In the age of the influencer, it’s easy to sway consumers into trying a product. There’s bonus points if the influencer is a beloved TikTok sensation or the lead actor in the latest box office smash. But while a star influencer with millions of followers reaps a hefty payday from a sole Instagram post, one CEO insists the brands looking to spread the word about their new product are banking on the wrong strategy, especially when it comes to beauty.

While most influencers use their good looks, personality quirks and flair for makeup application to “sell” consumers, it’s the beauty advisors at major retailers who establish genuine connections IRL, according to Sarah Chung, CEO of Los Angeles-based B2B web and mobile tool Landing International. And with the return of in-person shopping as Covid restrictions wane, the role beauty advisors play in directing consumers to suitable brands has never been more relevant.

But just how fluent are these advisors in the products they care most about? 

Enter: BeautyFluent. Landing International’s latest mobile app, created by Chung, places the influential power where it belongs: in the hands of beauty advisors. The app equips them with the right tools they need to do their jobs effectively, according to Chung.

Landing International, established in 2016, has served as a B2B web and mobile tool to help emerging beauty and wellness brands succeed at retail by connecting them with buyers and helping them identify and locate the right retail partners.

Before relocating to LA, Chung previously worked in New York where she helped brands write business plans to raise money and gain entry into stores like Sephora and CVS. When Landing International launched six years ago, the idea was for brands to work directly with retailers to build transparency to access buyers, Chung said. By achieving this, the platform has helped numerous indie beauty and wellness brands find their way into US retailers including Ulta, Target, Dermstore, Nordstrom and Revolve.

“We got a lot more involved with the brands than originally anticipated,” said Chung. “And we were hoping to do in-store training and marketing within the retail channel, and that’s how the idea for training originally happened on the platform.”

She continued, “We have a feature [in BeautyFluent] called ‘Training Publishers.’ It can basically turn your brand catalogue that you would show buyers into an external page you can show a retail associate.”

The app, she says, not only helps connect beauty advisors with the brands they love, but provides them with the resources they need to properly disseminate the most impactful information to prospective customers on top of rewarding them for their influence.

To help close the gap in retail training among beauty advisors, a number of whom are not on-site when brand representatives visit stores, BeautyFluent helps these advisors send and receive product information with the scan of a barcode. After which, they can obtain detailed product information and demonstration tips so they can learn about new products at their convenience.

Beauty Advisor Training, Greater Job Satisfaction

“Beauty associates need something that’s fast and quick and on-the-go,” said Chung. “That’s how the idea of BeautyFluent was developed. Based on a survey we’ve done on beauty associates, we learned that 100% of them say they would more likely recommend a product, trained, but 91% feel they’re often asked about a product or brand that they are not fluent in. Our app is dedicated to giving sales associates the information to succeed at their job.”

She continued, “What we are hearing over and over again is that beauty associates feel underappreciated and not equipped to do the job they’re asked to do.”

According to Chung, The Great Resignation and employees needing to feel connected to the places where they work dovetails into what for BeautyFluent is all about: “creating a dynamic community where they’re able to access not just training information, but also content and even live events,” she said.

After training and taking brief quizzes about their learning experience, advisors can rack up points they use to cash in on products they’ve been wanting to try, similar to the points program at Sephora. Rewards from BeautyFluent get shipped directly to the beauty advisor’s home. What’s more, BeautyFluent’s “Beauty Fluencers” get access to an online forum where they can share their personal experiences from the sales floor and post career opportunities.

BeautyFluent aims to  provide beauty advisors with the training Chung feels they’re missing, higher job satisfaction, a greater sense of purpose and growth potential.

Beauty advisors can send feedback to brands after each product they try via BeautyFluent. The function forges a personal connection between brands and salespeople, Chung says.

Following its April launch, BeautyFluent is being used by 1,163 Ulta managers and beauty advisors from JC Penny stores. Prepping to come out of beta later this year, the BeautyFluent team continues to build on their diverse community. For example, it is working on a feature that would allow brands with celebrity founders to hold live Q&A sessions with beauty advisors and more.

BeautyFluent can be downloaded from the App store.