The scope of the beauty industry is experiencing a renaissance

The backdrop to and perhaps the irony of this launch is the cyclical nature of the media industry, which has experienced its fair share of shutdowns, consolidations, pivots and other cost-cutting strategies. WWD, through its analysis of 50 US-based titles, found in 2022 that 52% had a lower print frequency in 2022 compared to 2019, while another 10 had completely ceased print operations. The publication noted that not all were directly related to the pandemic, some occurring before March 2020; The decline in print publications has continued with Covid-19. WWD itself discontinued daily print publication in 2015. Several well-known publications like Lucky, Nylon Guys, and Mens Fitness have been out of business since 2015. culture, as anyone reading this knows is changing at lightning speed. And now publishers see a space opportunity.

Highsnobiety understands that beauty is as simple as a toothbrush and as complex as culture, says Willa Bennett, editor-in-chief of Highsnobiety. After becoming editor-in-chief seven months ago, the editorial team and I spent a lot of time discussing what expansion makes sense for a global youth-style platform. Through the conversation, we all agreed that nothing covers up beauty in a way that feels right. If we [are] will strive for authentic personal style, launching Highsnobiety Beauty is inevitable.

Alexandra Pauly, former Highsnobiety style editor, was appointed the first Beauty Editor. Bennett did not discuss whether additional recruiting would take place. Highsnobiety was founded in 2005 as a global digital fashion and lifestyle media brand, and was purchased by German e-commerce giant Zalando in 2022. Highsnobiety Shop, a multi-brand online fashion and lifestyle retailer, launched in 2019.

Trade affiliation is also a great opportunity for the ever cash-strapped media landscape, and beauty is the perfect shopping bait. Based on Digiday, 43% of 135 publishersin 2020 said that affiliate trading is not a source of income for their company. By early 2021, that number had fallen to around 34%. And publishers of all sizes have embraced the theoretical easy money strategy. In 2021, Meredith was (now Dotdash Meredith), which has publications like Real Simple, Better Homes & Gardens, Byrdie and InStyle reporting in second-quarter 2020 earnings that they generated $27.7 million from its ecommerce operations, an increase of 26% year-over-year, according to the same Digiday story . Glossy itself is introducing affiliate trading via Pop Shop in August 2022.

Beauty has always been something people want to act on, so when you read a beauty story, you want to buy the thing that’s being written about, says Linda Wells, editor of Air Mail Look. It’s a great way for publications to generate additional revenue. But you have to make sure that you don’t lose your judgment and editorial discretion when choosing products to write about.

Since 2021 media and beauty veteran Wells began writing for Air Mail, a digital weekly newsletter founded in 2019 by former Vanity Fair editor-in-chief Graydon Carter. Based on Axiom, the publication is not yet profitable but will generate over $15 million in annual revenue by 2023. AirMail offers an annual subscription of $80, but for now, Look will remain free on the site, which can help Air Mail drive advertising revenue. Most of Air Mail’s advertising, representing 42% of its overall revenue, comes from luxury, beauty-aligned advertisers. Air Mail Look focuses on a mix of provocative and entertaining stories, with a mix of service-oriented work as well. Wells is not actively recruiting for additional beauty coverage.

[When I began] I wanted to do less of the stories you’d read in more typical women’s magazines, Wells said. In each case, I want to connect with the touchstones of culture, cultural customs, and people’s behavior so that it isn’t just beauty in isolation.