Updated October 23, 2026.
In 2012, Bobbi Brown and MAC each let Facebook voters choose which discontinued shades returned to sale. In 2020, Rare Beauty put a mental health fund into its launch plan before its first product shipped. These three cases show how beauty brands have turned customer input into product and launch decisions, with the dates, mechanics and sources for each.
How did Bobbi Brown's 2012 Facebook vote work?
Bobbi Brown Cosmetics asked fans to vote on Facebook for 10 of its most requested discontinued lip colors, with the campaign opening on February 1, 2012. According to a beauty blog that covered the announcement, voters in the United States, the United Kingdom, Korea, Japan, Germany and Australia could take part.
A University of British Columbia student blog reported that voting would close at the end of February and that the winning colors would be sold exclusively on Facebook. The mechanic had three parts: a short list, a public vote and a limited return.
Publish the shortlist, the closing date and the sales channel before voting opens. Bobbi Brown's program named all three in its announcement.
How did MAC By Request turn discontinued shades into a vote?
MAC Cosmetics put 18 discontinued lipsticks, lipglasses and eyeshadows to a Facebook vote starting March 12, 2012, according to Fashion Magazine. The three products with the most votes in each category were scheduled to return as an online limited-edition collection in August. The Upcoming reported that voting ended on March 30.
MAC repeated the program. NewBeauty described a second round that put MAC's 1990s lineup to a vote through July 21, with the winning shades due on sale in spring 2014.
Set the voting window and the return date in the announcement. MAC's 2012 program had all of them: 18 candidates, a March 12 to March 30 window and an August release.
What did the Rare Impact Fund add to Rare Beauty's 2020 launch?
Rare Beauty announced the Rare Impact Fund in July 2020, with 1% of all sales going toward a goal of raising $100 million over 10 years for mental health services, as BeautyCrew reported on July 27, 2020. The company also formed a Rare Beauty Mental Health Council of outside advisers, according to Drug Store News.
BeautyCrew noted that Rare Beauty's Instagram account had been posting wellness tips and giving mental health advocates a platform before any product was released. The brand's commitment was specific: one percentage, one dollar goal and one time frame.
State the number, the goal and the deadline in launch materials, so customers and journalists can check them later. Rare Beauty's announcement gave all three.
Which other beauty case studies sit alongside these three?
EPR covers several related beauty cases on separate pages, each with its own sources and angle. The table shows where to read them.
What should a beauty brand copy from these cases?
A beauty brand should copy the rules that made each case checkable: a published shortlist, a fixed window, a named sales channel and a stated number. Customers and reporters could verify each one against the announcement.
Use the same discipline for the broader program. The Beauty PR pillar explains how customer voice fits alongside press, creators and retail work.
Originally published September 2012. Dates and figures are as reported by the linked outlets.
