Michele Gauthier, vp, production, Americas, Shutterstock Studios
In an industry built on transformation, beauty brands are facing one of their biggest reinventions yet. Costs are rising, consumer attention is fractured and once-reliable formulas for growth are losing traction.
Shutterstock’s 2025 Creative Impact Report shows global marketing spend is up 33% since 2023, while purchase intent increased just 17%. The increase in the impact on purchase intent hasn’t kept up with the increase in spend, so while marketers are spending more, it’s not paying off proportionally, resulting in a 12 percentage-point gap.
To further illustrate this, if a brand sees a 12% drop in creative impact, followed by another year-to-date 8% drop, that doesn’t mean they saw a 4% improvement. Instead, it means they’re operating at a nearly 20% cumulative impact deficit from where they were previously. Ultimately, it signals a failing strategy where brands pay much more for much less of an effect.
The 12 percentage-point gap highlights that higher brand spending doesn’t lead to more engagement. But it also points to a solution: creativity itself. Done right, creativity isn’t a luxury — it’s the key to growth, trust and long-term brand resilience.
To thrive in 2026, beauty brands need to reframe ROI, make AI work for people (rather than the other way around), replace influence with authenticity, rethink the customer journey, address the problem with performance metrics and build trust through education and empathy.
Reframe ROI: Fewer assets, bigger impact
Shutterstock’s report tells a clear story: The industry’s impact score (a measure of how creativity drives ROI) has dropped nearly 20% over the last two years, even as budgets soar. The more brands create, the less consumers seem to care. So what’s gone wrong? The issue isn’t quantity, it’s quality.
The savviest beauty brands are already course-correcting by using creative efficiency to their advantage. This approach favors fewer, stronger ideas over producing an endless stream of content. Time and again, emotionally charged, culturally resonant campaigns outperform those optimized solely for volume, proving that connection is the key to winning with audiences.
Make AI work for people, not the other way around
Artificial intelligence is reshaping every facet of marketing, including how search works, in-store personalization, campaign ideation and content creation. Yet, as AI grows more capable, much of what it makes feels less original. So how can brands use this powerful tool without losing their creative edge?
The Creative Impact Report found that 58% of creatives already use AI to work faster. While 56% believe it actually helps make creative output more human when used well, the distinction is critical: AI shouldn’t be considered a hero or a villain; it’s the sidekick.
The most effective brands will treat AI as an assistant, not an author. They’ll use it to uncover insights, personalize experiences and scale creative testing in a way that prioritizes taste and storytelling. As brands adopt AI, transparency will be key. To help earn consumer trust, brands should choose partners who credit and compensate the artists behind the technology being used.
Replace influence with authenticity
Audiences are tuning out influencers and craving something real. The report found that campaigns grounded in real experiences and shared values perform far better, increasing results like awareness and intent to buy by 17% to 25%. Emotion matters, too. Fifty-six percent of consumers trust ads that make them feel something, compared with 48% who trust ones that simply state the facts.
As the age of perfection in marketing fades, people want authentic content that makes them feel seen. Beauty shoppers want brands that understand who they are and what they care about. To build trust, brands are partnering with creators, communities and consumers who reflect their audience’s real lives. It’s about establishing credibility and building lasting connections.
Rethink the customer journey: Depth over frequency
The beauty path to purchase now stretches across retail, e-commerce and social platforms, but consumers are responding less and less. Sixty-four percent of U.S. adults say they feel overwhelmed by ads, which explains why marketing effectiveness fell another 8% in 2025. In a world of endless scrolling, repetition can breed a sense of resentment. After just three campaign messages, brand believability starts to drop.
The takeaway: More isn’t just ineffective — it’s counterproductive
In 2026, marketers who embrace restraint will see results. Instead of showing up on every platform, brands should focus on a few, high-impact stories told across touchpoints in DTC, retail, social and experiential marketing. The most effective campaigns will act like ecosystems, not blasts, and be cohesive, emotionally driven and adaptive across the customer journey.
The problem with performance metrics
Creativity is not a soft metric; it’s a growth engine. That’s why marketers who are drowning in data can still mistake metrics for meaning. Success in 2026 means balancing measurable performance with human insight. Brands should track conversion rates and return on ad spend, but also watch brand sentiment, engagement depth and emotional recall. The most powerful creative does more than convert once. It builds trust that compounds over time. The brands that thrive will connect analytics with emotion, and use both to help tell their story.
Build trust through education and empathy
In a beauty market crowded with claims and confusion — especially around “clean beauty,” ingredients and technology — education has become the new superpower. When people are unsure what to believe, the brands that teach earn trust. Shutterstock’s report shows that positive emotions like pride and belonging score 61% on believability, while nostalgia-driven stories boost both trust and sharing by 10% to 11%.
When the world feels uncertain, people reach for what feels honest and familiar. For beauty brands, that means helping consumers understand, not just shop. Transparency about formulation, sustainability and technology can turn doubt into loyalty.
Creativity is the real competitive advantage
Across all six pillars, Shutterstock’s report points to one overarching truth: Creativity isn’t a soft skill; it drives business performance. Emotional resonance, cultural intelligence and human storytelling now outperform pure media spend.
The future of beauty belongs to brands brave enough to connect with empathy over excess. In a noisy, AI-filled world, creativity remains the one thing technology can’t automate: the ability to make people feel something real.
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