Drunk Elephant: The Skincare Brand’s Current Successes & Downfalls on Instagram.
An Analysis of Instagram Best Practices
Social media is a brilliant tool for digital marketing. However, used incorrectly, it has the power to make your business appear as anything, but brilliant. Not all social media platforms are created equal and it is important to understand the best practices to employ for each specific network. Approaching individual social platforms with separate intent is key and mastering the different capabilities of each will aid in strengthening brands and standing out in saturated markets.
Skin Care: Leading the Beauty Industry
The beauty industry is no stranger to mass competition, particularly in the area of skin care. Between 2012 to 2019, the skincare market grew globally by 41.8% and is predicted to hit a $189 billion valuation by 2025, (Ledesma, 2020). Skincare success has been cultivated by the rejection of heavy cosmetic cover up as consumer focus aims towards healthy skin rather than covered.
As the trend in healthy and natural skin is on the rise, consumers are searching for new products to purchase. Consequently, “The skin-care market is becoming increasingly fragmented and crowded,” explains Larissa Jensen, NPD Group Analyst. In fact, over 100 new brands have debuted in the market within the past few years, (Pina, 2019). Consumer demand for skin wellness exists on all ends of the purchasing spectrum from economical to high-end. Last year, Neiman Marcus experienced an 11% rise of skincare offerings, while Target experienced an ascend in skincare products at a surprising 31.6% increase, (Biron, 2019).
Drunk Elephant: A Rising Star
Drunk Elephant is a reasonably fresh face in the beauty industry that has broken through the clutter and is gaining rapid consumer attention. The charming skincare line holds a USP focused on biocompatibility and emphasizes an absence of ingredients rather than the addition of more. Since its successful 2015 partnership with Sephora, Drunk Elephant is seizing the opportunity to establish themselves as a worthy and effective alternative to make-up cosmetics amidst the skincare trend.
The Drunk Elephant brand first generated buzz through word of mouth marketing directly from their consumers. Genuine buyer testimonials reflected the brand image: candid, confident and credible. Transferring and maintaining this earned identity to digital marketing strategies is crucial for Drunk Elephant’s success in this highly competitive market. An analysis of the skincare lines’ Instagram social strategy can assist in keeping their momentum moving forward.
@DrunkElephant on Instagram
The incorporation of Instagram to brand social strategy is ideal for staying ahead of the competition. When 90% of accounts on the platform follow at least one business, the reasoning is obvious as to why brands, such as Drunk Elephant, should entertain this as a concrete strategy for marketing, (Chen, 2020).
Drunk Elephant currently has 1 million followers on Instagram, a large success compared to competitors like Glow Recipe with 748k followers, or Mario Badescu Beauty with 692k followers. Yet, the competition is still fierce. Glossier doubles as a cosmetic and skincare brand that has grown to reach 2.8 million followers. Building these metrics stems from proper practices on the platform to generate accurate brand perception. For instance, 78% of users identify brands as popular, 77% as creative, 76% as entertaining, and 72% as a community, (Chen, 2020).
Drunk Elephant Profile Optimization
Achieving great Instagram marketing begins with a reflection of profile optimization. First impressions matter in social media, so designing an Instagram profile that accurately reflects the brand is essential. More so, social media profile optimization aids in establishing credibility and brand loyalty.
Formatting an Instagram profile picture with a crisp, clear image demonstrates professionalism, especially when dealing with logos. Drunk Elephant’s profile picture uses a distorted and pixelated logo. There is also a noticeable difference in color compared to the logo presented on the brand’s website. While Drunk Elephant took the proper steps to use their logo as a profile picture, maintaining high quality and consistency is imperative on a platform that is all about visual images.
Drunk Elephant does a great job at establishing an informative Instagram Bio. Without hesitation, users identify this account as “Health/Beauty” and states a cheeky caption that encapsulates the brand philosophy. Additionally, Drunk Elephant incorporates upfront contact information, such as email, that invites users to reach out and connect. A call to action, “SHOP,” is included to encourage customers to purchase their products from the different places tagged on their Bio.
Drunk Elephant Content
Creating consistency through posted content is an integral part of social media marketing success. The Drunk Elephant Instagram page exhibits a consistent emphasis on showcasing product packaging in a photoshoot format. A steady theme of solid color backgrounds add eye-catching personality and a sense of modern minimalism to the profile. An overview of Drunk Elephant’s Instagram feed displays an obvious use of bright colors and clean formatting that parallels the heart and soul behind the brand.
As displayed in the Bio section, Drunk Elephant prides itself on the “biocapability” of its products. However, much of the brand’s posted content fails to promote this significant USP, creating an inconsistency between the brand philosophy and its social presence. A current content analysis of Drunk Elephant’s Instagram profile beginning January 1, 2020, produces 336 feed posts. 21 of these photos include a dog mentioned as @DrunkBruno, while zero photos include any other dogs. While the utilization of dog images on Instagram are entertaining, many used in this case are of poor resolution and have little to no relation to the brand. From this data set, no posts were found with further information explaining the significance of this specific dog, leaving many questions to Drunk Elephant’s efforts for attention.
Drunk Elephant Stories
When maintained properly, utilizing Instagram Stories and the Highlights feature can be a great asset to social media marketing and overall brand image. “According to Instagram, over 500 million accounts use Instagram Stories every day,” (Chen, 2020). Proven a popular feature, Stories provide opportunity to earn new fans and resonate with social media audiences.
Drunk Elephant does an excellent job at utilizing Stories to entertain and inform. These short-lived posts are filled with color, images, and text that educate followers with product information and suggested methods for product use. Placed in Highlight folders, the vibrant Stories reflect the colorful product packaging and cheeky tone many customers have come to know.
However, poorly maintained Highlights can alter brand perception from “engaging” to “cluttered.” Currently, Drunk Elephant has 51 Story Highlights with the oldest being over 126 weeks old. Still a rising star in the beauty industry, the skincare brand would benefit from an assessment to identify an appropriate number of Highlights that correspond with its marketing needs.
Drunk Elephant- Future of Skincare
Drunk Elephant is climbing the social media ladder and finding success in the impacted beauty industry. Despite minor platform mishaps, Drunk Elephant is gaining traction and establishing a prominent digital brand presence. To rise above the rest and become a household name, the skincare brand must implement the best practices specified for Instagram.
Citations
Biron, B. (2019, August 30). People Are Ditching Iconic Makeup Brands and Flocking to … Retrieved from https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/cosmetics-industry-struggles-to-keep-up-in-age-of-glossier-2019-8-1028488515
Chen, J. (2020, May 15). Important Instagram stats you need to know for 2020. Retrieved from https://sproutsocial.com/insights/instagram-stats/
Ledesma, M. (2020, May 15). Surging Skincare Sales And Ecommerce Growth Reshape The Beauty Industry. Retrieved from https://insights.digitalmediasolutions.com/news/skincare-ecommerce-beauty-industry
Pina, T. (2019, January 24). The Skin-Care Industry Is Thriving — but How Long Can This Boom Last? Retrieved from https://fashionista.com/2019/01/skin-care-beauty-industry-growth
