AI’s impact on beauty consumers’ experience

Many of us are talking about how technology and AI are transforming the advertising industry, they’re also having an impact in the beauty world. 60% of those who tried makeup on virtually said that it influenced their decision to buy. L’Oreal has used AR tech so that shoppers can virtually try on products with photorealistic accuracy. Meanwhile, Ulta Beauty, Clarins, Beiersdorf and Unilever are among the first adopters of a generative AI-powered platform for businesses. Called Skin GPT, it analyses facial photos to predict future aging and simulate the effects of skincare products and treatments. While skin analysis is nothing new, it’s seen a renewed interest as brands seek out ways to tap into AI mania and make use of recent progress in the field. However, nearly 50% of Gen Z and Millennials aren’t aware that brands are offering ways to try on makeup virtually, so these services must be communicated more effectively to have a real impact.

Diversity in the beauty industry has become crucial. Arbelle’s State of Inclusivity in Beauty report tells us that the industry is being reshaped by consumers demanding diversity across gender, age, ethnicity and skin tone. Brands like Fenty Beauty are offering a wide range of shade offerings and a great thing about this is that other companies are following suite including big players like L’Oreal and Mac. So much so that it’s been named the Fenty effect. It’s not just about skin colour, but age and gender: 56% of men now have a skincare routine and companies are now using older models as brand ambassadors, think Helen Mirren and Jessica Lange.

For me, I had been using a French skincare company for ages, since I was in my twenties. In later years I’ve needed a restorative cream, but the brand became more expensive with the product costing £90. During Covid, when I was furloughed, I decided that this was too expensive and made a change to Nivea Age Spot. It’s probably a third of the price and unbelievably brilliant. This one product introduced me to Nivea as an affordable brand which means that I now use the night cream, serum and day cream.

Last year, we welcomed Eden Cuffe to MI Media as a senior account executive. In this Day in the Life, Eden shares his thoughts on how others starting in the industry can build their roles by becoming the person people ask for information, even if you don’t know the answer and why there’s no such thing as a worthless idea.

What led you to a career in media?

I started my career in advertising sales in my local village back home. I didn’t get much exposure to the agency world, but I enjoyed having conversations with different people and trying to secure the best benefits for them. I think media can look like all the work we’re doing is just for a brand, but I see it as also doing the work for the client team. Media is such a people-based industry that, if you get on with the teams you’re working with and do good work for them, you can form great relationships. Media is a small world and if you’re a dick, you’ll get found out, which I appreciate. I’ve also found it to be one of the more progressive sectors out there in terms of things like flexibility, hiring and sick pay.

Having worked in sales, I wanted to get more exposure to planning & implementation. Following a six-month stint at Channel 4, I moved to Manchester, where I went to university, and joined the team at Dentsu. The north has a really strong media landscape offering, you don’t need to be in London to be part of the industry. That being said, I wanted to move back down south to be closer to family and that’s what led me to my role as a senior account executive at MI Media.

What does a typical day look like for you?

It does vary but the main principles stay the same day-to-day. I grab an instant coffee every morning, maybe a bit of toast, then go through and prioritise my to do list for the day. My priorities can be anything from writing a report to interpreting a brief from a client to dissecting a schedule sent over by a media owner. I don’t find my days to be mundane or repetitive. We’re in a reactive industry, so we have to allow headspace for the unknown that might come into your inbox at any given notice. You could have a whole week planned out, but something could come through that will take priority and you have to be able to react well to that.

What mistake have you learnt the most from?

There isn’t such a thing as a fuck up. At the end of the day, what we’re doing isn’t life or death. But when it’s busy, it’s sometimes difficult to remember that. Mistakes are a good thing, it means you’re trying. It goes back to the fact that media is a people industry. If you do something wrong; miss a deadline or don’t present something the way you want to, everyone’s human and you will learn from it.

For me, I didn’t speak up as much as I wanted to when I first started. You might think your ideas are stupid but when you say it, someone responds with an ‘oh, I hadn’t thought of that’ and it’s proven to be useful. So back your own knowledge and don’t be afraid.

Emotionally driven storytelling: Charities can move beyond the technical aspects of legacy giving by focusing on the personal and emotional benefits. Sharing stories of how legacy gifts have made a tangible difference in people’s lives can help donors visualise the impact of their gift. Charities should focus on showcasing the lasting change their supporters’ gifts can create for future generations. This emotional connection is essential for building trust and engagement with potential legacy donors.

Make sure you consider the environment: Asking someone to pledge a gift in their will is a significant request, often driven by emotion and a deep connection to the cause. Creative storytelling works best when aligned to contextually relevant environments. There’s real power in aligning to the right media property where you can build connection to the cause and harness greater awareness. It’s something we took advantage of in the award-winning partnership we secured for the MND Association with ITV’s Coronation Street as one of its key characters, Paul Foreman, navigated his Motor Neurone Disease diagnosis. We secured unprecedented access for the MND Association to Coronation Street’s storylines to ensure that we placed the ad’s airtime against the most relevant episodes and plots. The campaign provided the charity with a unique platform to work with the UK’s longest running and most watched TV show to drive meaningful conversations and raise national awareness of MND. It’s important to not only focus on channels and environments that might deliver short-term, cost-efficient leads. Attracting Legacy donors is a long game.  

Measuring Impact: While legacy advertising is a long-term effort, it’s still important to track its effectiveness. Short-term metrics such as response rate percentage and cost per leads are easy to track, but it’s vital to understand how these might later convert into Legacy gifts. Understanding donors’ first connection with the charity and their ongoing touch points is hugely insightful, it can help you focus your efforts in the areas with the best overall returns, not just the ones delivering short-term efficiencies. 

Targeting younger donors: Legacy giving has traditionally been associated with older generations, but charities should also turn their attention to younger donors who may not have considered this form of giving. By presenting legacy giving as a long-term investment in a cause they care about, charities can tap into the values of younger audiences who are interested in making a lasting impact. Crafting targeted campaigns that emphasise the collective power of many small gifts can engage younger potential donors who might be hesitant about making large contributions. 

Marketing Insight – Lego had lost its brand identity

In the early 2000s, amidst losses of approximately $1 million per day, Lego was on the brink of bankruptcy. It was a company, and brand, that had lost its identity. Faced with the threat of intensified competition in the traditional toy market and the rise of digital entertainment, the brand reacted by over-diversifying. It moved away from what had made it successful and launched products which had little connection to the core business. It was a costly error which confused and alienated its traditional audience.  

To re-build, Lego needed to re-establish its brand position and reconnect with its customers. It undertook extensive audience research, embedding researchers into families in US and German cities. This uncovered the insights that “children still had plenty of free time, that they enjoyed difficult problems and that they often behaved differently when unsupervised.” To survive, Lego needed to go back to its roots and remind people of what made it special: imagination, creativity and play. Advertising and storytelling would play a crucial role in this.  

Expanded audience targeting changed brand perceptions  

Lego realised that a major part of its audience were the adults who used to use its products when they were children themselves. Global advertising campaigns like ‘Rebuild the world’ allowed the brand to adopt a consistent message that Lego is for everyone and is a tool for creativity rather than just a toy. Classic sets were relaunched to tap into nostalgia and campaigns ran targeting adults specifically where previously kids had been the sole target audience. Through this sustained and consistent strategy, Lego expanded its audience and shifted perceptions. Today, Lego is seen as a multi-generational brand, rather than just a toy. 

Accelerating Growth: adapting to a changing environment 

From near bankruptcy in 2003, Lego has built revenue from $1bn per year to $9.8bn in 2023. The group now employs over 25,000 full-time staff members, with the workforce growing by 10,000 since 2018. It has gone from making daily losses of $1m to an annual profit of approximately $1.8bn. 

This was not an overnight success. Lego had a vision of where it wanted to go and it put the building blocks in place to get there. It measured effectiveness and made the adjustments necessary to be successful, instead of repeatedly knocking the whole thing over and starting again… The impact of activity like the Lego Movie and Rebuild the World campaign on product sales was carefully analysed (there was a 37% increase in Lego sales the year following the movie release). Customer perception of the brand was closely tracked, as well as engagement with content and advertising campaigns (Rebuild the World drove a 5% increase in sales and over 100million views across social platforms). 

Ultimately, a willingness to understand its audience, its position as a brand and the flexibility to adapt to a changing environment allowed Lego to build on its existing brand strengths to become one of the leading toy manufacturers in the world today.  

Three years ago, Femi Allen-Taylor joined MI Media as an account executive before becoming a data analyst. In this Day in the Life, Femi shares how he has used his different skills to take a varied journey throughout his career so far and why curiosity will stand anyone in good stead when developing their own profession.

What led you to a career in media?  

After finishing my BSC in Petroleum and Gas Engineering, the oil industry was in a rough spot as global oil prices were crashing and no one was hiring new grads. I had to switch gears quickly and as I was already doing graphic design as a side hustle, this became the easiest alternative. Graphic design ended up being my focus for the next few years. I enjoyed developing my creative side but after a while I found myself looking for something different. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do but I’ve always been analytical, so I decided to explore this aspect of my personality. I did some research, spoke to different people across different industries and discovered data analysis. Taking a master’s in business analytics turned out to be the best decision I ever made. After university, I didn’t know which industry I wanted to work in, but the more research I did into data analysis roles, the more I saw roles in advertising and media agencies, so I decided to apply to those. I interviewed at MI Media and this became my entry into the media industry.  

I originally applied for a data role at MI Media, but the team saw potential in my diverse skill set and offered me a position as an Account Executive instead. It was a great opportunity to gain hands-on industry experience, so I thought why not, let’s see where this takes me. I learnt a lot about the business, campaigns and managing clients. I also found that I was able to bring experience from my previous roles in graphic design to MI Media. As I grew within the company, my analytical strengths became increasingly evident. When an opportunity arose within the data team, I was well-positioned to make the transition. Over the past three years, my role has evolved significantly, allowing me to take on greater responsibilities and contribute more meaningfully to the business.  

What does a typical day as a data analyst look like for you?  

Like anyone else would say, within data, there’s no one typical day. There will always be a data request, so most days I will spend some time either listening to the team or sitting with clients to understand their data needs so we can deliver ad-hoc requests or develop a bespoke data solution. How I spend the rest of my day can vary from optimising dashboard reports and understanding what’s missing in a data set, to supporting my manager in statistical analysis projects for our clients and internal teams. Over the past year, I have been heavily involved in the development of our live reporting dashboard, MIDAS, connecting data and automating reporting so that we can extract and manipulate data before making it available to the team and our clients in easy-to-understand live reports. Any time I have left in my day I use to research what’s going on in the industry. Whether it’s new data science techniques & tools or the latest developments in AI, there’s always something new to explore. 

What mistake have you learnt the most from?  

Early in my career, I used to speak using technical jargon to anyone that cared to listen. What I know now is that not everyone is a data analyst that understands or even needs to know the level of detail I was giving. I’ve learned to tweak the way I speak to people based on who they are. You’re much more effective in your communication if you tailor how you speak to the person you’re talking to, it makes it far easier to communicate your ideas to them. 

Who’s your role model and why? 

I know it sounds cliché, but I would say my mum. She’s the most hard-working person I know. She has juggled work, family and many other different things at the same time. Always with a smile on her face. I have tapped into that in my own work ethic. I will get the job done no matter what it takes. No matter what I’m going through, I will work to solve problems. My mum never stops so have learned to never say never. I might be working on something where I can’t see an end in sight, but I know there will always be a way.   

What are the main challenges facing insurance marketers? 

Long sales cycles and delayed attribution: Insurance purchases involve long decision-making periods as customers compare policies and wait for renewal dates. This delay complicates policy sale attribution, often favouring performance media and over-crediting the last touchpoint instead of considering the full customer journey. 

Limited cross-channel visibility: Customers engage with multiple touchpoints across online and offline channels, including walled gardens such as Google, Meta and Amazon which restrict data-sharing. This fragmentation makes it difficult to track the entire customer journey, leading to challenges in accurately measuring attribution and ROI. 

Balancing brand and performance marketing: Awareness and trust-building efforts via upper-funnel channels like TV and OOH have long-term effects that do not immediately translate into measurable sales. These brand-building activities are often undervalued due to a lack of precise measurement, making it harder to justify long-term investment. In contrast, performance marketing, such as PPC and paid social, deliver short-term, trackable results but cannot substitute for weak brand presence. This leads to higher customer acquisition costs. Achieving the right balance between brand and performance marketing is critical for an effective marketing strategy and sustainable growth.  

Impact of pricing and seasonality on media effectiveness: Insurance purchases are highly price-driven, particularly during peak renewal periods, making it difficult to isolate media-driven impacts from competitive pricing and seasonal demand fluctuations. 

Challenges with aggregator sites and attribution: A significant proportion of insurance policies are purchased via price comparison sites like CompareTheMarket and GoCompare. This complicates media attribution by raising questions about whether policies bought via aggregators should be credited to marketing efforts or pricing alone. Insurers must balance direct response marketing with maintaining a strong presence on these platforms.  

By analysing historical data, MMM can estimate the extent to which aggregator-driven policy volumes is influenced by marketing efforts versus organic traffic. It quantifies the relationship between brand and performance media in driving policies, considering both aggregator sites and direct. As a result, MMM provides a holistic view of media effectiveness across all conversion paths, allowing insurance brands to optimise their marketing investments with confidence. 

What are the benefits of incorporating MMM into marketing strategies? 

By utilising MMMs into their marketing strategy, insurance brands can navigate the complexities of attribution with greater precision, ensuring that both brand-building and performance-driven efforts contribute effectively to overall policy sales and growth. The ability to quantify long-term brand impact, optimise media allocation and adjust for external factors like pricing and seasonality allows insurers to make data-driven decisions that maximize efficiency and ROI. 

Geo-incrementality testing further enhances MMM accuracy by providing real-world validation of media effectiveness, helping to refine model estimates and improve confidence in attribution results. 

Ultimately, MMM provides a holistic, scalable and future-proof approach to media measurement. It helps insurers reduce acquisition costs, refine their aggregator strategy and strengthen their competitive positioning; whilst finding an optimal mix between brand and performance marketing. In an industry where customer journeys are long and fragmented, MMM serves as a critical tool in balancing short-term conversions with sustainable brand revenue growth, driving higher policy sales and long-term marketing effectiveness. 

Brand partnerships can elevate subscription services by expanding reach, boosting credibility, and enhancing value. But what makes a partnership truly effective? In the following article Business Director, Craig Gallacher, explores key considerations of brand partnerships before reviewing three examples that nailed it. 

Beans and Toast. Daly and Winkleman. Mark Noble and West Ham. Three examples of partnerships where two entities come together to make an even more perfect whole. But what about brand partnerships? And how can these be successfully created by the Subscription economy?  

What are the main benefits of brand partnerships for subscription brands? 

This is absolutely not an exclusive list by any means, but five that immediately spring to mind include: 

• Expand reach: tap into a new customer base by accessing your partner’s first party data  

• Boost awareness: increase visibility by partnering with well-known brands and sharing marketing efforts  

• Add value to customers: offer exclusive perks to your customers to improve retention 

• Build credibility: strengthen trust by associating with reputable brands 

• Drive innovation: inspire ideas for new products and services 

So, which brands have gained a competitive advantage through smart brand partnerships? Here are three sterling examples. 

Boosting credibility with a like-minded service offering 

ZOE, the brainchild of Professor Tim Spector, tests users’ gut microbiomes amongst other things to provide tailored dietary recommendations for improving health. In late 2024, it announced a clever partnership with Mindful Chef. The collaboration saw a number of recipes from Spector’s latest book feature on the Mindful Chef menu. Customers of Mindful Chef are health conscious enough to demonstrate a commitment to their wellbeing via a food subscription service so the partnership presented ZOE and Tim Spector’s book to a highly receptive audience. For Mindful Chef, the partnership maintained its position of credibility within the healthy eating space and, as Spector is a bit of celebrity himself, may have also inspired people to try a box for the first time or switch from a rival recipe box subscription. 

Successful brand partnerships are about understanding your relationship with your audience 

So, what can we take from these examples? Whether it’s PlayStation and Apple TV+ teaming up to snag gamers, Gymshark helping Surreal reach cereal-loving fitness buffs, or Mindful Chef tapping into ZOE’s science-backed health wisdom, the formula is clear. Brand partnerships in the subscription world are all about reaching the right people, boosting visibility and giving customers more value. 

The key is to find that sweet spot where each brand complements the other and brings something fresh to the table. As subscription services continue to grow, we’re bound see more of these clever partnerships. It’s not just about selling a product, it’s about building a lasting relationship with your audience. 

Marketing Insight: thinking back to when jeans weren’t a wardrobe staple

It’s hard to believe now that, only 40 years ago, there would be a problem with the sale of jeans as today the likes of Levi’s, Wranglers and even a trusty M&S pair are an everyday staple in almost all our wardrobes. 

But if we go back to the 80’s, possibly the greatest decade for fashion (in my opinion), there was an explosion of youth culture. New Romantics, Soulboys, Young Casuals, Goths. You could find your tribe, the weirder the better. The problem was that none of these tribes were wearing jeans. 

Back then, in the US, Levi’s was associated with Ronald Reagan (i.e. old people)! Meanwhile in the UK, you had to look really hard to actually find jeans, usually in Millets.  

Ultimately, year-on-year sales for the former market leader, Levi’s, had decreased by 46% over four years. And the 501, Levi’s original jean from 1873, had suffered more than any other product. 

So, what did they do? 

On Boxing Day 1985 the now iconic ‘launderette ad’ aired.  

Nick Kamen enters a laundrette, takes off his Ray Bans, fills a washing machine with rocks, removes his t-shirt & jeans and puts them in the machine too. He then simply sits back and waits for the cycle to finish. The end line reads: “501 the original shrink to fit jeans”. 

The ad was deemed to be creative, raunchy and cool. Importantly, it sold van loads of jeans! It not only launched Nick Kamen’s career but also boosted sales of boxer shorts. In fact, it made such an impact that the ad had to be pulled as production could not keep up with demand. There was an astonishing 800% rise in sales. 

Accelerating Growth: increasing sales season by season

In 2023 the Jeans market was worth $71 billion, this is forecast to rise to $95 billion in 2030 (Source: Statista). By 2023, following year-on-year increases since 2010, Levi’s net sales had reached $6 billion. 

Brand awareness certainly plays a key part in Levi’s growth, but by pushing to the forefront of sustainability and product development, the brand continues to increase sales season by season. Whilst it’s difficult to attribute Levi’s sustainability goals to net sales, Levi’s is a leader in fashion sustainability, demonstrating a commitment to its values.  

So, did Beyonce’s song help boost business results? Levi’s Q3’24 results saw the sales of Levi’s 501 grow by 11%. Following a focus on growing the direct to consumer (DTC) business and the Beyonce ad campaign being activated across more than 3,000 DTC touchpoints, DTC grew by 10% in Q3. 

Jamie Hewitt joined MI over ten years ago and has seen the agency grow and develop over the decade. Last year he became the agency’s joint managing director, here he lets us look behind the scenes of the role of an MD.

What led you to a career in media?

I started getting a flavour for the industry through family connections and work experience when I was 15. I continued to spend my summers building experience in various small agencies, even spending time on graduate days with IPC. When I finished my A levels, this experience gave me the option of going to university or getting stuck in with my first job on the bottom rung of the media ladder. I’ve never been super academic, but I do enjoy structure with the freedom to be creative, so I chose the latter and haven’t looked back since! If I didn’t work in media, I would have either become a chef or joined the army!  

What does a typical day look like for you?

I typically start the week by making sure there’s milk in the fridge and biscuits in the tin for the team – we all know that a Milk Chocolate Hobnob is the winner! Beyond this, my job is to ensure the smooth running of MI Media. From looking after our people and keeping our clients happy to keeping the lights on in the office! On any given day this can look like 121s with the teams, joining a finance review or running client strategy sessions. For me it’s always been about being hands on and never asking anyone to do something that you wouldn’t do yourself. 

What mistake have you learned from the most?

I’ve made some clangers! But what stands out for me is that I lacked confidence in the early part of my career. I’m naturally an introvert, and it took me a long time to understand that this is not a negative trait but my superpower. So it took me a good while to push myself, commit, and be braver. We are fortunate to work in a people-based industry, you can always ask for help and support. You’d be surprised at how much people are willing to get involved and lend a hand. 

Who’s your role model and why?

I’ve always been a fan of military history and cooking, as my other possible careers might suggest! So Major Dick Winters of Band of Brother fame, and the infamous chef Anthony Bourdain both come to mind as two people that literally lived their lives on the front line, were great leaders in their fields and had a work hard play hard ethic! 

As reported by Campaign, following a three-way competitive pitch, supported and run by AAR Consultancy, Prostate Cancer UK appointed MI Media as its media agency of record.

The UK’s leading men’s health charity has ambitious growth targets. A core part of this is reaching and activating thousands more men across the UK to check their risk of prostate cancer and find out what they can do about it using Prostate Cancer UK’s award-winning 30 second Risk Checker. Helping more men understand their risk is key to ending needless deaths from prostate cancer. The earlier prostate cancer is found, the easier it is to treat.

John Dickinson-Lilley interim director of communications at Prostate Cancer UK said, “We’re excited to be working with MI Media. Throughout the pitch process they really demonstrated their strategic thinking and ability to deliver integrated planning, which we feel is the key to unlocking our growth opportunities in coming years.”

Our scope covers above the line, paid search, paid social and display. We will work in partnership with Goodstuff’s G-Force team for TV buying.

Richard Slater, joint managing director at MI Media said, “a disease which impacts us all and is a cause we’re passionate about. With some of our charity client relationships spanning over a decade, we have followed the changes in giving behaviour over a number of years and know that charities see the biggest success in securing donations when they have synchronised their work across both fundraising and brand building. We’re excited to be working with the team at Prostate Cancer UK to save and support thousands of men and their families across the UK.”

Laura Moorcraft, managing director, G-Force said, “We’re thrilled to be working in collaboration with MI Media and Prostate Cancer UK to take the charity’s media to new levels of impact and effectiveness.”