{"id":251,"date":"2025-12-09T13:20:28","date_gmt":"2025-12-09T13:20:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/theredwellgroup.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/09\/how-the-doux-uses-ai-to-engage-community\/"},"modified":"2025-12-09T13:20:28","modified_gmt":"2025-12-09T13:20:28","slug":"how-the-doux-uses-ai-to-engage-community","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/theredwellgroup.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/09\/how-the-doux-uses-ai-to-engage-community\/","title":{"rendered":"How The Doux uses AI to engage community"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cI think we’re moving into a space where most beauty companies are<\/em> tech companies,\u201d says Maya Smith.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a striking claim from a brand that launched in 2012, long before AI was everywhere. But The Doux<\/a> has always been ahead of the curve. Since day one, the haircare brand has been anchored in culture: hip-hop references, retro- and Afrofuturism, Black hair-salon nostalgia, all in service of marketing hair products to Black women.<\/p>\n

\"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

For all AI can do, Smith, who\u2019s The Doux’s co-founder, CEO, and creative director, is well aware that system biases are still rampant; the tech is accelerating faster than access and representation. \u201cWhat I understood is that in order for that to change, you really have to start to train AI<\/strong>,\u201d Smith tells me. \u201cI wanted to be a part of [it].\u201d<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how she\u2019s doing exactly that.<\/p>\n

Partnering with Black Girls Code<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Collaborating with Black Girls Code (BGC), The Doux launched the Black Beauty AI Challenge<\/a> back in June, calling on budding creators to submit their original AI-generated videos.<\/p>\n

Other than the requirement to use only<\/em> free tools like Canva, Capcut, or Pika \u2014 \u201cbecause a lot of the obstacles are to do with access\u201d \u2014 participants were given intentionally broad parameters to showcase how they define Black beauty, for a chance to earn cash prizes and additional visibility opportunities. Winners will be announced later this month.<\/p>\n

\"\u201cit's<\/p>\n

\u201cI understand that there\u2018s some apprehension, because a lot of people don\u2019t understand it,\u201d says Smith, hopeful that this challenge provides some awareness. \u201cBut it\u2018s important for Black creators to be able to participate in the AI conversation, because it\u2019s not going anywhere.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Key takeaway:<\/em><\/strong> Leading with education and access is a powerful form of thought leadership and a solid way to build trust and authority.<\/em><\/p>\n

Letting culture lead<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Prior to the BGC partnership, Smith had already been experimenting with AI to help bring her campaign and product launches to life.<\/p>\n

To help execute the vision for The Doux\u2019s Press Play Collection, which launched last year, she used Midjourney AI to organize the endless thoughts in her head and generate usable renderings that guided her production team. \u201cWe didn’t want to spend a lot of time and money on revisions,\u201d says Smith.<\/p>\n

Smith is inspired by everything from the Black Barbie evolution to pin-up culture to Palm Springs aesthetics. \u201cWhen people are communicating with any of these platforms, even if you\u2018re good at it, you\u2019re still going to have to be very specific,\u201d says Smith.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to learn [in this case] art history so that you know what to say. You have to learn about camera angles, wide shots. You still have to educate yourself on what you’re telling AI to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

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A post shared by T H E D O U X (@ilovethedoux)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/blockquote><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

The latest launch was no different. Products across The Doux\u2019s Block Party Collection were formulated to stand up to humidity. The biggest challenge, notes Smith, was telling this story without leaning into the typical, often culturally unsound campaign showcasing the frizz-to-sleek arc, implying that the hair wasn\u2019t beautiful to begin with.<\/p>\n

With the help of AI, a bubble visual became the metaphor for an anti-humidity barrier.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeauty brands need to lean into the people they\u2019re serving,\u201d says Smith. \u201cEverything we do is informed by our community. AI is just another way to engage them.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Key takeaway:<\/em><\/strong> Use AI to clarify \u2014 not replace \u2014 your creative vision. Humans still set the tone; AI helps execute it faster.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\u201ceverything<\/p>\n

AI will never replace IRL<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In that spirit, the \u201cBlock Party\u201d concept was customer-led. New York remains its biggest community and what Smith kept hearing about the city stuck with her: that it was changing, that neighborhoods were looking different than what people grew up with.<\/p>\n

So Block Party became an homage to the famous New York block parties that raised so many of The Doux\u2019s customers.<\/p>\n

For its NYC debut party, The Doux team invited 60 beauty journalists, influencers, and distributors for dinner and dancing, and hired DJ Ty Alexander to lead the set comprising crowd pleasers like Boosie\u2019s \u201cWipe Me Down,\u201d Lauryn Hill\u2019s \u201cDoo Wop (That Thing),\u201d and FLY\u2019s \u201cSwag Surfin.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think our love language to our community is showing them the way that we see them and ensuring that they see themselves,\u201d says Smith.<\/p>\n

Key takeaway:<\/em><\/strong> AI is inevitable, but in-person experiences remain irreplaceable drivers of community.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Click<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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