The Debrief

Category: Brands

  • How Hailey Bieber Turned Rhode Into a Billion-Dollar Brand: Profile Post

    By Maya Jacobson 05/19/2026 More Than a Celebrity Skincare Line  As we have covered on this blog, celebrity beauty brands are everywhere, but very few manage to feel culturally relevant after their launch. Consumers have become increasingly skeptical of celebrity-founded companies, especially within an oversaturated market. Still, Hailey Bieber’s Rhode has managed to stand apart…

  • Why Brands Are Obsessed With Selling Aesthetics Instead of Products

    By Maya Jacobson 05/13/2026 From “Brat Summer” to “Clean Girl,” Identity is The New Strategy  If there is one thing modern marketing understands, it is that people rarely buy just the product anymore. They buy the lifestyle, a personality and a version of themselves they want to be perceived as. This is exactly why aesthetics-driven…

  • CSR Done Right: Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream

    By Maya Jacobson 04/29/2026 Ben & Jerry’s and CSR In today’s day and age, brands and companies are often judged by more than the products and services they sell. At a basic level, they’re expected to have the obvious ethical values, company culture and manufacturing but increasingly, are expected to also have an involvement in…

  • Celebrity Brands Are Everywhere. Can Reale Actives Stand Out?

    By Maya Jacobson 04/22/26 Celebrity Beauty Boom or Product Fatigue? There was a time when a celebrity launching a new beauty brand felt exciting. Now, it feels almost expected and overdone. My first reaction when I heard the Reale Actives launch even as an Alix Earle fan was, “Another one, really?” Every few months, a…