In most years, as brands and influencers embrace spring and the beginning of summer, social media during Q2 is dominated by sun-soaked music festivals and trips to the beach. But in 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted life around the world and systemic racism sparked mass protests, parties and vacations were very much on hold. Even so, influencers continued to turn to YouTube and Instagram for creative expression, connection, and activism, with several clear content patterns emerging over the course of a very turbulent quarter. As a sneak peek of our Q2 Global Beauty Report, here are some of the trends that inspired international beauty bloggers and impacted top brands’ Earned Media Value (EMV) performance last quarter.
Outrage over the murder of George Floyd extended far beyond the U.S., with influencers around the globe voicing their solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. In particular, many European beauty bloggers championed Black entrepreneurs by sharing looks and tutorials spotlighting Black-owned brands. German musician and influencer Alycia Marie, for example, included Juvia’s Place’s I Am Magic Concealer in a “Full Face Using Only Black Owned Brands” YouTube tutorial, helping fuel the brand’s impressive 51% quarter-over-quarter growth in that market. Meanwhile, in Italy, Pat McGrath Labs’ Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Foundation proved a favorite among bloggers like Loretta Grace (@graceonyourdash), who featured the offering in two Instagrams emphasizing the importance of the fight for racial justice.
As shelter-in-place orders extended through Q2 in the U.K., beauty enthusiasts continued to entertain and challenge their fans with in-depth makeup tutorials. Benefit and Morphe enjoyed particularly notable boosts from tutorial content, with #MakeupTutorial ranking among the top three EMV-driving Q2 hashtags for both brands. In all, #MakeupTutorial powered $8.8M EMV for Benefit across posts from 441 influencers, contributing to the brand’s 24% quarter-over-quarter growth. #MakeupTutorial generated an even more impressive $11.1M EMV for Morphe, one-fifth of the brand’s $55.5M EMV quarterly haul.
With the glitz and glamor of the annual spring #FestivalMakeup trend delayed this quarter, trusted complexion products had a moment to shine in France. Milk Makeup’s Hydro Grip Primer, for example, accounted for nearly one-fourth of the brand’s Q2 haul, buoyed by the consistent enthusiasm of beauty bloggers like Amina (@viewfrom.mina on Instagram). Similarly, Pat McGrath Labs owed 27% of its Q2 total to its Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Concealer. Thanks largely to the success of these tried-and-true influencer favorites, Milk Makeup saw a 56% quarter-over-quarter EMV increase, while Pat McGrath Labs surged ahead 27% QoQ.
Even amid a tumultuous global news cycle, the influencer community remained as active as ever, with beauty brands around the world continuing to reap the rewards of this enthusiasm. To read more about the content trends that drove momentum for Q2’s top global beauty brands, download Tribe Dynamics’ Q2 Global Beauty Report.