Sephora cozies up to beauty creators with new affiliate program

Dive Brief:Sephora launched a creator-powered affiliate platform called My Sephora Storefront, according to a press release.The application process for creators is live now and the storefronts will reportedly launch in October.The program allows U.S. influencers to build shoppable digital storefronts and share curated product recommendations on social media via shoppable links. It is integrated into Sephora’s website and app so shoppers can discover and make purchases without leaving the Sephora ecosystem.The program was built with Motom, a technology company specializing in creator commerce affiliate platforms. The news marks the next milestone in Sephora’ssocial media and creator strategies, per release details, and arrives as sales from affiliate marketing continue to grow.Dive Insight:Sephora is bringing the benefits of affiliate marketing to its own ecosystem with My Sephora Storefront. The move sees the beauty retailer looking to bypass popular affiliate platforms like ShopMy and LTK, the latter of which captures over 150,000 content creators and 1 million brands, and brings creators and their fans directly to its e-commerce sites. Affiliate marketing is expected to drive over $210 billion in U.S. e-commerce sales this year and nearly $280 billion in sales by 2028, per eMarketer, which also forecasts that the rise of artificial intelligence chatbots like ChatGPT will support growth in the space.My Sephora Storefront allows influencers to create a customizable digital storefront reflective of their brand and aesthetic and share curated product recommendations with their followers. The platform provides creators shoppable links for all major social media platforms in addition to a full integration with Sephora’s data analytics and performance insights to help track and measure success.Participating creators will also have access to Sephora’s Beauty Insider Loyalty program, a full assortment of brands and new product launches and year-round commission opportunities. Beauty has become a popular category in the affiliate space, with social media influencers often sharing their product reviews and recommendations within their content and linking the items they use via affiliate platforms. Digital commerce now drives 50% of global beauty sales, according to Forbes.Along with Sephora’s new platform, the company has a number of creator communities designed to connect with beauty fans across the digital landscape. Among them is the Sephora Squad, which has over 250 creators including alumni and current members and celebrates the most diverse voices in beauty. The program, launched in 2019, welcomes beauty enthusiasts, wellness lovers, athletes and more.Other creator communities include the Sephora Derm Board, which was created in partnership with board-certified dermatologists popular on social media to help answer consumers’ skin care questions and offer expert recommendations. In addition, the Artist List includes a network of celebrity and influencer makeup artists and hairstylists who feature in educational and behind-the-scenes social content, campaigns and events. My Sephora Storefront represents the next step in Sephora’s creator strategy, per release details.“My Sephora Storefront is a pivotal next step to building an inclusive ecosystem that empowers creators to authentically connect with their audiences, and also enables deeper creator relationships with our brand partners and clients that make it all possible,” said Brent Mitchell, vice president of social media and influencer marketing at Sephora, in release details.Sephora has been an active marketer this year. In April, the retailer asserted itself as a top skin care destination with a campaign entitled “Skin Obsessed.” In July, it announced a partnership with Lyft Media for “Delivered to Beauty,” an activation that transported consumers in select cities across the U.S. to Sephora’s free-standing locations for a shopping experience.