Inclusive Beauty Drives Sales

The beauty industry has an outsized impact on inclusion. But many people today still don’t feel like they are represented in health and beauty ads. Consumer expectations about inclusivity — accurate and representative depictions of all genders, gender expressions, races, skin tones, ages, body sizes, abilities, and sexual orientations — have never been higher. This report, conducted between Circana and SeeMe Index, shows how beauty brands with higher inclusivity scores grow faster than their less-inclusive counterparts. Luckily, there are several steps brands can take to become more inclusive, and the good news is they don’t have to start from scratch.

Highlights:

• Certified Inclusive brands are growing 1.5x faster than their less inclusive counterparts.
• By 2044, the U.S. will have a majority-minority population, creating little difference between a general market and a multicultural market.
• Certified Inclusive brands were 2.5x more likely to have ads featuring adults with perceived age over 55.
• While romantic relationships are scarce in beauty ads, Certified Inclusive brands showed gay and straight relationships in equal percentages, whereas less inclusive brands were 12x more likely to show straight versus gay relationships.