How Brand Experiences Shape Beauty Brands Like Rhode and Rare Beauty

What Are Brand Experiences?

Brand Experiences are the feelings, thoughts, and reactions customers have towards a brand.

They create a lasting impression that stays with someone after their engagement. Strong positive brand experiences go beyond the product. They help lead to brand loyalty and trust.

They include:

• Storytelling: Communicates identity and purpose

• Values: Brand stands for who they are

• Community: Belonging through customers relationships, influencers, and shared experiences

Why Consistent Brand Experiences Matter in Today's Beauty

Today, brand experiences are a leading cause for brands to grow so rapidly, like Rhode and Rare Beauty. Social media is the leading cause of quick growth, since people can share their experiences right away.

Recently, there have been more PR boxes sent to influencers to show off their new products. This helps the brand be seen by a wider range of audiences.

Most beauty shoppers rely on trust and emotional connection. Trust is built through ingredient education, clear information, and honest reviews.

Emotional connection grows through Social Media influencers, build boards, ads, or anywhere the brand is seen. When customers trust a brand, they are more likely to buy from it.

Visual identity is also important because this is the customer's first impression. When brands stay consistent across packaging, campaigns, and influencers, it becomes recognizable.

A great example of this would be e.l.f. Cosmetics, which is now known for offering prime quality and highly accessible priced products.

How Can Beauty Brands Create Brand Experiences?

Positive brand experience can be built through different parts of the business. Each one helps customers feel more connected, informed, and confident when choosing the brand or product.

Ingredient Education

Ingredient education is important for a brand because it helps customers understand what is in the products they are using. When brands explain ingredients clearly, customer feel safer and more confident when using the product on their body. 

Trust and Transparency

Brands noticed that including clear, scientific education and full ingredient lists gains customers' loyalty and trust. It also helps customers understand the brand's values and how much the brand cares about customers' safety. 

Product Efficacy and Safety

Beauty products often contain many ingredients, and educating the customer allows them to use it safely and correctly. Educating customers helps them understand expiration dates, the order of the product, and how many times to use it. This leads to customers being more confident when using the product. 

Fight Misinformation

Social media has caused a lot of false information to circulate. Brands that educate their audience and customers can correct myths and misinformation. This also shows them as reliable and trustworthy.  

Standing Out in a Crowded Competitive Market

Standing out to modern shoppers includes adding detailed ingredients, sourcing explanations, and clear directions. A great example would be The Ordinary, which focuses on single-ingredient products and clear directions. 

Visual & Brand Identity

Visual identity is important for a brand since it is how they are seen online and in-store. This can be through their product campaigns, packages, and overall design. As well as their coloring and fonts used on the product and in their marketing campaigns.

Digital Destination

Brands recently started incorporating interactive scenes into their website through:

• Photgraphy

• Videos

• Storytelling

These take brand images to a whole new level, inviting customers to dive deeper into the brand's world. For example, Sephora includes augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI) in their online platform and in-store.  

Packaging

Brands bring their story right to your home through their packaging. They use premium materials, unique closures, and textures. For example, it communicates luxury and sustainability when customers use or see the packaging. It also allows the key audience to look at the packaging and see the brand's identity and core values.

Consistent Platform Storytelling

Brands must use color palettes, fonts, and imagery to be instantly recognized. Consistency must be kept across cartoon, social media, advertising campaigns, and e-commerce pages. This helps the brand be recognizable and trustworthy. 

Authentic and Inclusive Imagery

Customers value realness over polished perfection. Incorporating inclusive models and unfiltered photography allows customers to see themselves in the brand, driving emotional appeal.

This makes them feel and see the brand on a much deeper emotional level. Rare Beauty is known to be an inclusive brand through their products, models, and natural photography. 

Physical Spaces

Brands bring their brands on the road through pop-up shops, retail displays, and mobile activations. Transforming their brand into physical layouts, materials, and lighting.

This Helps connect the brand's digital platform to real-life spaces. Maybelline recently brought their brand through a campus tour.  

Influencer Partnerships

Influencer partnerships allow brands to have direct interactions with their targeted audiences. This allows customers to have real-world experiences through their favorite influencer.

Events

Brands host events all around the world to create a memorable brand experience. They prioritize sensory experience and Instagram-worthy moments.

Through live events, they create themed pop-ups and immersive product demonstrations.

Beautycon Pop is well known in the beauty world because of its cohesive brand experiences. They integrate retail shops, beauty panels, and immersive art installations. 

Platforms (TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube)

Influencers have become major money-makers for most companies and brands. They combine entertainment and shopping through platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Creators show products in real time, answer questions, and offer exclusive promo codes.

This allows customers to engage with the influencer and brand through a more personal shopping experience.

Customers are more likely to skip extra research when they see someone using a product. About 73% of buyers are more likely to buy after watching a livestream. 

Co-creation and Product Development

Beauty brands have started to involve creators in the product development stages. Brands use influencers to reach new customers.

They often send products to creators or design items around influencer style to connect to their target customers. This helps brands find potential customers who trust the influencers' recommendations. 

Glossier has invited fans, brand ambassadors, and micro-influencers to participate in product testing, provide feedback, and even co-create limited-edition drops. This helped create experiences that allow the audience to feel more included. 

Educational Content

Social proof is important for beauty buyers. Customers like to see how the product performs on different skin tones and hair types.

Influencers create tutorials, honest reviews, and before-and-after shots that allow their audience to form their opinion on a product. 

Trust Signals

Allows the customer to feel more confident when choosing a beauty brand. Customer feedback helps shoppers see how a product works for real people. This is sometimes the deciding factor for their purchase.

Every beauty website allows customer to review and rate their product. High customer satisfaction makes the brand look dependable. T

his leads to more people talking about the brand since it met the customer expectations. People on TikTok speak about a product because they enjoyed using it and it worked more than they intended it to. 

Online Experience

Beauty brands include helpful navigation or interactive parts. This makes their website feel effortless, trustworthy, helpful, and fun to explore.

When customer experiences feel easy, they are more likely to stay longer, buy more, and come back. This helps customers interact with the brand and have a personal and positive user experience.

Filtering

Brands created a digital experience that is personal through their website. They allow customers to filter by their beauty needs such as:

• Skin Concerns: Acne -prone, hyperpigmentation, anti-aging

• Undertone: Cool, warm, neutral

• Coverage: Matte, dewy, sheer, full coverage

• Ingredient: Vegan, cruelty-free, silicone-free, or active

Interactive Swatching & Shading Finders

Brands include “hover swatches” and “virtual try-on” on their sites. This allows customers the ability to explore shades and products on different skin types or themselves.

MAC Cosmetics has a “try on” section that allows customers to try 200 different shades of lipstick as well as swatches on all skin tones. 

Produce Comparision

Brands include comparison tables throughout their site. This helps customers weigh their options of products. This includes ingredient callouts where they list the core ingredients. Benefit summaries that indicate if a product is long-wearing, hydrating, or waterproof. 

Real Content 

Most brands' products usually include before-and-afters showing real results. As well as badges highlighting, for example: “bestsellers” or “award winners.” A standard is star ratings. This helps build trust and shorten the decision-making process. 

Examples of Strong Beauty Brand Experiences

Rhode

Rhode is a popular skincare and beauty brand that was founded by Hailey Bieber in 2022. The brand's purpose is to make products based on science and great formulation. This makes it simpler to understand the ins and outs of skincare.

Brand Values & Mission

The brand's mission statement is to provide affordable, luxurious, effective skincare that is accessible to everyone.

Their brand values include:

• Simplicity

• Affordability

• Authenticity

• Quality

• Transparency

Science-Back Formulations

Rhode's brand experience is built on scientific credibility. They highlight ingredients and explain why each one matters. This transparency helps customers feel informed and confident. It turns the product into an educational experience. 

Commitment to Clean Beauty

Rhode emphasizes clean, gentle formulas without adding unnecessary materials. This aligns with modern consumer expectations and builds trust.

They are seen as clean yet effective. This helps enhance the emotional experience and helps customers feel safe choosing Rhode. 

Visual Identity

Rhode comes across as minimal through their elements – fonts, colors, spacing – helping create a sense of calm and trust. Their site gives a consistent brand experience that feels like skincare. (Clean, soothing, and easy)

Community & Customer Experience

Rhode's brand recognition is very strong. They are seen everywhere and very active with their digital marketing. Their social media presence is the reason for their quick growth.

On TikTok, they post product demos, aesthetic routines, behind-the-science content, and a lot of influencer collaborations. On Instagram, their marketing campaigns have clean visuals, soft neutrals, and consistent branding. 

Their influencer partnership is very strong since Rhode works with creators worldwide. This helps expand their reach across different cultures and audiences.

There is also a lot of user-generated content, which Rhode reposts to build community and trust. One popular form of user-generated content is customers constantly sharing the “glazed donut skin” routine.

Rare Beauty

Rare Beauty is a cosmetics company founded by Selena Gomez in 2020. The brand's purpose is to challenge unrealistic beauty standards. It promotes self-acceptance and mental well-being. 

Brand Promise, Values, & Mission

The brand's promise is to make an impact. Their mission is to help everyone celebrate individuality by redefining what beauty means. They want to make products that allow people to feel good in their skin.

Their brand values include:

• Self-acceptance

• Inclusivity

• Mental health advocacy

• Authenticity

• Community

Commitment to Accessibility 

Rare Beauty's experience is defined by accessibility. Their packaging is designed with a rounded shape and an easy-grip component to help users with mobility challenges. Their designs show that Rare Beauty cares about real people and customer needs. Overall, this makes the brand feel inclusive and considerate. 

Visual identity

Rare Beauty comes across as soft, warm, and inviting. Their packaging uses neutral pastels, rounded shapes, and is minimalist, creating a comforting feel. This consistency represents the brand's message of self-love, positivity, and authenticity. 

Community & Customer Experience

Rare Beauty has a strong presence in the digital world, which centers on inclusiveness and realness. Their social media presence is warm, encouraging, and focused on natural beauty. One of the leading factors behind their loyal customer base.

On social media, they highlight realness through their diverse models and messaging that promotes confidence and mental well-being. Their influencer partnerships are known to be inclusive, allowing the brand to be seen.

There is also a lot of user-generated content, which Rare Beauty reposts to build community and individuality. Rare Beauty is known for its Soft Pinch Liquid Blush, which creators call the “blush that lasts forever.”

The Drive of Brand Loyalty from Brand Experiences

Loyalty grows when brands create positive experiences that feel personal, trustworthy, and consistent. Brands build loyalty when they include clear ingredient education, honest reviews, and values.

This creates a deeper connection, as it's shown across their packaging, campaigns, and digital platforms. Overall, meeting customer expectations, where they feel confident choosing the brand again.  

The Customer Journey Led by Brand Experiences

As we have seen, brands' experiences are the reason so many brands are known. Since brands have stories, values, and community, they can make a lasting impression. 

Today’s brands have created a new way to become famous by using social media to get their name out there. They were open about ingredients and who they are, helping them build an emotional connection. 

The most famous brands that have had the best brand experiences are Rhode and Rare Beauty. They are both all over social media and are transparent about their brand, helping grow their audience. 

Creating a brand experience is really important, helping customers create a brand perception. They did this in many ways: ingredient education, visual identity, influencer partnerships, and online experiences.  Loyalty is one of the most important things when trying to create brand experiences for an audience.

Overall, brand experiences drive loyalty, trustworthiness, and memorable interactions that keep customers coming back. Start paying attention to your brand experiences.

Focus on the storytelling, packaging, influencers, and values. The next time you go shopping, choose brands that make you feel informed, confident, and connected.

🪽Written by Nicole Christensen