Celebrity influence is waning thanks to social media, as proved Mintel’s latest report. In a study, the research group found beauty consumers in the UK are more likely to post a picture of themselves online and interact with brands via social media and blogs, rather than pay attention to celebrity endorsements.
Mintel states 70 per cent of social media, blog and vlog users explore beauty content online, but only one in 10 of this group are enticed by a celebrity spruiking a product. Instead, audiences prefer to seek the advice of beauty bloggers. More than two thirds of social media users have utilised various platforms to find beauty content. 43 per cent of these - or 70 per cent of women aged between 16 and 24 - go to blogs or vlogs for ideas.
One in six of these individuals have purchased products based upon bloggers’ or vloggers’ recommendations. This is 35 per cent of women between 16 and 24.
Senior beauty analyst at Mintel Charlotte Libby told Cosmetics Design: “The fact that such a small number of beauty and personal care social media users are interested in celebrities using beauty products is reflective of a wider trend of consumers placing a low level of trust in advertising and celebrity-endorsed products.”
She argues this is why more beauty brands are associating themselves with the social media set, explaining: “Beauty categories have started to take a more innovative approach to their limited-edition lines, with inspiration moving away from mainstream celebrity collaborations to celebrating more unlikely beauty icons.”
