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Is Mass Appeal Even Possible Anymore?

Brands like Maybelline and Budweiser face fallout when appealing to Gen-Z’s diverse, gender fluid values. But as younger shoppers get older, big corporations have to get comfortable with catering to fragmented audiences – unless they just tap Alix Earle.

TikTok influencers Dylan Mulvaney and Alix Earle. — TikTok influencers Dylan Mulvaney and Alix Earle. ((Instagram/@alix_earlie/@dylanmulvaney))

By

Rachel Strugatz

27 April 2023

BoF PROFESSIONAL

The recent controversy surrounding Budweiser and Dylan Mulvaney, a transgender influencer, led me down a marketing rabbit hole. Increasingly, I’ve been thinking about “mass appeal” — both more broadly and having to do with beauty specifically — and whether the idea of a brand or product appealing to the public at large is nearing extinction.

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