Consumers are moving past gender-neutral beauty trends in hopes of highlighting the Queer community, data shows.
According to Traackr, an influencer marketing firm that surveys roughly 40,000 influencers across key markets globally, consumers are showing stronger engagement with posts centered around various gender identities.
“There were some brands that were way ahead, but now it’s not just the mainstream — every brand is looking to find a voice on these issues,” said Pierre-Loïc Assayag, chief executive officer and cofounder of Traackr. “It’s no longer good enough to change your logo to a rainbow flag, or to make a one-time donation. You have to start demonstrating that you understand and care for the underlying issues and start making changes.”
Assayag clarified that brands with a history of activism tend to read as more “authentic” to consumers. “If you look at a brand like Beekman 1802, which has a history of activism, initiatives don’t feel off-brand,” he said. “Another brand that doesn’t have the same history, it seems like they’re just doing things for publicity.
“No one should expect brands to behave like humans — to have empathy, or a full-fledged personality,” Assayag continued. “But that’s what our clients have seen: There is a strong correlation between economic success and building out their brand purpose.”
Here, see the post volume and engagement changes for trends across the gender spectrum.
• “Gender-neutral beauty” posts grew by 35 percent, while engagement fell 9 percent.
• “Transgender beauty” posts grew 49 percent, while engagement grew 53 percent.
• “Non-binary beauty” posts grew 70 percent, and engagement rose 65 percent.
• “Gender-fluid beauty” posts shrank by 17 percent, and engagement grew 86 percent.
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