How Sephora Is Partnering With Creators for Brand Impact

Brands are increasingly looking to leverage partnerships with content creators to make an impact—but one that's significant and lasting, rather than one-off sponsored posts. Content creator Pierrah Hilaire and Brent Mitchell, vp of social media and influencers at Sephora, joined Danisha Lomax, Digitas' head of client inclusivity and impact, during Adweek’s Social Media Week to answer that question and provide actionable insights based on their experiences and strategies. Using influence for positive impact Sephora’s Accelerate program has a clear mission: to build a community of innovative and inspirational founders in the beauty industry. In line with the beauty giant’s commitment to the 15 Percent Pledge, the program focuses on founders of color. According to Mitchell, this goal reflects Sephora's determination to ensure that brands within the beauty industry reflect the diversity in society. What Sephora’s $1.2 Million CCPA Settlement Signifies for Brands “We launched [Accelerate] in 2015 and were focused on female founders,” he said. “But in 2020, like a lot of brands and individuals, we took a deeper look inward and wanted to know what more we could be doing for the BIPOC community. Now we are 100% focused on this community. Since 2020, we’ve had 23 more brands go through the program, over half of which are now on shelves in Sephora.” To extend the impact of its commitment, Sephora has collaborated with TikTok in creating the Sephora x TikTok Incubator Program, which aims to empower diverse creators alongside a select Sephora Accelerate brands to grow their businesses on TikTok by providing them with the knowledge and tools they need to succeed. “At Sephora, our marketing manifesto is, ‘We belong to something beautiful,’ and for us on the social media team that’s really, ‘How do we create the most diverse, equitable and inclusive space in beauty for our community to come together?’ As a big brand on a big platform like TikTok, we wondered how we could use our power for good. We partnered with TikTok and, like a lot of great ideas, it kind of just snowballed,” Mitchell explained. Money talks To drive the most impact, the panelists agreed about the importance of brands needing to fully invest—not just in spirit, but in substance. “We didn’t just put our heart and soul into this program; we put some real hard cash money into it as well,” Mitchell said. “One of the objectives was for the brands and creators to get to know each other and develop those relationships and hopefully have a long, fulfilling relationship working together.” Bridging the pay gap From her perspective as a BIPOC creator, Hilaire emphasized the need to feel empowered in negotiations with brands, encouraging her peers not to avoid conversations about money or underestimate their worth as BIPOC creators. “Money continues to be a necessary part of the equation,” she said. “Studies have shown there’s a 35% pay gap between Black creators and our non-Black peers. In order to ensure equity, brands need to be paying Black and brown creators more. "Sometimes that means even more than our initial rate. I know we tend to lowball ourselves as creators, but we need to be asking for more," she added. "I never take the first offer. I always ask for more just to make sure I’m fighting against wage discrimination.”

Social Media Week

How Sephora Is Partnering With Creators for Brand Impact

With an accelerator program and TikTok partnership, the beauty brand is elevating BIPOC brands and influencers

Using influence for positive impact

Alexandra Bower

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Alexandra Bower