Inclusive Beauty Brands Grow 1.5X Faster than Less Inclusive Brands, According to Research from Circana and SeeMe Index

CHICAGO, September 4, 2024 – Circana™, a leading advisor on the complexity of consumer behavior, in collaboration with SeeMe Index, an AI leader measuring brand inclusivity, today released a research report, Inclusive Beauty Drives Sales: An AI-Powered Road Map for the Beauty Industry. The study revealed that Certified Inclusive Brands on the SeeMe Index for Beauty grew 1.5X faster than less inclusive competitors. Brands including M·A·C, Dove, L’Oréal Paris, Maybelline New York, NYX Cosmetics, Fenty, and e.l.f Cosmetics, saw an 18% collective growth rate compared to 12% for less inclusive brands, outpacing the industry. 

The study evaluated the growth rates of 40 beauty brands identified by SeeMe Index, integrating Circana’s comprehensive beauty sales data from leading U.S. beauty, general merchandise, and mass retailers during the same time period. SeeMe Index’s AI-driven methodology quantifies inclusivity by measuring brands across gender expression, skin tone, age, observed sexual orientation, body size, and visible disability. Thus, it established a benchmark for standardized inclusivity measurements across the market.

“The beauty industry plays a significant role in driving inclusivity, and today’s consumers want to be truly seen by the brands they support,” said Larissa Jensen, senior vice president and global beauty industry advisor, Circana. “Our research with SeeMe Index highlights the importance of genuine inclusivity from both a human and business perspective. The data is clear: beauty brands that are inclusive at every level grow faster, and inclusivity is a key component for business success.”

The research found that the most inclusive brands share three key traits: they view inclusivity as an organizational approach, consistently demonstrating it across all consumer touchpoints; they meaningfully engage with diverse consumer identities by integrating intersectional thinking into their long-term commitments, ensuring inclusivity is sustained and authentic; and they maintain transparency by regularly reporting progress on identity-specific product testing and long-term brand commitments. 

“Becoming a truly inclusive brand requires consistency throughout every customer interaction,” said Asha Shivaji, chief executive officer and co-founder, SeeMe Index. “Our findings show that the most successful brands embed inclusivity into their ads, product positioning, and external commitments, not just during special months, but year-round. Consumers can easily distinguish between brands that talk about inclusivity and those that genuinely embody it.”

SeeMe Index Methodology
The report analyzes the point-of-sale growth rates of 40 beauty brands included in the inaugural      SeeMe Index for Beauty to determine whether more inclusive brands grow faster than their less inclusive counterparts. 

SeeMe Index uses advancements in responsible AI to measure brands’ inclusivity efforts on three consumer-facing components — public ads (supported by experts at Alltold), product positioning, and external commitments across six key identity dimensions including:

1. Gender expression: Feminine, masculine, and gender non-conforming
2. Skin tone: The Monk Skin Tone Scale, a more inclusive 10-tone scale explicitly designed to represent a broader range of skin tones
3. Age: Perceived age, plus or minus five years 
4. Observed sexual orientation: Individuals shown in the context of a romantic or intimate or partnered interaction
5. Body size: As defined by perceived body mass index and analysis of body type (e.g., small, small-muscular, medium, medium-muscular, large, large-muscular, and pregnant)
6. Visible disability: Presence of a visible disability (such as hearing or vision impairment, diabetes, Down syndrome, dwarfism, mobility disabilities, pushed wheelchair, partial or completely missing limbs)

About SeeMe Index
SeeMe Index is a responsible AI leader that utilizes technology to holistically measure and guide brands’ inclusivity efforts. SeeMe Index harnesses cutting-edge technology and insights to provide data-driven inclusivity guidance, unlocking brand growth and love. SeeMe Index takes the guesswork out of inclusive marketing. Learn more at seemeindex.ai.

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