What Rihanna's Fenty Beauty Can Teach Small Businesses About Standing Out
Six marketing lessons from Rihanna's Fenty Beauty — and how small business owners can use them to build a memorable brand, attract customers and compete in crowded markets.
There are thousands of beauty brands in the world. Some have been around for generations, with established reputations, international distribution and enormous advertising budgets.
So how does a new beauty brand enter such a competitive market and get people talking?
In 2017, Rihanna launched Fenty Beauty, a cosmetics company that quickly attracted attention for offering a much wider range of foundation shades than many consumers were accustomed to seeing from major beauty launches.
But Fenty Beauty's success was not simply about launching 40 shades of foundation.
The company recognised an underserved customer need, built a recognisable identity around inclusivity and communicated that message through its products and advertising.
Rihanna, founder of Fenty Beauty, promoting her cosmetics brand.
What can small businesses learn from Fenty Beauty's marketing strategy?
Fenty Beauty demonstrates six principles: identify an underserved market, offer something genuinely different, make customers feel recognised, communicate a clear brand message, demonstrate your products and encourage customer conversations.
For small business owners, the lesson is straightforward: you do not always need to be bigger than your competitors to stand out. You need to give customers a meaningful reason to choose you.
During Black History Month, Rihanna's entrepreneurial achievements provide an opportunity to explore how Black entrepreneurs are shaping contemporary business, branding and marketing.
What Is Fenty Beauty, and Why Did It Become So Successful?
Fenty Beauty is a cosmetics brand founded by Barbadian singer and entrepreneur Rihanna in 2017. The company became widely recognised for its inclusive approach to beauty, particularly its original foundation collection featuring 40 shades designed for a broad range of skin tones.
Before Fenty Beauty launched, many consumers with deeper skin tones struggled to find suitable foundation shades within mainstream cosmetics ranges.
Although inclusive cosmetics existed before Fenty Beauty, Rihanna's brand brought renewed public attention to the issue.
Its launch combined a broad foundation range with advertising featuring models of different skin tones and backgrounds.
According to Allure's reporting from September 2017, some of the brand's deeper foundation shades sold out shortly after launch.
Fenty Beauty's popularity also helped intensify conversations about representation and product availability within the beauty industry.
The company subsequently expanded its product range and continued developing its approach to inclusive beauty.
Fenty Beauty's story provides a useful case study in differentiation: the practice of making a business meaningfully distinct from its competitors.
For small businesses, differentiation is particularly important when customers have many similar options.
A cleaning company may compete with dozens of local cleaning services. A hair salon might operate on a street with several other salons. A mobile car valeting business may offer many of the same services as its competitors.
The challenge is helping potential customers understand why one business is the right choice for them.
1. Find the Customers Your Competitors Are Overlooking
Marketing lesson: Businesses can differentiate themselves by identifying customers whose needs are not being adequately served and developing products or services specifically for them.
One of Fenty Beauty's most influential decisions was launching with 40 foundation shades.
While other beauty companies offered extensive shade ranges, darker complexions and certain undertones were still underserved across parts of the mainstream cosmetics market.
Rihanna recognised an opportunity to create a brand that would serve a broader range of customers from the beginning.
The foundation range was not simply a marketing message about inclusivity. It made the brand's positioning visible through the products themselves.
That distinction matters.
Customers are more likely to believe a business understands them when its products or services actually reflect their needs.
How can small businesses identify an underserved market?
You do not need to invent something entirely new.
Sometimes, the opportunity is to provide a familiar service in a way that better suits a particular customer.
Consider a cleaning company.
Rather than competing solely on price, the business could specialise in providing flexible cleaning appointments for working families.
A mobile car valeter might focus on customers who prefer their vehicles cleaned at home or at work.
A gardener could specialise in low-maintenance outdoor spaces for older homeowners.
A hair salon might develop specialist expertise in particular hair textures or treatments.
Each business is still operating within an established industry, but it has a clearer reason for a specific group of customers to choose it.
Try this: Look at customer reviews of businesses in your industry. What complaints appear repeatedly? What do customers wish providers offered? What problems are people struggling to solve?
Those gaps can reveal opportunities to differentiate your business.
Fenty's inclusive marketing campaign
2. Give Customers a Reason to Choose You Beyond Price
Marketing lesson: A strong unique selling proposition explains why customers should choose a business instead of an alternative.
Fenty Beauty entered a highly competitive beauty market.
Trying to compete only on price would have made it difficult to distinguish the brand from established cosmetics companies.
Instead, Fenty Beauty placed inclusivity at the centre of its offering.
Its foundation range gave customers a specific reason to explore the brand.
The wider range of shades made the brand more relevant to people who had previously struggled to find suitable products.
A small business can apply the same principle without needing a revolutionary product.
What makes a small business different from competitors?
A unique selling proposition, often called a USP, is the specific benefit or characteristic that makes a business attractive to its intended customers.
It could be specialist expertise, convenience, a distinctive service, exceptional reliability or a more personalised customer experience.
For example:
Generic cleaning business message:
"We offer professional and affordable cleaning services."
More distinctive message:
"Reliable end-of-tenancy cleaning for busy landlords and letting agents, with clear checklists and straightforward booking."
The second example explains who the service is for and what makes it relevant.
Similarly, a mobile car valeting business could highlight the convenience of cleaning customers' vehicles at their homes or workplaces.
A decorator could focus on carefully planned projects that minimise disruption to occupied homes.
The goal is not to make exaggerated claims.
It is to communicate a genuine difference customers value.
Try this: Complete the sentence: "Customers choose our business because we ______."
If your answer could describe almost every competitor in your industry, consider what makes your service more specific.
Fenty Beauty products displayed with consistent branded packaging.
3. Make Your Customers Feel Seen and Understood
Marketing lesson: Customers are more likely to recognise the relevance of a business when its products, messaging and advertising reflect their actual needs and experiences.
Fenty Beauty's early advertising featured models representing a wide range of skin tones and backgrounds.
Representation reinforced the company's product strategy.
Customers could see that the brand was considering people who had often been overlooked in mainstream beauty campaigns.
The advertising also provided visual evidence of the company's positioning.
Fenty Beauty's approach offers an important lesson: marketing becomes more meaningful when customers recognise themselves in the problems, experiences and solutions a business presents.
How can small businesses make their marketing more relatable?
Start by showing the real people, environments and situations connected to your services.
A domestic cleaning business could show a realistic family home rather than relying exclusively on photographs of immaculate luxury interiors.
A gardening company could feature ordinary gardens and outdoor spaces similar to those belonging to its target customers.
A local tradesperson could explain how a job was completed while the customer continued living in the property.
A hairstylist could show examples of work with different hair textures, lengths and styles, reflecting the services the salon genuinely provides.
Authenticity also matters.
Customers should be able to recognise the relationship between what a business promises in its marketing and what the business actually delivers.
Try this: Review your last ten social media posts. Do they show the kinds of customers, services and situations that your target audience can relate to?
If not, consider how your real work could help make your marketing more relevant.
4. Create a Brand Message People Can Remember
Marketing lesson: A clear and consistent brand message makes it easier for customers to understand what a business represents and why it matters.
Fenty Beauty developed a recognisable identity around the idea of beauty for everyone.
Its approach to product development, advertising and brand presentation supported that positioning.
The brand did not need to explain its mission from scratch every time it introduced a foundation product.
The breadth of its foundation shades and diversity of its advertising helped communicate the message.
For smaller businesses, a memorable brand message does not have to be complicated.
It should explain something meaningful about the business in language customers can easily understand.
How do you create a memorable brand message?
Start with three questions:
Who does your business help?
What problem do you solve?
What makes your approach useful or different?
For example, a gardening business might communicate:
"We help busy homeowners enjoy beautiful, well-maintained gardens without spending their weekends working on them."
A mobile car detailing company could say:
"Professional car detailing brought to your driveway, saving you time without compromising on care."
A small cleaning company might focus on helping landlords prepare properties for new tenants.
These messages are more memorable than simply listing a company's services because they connect the service to a customer need.
A consistent brand message should appear across your website, social media profiles and other relevant marketing channels.
Try this: Write a single sentence explaining what your business does and why customers should care. Use that message as the foundation of your website introduction and social media biography.
A small business owner taking photographs of completed work for social media marketing.
5. Show the Product, the Process and the Results
Marketing lesson: Product demonstrations, tutorials and real examples of completed work help potential customers evaluate what a business offers.
Fenty Beauty's marketing made its foundation range visible through photographs, shade demonstrations and beauty content.
Seeing makeup products on different skin tones helped customers understand the range and consider which products might suit them.
Demonstration is particularly useful when appearance, quality or technique influences a customer's decision.
The same principle applies to businesses outside the beauty industry.
A painting and decorating company can demonstrate the quality of a finished room.
A mobile car valeting service can show a vehicle before and after cleaning.
A landscaping business can document a garden transformation.
A domestic cleaning company can explain the steps involved in a deep clean.
What kind of social media content helps a small business stand out?
For businesses that provide hands-on services, the most useful content often comes directly from everyday jobs.
Consider a garden landscaping project.
One completed job could provide enough material for several different posts:
A before-and-after transformation showing the finished garden.
A short video demonstrating part of the landscaping process.
A photograph highlighting a particular design feature.
A practical maintenance tip based on the project.
A customer testimonial discussing the finished work.
The business does not need to invent five unrelated content ideas.
It can use different parts of one genuine project to demonstrate its expertise.
With permission from the customer, those photographs and videos can become useful marketing material.
Try this: On your next job, capture a photograph before starting, a short video during the work and another photograph once the job is complete.
Those three moments could form the basis of your next social media post.
6. Build Customer Conversations, Not Just Advertising Campaigns
Marketing lesson: Customer feedback, shared experiences and genuine conversations can help a business build relationships and improve its understanding of the market.
Fenty Beauty's launch attracted significant attention and discussion among beauty customers.
Its inclusive product range gave consumers something specific to talk about, particularly those who had experienced difficulties finding foundation shades.
The brand has continued to use digital channels to demonstrate products, share beauty content and engage its audience.
Fenty Beauty's marketing illustrates how a distinctive product offering can encourage conversations that extend beyond conventional advertising.
For smaller businesses, those conversations may happen on a much more modest scale.
A customer sharing a positive experience can introduce a business to their friends.
An online review can help another customer feel more confident about booking.
A useful tutorial can answer a question before someone makes an enquiry.
How can small businesses encourage customer engagement?
Businesses can begin by making customer conversations part of their regular routine.
Ask satisfied customers for honest reviews.
Respond to genuine questions on social media.
Share customer experiences with permission.
Explain the thinking behind decisions made during a job.
Invite customers to ask questions about your services.
For example, a car valeting business might publish a post explaining the difference between a standard wash and a full interior detail.
A cleaning company could explain when a deep clean might be more appropriate than a regular cleaning appointment.
Content that answers real customer questions can be useful long after it is first published.
Try this: Write down five questions prospective customers frequently ask before booking. Turn each answer into a simple post or short video.
What Makes Fenty Beauty Relevant to Black History Month?
Black History Month provides an opportunity to recognise the achievements and contributions of Black people across history and contemporary society.
In the United Kingdom, Black History Month is observed during October. The official 2026 theme, Honouring Our Communities, encourages recognition of people whose contributions shape and support communities.
Rihanna's achievements as a Barbadian entrepreneur offer an example of how Black business leaders are contributing to modern industries.
Fenty Beauty's launch challenged assumptions about which customers mainstream beauty brands should prioritise.
Its impact was not simply about selling cosmetics. It helped bring greater visibility to consumers whose needs and experiences had sometimes been overlooked.
Celebrating Black Achievement, Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Black History Month should make room for stories about business success, innovation, creativity and commercial leadership alongside the difficult chapters of history.
As someone who grew up in Nigeria and has lived in the United Kingdom for more than two decades, I have often reflected on differences in how Black history is presented.
My experience of learning history in Nigeria included accounts of kingdoms, rulers, achievements, conflicts, victories and political change. After moving to Britain, I sometimes felt that public conversations about Black history placed a much greater emphasis on slavery and oppression.
Those subjects are important and deserve honest examination. But they are not the whole story.
I believe we should also make more room to celebrate what Black people have built, invented and achieved.
That is one reason stories like Rihanna's Fenty Beauty are worth exploring.
They remind us that Black history is not only about the past. It is also being created by entrepreneurs, business owners, innovators and communities today.
And importantly, those stories contain practical lessons that other people can learn from.
For small business owners, Fenty Beauty's story is an invitation to think differently about competition, customer needs and the value of being distinctive.
How Can Small Businesses Apply Fenty Beauty's Marketing Lessons?
Small businesses can stand out by identifying a specific customer need, communicating a genuine difference and using their everyday work to provide evidence of the quality and value they offer.
You do not need Rihanna's celebrity status or a global advertising budget to apply those principles.
A small business can begin by improving how it presents itself to potential customers.
Fenty Beauty lesson | Practical action for small businesses |
Identify underserved customers | Focus on customer needs your competitors may not be addressing. |
Differentiate your offering | Explain what makes your service a better fit for particular customers. |
Help customers feel recognised | Use relatable photographs, examples and language. |
Develop a memorable brand | Communicate a consistent message across your marketing. |
Demonstrate your work | Share before-and-after photographs, tutorials and completed jobs. |
Encourage conversations | Use genuine reviews, customer questions and useful educational content. |
For many small businesses, the difficulty is not knowing whether social media is important.
It is finding the time to use social media consistently while managing the work that actually generates income.
That is especially true for cleaning companies, gardeners, mobile car valeters, decorators, independent salons and other hands-on service businesses.
The good news is that those businesses often produce useful marketing material naturally.
A completed job can demonstrate skill.
A customer review can provide social proof.
A before-and-after photograph can show what a business is capable of achieving.
The challenge is turning that material into a professional, consistent online presence.
YOU DO THE WORK.
WE'LL DO THE POSTING.
You do not need to become a social media expert to market your business.
If you run a cleaning company, gardening business, car valeting service, decorating business or another hands-on business, your everyday work already provides opportunities for useful social media content.
The photographs you take of completed jobs.
The videos you record while working.
The positive feedback customers leave.
These are the things prospective customers may want to see before choosing a business.
At Ooya Media, we help turn that material into professional social media content.
Looking for affordable social media management for your small business?
Our £150/month social media offer is designed for busy small business owners who want to maintain an online presence without spending their evenings writing captions, preparing posts and managing social media.
The process is straightforward:
You do the work. Concentrate on serving customers and delivering your services.
You capture the content. Take photographs or short videos from your jobs, with the appropriate permissions.
You send us the material. Share the photographs and videos you want to use.
We handle the posting. Ooya Media turns suitable material into professional social media content and manages publication within the agreed package.
The objective is to make social media marketing easier to maintain.
No need to invent something new to post every day.
No expensive production setup required.
No need to take time away from your customers to become a content creator.
Just a straightforward way to use the work you're already doing to help potential customers understand what your business offers.
£150 per month. You do the work. We'll do the posting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Fenty Beauty considered a successful marketing case study?
Fenty Beauty is widely studied because it launched with a distinctive approach to inclusive beauty, including 40 foundation shades and advertising featuring diverse models. The brand identified an underserved customer need and used its products and messaging to communicate a clear market position.
What marketing strategy did Fenty Beauty use?
Fenty Beauty combined differentiated products, inclusive brand positioning, diverse advertising, celebrity visibility and digital marketing. Its original foundation range helped demonstrate its commitment to serving a broad range of skin tones.
What can small businesses learn from Rihanna's Fenty Beauty?
Small businesses can learn the importance of identifying customer needs, developing a unique selling proposition, communicating a consistent brand message and creating products or services that deliver on their promises.
How can a small business stand out from competitors?
A small business can stand out by focusing on a specific customer group, offering a distinctive service, communicating clear benefits and demonstrating the quality of its work through genuine examples and customer feedback.
Do small businesses need a big marketing budget to stand out?
Not necessarily. Large budgets can increase advertising reach, but smaller businesses can build visibility through clear positioning, customer referrals, local search visibility, consistent content and strong customer relationships.
What should a cleaning company or car valeting business post on social media?
Cleaning companies and car valeting businesses can share before-and-after photographs, short demonstrations, customer reviews, behind-the-scenes content and answers to frequently asked questions. These posts help prospective customers understand the services and results they can expect.
How much does social media management cost for a small business?
Social media management prices vary depending on the provider, number of platforms, posting frequency, content creation requirements and level of support. Ooya Media offers an eligible small-business social media posting package starting from £90 per month. Businesses should review the package details to understand what is included.
Can someone manage my social media using photographs I already have?
Yes. Some social media management services can prepare and publish content using photographs and videos supplied by the business owner. Ooya Media's £90/month offer follows this approach, helping eligible small businesses turn everyday work into professional social media posts.
Final Thoughts: Standing Out Starts with Understanding Your Customers
Fenty Beauty demonstrates that standing out in a competitive market is not always about being louder than everyone else.
Sometimes, it begins with recognising a customer need that others have overlooked.
Rihanna's beauty brand combined a distinctive product offering with a clear message and marketing that reflected its intended customers.
Small businesses can apply the same principles in their own markets.
A cleaning company can become known for serving a particular type of customer.
A gardener can demonstrate the quality of completed projects.
A mobile car valeter can distinguish its services through convenience and attention to detail.
A decorator can use photographs and customer feedback to show potential customers the results of their work.
Whatever the industry, successful marketing begins with giving customers a meaningful reason to choose your business.
And once you've done the work, make sure people can see it.
YOU DO THE WORK. WE'LL DO THE POSTING.
Sources and Further Reading
Allure — Fenty Beauty's Dark Foundation Shades Are Selling Out Like Crazy, September 2017.
Allure — Everyone Loves Rihanna's Diverse Fenty Beauty Campaign, September 2017.
Allure — Make Up For Ever's Foundation Shade Range, September 2017.
Comments