Boston University AdLab’s Post

🌟 Exciting Trend Alert! 🌟 As someone deeply passionate about women's sports and trends in the beauty industry, I can't help but notice the convergence of these two worlds. 💄⚽ Have you ever considered how the beauty industry could become the next big market in women's professional sports? Let's explore! 💁♀️ Athletes, particularly in sports like soccer, often incorporate makeup into their game-day routine. But have we considered the impact this has on their skin health and performance? 🤔 Imagine a future where innovative beauty brands collaborate with women's sports leagues to create athlete-friendly makeup products that enhance performance while protecting the skin. How cool would it be to see a USWNT eye palette or a WNBA-inspired lipstick line? Remember Marta's lipstick in the World Cup?💋⚽ Let's keep our eyes peeled for the exciting developments at the intersection of beauty and women's sports! Who's ready to revolutionize the game? 🙌 #WomenInSports #BeautyTrends #Innovation #TrendPredictor What are your thoughts on this emerging trend? Share your insights below! 👇

March is #womenshistorymonth ! And it's the perfect time to share some snapshots of major moments in women's history. Let's start with sports. We live in an age of high-profile #femaleathletes, but this is very recent history. Did you know that the #bostonmarathon only allowed women to run in 1972? In fact, women were barred from many long-distance races all over the world. It wasn't until 1984 that the #Olympics added the women's marathon, nearly 100 years after the first men's marathon. It’s hard to imagine now, but for centuries society was uncomfortable with the idea of women and athleticism. And there were countless myths about how women would do harm to their bodies if they exercised. Changes in society drive changes in business, today… ➡️ Women are the majority of #racerunners in the U.S. And they are the key growth market for global sportswear brands. ➡️ Women are the drivers of the #athleisuremovement, which has reshaped both the sportswear and fashion industries at every level. ➡️ Women are also leading the worldwide health and wellness movement in consumer products. ➡️ Women’s sports viewership and fan bases are on the rise globally. Throughout the rest of the month, I will share insights on how women’s history has shaped – and is still shaping - the modern marketplace. Here is a photo of me with sports icon and DEI pioneer #BillieJeanKing, whom I was lucky enough to meet at an event. Tell me what you find fascinating about women's history, I'd love to hear it! Billie Jean King Enterprises Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative 

♀ How do you get men investing in women's sport? ♂ 🔢 The numbers don't lie: 83% of angel investors are men. From our experience at pitching events, we've seen greater percentages than this. We've found it a challenge to have men engage in the problems presented and realise the potential in women's sport. So, we came up with an analogy, which we present in our investor pitch, to get male investors without sports bra experience to understand the problem. Here it is... (image Mari presenting this, welsh accent) "Imagine something for me. It's a lovely sunny day and you decide to go out for a run. You've popped on your running shoes and headed out the door. However, you realise a few strides in that you've put on your partner’s shoes that are of course the wrong size 🤦♂️ You foolishly decide to continue and even finish that 5K run but how are your feet feeling? In pain? Full of blisters? I’d hazard a guess that you’d probably run much slower too and didn't enjoy it as much as you usually do 😩 Well I'm here to tell you that this is the reality for millions of women every single day. Except it's not with their footwear, but something just as important to them - their sports bra! Did you know that around 80% of women are wearing the wrong size? That's 4 out of every 5 women. And even at elite level, 51% of female athletes in the Tokyo Olympic Games claimed to have suffered from excessive breast pain when active. A poor sports bra will also affect your performance, reducing your stride length by up to 4cm with every step you take. Which really adds up. Over the course of a marathon you could finish a whole mile behind when wearing a poor sports bra compared to wearing a good one. It's no wonder that so many women every day are either suffering from chaffing, having to wear two sports bras at a time or just not partaking in sport altogether. We want to help change this." It seems to work, and has really changed the engagement rate of men towards our pitch 👨 👩 What do you think? Have other women's sports founders found a similar problem? What tactics have you used to overcome these challenges? #angelinvestment #smallbusiness #mensupportingwomen #womenssport #founder #investorpitch

How Dove Conquered Beauty Standards with a Simple Message In beauty brands, Dove stands out for its clear and impactful message. Here's how they did it: Before: Traditional beauty advertising focused on portraying unrealistic standards of perfection. Dove's Message: "Real Beauty for Real Women." This simple yet powerful statement challenged the industry norm The Impact: Dove's campaigns, featuring diverse women of all shapes and sizes, sparked a global conversation about body positivity and self-acceptance. The Lesson: A clear message that connects with your audience's values can be a game-changer. What do you think? What brands do you admire for their clear messaging? #branding #communication #dovem #realbeauty #marketing #dove Image source: Dove

"Your brand is a gateway to your true work. You know you are here to do something—to create something or help others in some way. The question is, how can you set up your life and work so that you can do it? The answer lies in your brand. When you create a compelling brand, you attract people who want the promise of your brand—which you deliver." Case Study: Uncovering inner beauty with Uncover - Kenya's skincare brand is revolutionizing beauty by making Black women the priority, not an afterthought.

Is the tale of how the New York Yankees cap became a global fashion icon the greatest #influencermarketing story ever told? If you've traveled outside of the U.S. or just watched anything that didn't originate here—or, really, if you've been anywhere outside of the Bronx—you've seen the classic intertwined N and Y on baseball caps of all colors and styles. Turns out, we have Spike Lee to thank for it. I'll leave it at that so you watch the video but a few takeaways, since this is LinkedIn: Honor the icon, expand the canvas - The interlocking NY icon is 115 years old, and Lee knew not to mess with it. It was the background that he thought could be updated to appeal to more people. Gut over research - Data and market research are very important, but many of the greatest creative decisions are driven by an emotional connection. Good on Lee for making the call to George Steinbrenner and good on Steinbrenner for a very fast "yes." Loosen the brand reins - The stories in this video are fantastic, from the woman who identifies to the Yankees cap because of George Constanza to the strong hip-hop connection to the people who have no idea and just like the look. Rather than attempting to curate our brands to precision results, put fait in the unique qualities of the influencer—otherwise you're not doing influencer marketing, you're just signing up pitchmen and women. https://lnkd.in/eugNbFCe #brandmarketing #brandidentity

Case Study in 60: Dove’s Real Beauty Campaign 🌟 Dove’s campaign is still a topic of conversation because it redefined beauty standards by: 1️⃣ Featuring everyday women, not models. 2️⃣ Building an authentic, emotional connection that resonated globally. 3️⃣ Setting a new benchmark for genuine branding and marketing campaigns. ✨ Why is this important? It proved that authenticity and emotional value can make campaigns timeless. Want more quick case studies? Let us know your thoughts below! 👇 #MarketingCaseStudy #DoveRealBeauty #AuthenticBranding #EmotionalConnection #CreazionMedia

As the founder of Beautifect, supporting women in business is something I’m incredibly passionate about. While I take great pride in using my own products, I’m also a firm believer in the power of community and collaboration. It’s inspiring to see so many talented female entrepreneurs creating groundbreaking products and redefining industries. For me, being a part of this movement means actively supporting these trailblazing women, amplifying their voices and celebrating their successes. That’s why, alongside Beautifect, I love discovering and using products from fellow female founders. Each of these brands has a unique story and vision that resonates with me - and their dedication to innovation, quality, and empowerment is truly remarkable. Here are some of the brands I'm loving right now and why: • Kayali – for their mesmerising fragrances that embody luxury and self-expression. • Skin Rocks™– delivering science-backed skincare solutions that really make a difference. • Heaven Mayhem – because their bold, artistic approach to fashion is redefining self-confidence. • Anastasia Beverly Hills  – a leader in the beauty space, with timeless and trendsetting cosmetics. • Supergoop! – for making sun protection stylish, fun, and essential for all. • Odd Muse – a fresh, forward-thinking brand that's capturing individuality in fashion. • Huda Beauty – continuously setting beauty standards with innovative, inclusive products. • By Rotation – a fashion revolution that champions sustainability through clothing rentals. • Rosie Fortescue Jewellery – combining elegance and contemporary design in every piece. • Proper – creating bold and nutritious snacks that are as delicious as they are conscious. I’m always on the lookout for new female-founded brands to support! If there’s a brand you think I should try please drop it in the comments below. Let’s continue lifting each other up, sharing our successes and fuelling the growth of women-led businesses. Which female-founded brands are you loving right now? #Leadership #Entrepreneurship #FemaleFounder #GrowthMindset #WomenSupportingWomen #FemaleCEO #FemaleFoundedBrands

Do you know what women care about? To market effectively it helps to know what our target audience thinks about! As an agency, we know that insight is essential. That's why we have created our first New Future Value Report: What Women Want. Combining valuable research and industry insights, the report explores how to market to this audience, and how these learnings can be applied to the women’s athleisure wear market. Learn from big brand best practice examples such as; Nike, New Balance, lululemon, Dove, Arc'teryx Equipment, Unilever, Bluebella Ltd and check out the ones to watch. Download your FREE copy here: https://bit.ly/3Bxta4Q #NewFutureValue #WhatWomenWant #MarketingAgency #DigitalMarketing

People want to feel seen... the best brands master this phsycology to win your vote. Jay Baer, founder of 5 multi-million dollar companies, coach to 700+ brands, said, "Branding is the art of aligning what you want people to think with what they actually think." This video by Nike changes the meaning of "Just Do It" in 90 seconds. With millions of views and thousands of comments, women felt seen and the brand tugged hard on their emotions. This viewer's comment in the video's feed shows how it hits that emotion and unlocks or reinforces removal of a major mental barrier - 'owning your crazy': @AmberBSkylar wrote, “Powerful! Finally embracing my own ‘crazy’ and loving it. So tired of the ‘good girl’ crap I was brought up with.” Steve Jobs said, "A brand is simply trust." The second video is a Rare Beauty brand video that just dropped, which taps into women wanting to feel seen, but also valued in their rare unique way and in every mental state. Accepting our differences is not an easy pill for humans to swallow. Guarding our differences is a deeply rooted survival technique. If women join the Rare Beauty community, it is because the brand overcame this tall hurdle and impressively won their trust. Against the odds, they've created a trusted, safe space for their community. Which brands see you? What's the latest brand that has won your trust? #brand #marketing #community #consumerbehavior #gimmebeauty