Millennials are the most racially diverse generation in US history. 43% of today’s young adults are non-white, compared to 25% of the people over the age 55.
This generation is not only more diverse, but also more liberal. According to a recent survey by Pew Research Center, people in the ages of 18-33 hold more socially liberal stands, including being more supportive of same-sex marriage and interracial marriage.
And now Millennials expect brands to reflect these values.
According to research by Google, Ipsos, and Nielsen, “75% of Black millennials would like to see brands better represent diversity in ads. 70% say they are more likely to buy from a brand that takes a stand on race-related issues”.
Diverse society asks for diverse advertising. Inclusive representation is nowadays in demand.
Embracing Diversity
L’Oréal Paris perfectly captured this zeitgeist.
Earlier this year the global beauty brand launched a campaign that celebrates diversity. The “Your Skin, Your Story” campaign is all about finding the perfect match for your skin.
The campaign featured 16 people from different colors and genders. The chosen team of influencers included a trans influencer, a plus size model, bloggers and models from Nepal, Hawaii, Poland, and more. During the campaign, each person shared her/his own skin story.
The campaign theme was inspired by the 33 shades of True Match, L’Oréal’s range of foundation shades. The influencers posted inspiring stories that empowered the audience to feel great within their own skin.
The campaign launch was nothing but epic. During one of the Golden Globes intermissions, L’Oréal shared the first campaign’s video. Among known celebrities and models, like Blake Lively, there was Hari Nef, an actress, model and known trans activist. Her post was one of the most popular videos during the campaign.
Tip: Take a look at more influencer campaign examples.
L’Oréal “Your Skin, Your Story” Influencers
And here is the team of influencers who participated in the campaign. Click on each image to view their full profile:
Measuring the Impact of Inclusion in Influencer Marketing
The campaign results show clearly that pursuing inclusion was rewarding.
Here’s a short summary of the campaign in numbers:
- 16 Instagram Influencers
- 34 Instagram Posts
- 557,000 Engagements (Likes and Comments)
- 2.5m True Reach (Unique viewers)
- 16.1m Impressions
The campaign reached targeted audiences from the States, the UK, Australia, the Philippines, Poland, and other countries where the influencers got strong presence.
Tip: Take a look at the top beauty influencers in the Philippines and at the top South African beauty influencers.
With the right influencers, L’Oréal managed to reach their target audience: people who are highly interested in content related to Beauty (6% of the audience), Fashion (5%), Lifestyle (4%), Styling (4%), but also content that support Inclusiveness (3%) and Diversity (3%).
Learn more about the influencers performance:
Tip: Learn how to find the right influencers for your brand.
Leveraging the Power of Diversity in Influencer Marketing
L’Oreal takes diversity and inclusion very seriously. In fact, the company got an online project which explains their philosophy and actions they make to pursue this idea.
One of the tag lines of this project is “when diversity creates value”. It’s no secret that pursuing this ideal holds substantial benefits for brands. Embracing diversity helps both brands and consumers grow together.
The L’Oréal #TrueMatch campaign addresses the millennial expectation from brands. It genuinely acknowledges the diversity of people, and their different needs.
Brands who wish to follow this path can adopt the L’Oréal way, which went beyond a simple inclusion of people from different colors and genders.
What made this campaign so impactful wasn’t just the variety of colors, but the depth and the authenticity. The influencers shared their own life experiences and pushed the campaign to go beyond color and gender.
