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By Mr. Ayush Ahuja, Co-Founder of Zalon
The beauty industry has undergone significant changes in recent years, at the heart of which lies the role played by technological advancements. Integrating technology with the industry has provoked shifts in its traditional value chain and ushered in a wave of notable advancements, offering new opportunities for those willing to enter the field. This is predicted to only increase in the future, due to the fast-evolving digital landscape and wider potential for innovation in terms of job prospects, branding and management strategies, and virtual marketplaces. Here we look at some of the new roles combining beauty and technology, along with how the use of technology has reshaped the industry.
Digital roles to grow
With the beauty and salon industry going digital, there has been a plethora of emerging professional roles in the industry. Beauty professionals today are re-inventing themselves with challenging roles that are shaping the beauty industry for times to come. Every brand today has to have a great digital presence and this is possible only if there are digital professionals who are leading the brand from the front. There are digital marketing professionals and growth strategists who manage the digital presence of any particular brand. Be it handling Social Media pages, running digital campaigns, or optimizing online content, – it is all a well-planned strategy that each brand needs to work on. Digital professionals scrutinize customer data and market trends to come up with useful strategies for brand growth. There is little doubt that social media’s pervasive presence in people’s daily lives has been fundamental for the burgeoning online beauty business and hence businesses and brands go ahead and leverage its immense reach. With this, comes the whole task of managing the social media presence of beauty brands, keeping up with current trends in the market, and careful inspection of social media activity that would resonate with the audience, and yield the desired ROI.
AR Makeup Artists and Stylists
What a brush stroke could do to a face has in modern-day transformed into what coding or even a mouse click can do to faces miles away. The use of cutting-edge technology like Augmented Reality can today create digital makeup, looks, and style transformations, offering a completely interactive experience. Often they may involve virtual consultation to provide suggestions with looks and preferences. Additionally, they need to stay up-to-date with the latest advancements in AR technologies, including “try on” makeup looks, hairstyles, and outfits virtually through AR-powered apps or mirrors. This is a brand-new career opportunity that is alluring to many beauty professionals.
Data Scientist drives solutions
With technology going the Artificial Intelligence (AI) way, data scientists have become the most sought-after professionals in the beauty industry. This role serves as a bridge between the realm of beauty chemistry and data science. Perhaps among the best giving of technology, Data Science helps us in making informed decisions. Using data history, they identify the combination and dosage of product ingredients to obtain specific skincare or beauty results; ranging from acne solutions, targeting anti-aging, and a plethora of other cosmetic treatments. As they collaborate consistently with beauty chemists, data engineers, and marketing teams, their work combines the art and science of beauty formulation.
Influencer marketing overrules
YouTube and Instagram are the latest marketing tools that have built brands in record time. Social media platforms have provided brands with a dynamic visual canvas to showcase their products, enabling them to cultivate a compelling online presence. Many beauty professionals and enthusiasts are turning into successful influencers who are shaping brand awareness. Influencers develop and execute data-driven influencer marketing strategies and creative campaigns. It demands a flair for networking, in-depth knowledge of the social media marketing industry, and an understanding of what marketing strategies could work across different channels and mediums. YouTubers and Influencers today are the most sought-after by brands and are an integral part of any marketing campaign.
UI/UX Designers going strong
With the mushrooming of beauty Apps, there has been a rising need for special UI/UX designers, and having a little understanding of the beauty industry is always an added advantage. Responsible for creating user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design of mobile applications dealing with make-up, beauty, skin care, and similar areas, these tech designers make a huge difference in the way customers perceive the brands, and ensure the digital experience is good enough to keep the engagement going. Conducting background research, conducting testing sessions to gather insights for areas of development, curating features based on user profiles, etc. are all part of it.
The growth of digital platforms for the beauty industry received a further boost during the COVID-19 pandemic when consumers could not access physical retail stores with lockdowns and restrictions imposed. Yet, the whole appeal of walking into a store, trying on different products could hardly be substituted by the dry and detached method of browsing through pictures in shopping websites. Here’s where Augmented Reality, Artificial Intelligence, and other technological advancements came to the rescue. Virtual try-on options to assess how one would look and feel using different products enhanced the shopping experience of the users, and there was a surge in incorporating AR in top beauty brands on their websites. And consumers are loving these virtual experiences.
To sum up, there is now a wide breadth of sub-markets within the beauty industry, of cosmetics, haircare, spas, and much more. With the integration of beauty and technology, the future is yet to yield many more cutting-edge career roles.