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This northern hemisphere summer, retailers and consumers have been all over the \u2018brat\u2019 aesthetic, from neon-green marketing campaigns to curated, indie-sleaze product selections. <\/p>\n
But as \u2018Brat Summer\u2019 slowly begins to cool down, some are already embracing a new social media trend, one that is very demure and very mindful. <\/p>\n
On August 2, Jools Lebron posted her first viral \u2018demure\u2019 video, explaining how she styled her hair and makeup in a \u201cvery demure, very mindful\u201d manner and encouraged her viewers to follow suit. \u201cLet\u2019s not forget to be demure divas,\u201d Lebron advised. <\/p>\n
On August 5, the social media influencer posted a video about how she prepared her appearance for work, a 17-second clip that has gone viral, with over 3.8 million views and counting. <\/p>\n
“You see how I do my makeup for work? Very demure. Very mindful,” Jools explained in the video. “I don’t come to work with a green-cut crease. I don’t look like a clown when I go to work. I don’t do too much. I’m very mindful while I’m at work\u2026A lot of you girls go to the interview looking like Marge Simpson and go to the job looking like Patty and Selma. Not demure. I’m very modest. I’m very mindful.\u201d<\/p>\n
Considering that Jools is an out-and-proud transgender woman with a louder-than-life persona, the video is meant to be a tongue-in-cheek reference to how some people, particularly women and those who present as women, are expected to act demurely in the workplace, and not draw attention to themselves. <\/p>\n
When asked about the definition of demure, Lebron responded, \u201cI feel like demure is a mindset. I used to be crazy and out of control and then I found some demurity and along with that came some success.\u201d Laughing, she said, \u201cDemurity is my purity.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lebron\u2019s video and following audio clip have gone viral via several social media platforms and retailers have certainly taken notice of consumers\u2019 hype around this playful focus on mindfulness and gentility. <\/p>\n
How retailers are taking note of this trend<\/h3>\n
\u201cJools Lebron has started a cultural phenomenon and the retailverse is cashing in,\u201d said Lena Moriarty, the head of e-tail marketing at market research and events firm Worldwide Business Research, <\/p>\n
Retailers including Mac Cosmetics, Sour Patch Kids, and Aldi have posted content that either describes their products as demure, or explains how engaging with the brand can showcase a very demure, very mindful attitude. <\/p>\n
For example, Maybelline posted a \u201cMaybe it\u2019s very demure, maybe it\u2019s Maybelline\u201d TikTok. At the same time, Nars asked its followers, \u201cWhy be demure when you can be Explicit?\u201d, referring to its Explicit lipstick line.<\/p>\n
Also, similar to how Twisted Lily curated a selection of \u2018brat\u2019-inspired fragrances, brands like Mac Cosmetics are highlighting products to help consumers get a Jools-approved, demure look. <\/p>\n
Moriarty noted that brands like Verizon and Lyft have hopped on the demure train by contacting Jools herself for brand partnership promotions, which resulted in \u201camazing organic engagement\u201d from the creator\u2019s own following and outside fans of Jools\u2019 content. <\/p>\n
The market research expert advised retailers to consider the \u201cimportance of carving out time for reactive creativity. With trends coming and going in the blink of an eye it\u2019s more necessary than ever to be involved in the social commentary surrounding those trends, which isn\u2019t possible without quick reactive marketing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Melissa Minkow, director of retail strategy at CI&T, said brands that can successfully hop on a social media bandwagon are more likely to connect with their Gen Z and Millennial consumers. <\/p>\n
She also observed that the popularity of the demure trend, in many ways, mimics the virality of the brat movement. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe spirit is alike in that it\u2019s about self-awareness and sense of humour regarding oneself, not taking everything so seriously. The implications for retailers are along the same lines \u2013 retailers can create demure or mindful edits and product lines,\u201d Minkow said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey also can take on the tone of this movement by infusing humour throughout their marketing. There\u2019s also a bigger statement overall here, which is that content goes viral quickly and intensely.<\/em> If brands want to join the fun, they have to move fast before saturation occurs.\u201d <\/p>\n Both Minkow and Moriarty emphasised the importance of brands respectfully engaging with intersectional content creators like Lebron, a Cuban-American trans woman. <\/p>\n This can be done by crediting the original creator of the meme, versus simply hopping on the trend and hijacking it. The two retail experts also advised that retailers should interact with creators like Lebron directly, either by featuring them in campaigns or engaging with them via mindful partnerships.<\/p>\n A perfect example that comes to mind is how makeup artist and eponymous brand Patrick Ta immediately reached out to Lebron, flew her out to New York for the brand\u2019s influencer event, and created content with her in person.<\/p>\n During the event, Lebron and Ta were modelling the brand\u2019s new foundation launch, cheekily saying, \u201cWe don\u2019t do a nasty dry foundation around here\u2026We\u2019re very creamy, very saturated, very dewy, very mindful.\u201d<\/p>\n At the end of the day, trends like demure and brat are simply a larger reflection of the growing virality of niche aesthetics, like clean girl, indie sleaze, Y2K\/Y3K and so on. <\/p>\n Demure and brat are just opposite sides of the same hectic, but fascinating, social media coin. The momentum of these trends reflects consumers\u2019 interest in participating in culturally relevant movements and having fun with varying aesthetics. While these two seemingly contradictory vibes are still going strong, it will be intriguing to see what social media movement will gain momentum next. <\/p>\n As Moriarty mused, \u201cI\u2019m curious to see the lifespan of this trend and how retailers are planning and continuing to pivot from trend to trend. First Brat Summer, now demure, what do the next two weeks have in store?\u201d<\/p>\n The post \u2018Demure\u2019, \u2018brat\u2019 and internet virality\u2019s impact on retail appeared first on Inside Retail Australia.<\/p>\nWhat\u2019s next in store after demure?<\/h3>\n