That’s a fair question and it’s true that beauty and video games don’t typically share much overlap. However, Fortnite’s story does share some parallels with businesses that adapt when faced with unique challenges.
Experimentation
As any stylist will tell you, fashion is always subject to change. Beauty professionals must always be willing to try new things or be receptive to trends to keep their services relevant to clients. Epic Games succeeded on both counts by adapting Fortnite to fit into the battle royale mold.
Fortnite Battle Royale mode was a low-cost investment that minimized financial risk for Epic. However, once the game proved successful, Epic moved quickly to take advantage of momentum. By the same token, if beauty teams give themselves a little room to experiment, the results can be dramatic.
Flexibility
While Fortnite’s pivot to Battle Royale is the biggest reason for its success, that wasn’t the only change. The game’s original look was dark and realistic, but Epic threw all that out the window to give Fortnite a goofy, cartoony aesthetic. It would’ve been easy to stick to the original design, which represented a massive investment of time and money. Instead, Epic embraced the opportunity to start fresh and give Fortnite a second chance to make a first impression on potential customers. This willingness to branch out from Fortnite’s original vision was as much a part of Epic’s success as embracing the new style of gameplay.
Beauty businesses should never cling to a fixed vision of what a spa or salon can do. Staying flexible makes it easier to survive unexpected challenges, from client losses to a global pandemic.
Walking away from what’s not working
Experimentation and flexibility can help you embrace new ideas, but it’s equally important to recognize when something isn’t working. For example, while Epic’s original “Save the World” game mode held some appeal, players were far more interested in the Battle Royale experience that now defines Fortnite. “Save the World” wasn’t broken, but that didn’t mean it was working for Epic. Recgonizing the benefit of not sticking with something just because it was already in place, Epic finished its work on the campaign in 2021 and shifted its focus primarily to Battle Royale.
At Boulevard, we constantly see this trend at play in beauty tech. Far too many salons and spas struggle with Excel appointments and employee schedules for years before looking at flexible management software. Solutions like Boulevard are far easier to use and incorporate features like client management and reporting tools that make beauty businesses far more efficient over the long run.
In the end, Fortnite is far more than floss dances and llama loot boxes. Instead, it offers an excellent case study of how any business can grow when it adapts to best meet customer needs.