A few thoughts on Glossier’s next level product marketing

While the Glossier brand gets a lot of hype (for good reason), there’s a lot we can learn from their product marketing.

It all starts with their highly differentiated product names.

Names like “Balmdotcom,” “Futuredew,” & “BoyBrow” sound more like tumblr blogs than cosmetics, & that’s by design. They’re short, memorable, & culturally relevant to their audience.

Imagine searching for products on Google and “Balmdotcom” came up as a result. These names differentiate their products from the outset, sparking curiosity with potential customers to see what they’re all about.

Once a customer gets to a product display page, Glossier puts on a clinic. 🍿

Short & punchy headlines

Highlight the product’s key benefit to incentivize them to keep reading.

Digestible product descriptions

Specifically designed for the TL;DR generation.

Here’s their framework:

• What it is (one sentence)
• Why it’s special (three to four bullets of essential info)
• Good to know (eases the customer’s concerns around application or ingredients)

Note: What’s interesting here is how well Glossier knows it’s audience to design their content around their consumption habits. This framework may not be relevant to your audience; instead research how they’re consuming online and craft your product descriptions accordingly.

Inclusive photography

Seeing is believing, and unlike many DTC brands, Glossier has made a significant investment in photography to show customers using their products (versus still product shots).

Even more impressive, they deliver on inclusivity by showing models from all different backgrounds use the product, which helps a diverse audience see how Glossier’s products are relevant to them.

Searchable reviews

When it comes to makeup & skincare, social proof is everything. Glossier gives their customer the ability to filter reviews by recency, skin type, age, and skin shade so they can find ones that are relevant to them.

A digital experience that delivers on the brand’s philosophy

Finally as you get to the end of the PDP, Glossier connects-the-dots between its philosophy “Beauty inspired by real life” & Instagram feed, by showing potential customers how their products look IRL. It’s a small touch, but one that drives value by seeing everyday customers wearing and enjoying the product.

Summary

Some key takeaways if you’re a consumer brand looking to level up your product marketing:

• Make a strong first impression. Highly differentiated product names spark intrigue.
• Craft product headlines that speak the product’s benefits. Grab their attention from the outset so they continue reading down the page.
• Reading full paragraphs is exhausting. Limit your product descriptions to the most essential information and adopt a format that your customer will appreciate.
• Seeing is believing. If you’re selling to a diverse audience, make sure your photography feels inclusive.
• Random reviews aren’t helpful. Help potential customers find reviews that are relevant to them.
• Every page is the about page. Make sure your product marketing properly reflects your brand’s philosophy to drive loyalty and evangelism.