Throughout the years, the business of cosmetology is changing drastically. The industry once fueled off of the door-to-door strategy with customers, but this is no longer the case. In fact, the new dynamic of marketing has become at least 60% digital for beauty companies in the last 5 years. A style party by Impressions of Beauty and Her Campus CAU demonstrated just how prevalent the internet has become to companies in the industry.
The style party was hosted on April 29th at six o’clock in the evening, at the T-Cole Exhibition Hall and was sponsored by Lotta Body. It began with Ahslee Worlds-Gomez, founder of Impressions Of Beauty, speaking on her past, before her success and the business itself. Gomez continued to explain the different opportunities students have avaible to them with Impressions of Beauty while answering questions about the products given to attendees.
Next, a discussion of the best hair care products was discussed. Potential candidates for employment even got to battle in an “influencer challenge” to win products. The candidates were handed a product randomly. Afterward, they each demonstrated a 30-second mock of a YouTube video and acted as if they were influencers for Impressions of Beauty. Here is where Gomez took the moment to explain the crucial innovations in social media’s impact on the beauty industry. Gomez’s business has been functioning as a guide and source of experience for many college women across the globe. Whether women want to be brand ambassadors, YouTube influencers, or content contributors, Impressions of Beauty has implemented various programs to accommodate each position.
Furthermore, the company has established a system that promotes the same skill sets future employers will expect from the students. This includes planning events, hosting on-campus activities, and applying digital media to reach an audience.
The party also had another challenge. Students were given a “bad hair day” scenario, where they had to imagine they’ve been partying all night, but still needed to wake up the next morning for graduation. Gomez challenged the girls to incorporate any products to create any style that will look good for the ceremony. Additionally, each student was given another 30 seconds to explain their style idea to the audience. The audience then voted on a winner, who received to free full-sized products from Lotta Body.
Currently, Gomez is taking internship applications for this upcoming summer. She hopes to have five remote interns in total. However, she is open to the idea of more, if the talent is there. In hindsight, the event brought out a group of women who just had a passion for beauty and hair care. However, it proved to be more than that. Students walked away with employment opportunities, hair care tips, and advice on applying their passion to a career.