CoverGirl Pivots to Gen X After Decade-Long Bid to Capture Gen Z Fails
After nearly a decade of unsuccessfully targeting younger consumers, CoverGirl is shifting its strategy to re-engage with its original customer base, Generation X.
CoverGirl, the long-standing drugstore makeup brand, has officially abandoned its nearly decade-long effort to capture the Gen Z demographic after failing to gain traction. The company announced a strategic pivot back to its original and loyal customer base, Generation X.
Ten years ago, CoverGirl enlisted young celebrities in an attempt to appeal to teenagers, a strategy that ultimately proved unsuccessful. According to Bloomberg Businessweek, the brand's new direction, under parent company Coty, involves featuring older models, maintaining prices under $10, and reinvesting in legacy franchises like Simply Ageless.
This shift underscores a significant lesson for marketers: chasing a new, trendy customer segment should not come at the expense of alienating a loyal existing base. Gen X consumers, who grew up with the brand's "easy, breezy, beautiful" tagline, possess a connection that digital advertising aimed at younger demographics struggles to replicate.
While CoverGirl's owner, Coty, possessed the budget and distribution to compete for Gen Z, it lacked the brand permission and credibility. The company entered a category late and failed to establish dominance. Meanwhile, the Gen X female demographic, despite considerable purchasing power, has been overlooked. Often, the most underserved customer segment in a market can also be the most profitable due to lower acquisition costs and higher willingness to pay.