Navigating macro and micro trends in an ever-changing beauty industry
Boots Media Group
Accelerating brand growth through unrivalled access to the UK Health and Beauty consumer.
Introduction
It’s no secret that the beauty industry is ever-changing. From a combination of external environmental influences like covid and cost of living to the rise of viral products, dupe culture, clean girl aesthetic, and more. Responding to macro and micro trends is essential for brands to stay relevant in this fast-moving industry.
But, where do you begin when navigating trends in such a fast-paced industry?
In this article, we sat down with Aimee Bagshaw , Senior Client Manager at Boots Media Group , to get her thoughts on key considerations for brands navigating macro and micro trends within their marketing and retail campaigns.
The difference between micro and macro trends
“Macro trends are characterised by longevity, widespread appeal, and slow evolution, while micro trends are short-lived, often lasting only days, weeks, or even hours.
Anti-aging is a great example of a macro trend that has remained relevant and a cornerstone of the beauty market for a long time, showing no signs of fading. Trends like this allow us to plan with brands for long-term strategic goals around the products, unlike micro trends, which can be unpredictable and hard to plan for.”
Macro Beauty Trends: The Timeless Pillars
Leveraging macro trends for long-term goals
“Taking a closer look into anti-aging, 70% of UK consumers purchased more anti-aging products and services in 2023 than in any previous year*, proving that this trend is not only here to stay, but it’s actually growing and the messaging around it is changing.
In the past, anti-aging campaigns were all about prevention, concealment, and encouraging older consumers to make themselves look younger. This messaging, paired with the use of younger models really pushed the idea that women ageing is unacceptable.
But things are changing. Now, we're seeing more women embrace their age proudly, and the message isn’t about fighting age anymore; it's about using products that make you feel great as you grow older.
This change in perception means brands must rethink how they communicate with older consumers. The goal is to help them feel acknowledged and included rather than treating aging as a taboo. Brands like L'Oréal Paris have gotten this right by using older models in their campaigns, helping older women feel seen and represented.”
The risk with macro trends
“Longevity undoubtedly makes macro trends great - they stick around and remain relevant over time, making them relatively low risk.
You can launch an anti-aging campaign at any time, and it’ll still resonate. But brands can’t get too comfortable. Even long-lasting trends evolve, especially from a messaging perspective, so it’s essential to keep up with those changes and not get complacent.
Many brands still rely on outdated strategies to target older consumers, and that’s a big risk. Continuously updating your messaging and the channels to stay relevant to the current consumer mindset is key. Losing an older customer can hurt your brand far more as this demographic makes up a significant part of a brand's loyal customer base.”
Micro Beauty Trends: The Short-Lived Waves
The opportunities with micro trends
“The unsurprising positive thing about micro-trends is their virality, particularly on platforms like TikTok. We’ve seen viral moments lead to huge wins for brands, with products selling out rapidly generating massive boosts in a brand’s performance -Sol De Janeiro and Dior's lip oils are great examples of this.
If a brand successfully capitalises on viral trends or even plans for them, it can skyrocket its position within the beauty industry.
The tricky part?
Keeping that momentum going. If you can’t recreate the same success the next year, it can be hard to match those previous results and stay relevant.
At Boots we have the ability to retain the new customers that brands gain during the virality period and sustain the level of interest and relevance after the trend has passed, due to our sophisticated 1PD capabilities
Although longer lead times on print media campaigns can make it more difficult to react quickly, new channels in retail media, like in-store digital screens, digital radio, app and .com can support reactivity and relevance while optimisation through our newer and more flexible channels, like Audience360 and Criteo, allow us to capitalise with brands on these opportunities in as little as 24 hours.
The risk with micro trends
“Micro trends come with unique challenges for brands. Their tendency to quickly come and go makes it difficult for brands to jump on them at the right time. Understanding the difference between micro and macro trends allows brands to respond more reactively, but this isn’t always easy.
There are significant risks involved in jumping on micro trends. One is media wastage—if a brand launches a marketing campaign too late, the trend may be over, making the campaign irrelevant. This can also make the brand seem out of touch, especially if the trend doesn’t resonate with its core audience.
For heritage brands that aren't typically associated with fast-moving platforms like TikTok, attempting to engage with micro trends can make them appear outdated or disconnected.
Investing in product development for a micro-trend can pose major risks, not least because it takes significant time to create a product. By the time it’s ready to hit the market, the trend might be long gone, leaving the brand not only with a product that misses the mark but potentially with a significant financial loss.
Ultimately, micro-trends can bring big wins in the short term, but they also come with risks that could impact a brand’s long-term reputation and financial stability, so it's essential to approach them carefully.”
As with any successful marketing and media campaign, brands must stay informed and agile in response to the ever-changing beauty landscape, be tuned into both macro and micro trends, and choose trends that genuinely align with their brand, customers, and products.
Client Manager at SMG
2moVery well said Aimee Bagshaw
Senior Client Executive at SMG
2moGreat read!