Comprehensive examination of the Rhode Skin case study.

1. rhode
skin
HEY! (Annabelle, Hannah, Emily,)
PRA 461 Term Project

2. “Rhode is dedicated to making products based in
science and great formulation, simplifying many of
the mysteries and complex narratives behind
efficacious skincare.”
—Hailey Bieber
2

3. Brand
Overview
Phase 1
3

4. Brand History/background
rhode is a skincare brand launched in June 2022
by founder and creative director, Hailey Bieber.
Rhode comes from the celebrity's middle name.
The line launched with three skincare
treatments, that all sell for under $30. Since their
launch, they have expanded their product line and
are soon moving into cosmetic products.
The core of rhode skincare is formulating
products with clean, science-and research-
backed ingredients that protect and repair the
skin’s moisture barrier overtime.
4

5. Brand History/the Glaze
★ Hailey is a model known for
her signature “glazed” look,
with both her plump, dewy skin
and her “glazed donut” nails
that went viral in 2021.
★ She is a pioneer for the “no
makeup-makeup aesthetic.”
★ She is a known influencer and
go-to for all things beauty,
health, and fashion related.
5

6. Brand History/values
The brands core values have a heavy influence on the
product formulation, advertising, and overall purpose:
1. Simplicity: Minimalistic, intentional, clean
1. Affordability: Wider demographic, inclusive
1. Authenticity: No BS and climate-friendly practices
1. Quality: Science-driven ingredients, streamlined
packaging
1. Transparency: Purpose, formulation, and
distribution
1. Personality: Natural, sexy, fun, modern, timeless 6

7. Rhode Futures Foundation has committed
a minimum of 1% of sales to support all
women-identified persons and their families.
The main pillars are:
★ Women’s health now
○ Accion Opportunity Fund
★ Guaranteed income for moms
○ Black Mamas Matter Alliance
★ Their future impacts
○ LIFT Family Goal Fund
★ Emergency response
○ Organizations on the frontlines
Brand History/philanthropy
2022 futures foundation report 7

8. Products
★ Peptide Glazing Fluid
★ Barrier Restore Cream
★ Glazing Milk
★ Peptide Lip Treatment (unscented, vanilla,
watermelon slice, salted caramel, strawberry glaze)
★ Peptide Lip Tints (Ribbon, Toast, Raspberry Jelly,
espresso) (first color cosmetics)
Rhode also sells bundles of both face and lip treatments
8

9. Products/ingredients
One of Rhodes biggest selling points is the
science-backed ingredients
Key player ingredients:
★ Peptides
★ Shea Butter
★ Niacinamide
★ Cupuacu
★ Babassu
★ Hyaluronic Acid
★ Marula oil
★ Squalane
★ Acai
Rhode is also very transparent about the
formulation process and highlights their
advisory board:
9

10. Products/sustainability
★ Rhode’s bottles, tubes, caps are made
with post-consumer recycled (PCR)
materials.
★ Products shipped with *zero-waste* Boox
boxes
★ No bubble wrap, no excess waste
★ Easy-to-follow recycling instructions
★ Vegan. Gluten Free. Fragrance Free.
★ Certified cruelty free by Leaping Bunny
and PETA
★ Limited releases
★ Consciously-sourced ingredients
10

11. Pricing
$29
Glazing Milk
$29
Peptide Glazing Fluid
$29
Barrier Restore Cream
$16
Peptide Lip Treatment/Tint
11

12. Target Market/Demographics
● Female skew
● All races
● Average annual
income $40,000
Age
● 18-35
● Late Gen Z/ early
Millennials
Gender/Race Income
12

13. Target Market/Psychographics
● Individuals passionate
about trending and
innovative beauty and
skincare.
● Heavy overlap with
health and wellness
● Interest in fashion,
apparel, and
shopping
● Appeals to those who value
sustainability, inclusivity, social
responsibility and natural,
organic, and environment-
friendly products.
Social Media Influenced
Shoppers
● Influenced strong
online presences.
Values authenticity
online
● In touch with online
style, health, and
beauty trends
Beauty Enthusiasts
Eco and Health-Conscious
Consumers
13

14. ★ Strictly sold on rhode.skin.com
★ Ships to all U.S. territories,
Canada, the United Kingdom,
and select European countries
(France, Germany, Ireland, Italy & Spain)
Distribution
14

15. SHARED
● UGC
● Charity links
● Partnership content (Krispy Kreme)
OWNED
● Social media (@rhode @skinbyrhode)
● rhode.skin.com
● Photography, videography, design
Distribution/
marketing
PAID
● Billboard/ outdoor
● Sponsorships
EARNED
● PR
● Fan accounts/ influencer relationships
● Reviews
IMPORTANT NOTES:
● The brand shares much of
Hailey’s personal PESO assets
○ YouTube
● UGC is utilized in all of PESO
15

16. M
A
I
N
S
O
C
I
A
L
S
Main IG
- Curated, more owned
media then UGC
Update Account IG
- Heavy UGC, higher
frequency, more variety
TikTok
- Similar to main
IG but videos
16

17. Biggest Competitors
Influencer
Endorsed
Skincare Brands
The Ordinary Inkey List CeraVe
La-Roche Posay Celebrity Owned
Skincare
Companies
17

18. Biggest Competitors
18

19. The Business Challenge/background
Rhode may be currently seen as:
★ Opportunistic
○ Heavy use of Hailey's face and capitalization on her modeling
fame
○ Little focus on Rhode Futures Foundation
★ Controversial
○ Hailey’s media scrutiny for being a mean-girl
★ Deceitful
○ Heavy focus on the good ingredients, but doesn’t address the
15+ other ingredients that aren’t on all dermatologics “yes lists”
○ Negative online reviews
○ Is Rhode really the only reason for Hailey’s good skin (lifestyle,
diet, exercise)
■ Is this attainable for everyone? 19

20. The Business Challenge
Thus, the biggest challenge for Rhode is:
Legitimizing Rhode and Futures
as a non-opportunistic skincare
brand and foundation that is
ethical, unique, and genuine in it’s
marketing and philanthropy.
20

21. Creative
Analysis
Phase 2/ Part A
21

22. Current Campaign Landscape
Rhode’s original launch campaign focused on ingredients. It was all
about nourishing and protecting the skin barrier to get the perfect glazed look. This
is still the message Rhode promotes today.
Rhode futures foundation was launched a month after the launch of the
products. No big campaign for this, just one post on their social media accounts.
Each new product and shipping location launches with it’s own
campaign. They focus heavily on the creative assets; Concept shoots, video
production, partnerships, UGC, events/parties, and OOH advertisements are
utilized.
The overall tone of each campaign aligns with Hailey’s personality and
creative voice. It is girly, playful, clean, modern, tasteful yet bold, and speaks to
nostalgia. 22

23. “I'm taking all these things that I love in my
personal life and trying to marry them all into
one space, and express that creatively
through my eyes.”
- Hailey Bieber
23

24. ★ August 2023
★ Most recent, large-scale campaign
to launch the new Strawberry
Glaze Peptide Lip Treatment
Strawberry Glaze Campaign
24

25. 25

26. Campaign Objectives
★ Promote new product
★ Increase brand awareness
★ Establish Rhode as playful
and fun
26

27. Strategy
★ Nostalgia x Hot Girl
Summer
○ Playful and girly
○ Childhood smell and
flavor
Partnerships
★ Krispy Kreme
★ Brought back their Strawberry Glazed
Doughnut for a limited time
★ Established brand with high customer loyalty
★ Erewhon Market
○ Launched Strawberry Skin Supporting
Smoothie two months BEFORE peptide
launch
Creative Content
★ Concept shoots (both with Hailey and of just the
product)
★ OOH in NYC
○ Billboards (digital and static)
★ Heavy UGC
Publicity
★ Good morning America
★ Hailey driving around Rhode x Krispy Kreme, pop
ups, parties
27

28. Demographics:
★ Age 18-34
★ Feminine energy
★ $40,000/year income
Target Audience
Psychographics:
★ Follow Hailey Bieber and/ or others in
the model world
★ New, potential customers
★ Personas:
○ A young woman who loves having
galentine's day with her friends
and morning walks to their local
coffee shop
○ Someone in their late 20’s that
appreciates a cute attention to
detail and feelings of nostalgia
28

29. emphasizes the brand's commitment to
providing high-quality skincare products at
affordable prices
Transparency
Credibility/Proof Points
Collaboration With
Dermatologists
Rhode Beauty has collaborated with
dermatologists to develop its products, ensuring
that the formulations are suitable for sensitive
skin. Expert collaboration is a positive indicator
of the brand's commitment to product quality and
safety.
Ethical Practices
All Rhode Beauty products are vegan,
cruelty-free, and gluten-free, aligning with
ethical and sustainable practices. This
commitment appeals to consumers who
prioritize such values in their beauty
purchases.
Social Impact
Initiatives
Rhode Beauty has create the Rhode Futures
Foundation, indicating a commitment to social
impact and supporting women and their families.
Social initiatives contribute positively to the
brand's credibility and reputation. 29

30. Forrester Checklist
Y
N
N
Y
Y
N
Y
30

31. Forrester Checklist
Y
Y
Y
31

32. Forrester Checklist
Y
N
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y 32

33. Creative Analysis/what worked
SUCCESS!
★ Lots of media attention and views on socials
○ Famous picture of Justin vs. Hailey outfit became a meme
on the internet
○ “Strawberry Girl Summer” caption to her Instagram
■ UGC of strawberry-themed makeup, manicures,
looks, and overall social moments
■ INVOLVED a wide variety of customers
★ Collaboration with a well-known and universally liked brand
such as Krispy Kreme helped establish the playful tone of
Rhode
★ Emphasis on color red and strawberries throughout
transmedia creatives
★ Strawberry Peptide Lip Treatment is now the most well-known
product because of the campaign 33

34. ★ Did not speak to alleviating any customer concerns
○ More for aesthetics then purpose of the peptides
★ No integration or acknowledgement of futures foundation
○ So far… maybe sales from this product launch will benefit the foundation
in the future
★ Rhode marketing was opportunistic to Hailey and the model/ fashion
community
○ PR packages, party invitations, and concept shoots/ videos were all
about Hailey and her lifestyle
■ DID NOT speak to all customer types and segments
■ HOWEVER, this is what she wanted
○ Only OOH ads were in NYC
Creative Analysis/what was lacking
34

35. Business Analysis
SUCCESS!
★ Sold out in one day
★ The hashtag #StrawberryGirl now
has over 50 million views on TikTok,
while #StrawberryMakeup has over
211 million views
★ Strawberry Glaze brought the total
waitlist for all Peptide Lip
Treatments to toal upwards of
570,000
★ No sales data available publicly yet
35

36. Competitive
Analysis
Phase 2/ Part B
36

37. Competitor #1: The Ordinary
Main Messaging: “Quality skincare doesn’t have to be expensive”
★ Affordable products
★ Transparent with ingredients list
★ Effective skincare for a wider audience than Rhode
Positioning Statement:
The Ordinary is committed to catering to its discerning audience by ensuring that commonplace
products are not presented as groundbreaking innovations. It embodies the concept of "Clinical
formulations with integrity," designed to meet the needs of its informed and savvy clientele.
Tonality: straightforward and no-nonsense
★ Provides clear & transparent information about its products, formulations, and ingredients.
★ Avoids excessive marketing jargon and instead prioritizes simplicity and honesty in its
messaging
37

38. Competitor #2: The Inkey List
Main Messaging: “Your Skincare Journey, Simplified”
★ Affordable
★ Customizable
★ Easily accessible
★ Wider variety of options than Rhode
Positioning Statement:
“At The INKEY List, we simplify skincare. Founded in 2018, we're here to empower you
with clear, affordable solutions. Your skincare journey is our journey – let's navigate it
together.”
Tonality: informative and empowering
★ Aims to empower consumers by simplifying skincare routines and offering guidance
without overwhelming jargon, creating a supportive and knowledgeable
environment for their customers
38

39. Competitor #3: Rare Beauty
Main Messaging: “celebrating your uniqueness and inner beauty”
★ Encourages individuals to use makeup to empower and express themselves
★ Commitment to sustainability
Positioning Statement:
“Rare Beauty is breaking down unrealistic standards of perfection. ​ We create makeup made to
feel good in, without hiding what makes you unique—because Rare Beauty is not about being
someone else, but being who you are.”
Tonality: positive and uplifting
★ Inclusivity
★ Empowerment
★ Individuality
39

40. Competition Summary
★ Competitors’ positionings are focused on transparency and quality
★ Rare Beauty has undisclosed fragrances and mica sourcing, which is a
sustainability concern
★ The Inkey List and The Ordinary are both very similar in their prices,
ingredients, and messaging
★ The Ordinary, The Inkey List, and Rare Beauty are all competitive
with:
○ Prices
○ Sustainability
○ Product variety and accessibility
40

41. Brand
Triangle
Phase 2/ Part C
41

42. Skincare
made with
a greater
purpose
Convention: Market is saturated with
dermatologist-created brands that
produce skincare targeting acne and
anti-aging endorsed by influencer
lifestyle.
Disruption: In addition to what you
put on your skin, aligning with your
definition of beauty is awareness of
your values and actions to build
beauty from within.
Brand Opportunity: Increase sales by differentiating Rhode as a skincare brand that
initiates philanthropic involvement and wellness education to foster inner beauty
Target Insights:
★ Ingredient jargon
★ Fatigue of celebrity brands
★ Preconceptions of the values of
Hailey Bieber and the model
world
○ Wanting the “glazed look”
but not wanting to
associate
★ Curiosity in how creating
beauty in all aspects of life can
impact your skin health
Brand Triangle
42

43. Brand Belief: Glowing skin is a mix of the ingredients and formulas you put on your skin and the beauty
you create from within through aligning with community and personal values and wellness.
Proof Points:
★ Education about ingredients and sourcing
★ Care about sustainability
★ Community for philanthropic work and cultivation of values for the greater good of society
★ Principles of play
★ Leading intuition for personal wellness
Brand Triangle Continued
43

44. Current creative direction
we will keep…
★ Look, vibe, and tone of creative
content content
○ Simple, transparent, girly,
playful, fun, tasteful yet bold,
and speaks to nostalgia
★ Heavy UGC
Marketing Pivot
Repositioning we will
introduce…
★ Marketing with more than
Hailey’s face
★ Non-opportunistic focus on
message, community, and
Rhode Futures Foundation
philanthropy over Hailey, the
model world, and aesthetics
★ Cultural inclusion
○ Not just in the photos, but
in the community too

45. Strategy
★ BLACKPINK partnership
○ Already known and respected by the US (home of pre-existing rhode
consumers)
○ Fun, playful, KEY for creative content, hype, and target audience
★ Thought-leadership/ Education (Rhode Futures)
○ Compile knowledge, tips, and insights from experts in women-related
fields that can empower the Korean community
○ Translate the most impactful parts of the campaign to English for our
other audiences
★ Community building
○ Bringing together empowered women and their already loyal audiences
○ Personal connection

46. Target Market/Demographics
● Female skew
● Korean
○ Secondary is white/ American
● Average annual
income $40,000
Age
● 18-35
● Late Gen Z/ early
Millennials
Gender/Race Income

47. Target Market/Psychographics
● Individuals passionate
about trending and
innovative beauty and
skincare.
● Heavy overlap with
health and wellness
● Interest in fashion,
apparel, and shopping
● Appeals to those who value
sustainability, inclusivity, social
responsibility and natural,
organic, and environment-
friendly products and
messages
● Sustainability and health/
wellness are global trends
(ch.5)
Celebrity Influenced
Shoppers
● Influenced by
influencers,
celebrities, and artists
● Values authenticity
online
● In touch with trending
style, health, and
beauty trends
Beauty Enthusiasts
Holistic, Eco and Health-
Conscious Consumers

48. Geography Primary:
South Korea
Secondary:
Pre-Existing shipping locations

49. Single Most Compelling Idea
Empowering women to nurture
their inner beauty through
understanding themselves

50. For healthy female
hormones
Primary Selling/Information Points
Certified by Leaping
Bunny and PETA
To protect mother
nature
More than just a
model’s brand
VEGAN, GLUTEN,
AND CRUELTY
FREE
FRAGRANCE
FREE SUSTAINABLE
DERMATOLOGIST
TESTED
Women helping women
be their most beautiful
self
WOMEN
EMPOWERED
Creating a space for
accessible thought-
leadership
EDUCATIONAL

51. Prominent Call to Action:
Join the Rhode community to learn about
and celebrate what it means to be a woman

52. Rhode Logo
Mandatories
Social Media @
Preferable > mandatory
Website URL
Credit to source
Tagging or stating the source of
any educational content
www.rhodeskin.com

53. Brand Personality
★ Natural
★ Fun
★ Supportive
★ Empowered
★ Playful
★ Authentic

54. campaign
overview

55. ★ Print Campaign
★ Outdoor Billboard
★ Social Media
Campaign
★ :30 Online Video
★ :60 Online Video
★ Pop-up in Seoul

56. ★ Before the launch, rhode will be sure to collaborate
with an agency in South Korea that will have half the
say on the board (ch. 4)
○ More opinion and no assumptions
★ This will ensure we take a CULTURE DRIVEN
approach to move the brand into a new global market
(ch. 5)
Important Information

57. creative
brief

58. Special Edition Lip Tints
with BLACKPINK
★ One for each band member
★ To supplement expansion to
shipping in Korea
Product

59. ★ Expansion into the Korean market
★ Celebration of women, specifically Korean
women, during the month of March for Women’s
History Month, Girls Day and International
Women’s Day.
★ Rhode will establish itself as a hub for women to
“cultivate beauty from within” by providing
educational resources and community
conversation about what it means to be a women
in Korea in addition to our usual creative content.
Description of Project

60. Goals:
★ Increase sales by 15% in 2024
★ Make shipping available to
Korea
Goals and Objectives
Objectives:
★ Establish a brand presence in
Korea
★ Increase inclusivity
★ Increase accessibility of products
★ Educate our current and Korean
markets on women’s health,
rights, leadership, etc. to learn
how to cultivate beauty from
within

61. print
campaign

62. ★ As stated in Chapter 11, “magazines present a lot
of creative opportunities based on the variety of
sizes, shapes, and multiple-page combinations,”
and “provides a perfect venue for brands to
showcase their new products.”
★ This print ad will serve as a call to action:
★ To start a discussion about what it means to be a
woman, specifically in South Korea
★ Will also serve as a venue for Hailey Bieber to
promote her products in the Asian market through
the use of BLACKPINK, who are one of the most
influential girl groups in South Korea. As discussed
in Chapter 5, South Korea is strong in technology
and K-pop is a huge global cultural influence
Print Campaign

63. outdoor
billboard

64. ★ Digital billboards placed in downtown Seoul,
where there is the most foot traffic amongst
tourists and locals.
★ As discussed in Chapter 12, the design
should be simple, with “simple and clean
background and easy-to-read fonts.”
★ Rule of thumb for billboards is to keep it at
one sentence at most:
★ For this billboard, keep it with a call-to-action
statement, such as “Join the Rhode
community to learn about and celebrate what
it means to be a woman,” or “Women
Empowered”
★ Tell a story through the billboard, also
Billboards
AI Generated Billboard

65. social media
campaign

66. Social Media Campaign
★ A new instagram account will be created for
the Korea expansion
★ The social media campaign will focus on
Instagram, as it is the main platform Rhode is
using
★ The posts will consist of popular Korean female
icons discussing various social issues pertaining
to women
★ According to Chapter 10, Instagram helps
companies reach their audiences through
captivating imagery in a rich visual environment
★ With more than 800 million monthly active users,
the platform is great for reaching wide
audiences
Social and Mobile Marketing

67. Blogs:
- “Business blogs tell your brand story and are critical for
generating leads…Your blogging will generate more
indexed pages and opportunities for you to be found” -
Chapter 10
- Instagram link in bio will lead to the rhode website with a
forum for the community to share messages

68. Influencers:
- Chapter 10 says that
influencers “facilitate word-
of-mouth marketing by
encouraging followers to
retweet and repost content”
- BLACKPINK collab
encourages more UGC,
pulling from their fanbase,
and Hailey’s fanbase.
- Content for rhodekorea will
be made by leading experts
in women related topics in
Korea
- Influencers and platforms
for social movements will
be tagged
- Collaborative posts will be
made giving information
about women’s health and
wellbeing

69. :30 online
video

70. PURPOSE: To promote the Lip Tint products
STRATEGY:
★ Generate hype through mixing the aesthetics of BLACKPINK and rhode
★ Concert x “get ready with me” BTS
○ Women helping women be their best selves
○ Sharing, laughing, empowering
★ FOCUS ON EDITING (ch. 8)
○ Importance of advanced editing techniques engage audience FAST and
to keep up with competitors
★ BLACKPINK testimonials (ch. 8)
DETAILS:
★ Empowering, colorful, playful
:30 Online Video: BLACKPINK x Rhode Lip Tints

71. ★ Rough cut
★ Room for more
BTS footage of
the girls getting
ready with
rhode

72. :60 online
video

73. PURPOSE: To bring the campaign to the rest of the Rhode community
STRATEGY:
★ Making educational content fun and engage to our TA
○ Thinking visually, authentic tone (ch. 8)
★ Compilation of all of the thought-leaders in the campaign and a clip of their
biggest piece of advice for, or information about, women in their culture
★ Edited with English Subtitles
○ Can then be translated into other languages on streaming platforms
DETAILS:
★ Documentary-style
★ Super-8/ old film
★ Playful, pink, and trustworthy
:60 Online Video:

74. SCRIPT
★ Open with montage of the events,
marketing, UGC, etc. in Korea
○ BLACKPINK song x voice over
from Hailey
★ Hailey’s interview
○ Explaining the purpose of the
campaign
★ Splice together the best clips from all
the experts and thought leaders that
participated in the campaign
○ All edited with the same
aesthetic for cohesion
Made with AI!

75. pop-up

76. LAUNCH DAY CELEBRATION!
In-person engagement and media day
★ Day where BLACKPINK shows Hailey
around Seoul
★ Can invite other participants of the
campaign to a launch party in the
evening!
Pop-up in Seoul
Made with AI!

77. opportunity
for growth

78. ★ The goal is that Rhode will run the campaign every March, focusing on a
different community/ culture each year
★ This will educate and build an inclusive, loyal community all over the
world, empowering women along the way
★ It will engage the Rhode Futures Foundation to have a impact on the
consumers life and engage them with their philanthropic endeavors
★ Action on DEI, not just showing it in photos
If this campaign strategy works….

79. THANK
YOU!
TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF
79