Alessandra Capistrano

Research Project

The Rise of the “Sephora Kid”: Revealing TikTok’s Role in the Early Skincare Consumer Behavior Among Gen Alpha

Bio

Alessandra Capistrano is a final-year Professional Communications student at Toronto Metropolitan University. She has over 5+ years of experience working in communications, marketing and project coordination for both non-profits and national enterprises. Alessandra’s research combines her skills in communications with her interest in psychosocial behaviour among children.

Research Summary

My research investigates the role social media advertising on TikTok has played in the recently emerging trend colloquially coined “Sephora Kids,” whereby girls within Generation Alpha have become avid consumers of skincare products. By analyzing a collection of TikTok posts from three popular skincare brands among Gen Alpha shoppers, I uncover the ways social media advertising is successfully influencing young girls to engage in early skincare product consumption. I also closely examine the potential psychosocial impacts of this phenomenon on Gen Alpha, from risks in consumer susceptibility to self-esteem concerns.

Research Poster

A multi-section infographic titled 'The Rise of the 'Sephora Kid'' detailing TikTok's influence on Gen Alpha's skincare consumption. The top shows TikTok's logo and three phone screens with young girls applying skincare. The middle displays product arrays from Drunk Elephant, Glow Recipe, and Sol de Janeiro. The bottom section presents research findings: TikTok as the most used app by kids over 10, analysis of 147 brand posts, 5 identified advertising tactics, and a summary highlighting psychosocial impacts like consumer susceptibility and self-esteem issues. Signed by Alessandra Capistrano, 2024.

Lightning Talk

Scroll to Top