How to Turn Data into Strategy: A Marketer’s Guide to the 2025 Beauty State of Influence

Step 1: Benchmark Your Brand

Before you build a winning strategy, you need to know where you stand.

Start with a simple question:
How does your brand stack up against the competition?

📊 Key sections to check in the report:
Metrics to benchmark: EMV, Ripple Impact, and YoY Growth

What to Look For:

• Engagement vs. Owned Channels
  If influencer content for brands like Sephora is driving 8x more engagement than their owned social,  but yours isn’t, it may be time to reassess your creator strategy and refine your approach to partnership selection.

• Growth or Decline
  Are you growing with the market? Skincare mentions grew 7% year-over-year, but resonance dropped 6%. If your brand follows that pattern, shift toward more authentic, educational content – think dermatologist-led videos like CeraVe’s.

Action Steps

• If you’re winning:
  Lean in. If you’re a top performer (e.g., Dior in fragrance), double down on what’s working, like celebrity-led storytelling or standout product moments.

• If you’re falling behind:
  Rethink your mix. For instance, if your makeup EMV is trending downward, consider reallocating budget to higher-growth categories like skincare or hybrid wellness.

Step 2: Identify High-Impact Opportunities

Once you’ve benchmarked your performance, the next step is to uncover where the biggest opportunities lie.

📊 Key sections to explore in the report:
Metrics to benchmark: Virality Grades, Community Size and Growth

What to Look For:

• Influencer Value, Not Just Reach
  Who’s actually moving the needle? A brand like Vichy earned an “A” virality grade, meaning its influencer content consistently spreads well beyond the creator’s immediate audience. Seek out similar creators whose content earns traction organically.

• Community Momentum
  Is your influencer network expanding or flatlining? Garnier, for instance, saw an 18% increase in community size, signaling strong recruitment and activation strategies. If growth is stagnant on your side, it might be time to explore scalable approaches like incentivized UGC or ambassador programs.

Action Steps

• Double down on what’s working
  Identify high-virality formats in your space (e.g., GRWM videos in beauty) and replicate those themes across new creators and content styles.

• Strengthen creator loyalty
  If your advocacy retention is low, consider launching a retainer or long-term ambassador program to deepen relationships and drive consistency over time.

Step 3: Optimise for Trends

Staying relevant means keeping pace with where the conversation is heading, and acting quickly when the right opportunity appears.

📊 Key sections to explore in the report:
2025 Trends

What to Look For:

• Momentum Shifts in Consumer Behavior
  Trends like the “dupes” movement generated $568M in EMV, with brands like e.l.f. leading the charge by offering savvy, lower-cost alternatives to prestige staples. If similar trends align with your brand, they represent high-leverage entry points.

• Emerging Cultural Collisions
  Cross-category moments, like beauty-sports collaborations, are gaining traction, Glossier x USA Basketball being a standout example. If you’re not participating in these fast-growing intersections, you may be missing high-reach potential.

Action Steps

• Lean in with strategic alignment
  When a trend reflects your brand’s positioning (e.g., “sensory marketing” for fragrance), craft timely creative that brings it to life. Rhode’s dessert-themed product launches are a great example.

• Stay focused on brand fit
  Not every trend is worth chasing. If a movement doesn’t resonate with your identity, like celebrity-heavy campaigns for a clinically positioned skincare line, it’s better to pass.

Step 4: Turn Insights into Action

A strong strategy starts with data, but it only drives results when paired with clear execution. Here’s how to bring your insights to life in the next 90 days.

🗓️ Your 90-Day Action Plan