Latest / Brand Storytelling with Fexingo: Narrative, Mission, and Stories That Sell / How Glossier Built a Brand by Making Customers Feel Seen
Transcript
- Lucas: So there's this moment in 2014, when Emily Weiss — a former Vogue assistant turned beauty blogger — sends out a survey to her blog readers asking what their biggest skin concern is. And thousands of women write back something like, 'I want my skin to look like skin, not a mask.' Luna: That's such a simple insight. But most beauty brands at the time were selling coverage, perfection. Not natural texture. Lucas: Exactly. And instead of going to a lab and inventing some high-coverage foundation, Weiss listened. She took that feedback and created a product called the Perfecting Skin Tint — which is basically a very sheer tinted moisturizer. It doesn't cover anything. It just evens out the skin tone. Luna: And that product became the cornerstone of Glossier. It launched in 2014 and sold out almost immediately. Lucas: Right. And the story here isn't just about a successful product — it's about a brand that was built from the customer's voice upwards. Glossier didn't start with a product. It started with a blog called Into The Gloss, where Weiss interviewed women about their beauty routines. She built an audience first, then used that audience to co-create the brand. Luna: So the narrative of 'we hear you' was baked in from day one. It wasn't a marketing campaign after the fact. Lucas: That's the crucial difference. Most brands start with a product and then try to build a story around it. Glossier started with a relationship and then built products that served that relationship. The community — they called them 'Glossier Girls' — felt like they were part of the brand's creation. And that's incredibly powerful loyalty. Luna: But let's get specific. How did that actually work in practice? Because a lot of brands talk about community, but Glossier really operationalized it. Lucas: Yeah, so there are a few concrete examples. One is the Milky Jelly Cleanser, which is now their best-selling product. The formula was developed based on thousands of comments from Into The Gloss readers who said they wanted a cleanser that didn't strip their skin. Glossier sent prototypes to top commenters and iterated based on their feedback before the official launch. Luna: So the product literally had co-creators. Those customers felt ownership. Lucas: Exactly. And then when the product launched, those same women became evangelists. They posted about it on social media, shared their routines, and the organic user-generated content was massive. Glossier's Instagram, for example, was largely reposts from real customers, not polished studio shots. And that made the brand feel accessible. Luna: There's also the packaging — those pink bubble wrap pouches and the simple, almost clinical white bottles with pink text. It's very photogenic, but also very intentional. It says 'this isn't about heavy packaging and overpromising; it's about the product.' Lucas: Right. And the 'skin first, makeup second' tagline — that was their core narrative. It positioned Glossier as a brand that cared about skin health, not just covering imperfections. And that resonated deeply with a generation that was increasingly skeptical of airbrushed ads. Luna: But let's talk about the risks. Because the narrative is so tied to Emily Weiss and the community. What happens when the founder leaves, or when the company goes public and has to scale? Lucas: That's the big question. Glossier did go public — actually, it was one of the more anticipated IPOs of 2025. And since then, there's been some tension. The community-driven model worked beautifully when the brand was small. But as a public company, you have to deliver quarter-over-quarter growth, and that can push you toward more traditional marketing. Luna: There was also a controversy a few years back about Glossier's handling of diversity in shade ranges. The community called them out, and it was a real test of that 'we hear you' narrative. Lucas: Yeah, and to their credit, they did expand the shade range and made it a public commitment. But it showed that the community relationship isn't just a one-way street — it's a constant negotiation. If you build your brand on listening, you have to actually listen, even when the feedback is uncomfortable. Luna: So what's the lesson for other brands? Is the Glossier model replicable? Lucas: I think the core principle is: start with a conversation, not a product. Find a group of people who share a frustration or an aspiration, and build something with them. That doesn't mean you have to start a blog — it could be a subreddit, a Discord server, even a series of in-person events. But the key is that the community feels genuine ownership. Luna: And then maintain that authenticity as you scale. Which is hard. Lucas: Incredibly hard. Glossier's stock has been volatile since the IPO — it's currently trading below its offering price, actually. Analysts are questioning whether the brand can maintain its premium positioning while chasing growth. So the narrative has to evolve. Luna: That reminds me of a point you made on an earlier episode: the story is never finished. Brands that think they've 'made it' and stop listening are the ones that decline. Lucas: Exactly. And Glossier is at that inflection point right now. They've got a loyal base, but they're also facing competition from other DTC beauty brands and from legacy players who've woken up to the community game. The next chapter of the Glossier story will be about whether they can keep the narrative authentic while serving millions of customers. Luna: And they're also expanding into retail — they have physical stores in a few cities now. That's a whole different kind of storytelling, in three dimensions. Lucas: Right. The store experience is another touchpoint. In New York, the Glossier store is designed to feel like a magazine spread — pink walls, product testers everywhere, Instagrammable moments. But it's also a place where customers can actually talk to a human being about their skin. So it extends the narrative of personal connection. Luna: It's a really integrated approach. The website, the social media, the packaging, the stores — all telling the same story: you are seen, you are heard, this brand is for you. Lucas: And that's the ultimate takeaway, I think. Glossier succeeded because it made customers feel like participants, not just consumers. And that's a narrative that any brand can learn from — whether you're selling skincare or software or sneakers. Luna: Before we wrap up, I do want to mention something that keeps these kinds of deep-dive conversations going. We don't run ads on this show, and that's intentional — it lets us talk about brands without any commercial filter. Lucas: Yeah, and honestly, a small number of listeners who chip in a couple of dollars a month is what makes that possible. If these episodes have sparked something you've actually used in your work, you can support us at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Luna: It genuinely makes a difference. So thank you to anyone who's already doing that — and to everyone else, no pressure. Now, back to Glossier's next chapter. Lucas: So as we think about the future, one question I have is: can Glossier's narrative survive a CEO transition? Emily Weiss stepped down as CEO in 2024, and the new CEO, a former LVMH executive, is more of a traditional luxury goods operator. That's a very different background. Luna: That's a real test. The founder's story is so embedded in the brand. Can a new leader embody that same 'we listen' ethos, or will it start to feel corporate? Lucas: I think it's possible, but it takes conscious effort. The new CEO has to be visible, to engage with the community directly, to show that the listening isn't just a founder's quirk — it's the company's DNA. If they pull that off, Glossier could become a template for how a narrative-driven brand scales. Luna: And if they don't, it'll be a cautionary tale. Either way, it's a story worth watching. Lucas: Absolutely. For now, Glossier's early chapters are a masterclass in building a brand from the ground up by putting the customer at the center of the narrative. And that's a lesson that never gets old.