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The beauty industry thrives on virality, but in the age of social media, it can be a double-edged sword. One viral TikTok video can catapult a brand to success or destroy it. From Youthforia’s foundation shade controversy to Huda Beauty’s mislabeling, brands are realizing that managing customer expectations and responding quickly to backlash is critical to their survival.
“When it happens, it happens pretty quickly. … Sometimes unknown creators end up making[products]viral for the wrong reasons,” says beauty correspondent Daniela Morissini. “You have to be willing to listen when someone tells you that you were wrong.”
key insights
Building a strong brand community involves more than just creating a product. It means engaging with customers and allowing them to play a meaningful role in the development of your brand. “If you’re going to build a community to help your brand grow, you need to understand that these customers want a seat at the table,” Morosini says. It’s important to listen to customer feedback, especially when issues arise. It’s important to proactively address customer complaints. As the Huda Beauty mislabeling scandal proves, taking responsibility and offering solutions early on can prevent a backlash spiral. “She took full responsibility and offered to make everyone who bought the wrong shade healthy,” Morosini said. Hair care products, especially those related to hair loss, tend to provoke emotional reactions and intense scrutiny. Hair loss is a delicate and very personal issue, so the risks are high. As Morosini points out, “There are so many factors that can cause hair loss. People don’t want to roll the dice when there’s even a 1% chance that a product is the cause.” In particular, it may have a negative effect on beauty. Because brands are quick to highlight gaps in inclusivity. “It’s very obvious when a brand misses the mark on skin color,” says Morosini. “Often scandals that seem to cause a huge backlash often come back to the point of exclusivity,” she added. “No one likes to feel left out.”
