THE CHANGING FACE OF INFLUENCE (part 5)

The rules of influence have flipped: digital now shapes the real world, and AI is pushing the divide even further. As AI-generated slop floods our feeds with content that is endless and feels hollow, audiences will crave what cannot be automated: the unexpected, the imperfect and the unmistakably human. Originality and taste will become the new currency that differentiates and stands out. 

Through a six-part series, Qulture is here to lead brands through this shift, defining the human-first storytelling and creative differentiation that will set the next era of influence.

Gwen here, taking this month’s conversation a step further, exploring how the current climate in beauty is bridging the Digital Second Space to IRL experiences in both conscious and subtle ways. Never has this been more evident than in the massive cultural shift I affectionally call the Sephora-izing of the Gen Alpha world. The beauty experience is becoming more intimate and more consumer-driven. Later we’ll hear from Monique Meneses, co-founder of Iota, on how community and collaborations — two very human aspects — are driving loyalty. Let’s dive in.

THE NEW MEETING PLACE: THE BEAUTY MECCA 

Sophisticated AI models are becoming impeccable at shade matching and for virtual try-ons, but AI can’t replace the joy sparked by tapping a smudge of gold-laced dusty-peach cream blush on the back of your hand, marveling as the hue morphs on your specific skin tone as you swivel your wrist. Perhaps this is just one reason why Sephora has become the new Starbucks for Gen Alpha, a place to gather and socialize — and spend money. In 2023 alone, tweens (aged 7-12) and young teens (up to 17) spent 4.7 billion dollars on beauty products, more than any other demographic. 

In a post-pandemic world, people crave touch. Sure, beauty has always been a category that’s decidedly hands-on, but this desire for a field trip to Sephora (or Ulta or Target) is more than just tactile. 

The algorithm is broken. With the rise of indie beauty brands and a multitude of similar formulas, plus a sea of sameness in campaign visuals, social media marketing has become white noise. But an afternoon spent at The Next Big Thing wall at Sephora dispenses knowledge — and power. For Gen Alpha, similarly to Gen Z, participating in marketing rather than simply consuming it is key to identity.

WHY THE POP-UP MAKES THE POINT

Which is why we’re seeing more consumer-facing Pop-Up experiences than ever before. Hitting a pop-up means you’re in the know, and the social currency lives forever when documented on TikTok and Instagram. But rather than adding to cart online or catching glimpses of, say, the Summer Fridays vibe while scrolling, these IRL experiences bring fans — and consumers — deeply into the fold. Why simply shop for a brand when you can live it?

Summer Fridays wrote the book on Pop-Ups, creating their first experience in 2023 at an emoji-worthy New York City pizzeria to celebrate the brand’s five year anniversary. A Sweet Shoppe followed in 2025 to shine a light on the freshly-launched Pink Guava flavored Lip Butter Balm. For their latest, just a couple of weeks ago in mid-March in Soho, co-founders Marianna Hewitt and Lauren Ireland marked the mega-brand’s entry into fragrance with an interactive olfactory setting celebrating Summer Friday’s first scent, Sunlit Vanilla. Guests sipped on vanilla lattes, sniffed bottles and left with a bag charm meant to hold a gifted Vanilla Lip Butter Balm — a coveted keepsake, for sure, and also a roving It item advert to keep the conversation going.

ON CONNECTION AND COLLABS: HOW TO CREATE INTIMACY

Sometimes a brand is built on the type of human connection that AI simply can’t replicate. For Iota, a body-centric line grounded in generational beauty secrets and scent memory, tapping in to something bigger than end benefits grew a dedicated following quickly. As the brand enters 860 Ulta doors and expands their Nordstrom distribution this month, founder Monique Menesis sat down with me to share the distinctly IRL approach she and her co-founder (in business and marriage) Ray Kim brought to the brand.

Gwen: As a relatively new brand, how did Iota first start to build community?

Monique: I still remember sitting on our living room couch with Ray, my husband and co-founder, and just looking at each other and being like, how are we going to grow our organic social? Neither of us are creators/influencers. We are bootstrapping this business. We don't have hundreds of thousands to spend against boosted posts. What are we going to do? I think what we did is we didn't approach social just as marketing. We saw it as a way to genuinely give back and spark a conversation with our community. And so I think our approach when it came to strategy was never just about products. The customer needs to know what they're buying, what you stand for. But in addition to that, we wanted to build a platform around wellbeing. And so one of the pillars of what Iota stands for is small, actionable rituals people can use in their daily lives done consistently that lead to bigger results. And that's sort of the same way we approached our social strategy. We kept it human, listened to our community, their comments, their habits, what they were interested in.

Gwen: I love the posts with tips from your 87-year-old grandmother. How did she wind up as part of your social media?

Monique: We don't treat generational beauty secrets as nostalgia. I think what we do is we really treat it as intelligence. If something has lasted generations, it works or it means something. I remember when I was young growing up in Korea, just sitting down when I was three, four, watching my grandmother go through her 10-step to 15-step Korean beauty ritual in the evenings, the rice water for skin, the sesame paste for hair. When we message out generational beauty secrets, it's not about heritage. It's about grounding the brand in something real and lived in. And I think that way it doesn't feel invented, it feels remembered, it sparks conversation, curiosity, and that's something our community really leans into and gets excited by.

Gwen: And those posts aren't necessarily tied to a specific product or a specific launch. It's just about making your community a part of the iota lifestyle. What’s your take there?

Monique: It's really about creating a world of whole body health and how your skin health is related to whole body health, hair health, and it's not just constantly chasing newness and trend chasing and here's a product, here's a new launch, but there's this thread of continuity throughout our feed that feels comforting, credible. And so when we do post about our products made with all these rare and remarkable whole food ingredients, there is that through line

Gwen: I’m also intrigued by your limited edition drops, collaborations with cult-favorite food brands Oishii berry, Tache pistachio milk and most recently, Dominique Ansel bakery. How do these collaborations attract new consumers?

Monique: Our limited edition strategy has always been very intentional. I think that every new drop starts with one exciting natural ingredient, and that ingredient does all the heavy lifting. It drives the fragrance, it drives the treatment benefit, it drives the entire sensorial experience, whether that's like the light pink tint of our Oishii body wash, informs the color, the texture, the feel. So when we talk about that multi-layered approach and really deep diving into the ingredient, the heritage behind it, that's what we also do with our limited edition. And it gets our customer genuinely excited because every launch, they immerse themselves in the world of the ingredient and it's not just limited to scent. And I think that same principle applies to our collection. In the case of one of our recent launches, the Diamond Truffle Body Oil, the best truffles in the world are sourced from Alba Italy. It's where we source our truffles, and they also contain bioactives that are really wonderful for firming and contouring skin. So what we're doing is we're delivering the rarest whole foods in the world straight to our community. And the heritage behind each of the ingredient stories is something they get excited about. 

Gwen: So is it about an emotional connection?

Monique:  I think that both scent and ingredients are similar in the way that they have shaped the way many people have grown up. They are memory triggers. Maybe the first time you smelled a Madeline was your first trip to Paris with your boyfriend or your parent. And that just brings back a flood of memories so that when we present this product to the customer, it's this multi-tiered approach. It's like you want to hold on to the past or maybe it's excitement for the future and the realness that you speak of, that's something that just can't be replicated by AI.

Gwen: AI can kind of target a consumer, but AI can never replace generational beauty secrets.

Monique: No, I don't even know what the prompt for that would be!