In short: Shoppers want to see the product on someone who looks like them, and a single face cannot do that for a shade range, a size run or a product made for many skin types. Billo’s skincare guide says audiences notice whose skin is being shown and advises seeking diversity in skin tones, ages and concerns. The way to get that variety on a marketplace is to ask for it in the brief, open enough spots for it and approve a spread. Pinterest’s inclusive-content guide warns against shortcuts such as tokenism, so show people because they use the product, not to fill a quota.
Why one face is not enough
Beauty and fashion sell on fit with the buyer: a foundation shade, a texture on a particular skin type, a size run, a cut on a particular height. A video that shows the product on one person answers the question for that person. Vidovo says that people with different heights, builds and sizing preferences each show something different about a garment, and 8x says the aim is not to find one perfect model but to show the product in enough real contexts.
The same goes for beauty. Billo’s guide tells brands to match skin type and concern and to prioritize diversity in skin tones, ages and concerns, because beauty audiences notice whose skin appears in ads. Its guide puts the risk bluntly: “campaigns representing only one profile will read as narrow.” It also gives an example of relevance at work, saying a creator with oily skin reviewing a mattifying serum “will always outperform a creator without that concern.” For a range with different needs, that means several creators, not one.
What to put in the brief
- The range you want to see. “We would like to see this foundation in a range of shades, from light to deep” is clear and fair, and creators who match will recognize themselves in it.
- The facts a viewer needs. Shade names, sizes, the size the creator wears and their height, skin type or hair type. These make a video useful to the viewer whoever films it.
- The light. Beautytap’s guide says briefs should specify lighting for color-sensitive products, because foundations, blushes and lip products “shot in unflattering light look wrong.” Natural light by a window helps every skin tone.
- Honest results. Ask creators to describe what they see and feel on their own skin, not what the product does for everyone. Size details, too, should not imply that one size fits all bodies the same way.
How to get variety when creators choose the campaign
- Say what you would like to see. Creators read the brief and choose campaigns they fit. A brief that names the range invites the people it wants.
- Open enough spots. If you want six different looks, set the number of videos to six or more. Once you have approved that many, the campaign closes to new submissions.
- Approve a spread. When several videos arrive, choose the ones that together cover the range, not six near-duplicates. See how to choose between UGC submissions.
- Run a second campaign for gaps. If a shade or a size is still missing, brief for exactly that. The payout can differ from campaign to campaign.
Avoid the shortcuts
Pinterest’s guide to inclusive content names common “shortcut” pitfalls: “tokenism, cultural appropriation and performative activism.” It also suggests partnering “with people from a variety of backgrounds to produce and be featured in your content.” For a UGC brief, that comes down to a few habits:
- Show people because they use the product, and let them speak in their own words.
- Do not script experiences or reactions for a creator. See UGC script templates for the difference between a brief and a script.
- Do not use one creator as the face of a whole group.
- Credit and pay creators fairly for the work.
A checklist before you approve
- Is the product shown in light that keeps its color true?
- Does the viewer learn the creator’s shade, size, height or skin type?
- Do the approved videos together cover the range you asked for?
- Does every claim stay inside your approved wording?
- Is the paid relationship or free product disclosed?
On Usicri
On Usicri you write the brief, set the payout and the number of videos, and creators on Usicri choose your campaign and upload finished videos to you. Because you review every submission, you can build your own spread: approve the videos that together show your range and pay only for those, with no platform fee on videos approved through December 31 and a platform fee of 15% after that. Brands cannot search for creators, so the brief is how you ask for variety, and a clear one gets you the most useful videos. See how it works for brands, or create a free brand account.