mmi Analytics, the company for data, commentary, and analysis across various media platforms, has revealed its insight for 2020 WrapUp. 

Their data intelligence enables PR and Marketing teams to monitor, evaluate and improve their media, digital marketing, and e-commerce strategies. 

This report has found that over the course of 2020, the UK beauty industry saw an 8% increase in editorial earned media value (EMV) and gained 52,862 more mentions compared to 2019. This excludes any impact that Instagram Stories had on the results. All categories saw a boost in coverage, with Toiletries and Skincare seeing the highest increase.

UK Highlights

• In 2020, just under £1.2 billion worth of editorial EMV circulated the media across print, online and social platforms – including Instagram Stories. All categories within the beauty industry grew in EMV compared to 2019, including cosmetics, skincare, haircare, fragrance, beauty supplements and toiletries.
• There were over 52,000 more beauty mentions compared with 2019. However, fragrance saw the smallest increase with a 5% boost. This is a reflection of the change in circumstances due to the global pandemic with fragrance being more difficult to promote in online and social media.
• Looking closer at the beauty categories by EMV in 2020 (to include Instagram Stories), cosmetics remains the largest category with a 39% share of EMV. It also has the largest number of mentions with a 35% share. These figures have, however, fallen significantly from 2019, when cosmetics had 60% of the EMV and 40% of the mentions. The downward trend correlates with fewer people wearing makeup in isolation.
• 86% of the cosmetics coverage EMV came from Instagram Stories and Instagram – two platforms that also experienced the largest growth. Other media types – such as YouTube, Consumer Magazines, Trade Press and eZines – all showed considerable decreases in 2020. Benefit Cosmetics sits in top position as the number one cosmetics brand based on EMV, beating NARS and Fenty by a small margin.
• In another reflection of behaviour shifts brought on by the 2020 pandemic, the skincare and toiletries categories saw the largest increase in mentions. They had almost 20,000 more mentions between them compared to 2019.
• Online Publications, eZines and Blogs had over 10,000 more skincare mentions and accounted for an 18% share of editorial coverage. Unlike the fall in YouTube mentions for cosmetics, YouTube contributed considerably (33%) to the growth in mentions for skincare. As in 2019, Elemis has managed to maintain the number one spot in 2020 for skincare mentions, while Ole Henriksen sits in first place for EMV.

Download this month's report here.