L’Oreal, QC partner to train ‘beauty influencers’

IN LINE with the increasing importance of social media in the marketing of products, L’Oreal Philippines is now training Quezon City residents to become digital content creators under its Digital Beauty Academy program. The company has tapped Quezon City as its corporate social responsibility partner for project.

Currently 250 participants are being trained to become “beauty influencers,” with two tracks available: they can either become TikTok affiliates earning between 5% to 10% in commission for every item sold on their platform; or as L’Oreal live streamers, slated to earn between P25,000 to P30,000, with benefits and more opportunities to work for other L’Oreal brands. The global beauty giant headquartered in France has under its umbrella L’Oreal Paris, Garnier, Maybelline, Nyx, Kiehl’s, and Kérastase, among others; spanning categories between makeup, hair care, and skin care.

The project is done in partnership with social media platform TikTok and SPARK! Philippines, a non-profit organization dedicated to the development and inclusivity of women, LGBTQ+, and other marginalized sectors.

During the inauguration of the project on May 18 — the project runs from May 19 to June 30 — the participants were in Quezon City Hall for an initial briefing. Krhizzy Pasigan, Corporate Affairs Head of L’Oreal Philippines, said that the beneficiaries were from the six districts and about 70 barangays of Quezon City. They had to fulfill certain criteria, including being at least 18 years old, having a smartphone, and willing to commit to the month-and-a-half training sessions, which will run on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. The Thursday and Friday training sessions will be conducted online, while the weekend training sessions will be held live, with time given for each participant to go one-on-one with the trainers.

Seven out of 10 people in a survey would buy products because of what they see on social media said Yannick Raynaud, Managing Director of L’Oreal Philippines, during a speech. She presented data that the money generated by content creators worldwide has reached $104 billion, and is projected to reach $1 trillion in the next few years.

In a statement, L’Oreal said, “In line with this trend, the social commerce industry in the Philippines is expected to grow by 24.3% on annual basis to reach $928.8 million in 2023. By 2028, it’s expected to reach $2348.3 million. Additionally, the beauty industry in the Philippines is projected to reach a staggering $601 billion by 2024.”

“This is a power of social media: to make and generate livelihood,” said Ms. Raynaud.

The future influencers will be trained in four segments: Beauty and Personality Development, including Beauty 101 by L’Oréal experts (skin, make-up, and hair basics) and Effective Management of Emotions by MindYou, a mental health technology company; Content Creation 101 that covers a TikTok Platform overview, guidelines for basic production, tips, and tricks to start and grow an account, best practices, policies, and community guidelines, as well as livestreaming guidelines; Earning as an affiliate and live streamer featuring a TikTok creator inspiration session, introduction to the TikTok Shop, and Live streamer track by L’Oréal; and Becoming a Responsible Content Creator, which covers Digital Literacy, small business registration, and mental health support training.

“Financial literacy plays a role in the academy, with participation from GCash and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), which will educate participants on banking options and guide them through the business registration process,” said a company statement.

This is a pilot program for L’Oreal, Ms. Raynaud said, the first of its kind not just in the Philippines, but in the world.

“I wish you to have fun while doing it. It’s not easy. Not all of you will become Kim Kardashian,” Ms. Raynaud told the gathered participants, referencing the celebrity currently at the top levels of the influencer heap. “But if you put in the work, the dedication, the passion; if you’re authentic, if you keep your sanity… and you care deeply about what you’re doing, you will thrive.”

In a speech at the launch, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte explained that the Digital Beauty Academy is an extension of a previous partnership with L’Oreal that began in 2017 called Beauty for a Better Life program which trained an initial pool of 50 city residents in hairdressing and makeup, among other skills. For L’Oreal to choose them again as a partner, she said, “That means that pinaniniwalaan nila tayo, at may tiwala sila sa atin (they believe in us, and they have trust in us).”

“This project promotes one of our core advocacies in Quezon City, and that is women empowerment,” she added.

Ms. Raynaud said, “Beauty is not just superficial, beauty is not just putting on makeup to look more beautiful. It’s also to feel more beautiful, or to feel part of a group that you want to belong to — to feel fierce.” — J.L. Garcia