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Introduction
After graduating this past spring with my Bachelor’s degree, I decided to use my love for learning to begin a personal journey to figure out what inspires me. Illuminate Universe has been an amazing tool for my self-exploration, and reflects on what qualities I bring and want to bring as an aspiring and innovative leader.
When looking through the amazing selection of work-integrated learning experiences that Illuminate Universe has to offer, I stumbled across one that really spoke to me and my interests: The World of Cosmetics. Cosmetic science is something that I “studied” alongside my health-related courses as a hobby, sparked from one of my first jobs as a retail sales assistant where I marketed and demonstrated cosmetic products to customers. I give credit to my first job in high school as something that made me realize that communicating with and helping people using my education is both my strength and passion, and part of what made me fall in love with healthcare.
Empowered by both curiosity and nostalgia, I worked through the work-integrated learning experience. Here’s my personal reviews of what I learned and reflected on:
Changes in the Social and Economic Meaning Behind Cosmetics
Cosmetics have both practical and symbolic purposes, influenced by a complex interplay of geography, culture, religion, societal norms and economic conditions. As these traditions and values changed over time, so did the usage and purpose of cosmetics. One trend that I noticed from ancient times all the way to the Victorian Era is the association of beauty and aesthetics to wealth and power. However this has evolved over the last decade, as beauty has grown to emphasize on diversity and inclusivity, going against the norm of a collective “look” and celebrating individuality and expression.
The Influence of Consumers on Product Development
Ingredients in cosmetic products are formulated to ensure a desired texture, stability and efficacy that is designed to meet consumer needs. Research and development in the cosmetic industry is essential to conceptualize new products, as well as test products to meet consumer demands and market trends.
Market research provides insights into consumer preferences by observing market data, trends, consumer surveys and competitor analysis to identify opportunities for innovation and developing formulations that are desirable to a target audience. One example that I was able to connect to was anti-aging skincare, which emphasizes the properties of antioxidants, peptides and retinoids to produce collagen and improve skin texture.
Marketing and Branding Techniques from Cosmetics Companies
Consumer behavior encompasses the attitudes, preferences and purchasing decisions of individuals, which are influenced by various psychological and social factors. By understanding consumer behavior, cosmetics companies can tailor and develop products and marketing strategies to targeted audiences.
Brand identity encompasses the core values, mission and personality of the brand. This identity is built and presented through both the visual elements of logos and packaging that make it recognizable to consumers, and storytelling that communicates this identity to foster emotional connections that drive consumer loyalty.
Brand positioning aims to define a target audience and place themselves in a way that resonates to their needs and preferences. This involves understanding the audiences’ demographics, psychographics and buying behaviors.
Market segmentation is a method of brand positioning that divides the market into distinct groups of consumers with similar characteristics and needs, allowing for the tailoring of positioning strategies and marketing messages.
Personalized marketing messaging strategies can include niche and target branding through language (e.g. vegan, luxury), emotional branding through the use of storytelling, and keeping themselves culturally relevant. The goal of targeted messages is to ultimately communicate the brand identity to foster emotional connections that drive consumer loyalty. Frequent purchasing from cosmetics companies can also be incentivized through loyalty programs, special discounts and personalized product recommendations.
Personal Reflection
Going through this experience from Illuminate Universe was enlightening for me, as I got to learn so much about behind-the-scenes while also constantly thinking of real-life examples from beauty companies that I knew and loved. One of the most eye-opening aspects of this work-integrated learning experience was learning about marketing branding, and how influential market research is to how products are formulated and marketed. As someone who has done academic research, it was inspiring to see how research can also be important beyond the scientific realm. The pipeline from research to marketing was also enlightening, as it made me think about the various emails from cosmetic companies that I get within my inbox, and I admit to being influenced by special promotions to purchase products. Beyond products, I have come to notice that cosmetics companies have also begun to create products and marketing strategies around corporate social responsibility and ethical impact, where ingredients are ethically sourced and initiatives are included to advocate for social justice.
Discovering my Leadership Style
In addition to learning about cosmetics, I also found relatability in the need for creativity as a tool for connecting to others, in which we actively listen and find ways to assess and address a person’s needs. Reflecting on my past experiences within my former cosmetic retail role and other similar ones, I realize that my leadership style is a blend of problem-solving and collaborative approaches. This means working directly with teammates and clients alike to understand gaps in knowledge or resources, and using their inputs to come up with personalized and innovative solutions to the problems at hand. Working with an interdisciplinary team encourages an inclusive environment that welcomes diverse perspectives and open communication, which is vital when it comes to coming up with innovative products and marketing. I found that this leadership style has not only benefited me within the cosmetics industry, but through other academic and professional roles that required collaboration, interpersonal skills and a need for creativity. This work-integrated learning experience has given me a better understanding and recognition of my leadership journey.
Keys to Success and Practical Tips for Aspiring Cosmetics Professionals
Communication and interpersonal skills are needed to work collaboratively, speak with clients, and effectively propose new ideas and innovations. This is channeled through active listening, being clear and concise in speech and words, exercising empathy and understanding, learning aspects of non-verbal communication, and by being confident and assertive to get your message across.
A great start to this would be to get a job within cosmetics retail or customer service! This way, you can get familiarized with product knowledge, marketing tactics and communication skills needed to convey brand messaging to everyday customers in a dynamic environment.
Creativity is needed to develop innovative products, marketing and branding that resonates with consumers and their needs. This can be achieved by continuously learning and finding inspiration, collaborating with diverse groups, and experimenting.
Exercise your creativity by finding what inspires you, and how you express your imagination. Do you like reading? Write a story! Do you like art? Draw or paint!
Final Thoughts
Illuminate Universe has also revived my love for life-long learning, where my education stimulates me to learn more how to become a better leader in the professional environment and in life. If you strive to become a part of the cosmetic industry, there are various ways to get there, whether you become a cosmetic scientist, makeup artist, marketing manager or retail assistant. Whether or not you go the scientific or marketing route, being a creative problem solver and an effective communicator key characteristics one can develop for these pathways. If cosmetics do not inspire you, then find what does! When it comes to navigating your learning and professional journey, it is important to be creative within yourself to help guide towards personal growth. As for myself, my creativity is what led me to Illuminate Universe; through a work-integrated experience that helped me connect my personal hobby to lessons about leadership that I can carry on with me towards my future professional goals.
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