*We determined the top 40 beauty brands utilizing a combination of sales data and industry resources. For sales data, we assessed the rankings of top beauty brands using Circana data for 52 weeks ending June 30th, 2023. For industry sources, we consulted the following resources to ensure we represented the most powerful brands in the industry including WWD Inc 45 Most Powerful Brands in Beauty, WWD Top 100 Beauty Manufacturers, Tribe Dynamics and Spate. 

**3 Components: Each component carries equal weight in determining a brand's final Inclusive Quotient, or IQ score.

• Public Assets: We analyzed each brand’s most viewed and widely watched content across platforms like Meta ads, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Our analysis primarily covered assets from January 1, 2023 to June 30th, 2023. However, if at least 10 assets with view counts exceeding 20,000 were unavailable, we expanded our timeframe up to a year. We prioritized most-viewed assets, allowing us to gain valuable insight into media investment and virality.
• Product line: We evaluated each brand's product line, considering everything from products and shades to copy and website features. Our scoring system was normalized to be fair and equitable across the unique characteristics of different beauty categories. For example, shades were not reviewed for skincare-only brands and hair-related assessments were not reviewed for non-haircare brands. 
• External DEI Commitments: We examined external Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) commitments made by each brand. This encompassed commitments undertaken through company-led initiatives, partnerships, donations, and public announcements. 

***Inclusive Quotient (IQ) scores organizes brands into four distinct segments:

1. Certified Inclusive: I am empathetic and a proven inclusive brand. 
   ‍Brands in this category are at the forefront of inclusivity. They excel across ads, product and DEI commitments, demonstrating holistic inclusivity efforts. Their efforts are often ingrained in the DNA of the brand itself.  These brands are certified inclusive and have earned the prestigious SeeMe seal of approval, which they can proudly showcase in their marketing materials.
2. Acts Inclusive: I stand with you and support you. 
   ‍These brands are actively working toward inclusivity and have made significant progress. While they might not excel in all three components, they consistently show a strong dedication to inclusivity.
3. Feels Inclusive: I try to feel what you feel. 
   ‍These brands are taking some meaningful inclusive actions but it is inconsistent across components and identities. They are more nascent in their inclusivity journey but deliver some impactful efforts.
4. Thinks inclusive: I try to think like you do. 
   ‍Brands in this category show promise of inclusive action. However, efforts have yet to fully materialize, and they have significant room for improvement.