Lush is quitting social media. The start of a trend? | Vogue Business

“We’re starting to see some trailblazing brands move in this direction,” observes Sabrina McPherson, senior MD and management consultant lead for consumer products, at digital business transformation consultancy Publicis Sapient. “People are looking for brands living their values and prioritising the right kind of relationship with customers rather than any relationship for easy bucks.” This requires a shift in success metrics, she continues. “You’re trading short-term revenues for long-term loyalty.”For Lush, the move was prompted by broader news about social media whistleblowers and the negative impact algorithms have on users’ mental health — an issue that is particularly relevant to Lush’s core demographic of young girls. “Social media was not designed to look after people’s health, but our products are,” explains Lush chief digital officer Jack Constantine. “It is counter-intuitive for us to use platforms that keep you hyper-tense, engaged and anxious.”Second time lucky?Lush has taken a stance against social media before. In March 2019, the company announced it was switching off — or, as Lush put it, “switching up social” — tired of fighting algorithms and unwilling to pay for newsfeed real estate. During the nine-month break, Lush encouraged customers to engage with its staff and stores’ individual social…
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