I’m a sucker for a good advertisement and somehow while scrolling through Instagram “they” knew I needed a new lipstick for summer. The next day I purchased the color that was featured in the ad (alert MAC and Instagram ads, they got me) and went home to test it out. It was actually perfect and the texture was something I’ve always wanted but didn’t find in the market.
Thankfully, I haven’t required medical treatment due to burns, liaisons, severe irritations or worse because I tested my new lipstick.
The same can’t be said for many of Jaclyn Hill’s customers who have found “lumpy” textures, hair-like particles, and severe reactions on their lips or test areas.
Jaclyn Hill, beauty expert, has collaborated with big names in the cosmetic industry, but some of those collaborations have been met with controversy due to poor quality. She manages to hold popular ratings with millions of followers on Instagram and YouTube. She recently launched a wide range of nude lipsticks and it SOLD OUT even with delayed deliveries of PR kits to beauty influencers. PR kits to influencers is a great way to get free coverage on social media and build hype around the product, but Hill’s name was strong enough!
As customers received their products, several users shared their complaints and pictures of the product. That’s when it all went downhill.
What comes next?
Now MCM students, what have we learned when an organization is the middle of a controversy?
- Blame the manufacturer and others for not doing their part? Probably shouldn’t put all emphasis on that tactic but unfortunately, she has already done this in a previous collaboration and again in this situation. Although it very well may be the source of the issue, don’t make assumptions just to get people off your back. Be proactive and revisit the process/procedures to find the source of the problem. Let your customers know what you’re doing and when you have a plan be transparent in the next steps.
- Go dark on social media? If social media is how you connect and will continue to be the main source, then use it effectively to control the story. Don’t let others tell the story for you (just look at all the reviews and other beauty experts speaking out). A lack of response is even more unsettling than providing a short follow up to the issue. In Hill’s response, she acknowledges her departure to understand the situation. Transparency is good, but this same state could have been made before going dark. She could have told everyone she was going offline to focus on the problem and would follow up in XX amount of days.
- Respond to complaints with attitude? Please don’t. It’s not the customer’s fault the product didn’t perform as advertised. It’s understandable that you’re frustrated, but image your customers who helped your product sell out and now are injured from use. After the products are replaced and the dust settles, you should want them to remain a customer. Don’t make it harder to get them to come back.
Can she come back from this?
Even though she is a new CEO, she’s had her share of controversies and with recent issues in the beauty industry, there are plenty of examples of things NOT to do. Yet, companies like Jaclyn Cosmetics, are not effectively using communication tools. Social media may be the cause of why customers expect answers more rapidly, but it can be to get answers out quickly. A crisis can be frustrating, but remember all the hard work that was put into creating your brand and developing a customer base. And ethically, you owe it to your customer to make things right.
As much as I have come to appreciate Hill for being a self-made businesswoman, I’m not sure how many more “missteps” in product quality I can take. Even if the lipstick was $4, it still makes me question if it’s worth it and if you can ever trust the brand or person.
Are there any products/service that have been in a controversial situation but you remained loyal? Now that you’ve been in this program, do you see a crisis differently and have different expectations?
References
Bergman, S. (2019, June 16). How Jaclyn Hill’s lipstick scandal could transform the YouTube make-up industry forever. Independent. Retrieved from https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/jaclyn-hill-youtube-lipstick-cosmetics-petition-fda-james-charles-tati-a8958641.html
Rearick, L. (2019, June 13). Jaclyn Hill released a YouTube video addressing reports of hair found in her lipstick. Teen Vogue. Retrieved from https://www.teenvogue.com/story/jaclyn-hill-youtube-video-lipstick
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