The Power Of Black Beauty Consumers + Why Black Beauty Brands Are Necessary
It’s About More Than Looking Good
Source: fotostorm / Getty
So we know that Black consumers are spending more on beauty products than other groups (in spite of many brands falling short in their efforts to cater to them). The question is, why? It’s an answer that’s invaluable to any company trying to reach a Black consumer base.
What the research found time and time again is that, for Black shoppers – particularly Black women – curating and perfecting their appearance is about so much more than just looking good. It’s about cultural pride. In fact, Black consumers are 20 percent more likely than the rest of the population to say they are okay with paying extra for a product if it’s in line with the image they’re trying to put forward.
A strong form of this connection between cultural pride and beauty can be found in Black women’s nails. Black women first popularized long, acrylic nails featuring elaborate artwork. But, as one article in The New Yorker points out (covering a well-received short film about a nail salon in Brooklyn serving mostly Black clientele) there are not enough Black acrylic nail experts who can provide the service. And, now other cultures are appropriating this style of nail. The piece goes onto discuss how it used to be that the French tip or simple manicure was the go-to of the white middle-class woman. Black women carved out their identity and space in the world of nails with acrylic nails that were anything but understated and subtle. These elaborate designs were a way of signaling cultural pride to the world.
Cultures outside of the Black community are appropriating Black beauty trends, but that’s not news. They also dominate the beauty market’s goods and products. If anything, that’s a sign that we need more Black beauty brands and they deserve our Black dollars. Black consumers are ready to support brands that understand their specific need, recognize what a valuable customer base they are, and that go with them on the journey of representing cultural pride in their aesthetics.
RELATED CONTENT: The Melanin Awards Return To Honor The Best Black Beauty Products Of 2022
