Hi, I'm Jasmine,
I work with a range of brands in the aesthetics industry from women who are trying to find their brand's voice as they launch their new medical spas to corporate skincare brands where I’ve interacted with their CEOs and marketing teams as we plan content shoots and messaging for their social media pages. With some brands I help come up with a strategy for their own team to execute and for others, I help manage their day-to-day posting, content, and influencer marketing.
I am mixed, Black and Indian.
As a woman of color, it's pretty impossible for me not to look at my work with brands through a lens of diversity. I've been fortunate enough to have worked with a very diverse client base and have interacted with many this last week who have asked for advice within their organization as #blacklivematter caught the attention of the world who feel an internal responsibility to make changes not only at home and in their social circles but within their businesses.
In addition to advising my own clients, I was engaged in countless video chats and calls (in between my adventures in pandemic homeschooling) consulting with new brands that reached out to think through inclusive marketing strategies or ways they can use their influence to make a difference. And honestly, as much as it may have felt uncomfortable for some of them, let me assure you it was also a little awkward for me, sometimes the closest person to a black person on their team, but we are in this together.
For those of you reading this in positions across corporate brands in aesthetic from Allergan to ZO Skin Health who aspire to become more inclusive leaders, look around you at the leadership team which shapes the culture of your brand and ask if it is reflective of the community you wish to serve. Many brands have now answered the #pulluporshutup challenge started by Sharon from Uoma Beauty which brought transparency to diversity across the leadership of brands all across Beauty, Skincare, Hair, and more. Change is not an overnight process or post of a black square on social media by your company. My suggestion is to use your voice to start to build out what that process towards change looks like within your organization because taking action is what drives true change.
One principle I hope more brands begin to realize is that representation matters. From the people who are in the User-Generated Content you pull to include on your feed, the models you choose for photoshoots when you need content on your website and social media pages, to the influencers you want in your campaigns or to be invited to your brand events to help sell your brand story.
Take time as you think through shifts you can make in your own business practices to be more diverse and build more inclusive marketing strategies. Yes, showing support on social media is powerful, but taking action is what makes the change. Looking forward to helping make these changes with some of your teams together.
Photo by the incredibly talented Kaye McCoy in Los Angeles, CA.