Though brands continue tapping influencer voices to connect with consumers, traditional media isn’t six feet under yet. Sure, the industry has faced plenty of think pieces on its impending irrelevance, but media remains an important voice in the beauty and wellness space when it comes to brand marketing strategies, a recent Launchmetrics report on the wellness beauty boom found. (We’ll go ahead and acknowledge our obvious bias on this subject as a media platform that covers wellness and beauty. Okay, acknowledged, moving on.)

“The media has always been a trusted voice in shaping beauty conversations — and that hasn’t changed,” Launchmetrics CMO Alison Bringé tells Fashionista. “What has changed is how and where it shows up.” 

Bringé explains that today’s most impactful coverage stems from content capturing consumer attention, such as celebrity beauty routines and secrets. Media is also now diversifying rather than confining itself to traditional channels, which is paying off: “In fact, 90% of top-performing placements are now social-first, proving that beauty content is no longer just being consumed, it’s being shared, saved and truly talked about,” Bringé notes.

Related: Luxury Beauty Buyers Predict Spring’s Biggest Trends

Influencer and celebrity voices are still dominant across beauty categories, accounting for more than 54% of the share-of-voice in wellness-related content, but Bringé shares that in today’s landscape, “relying on a single voice is a risk.” She continues, “The most successful brands are the ones taking a balanced, diversified approach — knowing how to tap into the right voices, on the right platforms, to connect with the right audiences with the right message.” 

Fueled by consumers’ growing interest in self care, wellness has transcended trend status and become an entire movement within the beauty industry. McKinsey & Company found that the global wellness industry was worth $1.8 trillion in 2024. Last year, wellness mentions across the beauty space also generated $208 million in media impact value (MIV), reflecting a 15.6% growth year-over-year, per Launchmetrics’ report.

Within the beauty space, wellness in hair care emerged as the fastest-growing trend with 83% growth in MIV (the highest year-over-year growth from 2023 to 2024). Many hair-care brands have leaned into the “skinification” trend, or treating scalp and hair health similarly to skin care, which has helped fuel this rise in wellness-related hair care. While influencer voices garnered 52% of the MIV in 2024, media came in second place at 38%, emphasizing that it “remains a vital conduit in the hair-care category’s wellness narrative.”

Related: How Briogeo Founder Nancy Twine Went From Goldman Sachs VP to Hair-Care Success Story

Launchmetrics noted that editorial content continues to serve as a “high-trust, high-visibility platform” for beauty brands, as seen in strategic media placements like Amika’s feature on Byrdie U.S. ($70.4K MIV), Gisou’s spotlight in El País ($52.2K MIV) and K18’s inclusion in The Guardian U.K. ($45.2K MIV). Briogeo pursued a media-driven strategy in 2024, which resulted in 42% of its total $10.9 million MIV stemming from editorial coverage in publications like Who What Wear, Byrdie and Allure.

Media soared as the top voice in the fragrance space for 2024: It accounted for 54% of the category’s MIV, compared to influencers generating 32% MIV. This result points out that editorial media remains critical for brands “as the primary conduit for editorial storytelling and expert validation,” according to Launchmetrics. Upon closer examination, Launchmetrics’ data shows fragrance brands are diversifying their storytelling: Media saw a 14% year-over-year decline, while influencers saw a 34% year-over-year increase and celebrities saw an impressive 283% jump.

“It’s a strong result — but not entirely surprising, especially considering the +283% YoY surge in Celebrity Voice,” Bringé notes of the report’s findings that media drove more than 50% of fragrance’s MIV. “It underscores the deep-rooted connection between celebrities and media coverage in this space — when a celebrity gets associated with a fragrance, the media momentum follows.”

As for wellness in the skin-care category, influencers drove 46% of MIV and media followed close behind at 37%. Instagram retained its position as the top-performing channel (28% MIV), but TikTok saw a 93% rise year-over-year to come in third with 16% MIV. For makeup, influencers overwhelmingly dominated the share of voice with 74% MIV. Media came in second place with 12% MIV, while celebrities were notably the fastest-growing segment in makeup with a 9% year-over-year rise.

Though some are prematurely counting the media industry’s days, Launchmetrics’ report highlights that “media coverage still drives meaningful value and elevates brand credibility within the wellness space.” For brands looking to tune their diversified strategies to the ever-evolving beauty and wellness landscape, Bringé emphasizes the most effective content is “visually compelling, culturally relevant and built to catch attention.”

“You’re not just pitching editors anymore; you’re competing in a crowded, attention-starved landscape,” she continues. “To stand out, stories must be timely, bold and in sync with culture. The brands that win are the ones that move fast, stay culturally aware and actively contribute to the conversation.”

Read the full Launchmetrics report here.

Fashionista’s audience includes 1 million site visitors, 110,000 newsletter subscribers and 4.74 million social media followers. Want to know how to reach them? Learn more.

#Buzz #TikTok #Influencers #Traditional #Media #Remains #Driving #Force #Beauty #Industry