CosBeauty Magazine #80

Millennials
on a mission
Millennials have shifted their focus. They want a face to their brands and
transparency all the way. Words by Emma Kelly
They’ve been dubbed the
‘snowflake generation’, but
there’s more to millennials
than society gives them credit for.
Born between 1980 and 2000,
millennials link their identities to
brands that are committed to ethical
and fair consumer practices in a
way their predecessors did not. This
shift has moved this generation from
indiscriminate consumers to ones
with heart, a group who genuinely
care about where their products come
from, how they’re made, what they’re
made of and how the person who
created them is treated.
Although separated by oceans and
deserts, mountains and cities, each
country has its own demographic of
millennials and, largely thanks to
social media, millennials of various
nationalities are more connected
and like-minded than you’d think.
This generation wants transparent
consumer practices, which is why
campaigns like Oxfam Australia’s
#WhatSheMakes was launched in
2017 to specifically target companies
who do not pay their employees a
living wage.
A Time magazine article by Joel
Stein entitled ‘Millennials: The Me
Me Me Generation’ noted the unique
power this generation has. By tallying
up their own numbers of friends and
followers, they can turn themselves
into a brand. Through social media,
they can also make or break existing
brands at an alarming pace.
In this climate, successful brands
are the ones you can trust. They
need to be authentic, available,
visible, ever-present, transparent and
genuine, as well as consistently selling
great products. Nail this formula and
success is almost a guarantee.
Deliciously Ella is the British
success story of Ella Woodward, a
vegan chef who has amassed over
1.3 million followers on Instagram
alone. Diagnosed with a rare illness in
2011, Woodward gave up meat, dairy,
sugar, gluten and anything processed
overnight and began researching
holistic and natural approaches to
wellness in search of a cure. Today,
she invites her social media followers,
Deliciously Ella app users and website
visitors to join her on her health
adventure. Ella documents all aspects
of her life, not just her recipes, at
regular intervals, including cute
pictures of her photogenic finance
and springer spaniel. She connects
with her followers on more than a
one-dimensional level - and they love
her for it.
Stella McCartney is another
fully transparent brand. A lifelong
vegetarian, McCartney has never
used leather, fur, skins or feathers
in her designs. She is credited with
making ethical fashion fashionable,
before everyone got caught up on the
sustainability train. McCartney is
committed to using green energy and
is a member of the Ethical Trading
Initiative (ETI).
Closer to home, Miranda Kerr has
stacked up 11.7 million followers
on Instagram and has almost given
up the catwalk to run her KORA
Organics business. Delivering beauty
products that are both cruelty free
and vegan, KORA Organics will be
stocked across 25 countries worldwide
by the end of 2018.
Companies have come to the
realisation that millennials expect
sincere interactions, even if those
interactions come through their
Instagram feed. Brands with a human
face and approachable personality are
rated as more trustworthy.
For businesses today, no matter
how big or small, the demand from
millennials to have a conscience is
not going away. Every year Oxfam
Australia publishes a Naughty or
Nice list where you can check on
major stores’ progress or lack thereof.
Apps like Good On You and Ethical
Fashion Fast Finder can point you
quickly in the direction of companies
like The Ark Clothing Co who
promise ‘full disclosure from fibre
to finish’.
While millennials might be busy
posting, commenting and following
brands on an increasing number of
social media platforms, with few
places to hide, brands will do well to
remember Stein’s words: ‘Millennials
don’t need us. That’s why we’re
scared of them’.
References:
Time magazine: http://time.com/247/
millennials-the-me-me-me-generation/
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