One unexpected brand is embracing social media in a new way. Estee Lauder is offering free makeup application and photo shoots to use for your social network profiles.
The promotion kicks off Friday, October 16, at Bloomingdale’s in New York and then branches out to Macy’s, Saks and other Bloomingdale’s stores in Southern California, Miami and Chicago. They tout the event on their Facebook fan page.
It’s a smart, ground-breaking move by a company whose primary target aren’t even the biggest users of social media. In fact, they offer to help you post your new photo online. Guess they realize their customers may have never even uploaded a photo before. Estee Lauder hopes they might entice those younger online extroverts with this promotion. But I wonder if they’re sending the wrong message.
One attractive thing about social media is that you can, in a way, re-invent yourself or present only certain aspects of yourself to guide how you want people to view you, rather than be at real life’s first impression mercy. And this amplifies that.
Remember, you are your own brand. If you choose to present the one-time, professionally glammed up version yourself, you might consider disclosing that. If Estee Lauder really wanted to extend this idea, they’d imprint the photos with their name — similar to how a magazine might credit a makeup artist: “makeup by Estee Lauder.” Then they’d give the women a discount for every friend they refer to the promotion through their social network.
If Estee Lauder keeps this fun, it’ll work. Afterall, what woman doesn’t love a free makeover, especially if she gets to show it off in her online world? If other youthful cosmetic companies are smart, they’ll follow. I could even see this branching out to hair salons for a full headshot glam shot.
Thanks to Kari Girarde for the event info.
Sarah Jo Sautter
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I know I’m not in the demo, but I’ve already made an appointment. I’m so curious to see what the event actually is like.
EL has been (surprisingly?) one of the most forward thinking digital cosmetics brands- recently they launched their Virtual Makeup tool (http://www.esteelauder.com/LetsPlayMakeover/) and then this. Definitely keep an eye on them.
Larissa: Yes, I also find it surprising that no other (more youth-oriented) brand has done this yet. Maybe it’s that 20-somethings don’t feel they need makeovers?
.Sarah Jo
Thanks
As a twenty-something, I certainly wouldn’t mind a free make-over!
I don’t know if they still do this, but MAC used to give free make-overs if you booked an appointment in their NYC stores. (Though you were expected to tip, which it doesn’t sound like is the case here.)
This is excellent !
Another strategy would be doing the same (and more) for Beauty bloggers and enabling them to co-create the campaign.
Tracy: a lot of counters give “free” makeovers. What would make it more enticing is if more added the digital photoshoot.
dominiq: great idea! i do believe that there have been cosmetics brands that have given bloggers their products to “test” and write about. it would be nice to see more real-life iterations of that.
.Sarah Jo
@pedalprincess
Sarah: To follow up, I blogged about here: http://www.larissahayden.com
I think regardless of age, women appreciate makeovers. Maybe for an event of this magnitude, the amount that 30+ women would spend on EL makeup after the experience validates the expense of the event.