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Newsletter #827: The “Things You Can Learn From Beauty Brands” Issue

[Welcome back to the Damn, I Wish I’d Thought of That! newsletter. This is text of the great issue all of our email subscribers just received. Sign yourself up using the handy form on the right.]

If anyone has success in this crowded, competitive, and complicated industry, they’re doing something right. A few quick ideas worth borrowing:

1> Samples can teach you a lot
2> Bad news can be good news
3> You don’t need to fake it
4> Check it out: The Internet Wish List

1> Samples can teach you a lot

Before you launch that next big thing, it’s always a good idea to get it into the hands of real customers first. For beauty brands, this sampling and testing process is a fundamental part of the industry. So much so, there’s even room for startups like Birchbox who sends custom monthly sample kits to their subscribers on behalf of brands like Kiehl’s and Marc Jacobs. This mentality of quick feedback helps these brands figure out what works, what needs more work, and what to avoid entirely.

The lesson: Save money and surprises by getting early samples into the hands of honest reviewers whenever possible.

Learn more: Fast Company

2> Bad news can be good news

When things don’t go perfectly is when you’ve got a chance to show off your awesome customer support. At beauty and skincare retailer Sephora, they know how disappointing it can be for a customer to learn that their favorite product is discontinued. So, they use the opportunity to introduce them to their Beauty Advisors who are there to help them find a great alternative. This simple process turns a frustrating, dead-end experience into long-term trust and loyalty.

The lesson: If you’ve got great customer service, there’s no bad news or difficult situation you can’t turn into a positive and remarkable experience.

3> You don’t need to fake it

As consumers, we assume every beauty product’s commercial and print ad has been heavily worked over by a Photoshop wizard. It’s so common, smaller brands feel pressure to compete with the “polish” of what the big guys produce. But beauty brand Make Up For Ever proves you can get even more attention by doing the opposite. Their website features unedited photos of models wearing their makeup line — they even encourage you to zoom in on them. The whole campaign is different, unexpected, and feels more honest than what we’re used to from this industry — which is probably why so many people are talking about it.

The lesson: Everyone (except maybe your less ethical competitors) wins when you bring a little more honesty to your industry.

Learn more: Huffington Post

4> Check it out: The Internet Wish List

The Internet Wish List is home to a bunch of ideas — both big and small — that could make all of our online and connected lives a little better.

Check it out: The Internet Wish List

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