With a new viral beauty product out every other week, consumers are often reduced to the dollar amount the latest “must-have” product is worth. Meanwhile, with the brands beauty marketer leads— like , EADEM, and Camille Rose— influencer-led community building is at the core of their success. “Influencers are not only influential in a way where they can sell a product, but they’re influential within their communities,” Payne tells ESSENCE.
As consumers increasingly value ethical brands they can trust, her key strategy builds a story around the ones she represents, growing real emotional connections with audiences. That way, she can set an intention for the community in which each product is a part of. “Sometimes, the best way to create a real ground around a product, a brand, etc.
, is to be able to affect, not only the person that you’re targeting,” the Ohio-born, New York-based consultant says. “but also the community around them.” Payne’s career took a turn from bussing tables at a restaurant when Solange Knowles’ assistant Shabazz put her onto Saint Heron.
Since then, her trajectory led her across industries: from doing marketing for musicians like Doja Cat, SZA and Alicia Keys, and even heavy-hitting fashion brand Coach. All of this was before she found her home within the beauty industry’s rising brands. Below, she opens up about her dynamic beginnings, intentions for Black beauty brands, and the priceless marketing advice she’s received.
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