The eco-friendly cosmetics brand has just announced the launch of Lush Player, a digital publishing platform created to support under-reported topics within the beauty industry
From eco-friendly packaging to cruelty-free makeup , people are increasingly looking for more than just product performance from brands. Consumers are more conscious than ever about how they shop so it's therefore unsurprising that companies are launching new content to appeal to their communities on a wider scale. One such example is eco-friendly beauty brand Lush, who has just unveiled Lush Player - a new digital publishing platform created to support topics aligned with its main core values.
Offering live and on demand video and audio on a variety of under-reported subjects, the platform will be advert-free and offer its community direct access to exclusive films, live streams, documentaries and news stories as well as behind-the-scenes access of Lush events and campaigns. The brand has previously supported campaigns against animal cruelty, homophobia and transphobia.
“Lush has always provided our shop windows as a platform for campaigning and storytelling,” says Liz Edgar, Head of Lush Media. “The Lush Player enables us to extend this approach further. Working with a talented network of broadcasters, journalists and filmmakers, we are producing ethically funded video and audio content to connect audiences with compelling stories around topics they and we really care about.”
In an indication of the types of programming that you’ll be able to find on the Player, the brand has announced that it will be streaming this week’s Lush Live Summit in London on it. Taking place on the 14th and 15th of February, it will feature debate on a range of topics and discussion from campaigners and grassroot voices from around the globe such as Mara Keisling, founder and executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, Chris Packham, TV presenter, wildlife conservationist, nature photographer and author, and Satish Kumar, former monk and long-term peace and environment activist. Subjects covered will include:
- Debate on the use of mica in cosmetics, a subject that has been in the news as of late due to reports of child labour in unregulated mines and the lack of full traceability of its supply chain;
- Discussion around the use of palm in beauty products;
- Making the Suffragette movement relevant for a new generation.
A full Lush Player schedule is set to be revealed on Tuesday the 13th of February. Content will be available to access via smartphones, tablets and computers.
This new step by the brand seems to reflect a growing trend of brands investing greater amounts of resources into content designed to tap into the wider interests held by its community. Australian skincare brand Aesop publishes an array of fiction, non-fiction and essays via its ‘The Fabulist’ and ‘The Ledger’ sections and indoor cycling studio Psycle’s ‘Inspire Blog’ on food and fitness sits in seamlessly alongside its workout schedules.
It’ll be interesting to see how the area develops, how brands build their own voices and how they grow their platforms to reach beyond the realms of social media and into the world of publishing.