At Base Beauty Creative Agency, empathy is not just a watchword of the moment, although it continues to be a trending topic on LinkedIn. We’ve been talking the talk and walking the walk on the role of empathy in marketing from our agency’s very beginning 17 years ago. We didn’t use the word empathy back then, but that’s exactly what we were doing as we put ourselves in the consumer’s shoes to authentically connect with them.
Empathy is our raison d’etre, the why and the how that fuels our holistic, data-driven creative marketing. If you have not yet read our recently launched white paper produced with Ad Age, titled “The Empathy Effect: Unlocking Explosive Growth in Beauty, Wellness, and Personal Care,” We encourage you to download it. (https://adage.com/white-paper/empathy-effect) It’s required reading for any marketer, and we’re not just saying that because we co-produced it and are proud of it. This thoughtfully researched survey takes a deep dive into what decision-makers truly, madly, deeply need from their agency partners. It’s eye-opening for any marketer in any industry.
We began the white paper project because we suspected that many clients are not really getting what they need from the outside agencies they contract. We had heard this from some of our clients, who shared their delight at our complete, soup-to-nuts, quasi-in-house marketing services while also sharing their disappointment with other agencies they had worked with. This white paper was a chance for us to measure and quantify what was missing for these clients—and show them Base Beauty’s capabilities.
When we first set up shop, our mission was to create a successful creative marketing agency that did things differently. We sought talent who shared our values of excellence, kindness, respect, and flexibility. We wove empathy for our colleagues, clients, and consumers into every interaction, from internal hiring practices to communications with clients to always, always, always putting ourselves in the consumer’s place to help make their buying decisions easy and fulfilling. That’s how we worked at Base Beauty back then…and still do.
Since empathy is so baked into our work at Base Beauty, we were surprised to discover that that’s not the case for all marketers. Working from a place of empathy makes our office culture productive, supportive, and fun. Working from a place of empathy helps establish honest, successful, long-term relationships with clients. Working from a place of empathy produces results for brands and connections with consumers. Why wouldn’t everyone want to work this way?
Here are some examples of how empathy is reflected in the strategizing and execution of what we at Base Beauty do for our clients and their customers every day:
#1: Working with Face Reality Skincare, an acne-focused skincare line sold primarily through aestheticians, dermatologists, and medical spas, we started by looking at the emotional toll of living with acne. Our campaign was centered on messaging that made acne patients feel heard and understood, beginning with a survey of over a thousand acne sufferers to truly understand what they felt and what they needed. We learned that many had been bullied in their formative years and often avoided social situations because of their acne. Our strategy was developed to empathize with the consumers’ experiences with acne rather than stressing the results of the products they used. Even we were blown away by how deeply this campaign resonated with and connected to those who had spent years seeking acne solutions.
#2: We worked with EltaMD, the #1 dermatologist-recommended and trusted sunscreen, which is also the one dermatologists personally use the most. The goal was to expand awareness of the importance of daily sunscreen use beyond the derm’s office. Our annual campaign was a blend of education and entertainment, and featured well-known skin cancer survivors, including Brooke Shields, Michelle Monaghan, and Witney Carson, telling their relatable stories to bring emotion and empathy into the work organically. We filmed using a lo-fi, direct-to-camera approach to create intimacy and connection with these high-profile celebs. The brand’s tinted sunscreen emerged as a breakout topic on Google Trends, growing more than 5000% since 2021.
#3: Another way we weave empathy into our work is through stressing inclusivity, diversity, and authenticity. For example, in photography, we discourage our clients from retouching, which can create unrealistic expectations and make consumers feel “less than” and even suspicious about claims when they look at a model’s flawless skin. We have discussions with our clients to show them the value of helping customers realistically see themselves in the campaigns we create for them.
#4: Pause Well-Aging was one of the first brands developed to meet the challenges of skincare during the three phases of menopause. Before the brand was launched, no one in the beauty and wellness industry was even talking about menopause; it was almost a forbidden topic, and yet it is a biological phase that will affect half of the world’s population for up to half of their lives. We helped the brand open up the conversation with honesty and a little humor to sensitively speak to the needs of this overlooked, underserved, and massive market. The brand heard from many grateful women who appreciated that their symptoms and experiences of going through menopause—sometimes a bumpy ride—were finally acknowledged and addressed.
#5: Gen Alpha’s skincare fixation continues unabated. As we monitor conversations, we often see comments and questions from dermatologists, aestheticians, parents, even sales associates at Sephora and Ulta Beauty, that skincare-obsessed tweens and teens are seeking out products and ingredients that are unsuitable for young skin. Our community management team members use their expertise and empathetic listening skills to create thoughtful content that educates and provides a professional perspective for concerned adults, especially parents, seeking guidance on how to steer their kids to products formulated without the powerful anti-aging ingredients that are inappropriate for and can be damaging to young skin. We worked closely with our skincare client Epionce on this sensitive approach that reflects our empathy for these adult concerns.
#6: Our community management team is the epicenter of our work with Milani Cosmetics, a 23-year-old makeup brand that offers a luxurious product experience at an affordable price. Because community management is often the first point of contact between a brand and a potential customer, our team amplified the brand’s sensitivity to the needs of different skin types with their expansive offerings of 45 shades of foundation and 18 shades of concealer. Our work helped spread the word about the diversity and inclusivity inherent in their brand.
#7: Working with feminine care products brand FemiClear, we helped them directly and honestly deliver their core message empowering women to take control of their vaginal health with confidence and joy instead of shame and stigma. Recognizing that euphemisms don’t work anymore, we created a new tagline, “Joie de V!” that, along with joyful, upbeat photography, brought a little humor into a straightforward conversation, giving the brand a new look and feel. We further humanized the messaging by sharing a founder’s personal story in a way that forged a real connection.
In our internal strategy meetings at Base Beauty and when presenting to clients, we always focus on the multiple ways in which empathy weaves through all of our work. Connection with customers is what matters. As it always has. As it always will.