International Women’s Day has got beauty content creator world divided. On the one hand, brands are falling over themselves to get us to spread the message and help to empower other women across the globe who perhaps don’t have the advantages that most of us do. However, there is nothing empowering about asking us to promote products (for free) that add more to the coffers of the brand than to the plight of disadvantaged women. There are some major ethical questions about how genuine calls to action for good are turned into marketing campaigns for beauty brands. It’s a funny thing – asking women to work for free on their behalf with the carrot of helping women less able than us seems an odd way to go about things. Basically, we’re profit making volunteers on this one. And, I’ll also say that beauty brands are super keen to ’empower’ women until someone who actually does feel empowered calls them out, and then they don’t like the look of that empowerment at all (I’ll keep you updated with repercussions if there are any). It’s perhaps a bit unfortunate that Elemis are the example because they’re by no means alone in turning International Women’s Day into a sales event and they have pledged £35K to Women for Women International who could very well do with the money and help from the sales of this.
They’ve worked with young British accessories designer, Karen Mabon, to create an absolute beauty of a limited edition – there’s nothing about the actual product I don’t like here. It’s stunning – bright, exciting and energetic – and it’s the classic Pro Collagen Marine Cream that everyone loves. Last year, Elemis raised £39K for the same organization, which sponsored a class of 35 women in Afghanistan, so it’s not that the money isn’t significant and valued – I’m questioning what empowerment looks like commercially and whether we’d be better off not buying into this kind of product and just making straight donations with nothing in it for us other than a receipt and the knowledge that you can make a difference to someone as far away as Kabul simply because you want to. Let me know what you think!
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8 comments
This definitely needs calling out more, so thank you Jane for taking a stand. I like that Elemis have been up front about the exact amount they are donating and I love that they have worked with a young female designer — it shows investment on their part.
My bugbear is when brands seem to obfuscate eg “10% of profits donated” but aren’t at all forthcoming about their profit margins (funny that) so you have no idea what is really going on, and is in all likelihood a paltry sum and the minimum the brand could get away with doing. Grrrr!
I really agree with this.
Jane, we’d love to hear more when the dust has settled.
I agree Jane, it does make me uneasy when we’re encouraged to buy more and put money in the coffers of brands in order to help support causes. On the other hand, how much would be raised for the class of women in Afghanistan if it weren’t for Elemis’ involvement and product? Maybe if brands declared annual donations to their chosen charity/ies out of their own profits, it would let consumers make a more informed choice about brands they spend on, rather than promote a specific product for a specific day. Definitely food for thought. Thanks for the article x
Absolutely this. The whole point of IWD was not to spend £50 with a brand and then get 20% off because I am female on a particular day. Or as you say to promote a brand (for free) and earn money for them… a few brands did at least donate profits to worthy campaigns.
It’s posts like this that are the reason I take five minutes from my day to read your blog Jane … intelligent, erudite and insisive. I’ll think twice next time I see promotions like this – rather than take them at face value …
Thank you so much Tara!
Absolutely on the nose. I agree with Tara – having been a beauty junkie for a good while, this is now one of the very few beauty blogs I read regularly and believe in. The Elemis offer, like many others, feels too cynical for me to buy in to. Plus the brand are going in to China so they are a ‘no’ from me from now on – sadly as I do love many of the products.
Jane – I agree with your thoughts in this. When I received the slew of “we stand with you on IWD” emails from eight brands, my reaction was to be unimpressed. If brands really want to get my attention, they need to announce they’ve assessed the pay of every position in their firms and made adjustments to create gender pay parity in the ranks. They can announce they’ve created a goal of at least 50 % female executives at every level of the organization within the next 3 years, and then deliver on that goal. And yes – make a contribution to worthy female lead causes whether I purchase or not. I’m far more attracted to a brand that IS good as a business & world citizen, than I am to a brand who trumpets that they are good because they “stand with me.” And none of the being good is effective if the products aren’t also both effective and a pleasure to use. It’s a tall order but I spend a lot on makeup & skincare and that’s not just what I expect- it’s what all women deserve.