Beauty & the Evolution

of Influence
 Backstage at Givenchy Spring/
Summer 2023 Fashion Show (via Spotlight).
 BEAUTY & THE EVOLUTION OF INFU
L ENCE

Beauty & The Evolution

of Influence

5 ACTION POINTS

COMMUNITY IS KING

10 BEAUTY & THE ERA

OF INFLUENCE

THE SOCIAL SHUFFLE

16 THE BRANDS & INFLUENCERS

WHO WON 2022

INSIGHTS BY KARLA OTTO

26 THE FUTURE OF BEAUTY

& COMMUNITY

On the cover, Rainy Milo (@rainymilo) x Off-White “PAPERWORK”

campaign (via Instagram). Photographer: Taurean Roye

3
 BEAUTY

Meet

ANNIKA BAER
ANNA ROSS
Data Insights & Analytics
Editor & Project Lead Marketing Manager to US
Head of Creative Insight and European Markets,
& Trends, Karla Otto Lefty

THOMAS REPELSKI LAURA ROCHA

Data Insights Strategy Consultant
Co-CEO, Lefty Strategy Consultant, Lefty

HUGO RAMOS
MADELEINE BOYD
Strategy Consultant
Beauty Insights Strategy Consultant, Lefty
Vice President, Global
Beauty, Karla Otto

LEA MAO MIGUEL MARTÍNEZ

Data Insights & Analytics Graphics & Illustration
Head of Marketing, Lefty Brand Designer, Lefty

the Team
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 & THE UTION LEV OF UENC IFL
Foreword
“When it comes to the beauty industry, com-
munity has always been king. And this has never
been truer than right now. At Karla Otto, we have
the privilege of supporting many of the world’s
leading luxury beauty brands—both legacy and
emerging niche—in cultivating deeply engaged
communities and cementing these brands’ cultu-
ral relevance. As the digital landscape continues
to evolve rapidly, especially with the emergence
of Web3, mastering your community strategy
across platforms should be a top priority for every
beauty brand.” - Madeleine Boyd, Vice President,
Strategy, Global Beauty, Karla Otto.
“If you want to be visible right now, you must
invest in social media. We’re seeing brands invest
more budget than ever in building their commu-
This study is based on the analysis of more than
50,000 influencers across 22 international mar-
kets with more than 10,000 followers on Insta-
gram, TikTok, and YouTube who have mentioned
one of the 100 major international beauty brands
tracked in this report from 2019-2022. The in-
fluencers presented in this study have been iden-
tified thanks to Lefty’s proprietary algorithms.
On Instagram, this study focuses its analysis only
on Instagram in-feed posts (Posts, Videos, Carou-
sels) and does not look at Instagram stories.
Lefty defines Earned Media Value (EMV) as the
equivalent ad spend of the impressions gained. In
the case of Instagram and TikTok, EMV is calcula-
5
5
nity of influencers. Lefty helps you find your com-
munity and gives you the tools to measure those
relationships. We created the product for this
reason.” - Thomas Repelski, Co-CEO of Lefty.
“In the digital era, brand communities are critical.
Consumers are not only overwhelmed by choice
but savvy to a hard sale. Building a community
not only enriches your brand with advocacy but
organicity. Karla Otto’s partnership with Lefty
empowers our brands with impactful, influen-
cer-led storytelling that taps into the nuances
of contemporary culture and community while
enabling us to determine what’s new and, most
importantly, what’s next.” - Anna Ross, Global
Head of Creative Insight, Karla Otto.
Methodology
ted by estimating the number of impressions of
each publication and, for 2022, associating a CPM
of $100, which is equivalent to $1 per engagement.
The formula used is:
Impressions*CPM
1000
Note: Even though the list of influencers re-
trieved aims to be exhaustive, it is possible that
some influencers who have posted content for
brands may not be taken into account in the
present study.
 B E A U T Y & T H E E V UTYBEAO L U T I O N O F I N F L U E N C E

Action Points

COMMUNITY IS KING

Developing a loyal brand community is

critical to success in 2023 and beyond.
Community echoes both your internal
structure and your customers.

Spending
influencers has

335
increase in 5

INFLUENCERS HAVE THE POWER

The endless expansion of the internet

has created a saturation of content and
information. Beauty consumers are
seeking genuine commentary and au-
thentic content. As a result, spending
on influencers has seen a 335% increase
in 5 years (Statista, 2021).

6
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 & THE EVOLUTION OF INFU
L ENCE

THE RISE OF TIKTOK

Lefty data shows a decrease in engagement across

platforms such as Instagram while TikTok’s is
rising. These fluctuations point to less polished,
more ‘real’ content resonating amongst beauty
communities.

THE BEAUTY
on
BRANDS WHO WON 2022
s seen a

5%
The top brands of 2022 – Kylie Cosmetics,
Rare Beauty, and Fenty Beauty – demonstrated
the power of celebrity and online community as
each of these brands’ foundation were built on
leveraging their presence on social media.
years.

CULTURE OVER COMMODITY

Influence is changing. As the industry has skyrocketed, it’s

more important than ever to foster a strategic influencer
strategy with cultural values, quality of content, and commu-
nity needs at the fore.

7
 BEAUTY

Community
INTRODUCTION

Is King

In 2014, Emily Weiss launched

a brand that would forever
change how the beauty indus-
try thought about community.
What started as a beauty blog,
‘Into the Gloss,’ quickly grew
into a $1.2B company, thanks
to a direct-to-consumer model
and wealth of loyal community
members, who resonated with
their minimalist, millennial
pink aesthetic and ‘skin-first,
beauty second’ mantra.

Using their blog as a premise, “Active community

Glossier was able to gene-
rate real-time insights and
conversations around their
communities’ preferences,
informing everything from
their packaging and formula-
tions to campaign decisions.
By engaging them within
their brand journey, Glossier’s
community quickly felt part
of something bigger than a
sales statistic: A beauty brand
created by the community for
the community.
members convert 4-6x
more than average
customers.”
RAZORFISH, 2021
Over time, Glossier has faced
some challenges. Inside the
brand’s HQ, many ex-staffers
foretold stories of a proble-
matic work environment
following a round of layoffs.
Above, Glossier products
Meanwhile, their brand advo- (via Cedrik Malabanan). In the opposite page, Olivia
cates voiced that new ranges Rodrigo for Glossier (via Instagram).

8

failed to meet an inclusive ran-
ge of skin tones. At the same
time, non-sustainable packa-
ging left the brand veering out
of touch with its community's
evolving needs, values, and
expectations.“Glossier’s cha-
llenges present a lesson in the
9
& THE EVOLUTION OF INFLUENCE
importance of understanding
community: it’s one thing to
build it, and another to keep it,”
comments Madeleine Boyd,
Vice President of Global Beau-
ty at Karla Otto.
“Community: it’s one
thing to build it, another
to keep it.”
MADELEINE BOYD
Fast forward to 2022, and
Weiss has stepped down in pla-
ce of the appointment of Olivia
Rodrigo — a move symbolic
of Glossier repositioning their
team with cultural relevance
while trying to foster appeal
amongst the ever-important
Gen Z.
Despite their challenges,
Glossier has paved the way for
legacy and emerging brands
to build on community as an
integral business tool. From
enhanced loyalty programmes
and influencer marketing to
subscription models, embed-
ding community-first strate-
gies into a business is proven
to improve retention, engage-
ment, and conversion up to
4-6 times more than average
customer relations (Razorfish
x Vice Media, 2021).
For beauty brands globally, the
case for community has never
been more important.
 BEAUTY

Beauty
& the Era of Influence
“82 % of Gen Z
so did businesses’ marketing strategies. As
other forms of OOH advertising became

& Millennials trust the opinion of influencers harder to activate, the relevance of influen-
cer marketing became critical.
over brands.”
“The evolution of influencer marketing co-
MORNING CONSULT
mes from a very logical place: consumers
have moved from obtaining information
Meanwhile, the decline of print media from sources such as the internet, press,
coupled with Covid-19 proved the perfect and television to social media and influen-
Over the past decade, as the internet has storm for the impact of influencer marke- cers,” explains Thomas Repelski, Co-CEO
evolved, so has how brands communicate ting. As consumers pivoted to life at home, of Lefty.
to and with their communities. The acce-
leration of the web has conjured a wealth
of information and, with it, misinforma-
tion. Options are endless, and opinions —
everywhere. Consequently, consumers are
overwhelmed and seek authenticity and
validation via commentary from trusted
communities and peers.

This sentiment is especially true for

digital-first generations such as Millennials
and Gen Z. A recent consumer study by
Morning Consult shows that around 78%
of this cohort follow influencers on social
media to discover a new brand, while 82%
of those trust the opinion of influencers or
peers over brands.

“Trust and authenticity are key drivers for

these cohorts, who are digitally native and
savvier to a hard sale than other consu-
mers,” comments Anna Ross, Head of
Creative Insight at Karla Otto. “Products in
the hands of an influencer who has already
built a dialogue with their community just
lands differently.” Backstage at Akris Spring/ Summer 2023 Fashion Show (via Spotlight)

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 & THE EVOLUTION OF INFU
L ENCE

As a result, the influencer economy

has witnessed a stunning 335% growth TOTAL AD SPENDING IN THE INFLUENCER ADVERTISING SEGMENT,
WORLDWIDE, FROM 2018 TO 2025 (B, $)
over the past five years, with brands
forecasted to spend $32.5B on influencer 45
marketing in 2023, up 18% from last year’s +12%
40
numbers and reaching an astonishing +14%

$48.8B by 2025 (According to Statista, 35 +18%

2022). It seems the only way is up for the
30 +20%
evolution of influence.
25 +46%
But what makes influencers so successful
20
at promoting products? Lefty’s Repelski
+34%
pins the answer on the importance of 15
community and authenticity. “There’s +42%
10 +35%
a turning point when you work with an
influencer from the moment you initially 5
send them a product to promote to the
0
point they become extremely engaged
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
and begin to post organically about your
brand,” he explains. “The real value of in- Source: Statista
Notes: Data shown is using current exchange rates and reflects market impacts of the
fluence lies in that organicity. This content Russia -Ukraine war
will resonate more. Influencers only do
this when they feel connected to the brand
and its community.”

Repelski suggests that influencers now

generate 40% of the content on social “Influencer budgets are increasing
media. “This is why influencer marketing
budgets are increasing so dramatically — dramatically because it enables brands to be
it enables brands to be visible on a much
wider scale.”
visible on a wider scale.”
THOMAS REPELSKI

In its simplest form, the power of influen-

cer marketing and its recipe for success is
clear: people buy from people.

78% 335% 40%

Of Millenials & Gen Z follow influencers Influencer economy growth over the past Of social media content is generated
on social media to discover brands 5 years (Statista, 2022). by influencers (Lefty, 2022)
(Morning Consult, 2021).

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 UTYBEA

The Social
Shuffle

All pictures via Instagram Reels

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 & THE EVOLUTION OF INFU
L ENCE

“Beauty lends itself naturally to influencer
marketing,” comments Karla Otto’s Boyd;
“So much of the category's consumer
purchase behaviour is driven by personal
product reviews and recommendations,
especially in skin care.”
Indeed, platforms like YouTube, for instan-
ce, have long-standing links with makeup
tutorials, unboxing, and product reviews
emerging across the video platform before
the word ‘influencer’ even surfaced.
However, as the internet has evolved, the
all-important trust factor has shifted. Ac-
“While influencer beauty content used to
be dominated by long-form YouTube vi-
deos, today the landscape is all about short
form; think Tiktok, Instagram Reels, and
YouTube Shorts. Capturing the audien-
ce’s attention in the first three seconds is
paramount,” surmises Boyd.
“ 40
% of Gen Z now head
straight to social media for reviews and
recommendations.”
GOOGLE 2022

cording to a consumer survey from GWI,

there’s been an 11% decrease in consumer
trust surrounding online reviews over the
past two years. This statement is much THE EVOLUTION OF SNS 2020-2022
higher amongst younger groups, who are IG EMV TikTok EMV Youtube EMV
more likely to seek out product reviews via
2%
vlogs, micro-blogs, and video sites, leaning
less on traditional search tools. This mi-
2020 75% 23%
rrors recent data from Google, who have
discovered nearly 40% of young people
now look to TikTok or Instagram instead
of using Google Search to find new infor-
mation, surpassing the search engine and 2021 71% 14% 15%
heading straight for community content.

2022 52% 42% 6%

0 25% 50% 75% 100%

Tracking date: 2020 Jan 1 - 2022 Oct 1

-11% 40% + 200%

in consumer trust surrounding online re- of young people look to TikTok or IG to the YoY growth of TikTok in beauty in 2022
views over the past 2 years (GWI, 2022). discover new information (Google, 2022). (Lefty, 2022)

13
 BEAUTY

The Rise
THE SOCIAL SHUFFLE

of TikTok
“TikTok surpassed
Instagram as beauty's favourite
True to Boyd’s insights; Lefty analysts have
uncovered a social shuffle showcasing a significant
social platform in 2022.”
change in where beauty brands allocate budgets LEFTY

across influencer marketing — and where their com-

munities are gravitating.

“As the entire social media ecosystem matures and

competition across the beauty industry grows, we can
see that the share of Instagram’s EMV [Earned Media
Value] is declining year over year, while TikTok is gai- ENGAGEMENT RATE EVOLUTION: 2020-2022*
ning traction.” explains Lea Mao, Head of Marketing at IG TikTok Youtube
Lefty. “So much so, TikTok gained 40% EMV share by
the end of Q3 in 2022, forecast to overtake Instagram 10%
by end of 2022,” she states. As a result, the number
of influencers beauty brands are partnering with is 8%
increasing on TikTok, with marketers deploying more
of their budget towards the platform than ever.
6%

TikTok is undoubtedly leading the way for the beauty

industry, and Lefty’s data suggests this is down to the 4%

platform’s booming engagement levels.

2%
On Instagram, average engagement has steadily
decreased over the past three years, starting at 2.19% in
0
2020 and falling to 1.93% in 2022. 2020 2021 2022

Note: Metrics based on January 1 - October 1 2022

+ 40% 8.07%
of Millenials & Gen Z follow influencers. Engagement Rate on TikTok, 2022.

14
 & THE EVOLUTION OF INFLUENCE

EMV GENERATED BY PER INFLUENCER

Meanwhile, TikTok’s engagement continues to soar,
IG TikTok Youtube
with an average engagement rate of 8.07% this year hi-
gher than Instagram has ever achieved, even in its hey-
40,000 day). Furthermore, TikTok is forecast to attract over
2/3 of online video content ad revenue by 2027 — more
than Meta and YouTube combined, (Omdia, 2022).
30,000
“TikTok has provided something that has a much
clearer value proposition: short videos and super-fun,
engaging content, whereas Instagram is a melting pot
20,000
of different things,” explains Lefty’s Repelski. Indeed,
one only has to spend a few moments on the platform
to notice the stark contrast between the two. Far from
10,000 Instagram’s polished demeanour, TikTok thrives on
off-the-cuff content that places humour and com-
munity trends at the fore. Meanwhile, its feed-first
0 algorithm enables users to generate visibility more
2020 2021 2022 quickly, regardless of their following. “On TikTok, you
are pushed content that is relevant to you — not just
from people you follow — so in that way — it's much
more dynamic. You can have creators that go viral but
TikTok relies less also brands that go viral, no matter your following. It
creates an amazing opportunity for beauty brands,”
on big content creators explains Repelski.

than Instagram. Thus, brand partnerships within the TikTok sphere dis-
play a more diverse influencer community matrix than
Instagram’s, relying less on Mega influencers (think
celebrities or influencers with millions of followers)
EMV DISTRIBUTION BY INFLUENCER TIER Mega 1M+ to generate that all-important visibility. See how Lefty
Top 300k-1M Macro 100k-300k Micro 300k-10k breaks down the distribution in the chart.

37% The quality of content

50%
and how it resonates with
20%
your community trumps
19%
22%
scale on TikTok.
16%
24%
12% On TikTok especially, the quality of the content and
how it resonates with your community is more impor-
TikTok Instagram
tant than scale. This learning is key for beauty brands
Note: Metrics based on September 2021 - 2022 looking to evolve and develop their online communi-
ties and work with influencers in 2023 and beyond.

15
 B E A U T Y & T H E E V UTYBEAO L U T I O N O F I N F L U E N C E

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 B E A U T Y& THE UTION LEV &
OF UENC IFL T H E E V O L U T I O N O F I N F L U E N C E

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 UTYBEA

Brands & Influencers

Who Won 2022
Throughout 2022, TikTok has become an increasingly legitimate
marketing channel for beauty, overtaking Instagram in EMV.
TikTok beauty creators boast unprecedented levels of engage-
ment, with an average amongst top influencers of 19.5%. TikTok
is less saturated by brands, meaning the influencers across the
platform have had the opportunity to build relationships with
their audiences that centre around trust and transparency. Likewi-
se, brands who are investing in TikTok now are growing faster in
EMV, suggesting a continued trend toward TikTok as the plat-
form to invest and experiment with for social media marketing for
2023 and beyond.

The Brands
MAKEUP EMV 2022 (M) IG YoY TikTok YoY

1. Kylie Cosmetics 327 55% 582%

2. L’Oréal 178 -17% 826%

3. Rare Beauty 144 -38% 445%

4. Fenty 120 -39% 394%

5. Maybelline 116 -44% 603%

SKINCARE EMV 2022 (M) IG YoY TikTok YoY

1. Kylie Skin 55 423% 1031%

2. Fenty Skin 27 -53% 687%

3. Neutrogena 16 -54% 526%

4. La Roche-Posay 11 -67% 959%

5. Elemis 10 -31% 327%

18
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 & THE UTION LEV OF UENC IFL

The Influencers Celebrity Singer Actress Model Influencer Brand

INSTAGRAM

MAKEUP Fllwrs. (M) Posts EMV ($,M) ER (%)

1. @kyliejenner 373 55 215 1.2

2. @arianagrande 332 28 89.9 1.11

3. @selenagomez 358 20 69.7 1.02

4. @badgalriri 128 7 18.3 2.5

5. @kendalljenner 228 2 16.4 3.64

SKINCARE

1. @kyliejenner 373 9 42 1.3

2. @badgalriri 138 5 17.1 3

Kylie Jenner at Houston Ulta Beauty to promote
the exclusive launch of Kylie Cosmetics with the
3. @nikki_makeup 11.8 1 2.6 132.3 beauty retailer (via Getty).

4. @madisonbaileybabe 1.87 4 2.3 8.5

5. @jennortega 6.69 3 2.3 8.5

TIKTOK

MAKEUP Fllwrs. (M) Posts EMV ($,M) ER (%)

1. @kyliejenner 50.4 39 51.8 3.5

2. @selenagomez 42.4 8 14.6 5.5

3. @rocio.roses 1.5 3 13.4 38.7

4. @mikaylanogueira 13.4 4 12.6 40.7

5. @lexwolff 167K 6 8 79.5

SKINCARE

1. @kyliejenner 49.4 6 10.5 6.3

2. @glowwithava 1.5 6 6.5 4.1

3. @edwarzo 1.9 5 6.5 8

4. @justtnic 165K 3 6.3 31.9

Rihanna celebrates the launch of Fenty Beauty at ULTA
Beauty in Los Angeles, California (via Getty). 5. @charliedamelio 149M 1 3.9 2.7

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 B E A UTYBEAU& THE T
UTION LEV OF UENC IFL Y & T H E E V O L U T I O N O F I N F L U E N C E

Insights
by Karla Otto
20
20
 BEAUTY & THE EVOLUTION OF INFLUENCE

Backstage at Lanvin SS23 (via Spotlight).

21
21
 Culture
EMERGING TREND

Over Commodity

22
22
 BEAUTY & THE EVOLUTION OF INFLUENCE

In 2023 and beyond, influencer marke-
ting is increasingly becoming less about
numbers and more about creating genuine
relationships that reinforce trust, transpa-
rency, and a sense of community between
consumers and brands.
The rise of TikTok is a fascinating insi-
ght into what's resonating with beauty
communities today. For younger demo-
graphics, in particular, marketing that is
creative, community-driven, and topic
relevant is resonating more than ever.
And while scale can be a successful metric
to increase visibility, consumers have
become increasingly sceptical around paid
content and are craving organicity.
So what’s the answer?
A new trend has emerged that places au-
thenticity, content niche and locality at the
forefront, dubbed by many as ‘The Influen-
cer Next Door’. “A shift we’ve seen in the
influencer ecosphere is the importance
of the nano and macro influencer, as well
as those voices for niche communities,”
comments Boyd. “By utilising tools like
Lefty, Karla Otto has been able to engage
more localised thought-leaders to amplify
our brands' campaigns and reinforce their
cultural relevance,” she acknowledges.
Lefty’s platform includes an extensive ran-
ge of influencer audience metrics, inclu-
ding audience demographics, engagement
rate and audience locality, enabling brands
to create strategic partnerships with
laser-focused target audiences.

“Collaborating on
creative content
as opposed to
‘pay for post’-type
content is now more
important than ever
to communicate
authenticity and
genuinely story tell.”
MADELEINE BOYD

“Collaborating on creative content as

opposed to ‘pay for post’-type content is
now more important than ever to com-
municate authenticity and genuinely story
tell,” explains Madeleine Boyd. “Audiences Opposite page and above, Holly Blakey (@hollytblakey) x Off-White
are so much more savvy now.” “PAPERWORK” campaign (via Instagram).

23
 UTYBEA

CASE STUDY

Off-White
“PAPERWORK”

OVERVIEW

Karla Otto was engaged to develop and execute a 360° global

communications strategy for the much-anticipated launch
of “PAPERWORK”, Off—White's debut beauty collection
comprising fragrance, make-up and nails. Our activity covered
media relations and a creative talent campaign in the USA and
UK, supported by strategic organic seeding in these markets
together with Italy and France.

In this page, GARYCARD (@garycard) x Off-White “PAPERWORK”

campaign (via Instagram) INSTAGRAM ENGAGEMENT RATE:
42.2% 2.3%
Reel Carrousel

24
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 & THE UTION LEV OF UENC IFL

2022 AVERAGE INSTAGRAM ENGAGEMENT

RATE FOR BEAUTY INFLUENCERS 1.9% IN Y
M ILO
(@ra
inymil
o) photograp
he d
by
Ta
ur
ea
n
A Ro
R

ye
STRATEGY

Entrusted to help realise the late Virgil Abloh’s vision for

“PAPERWORK” — one of his last ever projects — Karla Otto po-
sitioned “PAPERWORK” as a disruptive player within the beauty
space, challenging conventional beauty ideals.

ENG. RATE

10.4%
LIVAN (@maeve
SUL llisu
lliv
EVE an
M A )

HOW WE USED LEFTY

Karla Otto’s beauty team creatively conceptualised a stills and

moving campaign with a diverse and unexpected set of global
talent. The results showcased targeted, impactful campaigns with
relevant talent by utilising Lefty to dissect influencers' audiences
and determine estimated ROI. They created unique and authen-
tic assets that helped convey the key brand messages, story tell,
generate buzz and inspire audiences.

ENG. RATE

6.7% KA
RE N
JIMENEZ (@theset.b
ykj
)

RESULTS

Each of the talents all significantly over-delivered against their

contracted deliverables — a testament to their level of engage-
ment with the brand and campaign concept crafted by Karla Otto
and measured by Lefty. The campaign's high levels of engagement
showcase the success of the content for the brand and its relevan-
ce amongst its community.
ENG. RATE

6.9%Carousel
*All pictures Off-White “PAPERWORK” campaign (via Instagram).

2
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 BEAUTY & THE EVOLUTION OF INFU
L ENCE

CONCLUSION The Future of Beauty

& Community
The top brands of 2022 – Kylie Cosmetics, Rare Beauty, and Fenty
Beauty – demonstrated the power of celebrity. But what is the key
to success for beauty brands in 2023 and beyond?

There are two parts to the equation:

First, developing a loyal community is critical, as this group will

echo a brand’s internal structure and customer base. The com-
munity is the lifeblood of a brand’s business, providing feedback
and support while evangelising on its behalf. Companies can build
trust and foster long-lasting relationships with their customers by
making their community feel like an extension of the brand.

Second, a recent shift has occurred in how brands interact with

their customers. This is mainly due to the saturation of con-
tent and information available online. With so much noise, it is
difficult for customers to differentiate between reliable sources
and marketing campaigns. As a result, they are more likely to
form personal connections with brands and people they trust.
Brands must focus on creating a community that consumers can
rely on for accurate information and product recommendations
via user-generated content on social media, loyalty programs, or
direct conversations.
“To succeed in what is now such a saturated category, beauty
brands must refine their community strategies across channels
such as Instagram and TikTok, learning what resonates, what
doesn’t, and, importantly, how to be agile”, explains Karla Otto’s
Boyd. “At Karla Otto, we specialise in supporting beauty brands
to master the ever-evolving digital landscape and the community
that surrounds it. We help brands build cultural capital and prepa-
re for the future with creativity and authenticity at the fore”.

For Beauty, our data points to TikTok as the platform of choice for
gaining new customers and reaching new communities in 2023,
allowing marketers an opportunity to tap into young consumers
like never before. However, it’s important for brands to be aware
of sensitive geopolitical tensions in certain markets. In India, the
app is banned altogether, whereas in the US, more than 20 states
have banned the app from government devices due to concerns
about data protection and the potential for election interference.
Brands who operate in these markets should stay vigilant to the
geopolitical business context of the platform as a marketing tool
as we head into 2023 and beyond.
“No matter the format or the platform, our job at Lefty remains
the same. We give brands a tool to measure their influencer rela-
tionships and help grow their communities,” surmises Repelski.
THE FUTURE OF COMMUNITY
Meanwhile, the web as we know it is evolving into its next stage:
Web3. Web3 presents a version of the web where services are not
hosted by businesses, but by all. As such, the community is the
cornerstone of this new era and critical for success in this new
space. And while the jury remains out on how widely beauty con-
sumers will adopt it, Boyd comments that brands that evolve with
their communities will be best setup for success.

“Remaining agile will better prepare you to enter and win in

Opposite page, Chiao Li Hsu (@chiaolihsu) x Off-White
Web3. It has arrived, and the opportunities we envisage for beauty
“PAPERWORK” campaign (via Instagram). brands are incredibly exciting,” surmises Boyd.

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 BEAUTY & THE EVOLUTION OF INFLUENCE

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 BEAUTY & THE EVOLUTION OF INFLUENCE

LEFTY Created in 2015, Lefty is a platform that helps brands optimise their influence marketing
programs. Based on proprietary, state-of-the-art technology, Lefty supports brands with in-
fluencer identification, management and reporting of their influencer marketing campaigns.
Discover more at lefty.io or contact contact@lefty.io.

KARLA OTTO Founded in 1982, Karla Otto is a full-service brand-building agency, operating from thirteen
cities across the globe. Karla Otto’s service is unparalleled. Blending the best of fashion,
beauty, design, lifestyle, and arts & culture, we offer a panoramic view of opportunities and
the ability to execute complex ideas. Our loyal network and unrivalled approach to culture
and community enables us to take brands to brave new territories. Dicover more at karlaotto.
com or contact insights@karlaotto.com.

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