Influence of influencers in the beauty economy in Dubai, focusing on Huda Beauty

and Fenty Beauty by Rihanna :

file:///C:/Users/USER/Downloads/A_Study_on_celebrity_cosmetic_brand_content_analys.pdf

The cosmetic industry has seen an explosive growth in the past few years. According to Reuters, global
cosmetics products market is predicted to reach USD 805.61 billion by the year 2023 (Reuters, 2018).
The growth of the industry is attributed to the demand of beauty and personal care products, due to an
upsurge in the aging population (PR Newswire, 2018). Additionally, the growth of global market
economies, rising demands of skin products and evolving lifestyles, is due to the substantial rise in
disposable incomes over the past decade (Rajput, 2016).

The beauty industry is experiencing exponential growth, with an ever-increasing demand for its
services and products. This expansion underscores its allure as a lucrative sector for aspiring
entrepreneurs. Amidst economic fluctuations and challenges, the beauty industry has proven its
resilience, maintaining its appeal to consumers. However, this growth has intensified
competition, necessitating brands to innovate and differentiate themselves to succeed in this
bustling market. Understanding consumer demographics is paramount in this landscape,
allowing brands to tailor their offerings to meet the diverse needs of their target audience. As
the industry continues to evolve, propelled by changing consumer preferences, adaptability
remains key for businesses aiming to thrive in this dynamic environment.
https://hesstudios.com/blog/why-is-the-beauty-industry-important/

https://kadence.com/en-us/consumer-behavior-in-the-beauty-industry/

Many beauty brands, such as Huda Beauty and Fenty Beauty, are leading the charge in adapting
to trends and catering to customer needs. These brands have revolutionized the industry by
embracing inclusivity and diversity, offering products that cater to a wide range of skin tones
and types. Their innovative approaches have set new standards for product development and
marketing strategies, inspiring others to follow suit. By staying attuned to shifting consumer
preferences and leveraging social media platforms to engage with their audience, these brands
have carved out a unique position in the market. Their success serves as a testament to the
importance of flexibility and responsiveness in the ever-evolving beauty industry landscape.

rephrase this - Fenty Beauty (by singer-turned-entrepreneur Rihanna) took the cosmetics world
by storm and was probably one of the GCC’s most hyped industry events of the year. Its unique
selling point: inclusivity. “The Fenty Face was created for women of all skin tones, of all
personalities,” said Rihanna in a statement at the time of the launch. “These steps are key to
starting your makeup, no matter the look you’re going for. This is where the fun begins.” Having
identified a gap in the global market, the new venture focused on a wide range of hard-to-
match skin tones, formulas adapted to all skin types, and universal shades

https://api.chalhoubgroup.com/content/uploads/Blogs/CWP_2018_English_HD.pdf

Fenty Beauty, founded by Rihanna, made a significant impact on the cosmetics industry and
stood out as one of the most anticipated events in the GCC region. Its standout feature was its
commitment to inclusivity. Rihanna stated during the launch that "The Fenty Face" was designed
to cater to women of diverse skin tones and personalities, emphasizing that these steps were
essential for any makeup look, marking the beginning of an exciting journey. Recognizing a void
in the global market, the brand prioritized offering a broad spectrum of shades to suit various
skin tones, formulas suitable for all skin types, and universally flattering hues.

Huda Kattan, a trailblazing beauty entrepreneur and makeup artist, has emerged as one of the
top Dubai influencers, leaving an indelible mark on the global beauty industry. As the founder of
Huda Beauty, her eponymous cosmetics brand, Kattan has garnered a massive following for her
expertise in beauty and cosmetics. With millions of devoted followers across various social
media platforms, she has become a leading influencer, recognized not only for her makeup skills
but also for her entrepreneurial acumen. (Beganovich, 2024)

Beganovich, A. (2024) 50 top dubai influencers in 2024, Amra and Elma LLC. Available at:
https://www.amraandelma.com/top-dubai-influencers/ (Accessed: 04 May 2024).

This study aims to explore the importance of influencers in Dubai's beauty economy, with a
specific emphasis on the unparalleled influence exerted by Huda Beauty and Fenty Beauty. It will
analyze legal and ethical considerations, social media strategies, media analytics, case studies
and reflection.

This study aims to examine the impact of influencers in Dubai's beauty economy, with a specific
focus on the beauty brands, Huda Beauty and Fenty Beauty by Rihanna. This research will delve
into legal and ethical considerations surrounding influencer marketing practices in the region,
analyze the social media strategies employed by these brands, assess media analytics to gauge
their effectiveness, present case studies to illustrate their influence, and offer reflective insights
into the evolving landscape of the beauty industry in Dubai.

Refer:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8006996/

https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/102665136/Dr_Indra_Meghrajani-libre.pdf?
1685089575=&response-content-disposition=inline%3B+filename
%3DInfluencer_Marketing_A_New_Marketing_Com.pdf&Expires=1714670851&Signature=O3OC
O4xkI7acfanDipMXE7u77X6w1skzzz7KJ-RGsAqGu8TX4JOW5Zkp7b-POXmzy-dEN-
98qRil3bAeWlagFmzIEjmkOv5iKY9avt7KgCiSHRVBL5cChShwF0-
VkNSfarCutE150EDuVKQ3XoUNo4JTM31wZTyXYmheHwC81JK4UfWKftKcolxlqNnKF4BKO1PqZT
dIZyiAFPmhtHYNQgUtQuEy5Lm9rnqLYVj3gvxwkm3mXlMMCyYZd5SjlxN-
Q6wG5EQciRq2s2u7JMAH6-
ma3eqgvxFNmi7fyjofJ7jqinRpOMVnCBvhQFXxN0~zn7HHBLwfq~cU85-UPvboQw__&Key-Pair-
Id=APKAJLOHF5GGSLRBV4ZA

Influencer marketing has become an integral part of retailers’ digital marketing strategies because many
retailers believe this new way of marketing is effective in translating into higher profits. In fact, an
industry report (Linqia, 2019) indicated that 86% of brand marketers used influencer marketing in their
advertising campaigns in 2017 and 92% of them found it effective. Nearly 89% of these marketers
reported that their return on investment from influencer marketing was better than, or comparable to,
other marketing channels in 2018 (Mediakix, 2018). Furthermore, SMI-generated content was found to
be 6.9 times more effective than studio-shot content (Ki and Kim, 2019). Due to the impacts of these
SMIs, 42% of the marketers reported that they are planning to use influencer marketing as their always-
on strategy instead of implementing it as a one-off, tactical campaign (Linqia, 2019). The market size of
influencer marketing worldwide reached 148 million in 2019, which is about a 7.95% increase from
2018, and this number is expected to exceed US$373 million by 2027 (Statista, 2020).

Citation below

https://pdf.sciencedirectassets.com/271706/1-s2.0-S0969698920X00026/1-s2.0-
S0969698920300059/main.pdf?X-Amz-Security-
Token=IQoJb3JpZ2luX2VjEAcaCXVzLWVhc3QtMSJIMEYCIQC13LXH65ar1fihLqh0EXvE2JUGmHIIq
g%2BOrlurKzY8%2FQIhAOdPx6pX4yUmE6%2BQgRxjvNPOJyyI1d9Od
%2FVR2aP6DIVeKrIFCGAQBRoMMDU5MDAzNTQ2ODY1IgxDqqowOoPVUDA1J
%2FsqjwVxV5UzdISDPf3nuGY3KhF5kIldF2dyFgluYgYgVUmrfm1XcLJKLGpl
%2BYRWQXp3hCQ3dJ5FJS06pVM6UV3M96kvq%2FmTuSzISyalvvEVN3mMF4I%2FWoFpG
%2Fz8utVCw5hvXNw4x3wyrrXAprBJMo23B%2FxrkeE7qq3T9HDN3sTBzJ%2BoYByK7P8z1TGf68F
%2Bik50i2kjOkpQN9ikp%2FGdWbMlwOZHhrI1GcoJbx
%2FM4roQQChW8ZZ0br51TniKm9GQkkUBU07CWzuqIUCOpaRL4uUmcg%2FDJWOvJ2m
%2FCrH7lb4kUW44HOPtpBuN0iutAofi0Kl1k59hvLt5RfpbGHaOQYwa79RRTxCGTeX0FBSWqe83v
7kF6UeTnzWyUIRM3YzuSXI%2B1mpsLOtE8rfLy357ZzG
%2BmdI0Sc9gj4bo9uJxQoTCCGNhkMn8cO7%2FDwWzmz8zY4TDCsdkZmN
%2FWPOAYCO5jWb8kLzGgi%2B2FCRhvnkZk0msb
%2FVE0y57Z7vBtf4YcSkCQKsvXZi0sNWIJEufG0oAzhJKga9caB5chKxVUc1lQEmU
%2FEIeln70td3vCB1F%2F4eEmxS5EYrHSu655JRyTW7U6EYsNMv
%2BV9jYwSys3elMIrp2tfX7bu4LKcSQj4jMQjHhgbXwGO7hFaYhP7nl1G3lD6JnTewks8KK0M4Upke
xTW%2BfNXPR4G1bx1gNLgFZQX7%2FEFog
%2FlsqgFVhNoqEvBvrrf1lYnVFWRALr4tqZAT9A6clzu4EMYN94Rt8kyR7HFXuihQBxbTCfppJ24m
%2FkBuDcF%2FE1Gcnp7OVAEvVKt27a7OleqrM%2FwiUwlh137Dh
%2BRWAAU9fOzVNYVGkvZml6Q8HNW%2BIcYIMfAFZDHYO1U
%2FStBOIMtfMMJvLzrEGOrABRi7OFc0lpacxrDJS3V3Hc%2FAhbdVtfHAeiUguBBdeOTFd%2BsX
%2FYCCExnNmTyi0Ud1wZucDWCSVJdWfvLWC
%2BcbiUMA1VQUD8%2FCePU2us8s1g7muioS1nGKLvGzUofDTZHOUoFrVA
%2BavpMxMopMYlYwcRUdzMZsFqnsX9g%2FUUaAMmM20lfCmWj
%2FAsxIar7hs4CBF1P60sw1rdQKV1IBLkg8svKTjzDRIxZypCMFUidEKppk%3D&X-Amz-
Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Date=20240502T163228Z&X-Amz-
SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Expires=300&X-Amz-Credential=ASIAQ3PHCVTYYXDMQZPT
%2F20240502%2Fus-east-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-
Signature=3688f090fe87474dd621b87dcfec7a48f0bb29983892a9f461ee35799794f158&hash=8
5c1a85f28d7baa7b40adc48c41ef35248701d8f167d3013f21b78d7eb60f55d&host=68042c94359
1013ac2b2430a89b270f6af2c76d8dfd086a07176afe7c76c2c61&pii=S0969698920300059&tid=s
pdf-944044f9-0734-4900-a38d-
a877d3d2cf35&sid=7000aa7e2cd269436c2a5a9449622f9dd8bdgxrqb&type=client&tsoh=d3d3
LnNjaWVuY2VkaXJlY3QuY29t&ua=1b015c52075e50575756&rr=87d968511e602a5c&cc=ae

Another important strategy for businesses to promote their items is influencer marketing (Jin et al.,
2019). Influencers are referred to users on social networks who have a large follower base and are
perceived as trusting personalities in a specific area, such as fashion, beauty, travel, gaming, or health
and fitness (De Veirman et al., 2016). In addition to online reviews, influencer marketing also falls under
the category Electronic Word of Mouth (Ewom) (De Veirman et al., 2016). Due to influencers´ virality,
wide reach, and strong impact, several businesses decide to partner up with highly influential creators
who fit into the scheme of their brand and have a sizable network of followers, which contains their
target audiences, to promote their products and services (Statista, 2019; De Veirman et al., 2016).
Companies enter these collaborations with the aim to improve their brand awareness, conversions, as
well as engagement, to strengthen their brand image (Statista, 2019). The more popular these
influencers are, the more a company can take advantage of the effect of eWOM on a large scale
(Talavera, 2015).

https://www.modul.ac.at/uploads/files/Theses/Bachelor/Undergrad_2021/
BSC_2021/1821054_HOEFER_Laura_Bachelor_Thesis.pdf

Influencer marketing has emerged as a transformative force within the industry,

reshaping traditional marketing strategies by leveraging the power of social media
influencers. These influencers, as defined by De Veirman et al. (2016), are individuals
who have cultivated sizable followings and are considered authoritative figures within
specific niches. This approach, blending the traditional concept of celebrity endorsement
with modern social networking services, has gained substantial traction, with the global
influencer marketing industry estimated to have doubled in value from $6.5 billion in
2019 to $13.8 billion in 2021 (Statista, 2021g).
The appeal of influencer marketing lies in its ability to tap into the trust and
engagement that influencers have established with their followers. Consumers often
place significant weight on recommendations and opinions from influencers, whom they
perceive as trusted sources. This trust and authenticity are crucial factors for brands
seeking to effectively communicate their messages and promote their products to
target audiences (De Veirman et al., 2016).

Identifying the right influencers presents a challenge for companies, as they must ensure
alignment with their brand image and target audience. Factors such as the influencer's
reach, popularity, likeability, trustworthiness, passion, engagement, and authenticity are
key considerations in this process (De Veirman et al., 2016). Moreover, successful
influencer partnerships require a cohesive brand fit to resonate with consumers and
drive meaningful engagement (Statista, 2019).

The benefits of influencer marketing for businesses are manifold. It enables companies
to reach relevant audiences, enhance brand credibility, and expand their market reach
(Jin et al., 2019). Importantly, influencer marketing is often cost-efficient compared to
traditional advertising methods, making it particularly attractive for businesses with
limited budgets (Shim, 2012; Silvia, 2019). Influencers, with their expertise and awareness
of social media trends, play a pivotal role in content creation and product promotion,
offering valuable insights and creative ideas to brands (De Veirman et al., 2016).

https://www.modul.ac.at/uploads/files/Theses/Bachelor/Undergrad_2021/
BSC_2021/1821054_HOEFER_Laura_Bachelor_Thesis.pdf