#2 do we really need another influencer beauty brand?
In this economy?
Our clean girl, scandi queen, Matilda Djerf has built her $34.5 million business empire on her apparel line, Djerf Avenue. But she’s now branching into beauty. More specifically, haircare.
Just yesterday, the Swedish influencer launched her beauty brand Djerf Avenue Beauty, and she’s giving her fans what they want… the luscious products to achieve her infamous bouncy blowout hair. For now, she’s keeping it short and has launched only two products - the Breezy Styling Mist which retails for £25 and two variations of the On The Go Styling Gel (scented and non-scented) both of which retail at £19.
Right now? Clever move tilda.
Strategic timing can make or break a launch, as exemplified by the Swedish influencer who made headlines last October by deactivating her TikTok account after her Djerf Avenue team posted a statement regarding their Intellectual Property lawyers (IP) to flag content that allegedly infringes on their copyright.
Whilst ‘dupes’ aren’t a new concept to the internet, especially not on TikTok and most definitely not for Djerf who, in her formative years, showcased many items that imitated more expensive designer brands. A particular item of contention appeared to be sets of Amazon pyjamas, which imitated Djerf’s own floral and fruity PJ sets with the infamous ‘Summer Berries’ pattern… which she doesn’t even own.
“Uh, her designs are super basic and are literally just H&M but 5x the price?? It’s like if you wear a pair of jeans and then have Levis come after you,”
Nevertheless, the brand came under fire for copyright-striking the content of smaller creators, who’ve posted videos with dupes for Djerf Avenue products. Djerf’s clothing brand is no cheap feat, so it’s natural for influencers to share less costly alternatives with their followers. However, it was a big no-no in the 26-year-old’s eyes.
This whole incident took to TikTok, and revealed a lot of backlash with her fans turning against her. One TikTok user @thejackieaccount, called it “ironic” when “a lot of her brand is actually dupes of other things that she’s worn in the past.” Pointing to a beige trench coat, she added: “This [coat] is something that she used to wear and then she basically remade it and is selling it underneath her own brand.”
A TikTok commenter wrote under Jackie’s video, “Uh, her designs are super basic and are literally just H&M but 5x the price?? It’s like if you wear a pair of jeans and then have Levis come after you,”
I get it, it’s never nice to have your work copied and sold for cheaper, but when your brand is not original and imitating bigger designer brands, to which you’re then copying and selling it for a hefty price whilst skimping on cheap materials like elastic and polyester, I can see why she was cancelled… until now.
To Hair or not To Hair
Matilda's comeback journey begs the question: Can Djerf Avenue Beauty stand the test of time? Let's take a peek at some influencer brands – like Selfless by Hyram, Item Beauty by Addison Rae, and Bad Habits led by Emma Chamberlain – and why they didn't quite make the cut.
“Influencer marketing in the beauty sector is a saturated space. It’s a channel that has worked so everybody is pouring more money into this strategy,”
- Evy Lyons, Chief Marketing Officer at Traackr
First off, there's a noticeable shift in how people engage with influencer content. Despite more users and sponsored posts flooding our feeds, the thrill seems to be wearing off. While the number of active users and sponsored posts across makeup, skincare and haircare increased in the last three months of 2021, engagement has fallen quarter over quarter, according to influencer marketing platform, Traackr. “Influencer marketing in the beauty sector is a saturated space. It’s a channel that has worked so everybody is pouring more money into this strategy,” observes Traackr’s chief marketing officer Evy Lyons. “There are a lot more brands at play and creators talking about products.”
Then there's the trust issue. Gen Z, in particular, isn't easily swayed by celeb endorsements. They're more likely to take advice from their besties than their favourite TikTok star. And let's be real, who can blame them? Trust in influencer products is about as low as your phone battery after a day of scrolling.
Hana Ben-Shabat, founder of research firm, Gen Z Planet, indicates that only 19% of Gen Z’s said celebrities influence their purchasing decisions. In comparison to 66% who cited their friends as the most influential. According to a Trustpilot report, celeb influencers have the lowest level of trust in consumers - 67% in the US and 65% in the UK describe their level of trust in them as ‘low’. Particularly when it comes to celebrity health and beauty products, customer reviews and expert ratings are ranked highest.
But perhaps the biggest turn-off? People are just plain tired of influencers pushing products they probably don't even use themselves. Will Matilda Djerf actually put her own products to use on those luscious locks? It's like when Millie Bobby Brown got caught faking her skincare routine – oops!
Despite all this, there have been influencer beauty brands that have done very well, with Fenty Beauty by Rihanna being a standout example. The biggest reason for this is that Rihanna truly understands her audience and has created a product they really cannot get anywhere else.
Fenty almost immediately sold out the day it was released, with its darkest shades selling out first. This proved to so many beauty brands that black women are a worthy market of people to cater to, and in this way, Fenty Beauty pioneered something. Another thing that made Fenty stand out was that despite Rihanna’s huge fame, Rihanna herself is a black woman and has also, in the past complained about having issues finding makeup shades that do not match her skin tone. PR expert Brenda Gabriel added, “The fact that Rihanna was a black icon acknowledging the struggle for black women in particular made them love her and her disruptive persona even more.”
