Introduction

In today’s digital world social media platforms like TikTok have become powerful tools for brands to connect with their audience in new and innovative ways. Within the beauty industry, celebrity brands such as Rhode Skin by Hailey Bieber have embraced TikTok as a platform to engage with consumers authentically and drive brand growth. By using different marketing strategies, the beauty industry can create a strong community base on social media platforms. Through interactive features and identity advocacy, TikTok has become more than just an entertainment platform. TikTok serves as a powerful platform for celebrity beauty brands like Rhode by Hailey Bieber to build a strong community, engage with a large audience and effectively promote their products.

 

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TikTok provides a platform where celebrity beauty brands such as Rhode Skin by Hailey Bieber can create an authentic community where followers can connect with the brand and each other. On social media influencers aim to create an authentic environment to help them build a genuine and trusting relationship with their viewers and followers. With the over saturation of beauty products, some people may argue that social media platforms such as TikTok showcase content that may lack authenticity. With the obsession of new trendy beauty products, influencers and celebrities must build a strong trust with the viewer to convert them to purchase the product they are selling or promoting (Kilikita, 2024). Research from academic journals shows the importance of authenticity in building a community on social media platforms such as TikTok (Gault, 2022). Users of social media platforms can gain a sense of belonging when they find people and brands they can relate too in terms of aesthetics and common interest. Statistics that support the effectiveness of TikTok as a platform for building a strong online community. Rhode skincare has 637.9k followers on TikTok with 16.7M likes, showing a strong and engaged following. Rhode’s Instagram, where it has 1.4M followers, further showcasing its influence.

TikTok can be more than just a platform for entertainment or social interaction, it can create a sense of community, where individuals can join discussions, create their own content, and share their own ideas. This interaction between the brand and viewer not only builds a trust between the two but is what creates that community base, where everyone feels confident to collaborate and express their interests. This idea is known as the ‘Third Place’ which is an environment outside of your home or workplace, where you feel comfortable to all interact as equals. This can be a park, café, or an online space (Parkinson et al., 2021). In this instance the Third place could be in the comment section of a TikTok where everyone is collaborating and talking about their thoughts and opinions, exploring trends, or posting their own unboxing videos.  Through Rhodes online marketing campaigns, it has created a space online where everyone can join in and feel like they are a part of the brand creating a real sense of loyalty and belonging within their consumers. For an example Rhode has just recently launched a phone case that also holds their lip treatment product inside of it. This has gone viral online with people showcasing unboxing the phone case or even going out of their way to create their own out of clay to be a part of the trend.

 

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TikTok uses interactive features like comments, duets, and trendy sounds, that allows viewers to actively participate in discussions and content creation surrounding celebrity beauty brands like Rhode Skin, contributing to a sense of community ownership. Some critics may say that user engagement on TikTok is fast paced and changes quickly, resulting in viral moments rather than meaningful community-building (Chitrakorn, 2023). However, Rhode uses TikTok to interact with fans, respond to comments, and collaborate with creators, creating a dynamic and engaged community around its products. This shows that TikTok creates meaningful interactions between Rhode and its audience, allowing fans to feel valued and actively involved in shaping the brand’s community.

 

Rhode’s messaging on TikTok serves as a platform for identity advocacy within the beauty industry. By promoting inclusivity and diversity, Rhode advocates for a more inclusive beauty community. For example, Rhode’s TikTok content features men and women of all diverse backgrounds showcase a variety of cultures and body types. Not only does Rhode post aesthetic TikTok’s of her products but also posts of her viewers reviewing and trying out the products. This shows that no matter who you are you can be a part of this brand and encourages people to share their thoughts of the brand. This makes everyone feel included, you don’t have to be a super model like Hailey Bieber to be a part of her brand, it’s for everyone and anyone to be a part of.

Rhode’s commitment to identity advocacy on TikTok not only resonates with its audience but also influences perceptions of beauty standards and ideals. By creating a diverse and inclusive environment, Rhode empowers individuals to embrace their unique identities and redefine beauty on their own terms. Through engaging and authentic content, Rhode has created a supportive community where individuals feel represented, accepted, and valued. This approach not only creates a stronger connection between Rhode and its audience but also contributes to positive social change in the beauty community. It can be a very competitive and negative environment. But by making it a fun and safe place it can inspire others to embrace their own personal traits and be themselves. In doing so, Rhode’s TikTok presence becomes more than just a marketing platform, it becomes a place for positive change and empowerment within the beauty industry.

 

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TikTok’s algorithm allows access and discovery to celebrity beauty brands like Rhode Skin by Hailey Bieber. It may argue that TikTok’s algorithm priorities viral content over authentic connections. However, the platform’s features such as the ‘For you page’ will share Rhodes content with users who may engage with similar brands or have similar interests. Targeting people who are likely to engage with the brand but may have not discovered it yet. How this works is that if a user engages with a TikTok on their ‘for you page’ by watching the whole video, clicking on the comment section, viewing the profile, liking, or sharing, TikTok’s algorithm will continue to share content from this page. This can create brand awareness the more often you see something its more likely you will remember it; this can then lead to more engagement with the brand.

Rhode’s strategic utilization of TikTok takes advantage of the platform’s capacity to reach a diverse audience and engage with fans authentically. Rhode’s TikTok presence, allows users from various backgrounds to discover, engage with, and contribute to the brand’s community (Spruch-Feiner, 2024). This is because you don’t need to be following the page to see the content unlike other platforms like Instagram where you will only be able to engage with a page if you go out of your way to find it. This allows for viral moments for the brand, when Rhode was first launching the brand in 2022 it used TikTok to share sneak pecks of the products and really built up a hype around the product this was achieved because the algorithm shared this with users who are interested in the beauty community who got excited about the launch. As Hailey Bieber herself has a very large social media following it helped to get the word out about her new brand and got the media talking very quickly. The first launch of Rhode was very successful selling out in 10 minutes making it a brand everyone wants to be a part of. By using TikTok’s algorithmic power, Rhode expands its reach and has built meaningful connections, reinforcing its commitment to inclusivity and diversity while resonating with a broad audience base.

 

 

Conclusion 

Looking into the impact of TikTok on Rhode Skin by Hailey Bieber, it’s clear that social media platforms are changing marketing in the beauty industry. Instead of just promoting products, TikTok creates spaces where communities form and meaningful conversations take place. It also allows for more genuine connection between the product and the consumer. It’s not just about selling a product like lip balms and moisturiser it’s about bringing people together and making you feel more confident in the beauty world. By engaging authentically with their audience and taking advantage of TikTok’s features such as comments, duets, and trending sounds, brands like Rhode can create a sense of community within their followers, allowing them to actively participate in discussions and content creation. I believe it’s important for brands to recognise the power of platforms like TikTok by creating a positive change. By staying true to the brands values and prioritising community over sales, brands can create spaces where everyone feels welcome and valued. Over time the trust that is built between the consumer and brand is more valuable than making quick sales.

 

References

 

Chitrakorn, K. (2023, March 22). Hailey Bieber’s beauty brand Rhode Plots Global Expansion. Vogue Business. https://www.voguebusiness.com/beauty/hailey-bieber-beauty-brand-rhode-plots-global-expansion

Gault, G. (2022). Authenticity’s “TikTok”-Ing Clock: Exploring the Implications of Sophisticated Tools for Performing Authenticity on TikTok. https://doi.org/https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.33037100

How Hailey Bieber’s Rhode Skincare easily sold out in ten minutes. Sky Society. (n.d.). https://www.joinsky.co/blog/how-hailey-bieber-s-rhode-skincare-easily-sold-out-in-ten-minutes

Kennedy, A., Baxter, S. M., & Kulczynski, A. (2021). Promoting authenticity through Celebrity Brands. European Journal of Marketing, 55(7), 2072–2099. https://doi.org/10.1108/ejm-10-2019-0802

Khodabandeh, A., & Lindh, C. (2020). The importance of brands, commitment, and influencers on purchase intent in the context of online relationships. Australasian Marketing Journal, 29(2), 177–186. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ausmj.2020.03.003

Kilikita, J. (2024). The difficult truth about Tiktok’s obsession with beauty. Is Beauty TikTok Driving Over Consumption Of Products? https://www.refinery29.com/en-au/beauty-tiktok-over-consumption

Marketing strategies that led Hailey Bieber’s Rhode Skin to selling out within minutes. Brand Vision. (2023). https://www.brandvm.com/post/rhode-hailey-bieber-marketing

Parkinson, J., Schuster, L., & Mulcahy, R. (2021). Online third places: Supporting well-being through identifying and managing unintended consequences. Journal of Service Research, 25(1), 108–125. https://doi.org/10.1177/10946705211018860

Spruch-Feiner, S. (2024, February 24). Glossy pop newsletter: Rhode’s “Lip case” offers TikTok a marketing masterclass. Glossy. https://www.glossy.co/pop/glossy-pop-newsletter-rhodes-lip-case-offers-tiktok-a-marketing-masterclass/