Lipstick

Following World War II, the cosmetics market rapidly expanded by virtue of mass production. Major beauty groups dominated the industry, imposing their products and standards. Today, this is all being challenged by industry newcomers and novel business models, turning established rules upside-down. Traditional brands are now confronted with the successes of DNVBs (Digitally Native Vertical Brands), companies born online that are completely customer-centric and maximize technology use to send their clients personalized offers.

The emergence of Digitally Native Vertical Brands (DNVBs)

The first Digitally Native Vertical Brands (DNVBs) appeared in 2007-2008, when the second generation of e-commerce sites emerged. From 2008 to 2012, social media began to take hold and brands began to appeal to consumers by creating “digital tribes” based on their products. This was a true revolution on the fashion and cosmetics markets, which had begun to struggle.

Applying lipstick each morning has not always been easy: up until the 19th century, it was even a religious taboo. Then the practice became widespread with stars such as Sarah Bernhardt and later Marilyn Monroe, who made this beauty product a symbol of glamour and seduction as well as power and independence. The generalization of lipstick application came along with technical developments that helped improve application techniques. In 1915, Maurice Levy invented the twist-up tube.

What makes a product desirable?

Elie Papiernik: A desirable object is an object that has meaning and style. Its desirability is born of its intrinsic value, its reality as an object: its shape, material, color. But beyond all that, the object is also an ambassador for its brand and must embody some kind of meaning in society. The brand must have a story to tell through its products, so that consumers can appropriate this story for themselves. Brand values should also generate desire for the product when they’re aligned with customer beliefs.