This Crowdsourced Startup is Redefining the Beauty Industry
For one company in the beauty industry, the age-old adage “where there’s a will, there’s a way” proves to be an enduring cornerstone of their business model. Founded by Patricia Santos and Brandy Hoffman, the aptly named Volition Beauty is a skincare and cosmetics brand that continues to steadily pursue its goal: to democratize beauty.
Since its inception in 2016, Volition has focused on placing their customers at the forefront of curating the products they most desire. Their crowdsourcing platform allows consumers — known as Beauty Innovators — to submit ideas for novel beauty creations. From there, Volition reviews the proposals to consider the viability of bringing the creations to market. Once the proposals are approved, they will go live on their website and consumers actively vote on their favorite ideas. Proposals that attain high levels of support are subsequently made available for purchase. The entire process from idea to final product spans five months, during which Volition creates multiple iterations of the product to ensure it stays as true to the Innovator’s vision as possible.
Despite today’s numerous cosmetic companies, Volition’s unique business model and value proposition set it apart from its counterparts. Lia Lankford, a digital marketing coordinator for Volition, said the beauty brand strives for each product to fill a distinctive market niche. One of Volition’s products that perfectly encapsulates this philosophy is the Mission Brows, a realistic brow replacement that is entirely made of human hair. The mastermind behind Mission Brows is Deanna, a cancer survivor who wanted to find a solution for those suffering from chemotherapy or experiencing hair loss.
Another Innovator teamed up with Volition to create an Oil-Control Mattifying Mist. Alice, a fitness blogger, was determined to find a quick fix to shiny complexions after workouts and long days. Since hitting the shelves, the mist has rapidly become one of the brand’s highest-rated products. The variety of success stories is ample proof that anyone has a shot at creating something desirable and impactful.
“There have been innovators who come from the beauty industry,” Lankford said, “but a lot of people submitting ideas are just like you and me.”
Volition is not the only cosmetics company to acknowledge the value of having public input direct product innovation. In 2015, Glossier’s founder Emily Weiss asked readers of her Into the Gloss blog what constitutes their ideal face wash. After taking into consideration hundreds of online suggestions, Glossier formulated and launched their popular Milky Jelly Cleanser nearly a year later. Kylie Cosmetics also employed crowdsourcing to help assign a lip shade’s name in their 2016 Valentine’s Day kit. Through an Instagram post, the company urged fans to submit potential names in the comment section.
Volition’s philosophy, however, takes the power of public choice even a step further. The brand doesn’t merely ask consumers to determine how existing products can improve, or what names sound most appealing for their newest cosmetic line. Rather, Beauty Innovators are the primary driving force behind the development and proposal of products that have yet to be created. The process of online campaigning and voting, in turn, provides invaluable insights into what’s still missing from people’s beauty routines.
“Instead of a bunch of people sitting around a table and deciding amongst themselves what the ‘next big thing’ is, we’re listening to consumer input to see what they truly want. That’s what sets Volition apart,” Lankford said.
While Volition has yet to reach the “cult status” of brands like Glossier and Colourpop, it has attracted significant attention and new opportunities for growth. Since its site launch, Volition has partnered with Sephora to sell a select range of products domestically and, more recently, in Canada.
As the brand develops its international presence, it has concurrently aimed to expand its core customer base. The majority of Volition’s customers currently are older than 25, which is reflected in the sheer amount of product submissions that incorporate age-defying properties. In a bid to attract younger consumers, it has turned to influencer marketing — by employing public figures with a strong social media presence — to further promote its cosmetics and skincare options on sites like Instagram. Volition has also directed its focus on providing more price-conscious options, such as their recently released winter survival kit that offers multiple products for a discounted value.
It’s been three years since Volition first entered the beauty industry as a startup, and since then its embarked on a venture to redefine cosmetic innovation. As the brand evolves, Volition will continue to develop in the best way it knows — on its own terms.
