MCoBeauty

In recent years, beauty and skincare “dupes” have skyrocketed in popularity on platforms such as TikTok. A “dupe” is a product that matches the quality of a high-end product at a lower price, and recently, drugstore brands have taken advantage of this trend, creating products that “dupe” specific products. MCoBeauty focuses their entire brand centers around that: creating “more accessible, less expensive products” (Sams, 2025). Founded and launched in 2020 by Shelley Sullivan, MCoBeauty is a fast-growing Australian company that creates “dupes” of popular makeup products for a lesser price. In 2024, they expanded into the United States in over 1800 Kroger stores, and more recently have launched products in Target stores (Sams, 2025). They pride themselves on being PETA-certified, best-selling, and female-founded. I had the privilege of speaking with Ms. Daniella French, the current Influencer Marketing Coordinator, about her career journey within the beauty sector of public relations and working with influencers to help curate a positive brand image aligning with the organization’s mission. 

Ms. French, originally from Miami, Florida, attended Syracuse University to receive degrees in public relations from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and entrepreneurship and emerging enterprises from the Whitman School of Management with a minor in Spanish (D. French, Personal Communication, April 22, 2025). While at Syracuse, she was the Vice President of Professional Development and then the President of the W.P. Ehling Chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America. She shared with me that holding the role of Vice President of Professional Development provided her with the opportunity to make a multitude of connections that helped land her jobs and opportunities that she otherwise would not have been able to create. Before her current role at MCoBeauty, she held the position of Influencer Marketing Coordinator at Coty, a multinational beauty company. She prides herself on a healthy work-life balance, maintaining a busy calendar, and enjoying every day of her job.  

When asked what her day-to-day responsibilities are, she describes her role as managing relationships between the company and influencers. She corresponds with influencers each day, asking to send them a product or a promotional package. Additionally, she oversees the User-Generated Content (UGC) program, which involves “ghost” influencers creating and providing content for the brand to post. Ms. French is also currently working to launch MCoBeauty’s affiliate program, meaning that for every product bought using an influencer’s code, that influencer will receive a commission (D. French, Personal Communication, April 22, 2025). These tactics highlight the shift towards the importance of authenticity within beauty campaigns (EPR Staff, 2024). Since none of these partnerships are paid, influencers can give their full opinion on products, making these reviews seem more reliable to viewers than an ad posted directly by the company. Additionally, these influencers often have a closer relationship with their audience than a brand would be able to build, allowing for more trust to build. 

According to Kelleher, “public relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics” (Kelleher, 2021). This definition is clearly reflected in Ms. French’s role, where the most prevalent aspect is on relationship building. Specifically, she is tasked with reached out to the influencers to establish trust and build a connection. The influencers receive free products from MCoBeauty, while the brand gains exposure and promotion through the influencers’ content. As consumers are increasingly more skeptical of paid promotions, the authenticity in the content plays a huge role in strengthening the brand’s reputation among the market (EPR Staff, 2024). The exchange between MCoBeauty and influencers exemplifies a truly “mutually beneficial” relationship. Specifically, the beauty sector of public relations has evolved in recent years to focus on authenticity, inclusivity, and sustainability through emerging technologies, social media, and influencer partnerships (EPR Staff, 2024). Ms. French’s work indicates these strategies through her work with influencers, striving to deliver beauty products at an affordable price in a sustainable and inclusive manner. 

She finds that she really enjoys working with her team and “loves [her] co-workers: [they’re] friends” (D. French, Personal Communication, April 22, 2025). Based in New York City, there is a significant amount of collaboration between team members, and she often finds her days to differ. For instance, she may be filling promotional baskets to send to influencers one day, and working an event the next day to bring brand awareness while talking with people and generating a list of emails and followers. Even though there are a variety of tasks Ms. French finds herself doing across her job, the one thing that they all have in common is that they are centered around building relationships with consumers, influencers, and her colleagues. According to Hon and Grunig, managing these relationships requires openness, assurances, social networking, and sharing tasks: all which Ms. French does in a day of work (Horn, 2025). As a result, strong relationships with trust and commitment are formed amongst these individuals and MCoBeauty. 

The beauty sector of public relations can be difficult to approach due to high competition and an ever-changing landscape. Working in public relations often means learning on-the-go while working and constantly researching to stay up to date with the latest trends. While you learn the critical thinking skills that enable you to make informed decisions while in school, the industries’ fast-pace requires constant learning of new skills. Due to this high demand, the public relations industry can sometimes have a reputation of causing burnout due to a time consuming, intensive workload. However, Ms. French explained that through her experience at numerous companies, it is important to “put your foot down” and stand up for yourself (D. French, Personal Communication, April 22, 2025). She emphasized the importance of finding happiness and satisfaction from a job, and that it was perfectly fine to leave a job if you are not happy. Furthermore, she stressed the importance of positive culture in a workplace and how positive relationship building begins with the employees within a company, and works outwards towards consumers. 

Although I was aware of the importance of strong relationships from PRL 206, I did not fully grasp the full significance that relationships have within a public relation professional’s career. Every single one of Ms. French’s job duties centers around building strong, committed relationships: whether that be with consumers, influencers, or coworkers. Additionally, my interview with her taught me to push myself hard and to not limit myself, and that “there is no shame in asking someone for help.” According to Ms. French, a career in the beauty sector of public relations can be demanding yet incredibly enjoyable and fulfilling.