Marketing

Tara Kim

The Power of Simplicity: Minimalism as a Marketing Strategy in Beauty Branding

A headshot of a young woman with a direct gaze and a slight smirk, featuring long, wavy dark brown hair parted in the middle. She wears large, rectangular gold-rimmed eyeglasses with blue reflections, a small gold hoop nose ring, and subtle pink lipstick. Her skin tone is light to medium, and she is dressed in a black knitted cardigan with dark buttons, and a delicate gold necklace. The background is softly blurred with vertical light and dark elements.

Tara Kim is a fourth-year Professional Communication student at Toronto Metropolitan University. She is a multidisciplinary student with a particular interest in the relationship between brand storytelling and consumer culture. Her interests span various forms of media, communications, and marketing. Tara plans to carry these interests into her graduate studies as she hopes to build a career in public relations and brand communications. In her free time, Tara enjoys exploring beauty culture, following emerging trends in popular culture, watching film and television, and immersing herself in a good novel.

This research project explores how minimalism has shifted from a trend to a strategic marketing approach within the contemporary beauty industry. As beauty markets become increasingly saturated, brands are turning to minimalist design and communication to differentiate themselves while maintaining consumer trust. The research examines how visual restraint, simplified messaging and clean aesthetics influence perceptions of credibility, professionalism, and product quality. Through a case study of Merit Beauty, the project analyzes how minimalist branding resonates with modern consumers and operates as an intentional communication strategy that ultimately aims to signal transparency, authenticity, and brand identity.

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