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In business, "brand strategist" and "marketer" are often used interchangeably, leading to confusion about their roles and responsibilities. While both professionals contribute to a company's success, they possess distinct skill sets and focus on different aspects of building and promoting a brand. This article unravels the nuances between brand strategists and marketers, focusing on the beauty, fashion, and design industries. By examining their unique contributions, we can gain a deeper understanding of how these roles shape the perception and success of brands.

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The Power of Perception

Perception is paramount in the beauty, fashion, and design industries. Consumers are drawn to brands that evoke emotions, align with their values, and establish connections. This is where brand strategists and marketers come into play, employing their expertise to create distinct brand identities and effectively communicate with the target audience.

Brand Strategist: Architect of Identity

Brand strategists act as architects responsible for defining and shaping a brand's identity. They conduct in-depth market research, competitor analysis, and consumer insights to understand a brand's core values, positioning, and personality. This information creates a strategic roadmap that serves as a foundation for all brand-related decisions. Brand strategists establish the brand's voice, visual identity, and overarching messaging, ensuring consistency across all touchpoints.

For example, in the beauty industry, a brand strategist for a sustainable skincare company might emphasise the brand's commitment to eco-friendly practises, cruelty-free formulations, and natural ingredients. This would involve developing a visual identity that resonates with eco-conscious consumers, crafting messaging emphasising sustainability, and aligning the brand's values with its products and marketing efforts.

Marketer: Storyteller and Promoter

On the other hand, marketers are storytellers and promoters who bring the brand's identity to life. They craft compelling narratives, create engaging content, and execute targeted campaigns to capture the intended audience's attention. Marketers utilise various channels, such as social media, advertising, influencer collaborations, and events, to amplify the brand's message and drive customer engagement.

In the fashion industry, a marketer might leverage the power of influencers and social media platforms to showcase a designer's latest collection. Marketers can generate buzz, spark desire, and drive sales by collaborating with fashion bloggers or celebrities. They understand the importance of captivating storytelling and visual aesthetics to create an emotional connection with the target audience.

Collaboration and Synergy:

While brand strategists and marketers have distinct roles, collaboration is crucial for a brand's success. A harmonious partnership allows for seamless integration of strategic vision and effective execution. Marketers rely on the foundation laid by brand strategists to create impactful campaigns, while brand strategists rely on marketers to bring their strategic insights to life and garner consumer attention.

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A Practical Illustration: Hourglass Cosmetics' Eye-to-Eye Campaign

Hourglass Cosmetics, a renowned beauty brand, embarked on a transformative journey by committing to become entirely vegan and cruelty-free by the end of 2020. This initiative showcases their dedication to ethical practices and reflects the interplay between brand strategy and marketing in the beauty industry.

By going vegan and cruelty-free, Hourglass Cosmetics aligned its brand strategy with the values of conscious consumers who prioritise ethical and sustainable beauty products. The brand recognised the increasing demand for cruelty-free options and took proactive steps to reformulate over half of its product lineup to comply with these standards. This strategic move allowed them to tap into a growing market segment while further solidifying their brand identity.

Hourglass Cosmetics reignited its original Eye to Eye campaign to celebrate its vegan milestone and engage its audience. The brand collaborated with renowned photographer Mark Seliger to virtually produce the campaign, featuring celebrity stars and their beloved pets. Notable figures such as Jasmine Tookes, Devon Windsor, and Chriselle Lim joined forces with their furry friends to promote Hourglass Cosmetics and its Eye to Eye initiative.

The Eye to Eye campaign leveraged the emotional connection between humans and animals to convey Hourglass Cosmetics' commitment to cruelty-free beauty. By including pets in the shoot, the campaign emphasised the brand's ethical stance and resonated with consumers who value beauty and animal welfare. This powerful combination of celebrity endorsements, renowned photography, and the inclusion of beloved pets allowed Hourglass Cosmetics to create an impactful marketing campaign that captured attention and fostered brand affinity.

In addition to the campaign, Hourglass Cosmetics launched a social media competition that supported the Non-Human Rights Project, an animal charity. Encouraging their customers to participate, the brand urged individuals to post a photo of themselves posing eye to eye with their pets at home, tagging @hourglasscosmetics and using the hashtag #hg_eyetoeye. Hourglass Cosmetics pledged to donate $1 to the charity for each post. Furthermore, the brand incentivizes participation by selecting five winners from every 100 entries to receive a weighty Hourglass gift box.

The Eye to Eye campaign and social media competition exemplify the collaborative efforts of brand strategists and marketers at Hourglass Cosmetics. The brand strategists' decision to embrace vegan and cruelty-free practices set the foundation for the campaign. At the same time, marketers effectively conveyed the brand's values and engaged consumers through visually striking imagery and a philanthropic initiative. By integrating its commitment to animal welfare with an inclusive marketing approach, Hourglass Cosmetics attracted attention, encouraged customer participation, and reinforced its brand identity as a leader in ethical beauty.

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Brand strategists and marketers play distinct yet interconnected roles in building and promoting a brand. Brand strategists define a brand's identity, while marketers bring that identity to life through storytelling and promotion. Together, they create a symphony of perception that resonates with consumers and drives brand loyalty. In industries where perception