With its early adoption of digital platforms and unique collabs, Nyx Professional Makeup is known for its forward-thinking approach to marketing. According to Denée Pearson, the brand’s svp of global marketing, product development and social, “The days of the perfectly curated, filtered Instagram grid are over.”
Pearson joined the brand in 2019 as it was expanding its marketing initiatives far beyond beauty’s typical offerings. Nyx Cosmetics was one of the first major beauty brands to launch a TikTok account back in 2019. It has since been early to experiment with a wide range of digital initiatives, including the metaverse, gaming, livestreaming and up-and-coming social platforms.
“All platforms have their strengths, but how the storytelling comes to life is what makes brands stand out,” Pearson said. “Reimagining how creative assets and brand messaging come to life on each platform is what I find to be incredibly compelling.”
Pearson is “most proud of the evolution of Nyx Professional Makeup into a brand that embodies diversity, prides itself on inclusivity and [is] community-first,” she said. This includes “breaking the mold by creating new paths in artistry” with a focus on the brand’s makeup community.
“We’ve created and developed innovations in the last year that will forever change the way we look at marketing, from collaborating with Netflix’s ‘La Casa de Papel’ (‘Money Heist’) to tapping into artistry in all forms with partners like Kendra Dandy for our Ultimate Queens collection, to creating products that are specifically tailored for our community.”
As part of the Ultimate Queens program, Nyx Cosmetics launched year-long contracts with 10 Black creators to “help deepen their representation in content across various initiatives including beauty and entertainment,” according to the brand.
Nyx Cosmetics’ “La Casa de Papel” collaboration was part of its ongoing successful partnership with Netflix, which in the past has included collabs with the shows “Sex Education” and “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.”
In parent company L’Oréal Group’s annual financial report for 2021, the “La Casa de Papel” collaboration was specifically cited as helping to contribute to “an exceptional year” for the brand.
Before major fashion and beauty brands flocked to Metaverse Fashion Week in March 2022, NYX had established a presence in the metaverse. In fall 2021, the brand participated in Crypto Fashion Week, where it enlisted makeup artist Mimi Choi to create a makeup look that was digitized via a futuristic hologram capture machine.
Gaming has also been a big focus for the brand. Nyx became the official beauty partner of esports organization Dignitas in June 2021. This was the latest in its gaming initiatives, which have also included campaigns with Animal Crossing and Tetris.
Additionally, the brand has been active with livestreaming across platforms, including Amazon Live Shopping, LiveBeat, via LiveScale, and IG Live Shopping. It was also the first brand to launch shoppable livestreaming on short video platform Triller.
“As marketing has evolved to focus on inclusivity and diversity, the role of a marketer has become about listening and agility,” Pearson said. “The younger generations are proudly diverse, outspoken and passionate about what they believe in. Understanding them first is the winning formula. Brands and marketers need to always put the community first. It’s no longer about setting the trends, but [it’s instead about] listening to what the audience is saying and understanding what they need, then identifying the gaps in the market. It’s about walking the walk and talking the talk, fully committed to authenticity.”
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