7 Brands That Changed the Face of Beauty Marketing

 Modern beauty industry marketing strategies were established by women and men from modest and lowly backgrounds. They were door-to-door sales people, wig makers, and chemists who grew their empires during a period of changing attitudes on beauty and women's role in public but not skilled marketers.

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In "Hope in a Jar: The Making of America's Beauty Culture," Kathy Peiss writes:

The beauty trade they developed did not depend upon advertising as its impetus. Rather, it capitalized on patterns of women's social life -- their old customs of visiting, conversation, and religious observance, as well as their new presence in shops, clubs, and theaters.

In the history of marketing beauty products, the women who built the industry created the once non-existent consumer market for beauty products by combining products and services in salons, creating a culture of social events, and through job creation for women -- who were also the consumers of the products. 

Because they challenged the idea that the pursuit of beauty was immoral, they were forced to create new forms of direct sales (the pyramid organization) and beauty marketing tactics. The normal distribution methods were unavailable.

Many of these tactics are still the dominant form of marketing in the beauty industry. For others in this list, they changed the way beauty products are positioned. It's worth a look back to see how seven major brands redefined how we sell and advertise the pursuit of beauty.   

7 Brands That Made History In The Beauty Marketing Industry

• The Draw of a Gift by Estée Lauder
• The Medical Approach by Clinique
• The Color of the Season by Revlon
• The Celebrity Factor by Max Factor
• The Distributor Play by L'Oréal
• The Regimen by Pond’s
• The Aging Debate by Dove

The Draw of a Gift | Estée Lauder

Estée Lauder grew up in Queens; her family lived above her father's hardware store. She found her way into the beauty world by becoming an apprentice to her uncle, John Schotz, a chemist who mixed cold creams and other concoctions. 

With her sales acumen from years of demonstrations, Lauder launched her own company in 1947. She wanted to capitalize on the increasing acceptance of mass market advertising in the cosmetics industry. So she scraped together every cent she had and approached BBDO to create a cosmetic campaign. The agency turned Lauder away, so she turned to direct mail. 

Lauder sent personal letters that promised a free gift to any woman who made a purchase. It was the introduction of the gift with purchase or "bonus time" promotion -- a practice used by most beauty brands today.