New tools to reach beauty consumers hit Spotify, Instagram
Social media and technology are becoming the new battlegrounds for companies to market their latest product launches to a wide range of consumers. Streaming giant, Spotify has already made its mark in the e-commerce field by partnering with Merchbar since 2014 to sell artists’ merchandise on their profile pages. Now, the company is reportedly looking to take things one step further by entering the world of beauty.
Spotify is looking to continue its successful relationship with Merchbar by using it as the link between product and consumer, according to a report in TechCrunch. The company is looking to begin this launch by partnering with makeup artist Pat McGrath to sell three shades of lipstick retailing for $22 each. Consumers will be able to recreate the looks of their favorite artists with the products used to create them. This approach is similar to what newcomer Shopthat is looking to create with its platform.
Shopthat is a much newer company on the scene, but they are looking to bridge the gap between consumer and beauty influencer. The company will allow fans of a particular YouTube or Instagram star to shop their content by linking liked posts to products, taking shoppers all the way through purchase without having to visit a website or download an app. Unlike Spotify using Merchbar as its outside source for consumers to complete their purchases, Shopthat will be using Facebook Messenger to complete the transaction by connecting to a user’s social media account.
“For starters, we're not an app,” Ami Moore, CEO and Founder of Shopthat said. “You just like a shoppable post, then we send you a Facebook message that lets you directly shop all the products from the post. You see it, you Like it. Seconds later, you own it.”
Both companies are allowing the artist or influencer to receive a commission for the products sold.
These new efforts to capture sales from social media look to be solidifying technology's impact on the beauty world. Numerous brands have already partnered with such companies as ModiFace and YouCam Makeup to bring AR-powered technology to the shopping front, with MAC Cosmetics being the latest to launch virtual try-on mirrors in its stores.