How it started

As the Black Lives Matter movement gained momentum in 2020, it triggered conversations on a more inclusive and representative future. So too at Philips’ reseller, a leading tech and services retailer. The brand questioned how well they catered for Black African Americans, particularly when it came to haircare.

The ambition went beyond products. Philips wanted to bring meaningful insights and thought leadership to its retail partner, helping them create a more inclusive shopping experience grounded in a genuine understanding of consumers’ lived experiences. The brief was simple but ambitious: Help us understand the experience of caring for Black African American hair.

How we inspired change

To build that understanding, we combined large-scale social intelligence with rich qualitative research among leading-edge consumers.

First, we analysed more than 1,000 online conversations across social platforms, reviews and community forums, including spaces where Black African American consumers openly shared experiences, routines, frustrations and recommendations. Beyond the words themselves, we explored the imagery, cultural references and behaviours that shape conversations around haircare.

We then engaged leading-edge consumers, from models and influencers to drag performers, whose personal and professional experiences gave them unique perspectives on hair as a form of identity and self-expression. Through digital ethnography, participants vlogged about their haircare routines and created digital mood boards representing their own “hair universe”. Follow-up conversations helped deepen and validate the themes emerging from the social analysis, adding context and nuance to the findings.
Together, these approaches provided Philips with a richer, more human understanding of the category.

How it lives on

The research uncovered three themes that shaped Philips’ recommendations to its retail partner.

• Hair is cultural identity. Hair represents history, community and self-expression. Brands can build stronger connections by continuing to learn and by helping educate mainstream audiences.
• Authenticity matters. Consumers increasingly embrace natural Black hair and expect brands to reflect its diversity through inclusive language, imagery and product experiences.
• Everyday challenges create opportunities. Caring for Black hair involves unique routines and tensions that are often overlooked. Better understanding these experiences creates opportunities for more relevant innovation and stronger retail support.

The insights helped Philips equip its retail partner with a more informed and inclusive approach to serving Black consumers. They directly informed content on the retailer’s Black History Month platform, contributing to a shopping experience that better reflected the diversity of consumers’ hair types, routines and styles.