomers – and examples are apparent from some of the best selling Gen Z beauty brands. Skin care and cosmetics brand e.l.f. Beauty, the


6 cosmetics business March 2023


CeraVe and e.l.f.Beauty are among the brands winning cross-generational appeal


most popular Gen Z make-up brand according to Kyra’s 2022 Gen Z State of Beauty Report, last month released its first-ever television advert, which aired during the Super Bowl. It featured 61- year-old White Lotus star Jennifer Coolidge – a prime example of how e.l.f. is working beyond its core consumer base. And CeraVe, the top Gen Z skin care brand in


Kyra’s report, due in no small amount to the fact that the brand – like e.l.f. – has gone viral on TikTok, is also winning older generations. A YouGov report, America’s Next Top Brands: CPGs Winning the Digital Generation, revealed that CeraVe was the most improved brand among Gen X in terms of positive recommendation scores between 2020 and 2021 (from 14.7% to 18.4%). It’s also no coincidence that the fastest growing demographic on TikTok is women over 40. Anna


GEN X CONSUMERS: TOPPING BEAUTY SPEND AND FREQUENCY


Beauty care $ per buyer $ per trip trips per year Total US Gen Z


Millennials Gen X


Boomers & traditionalist


352.77 344.72 363.74 398.88 312.34


15.09 15.28 15.94 15.58 13.70


23.4 22.6 22.8 25.6 22.8


Green = over index Red = under index vs US average 52 w/e 10/08/22, total outlets, beauty and personal care categories. Source: NielsonIQ Omnishopper


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