e dangers of doing so without allocating proper resources and expertise to product development. Youthforia first drew criticism in 2023 when it released its Date Night Tint Serum. The brand’s deepest shade, dubbed “deep neutral”, was not dark enough for many consumers with darker complexions, as Golloria George, a Texas-based beauty influencer with over 1.5 million followers on TikTok, commented. In March, the brand launched 10 new shades that were meant to appease critics, but they did the opposite, particularly, shade 600, which George compared to black face paint in a side-by-side video, in which she called the product “tar in a bottle”.  The video quickly gained traction on TikTok, with cosmetic chemists like Javon Ford, noting that the foundation was formulated with CI77499, better known as black iron oxide, a purely black cosmetic pigment that was mixed with a tinge of white pigment to create a grayish-black undertone. Shortly after George’s post went viral, Youthforia was dropped by retailers Credo Beauty and Thirteen Lune, both of which focus on stocking “clean” beauty products from BIPOC-owned brands, and lost a large number of followers across its social media platforms.  How to handle public fallout  While mistakes are an inevitable part of business, the real test is how brands take responsibility for their missteps and issue efficient, clear, and sincere apologies to consumers. This is something Youthforia failed to deliver. The brand released a statement which has now been deleted that attempted to dismiss the criticisms about its foundation: “Seeing some confusion on our TikTok from people who are suggesting that our darkest shade of foundation (Shade 600) is ‘black face paint’ and not meant for real people,” Youthforia stated on TikTok. “We created shade 600 as part of our ten-shade expansion this past March. We heard everyone loud and clear last October that our shades were not dark enough or inclusive enough.” Rather than apologizing, Youthforia further annoyed its audience with a message that many saw as hurtful to consumers with deeper complexions.  “Sometimes an apology doesn’t meet the moment and falls flat. In this case, the brand deleted their apology rather than addressing negative commentary about it. While there might be a good reason for such a decision, Youthforia’s next steps are critical to their long-term success,” Megan Paquin, a crisis management expert, told Inside Retail. “In situations like these, public relations professionals often recommend a stakeholder-level strategy where the brand is encouraged to speak directly with key advocates and stakeholders about the issue. “Typically, such a campaign starts from their internal stakeholders (employees) and expands outward as they gain valuable feedback and rebuild trust. “We would want to see Youthforia re-engage its public audience as soon as possible, and in a meaningful way that expresses its reason for deleting the prior apology, describes the actions they are taking, and reinforces its value and commitment to its consumers. Then, they’ll need to make good on those statements. Consumers keep score based on promises made and promises kept.” Bethany Paris Ramsay, the founder of beauty marketing and communications firm Honey B, seconded Paquin’s point, stating that if had the company been more immediate and clear with its apology, consumers might have been more likely to forgive its mistake.   “There’s a certain timeframe in which one should respond and it’s appropriate. Once you pass that threshold, it gets complicated,” Ramsay pointed out.  But as the beauty marketing expert noted, even if Youthforia had apologized immediately, it still wouldn’t have been a “win” for the customer. The brand could have avoided the situation entirely if its product development had been more thorough to begin with. “There’s a lot of pressure in the beauty industry to deliver newness fast and the timeline in which the brand launched additional shades was commendable,” Ramsay explained. “But when it comes to complexion products, you need to have ‘true’ range and you need to do it well. This launch was already going to be watched under a critical lens. And so, when they [Youthforia] failed to deliver, it hit harder.” For any retail brand, the “product development process needs to be incredibly intentional and thoughtful,” Ramsay said. “I encourage every one of us to open ourselves up to as many perspectives as possible during that process, through every step of it.” While it may be overdue, it appears that the brand is at least taking a step in the right direction. At the top of Youthforia’s careers page is a listing for a director of product development “to lead our product development efforts, with a focus on inclusivity and the creation of a diverse product line. This role will be instrumental in ensuring our products cater to a wide range of skin tones and cultural preferences.” The key duties include: Conducting thorough reviews of existing and planned products to identify opportunities for shade range expansion and inclusivity.  Collaborating with key vendors across marketing and creative departments to ensure diversity, equity, and inclusion considerations are integrated at every stage of product development. Engaging with BIPOC makeup artists and community members, like George and Ford, and focus groups to gather feedback and inform product development decisions.   If there’s anything to be learned from the PR debacle it’s how to authentically engage with consumers after making a public misstep. “Everyone makes mistakes. And no brand is perfect. All we can do is learn from our missteps and take action to prevent them in the future,” Paquin said. “All we can do is ask brands to do their best and to acknowledge and take action when their best falls short.” Further reading: What retailers can learn from Zara’s failed response to campaign criticism