Influencer marketing has become a mainstay in the beauty industry.
According to recent data from Traackr’s Beauty State of Influence report, it appears likely that investment in influencer programs will only increase. Not only are beauty brands seeing good return on investment (ROI) from their influencer programs, beauty creator’s audience engagement is increasing year-over-year:
- Content mentioning makeup terms: saw a 13% increase in engagements and 42% increase in video views
- Content mentioning skincare terms saw a 44% increase in engagements and 49% increase in video views
- Content mentioning hair care terms saw a 17% increase in engagements and 37% increase in video views
- Content mentioning fragrance terms saw a 13% increase in engagements and 48% increase in video views.
Here, we delve into insights from the successful influencer programs of YSL, Charlotte Tilbury, and Garnier.
Influencer Program Analysis: Leading Beauty Brands
According to our recent Beauty State of Influence report, YSL, Charlotte Tilbury, and Garnier rank among the top 10 in terms of Brand Vitality Score (VIT)—a metric that evaluates brand visibility, engagement, and trust through influencer content.
YSL’s Influencer Program
YSL had one of the most impressive influencer programs in the US, increasing its VIT by 82% year-over-year, and earning the #8 spot on the Beauty Brand Leaderboard.
During the first half of 2024, there were a few factors that helped YSL’s influencer program succeed:
- Social media platform focus turns to Instagram. In H1 2024, Instagram became central to YSL’s influencer strategy, contributing 64% of its VIT, up from 40% in H1 2023.
- VIP partnerships. Collaborations with high-profile influencers like Dua Lipa, and Alix Earlesignificantly boosted brand awareness and engagement, especially for product launches like the Loveshine Lip Oil. Mega tier influencers still remained a powerhouse for the brand this year, earning the most VIT through a mix of paid and organic content.
- Diverse content creators. YSL effectively engaged fashion creators alongside beauty influencers, leveraging OOTD and GRWM videos to enhance brand visibility. The brand then deepened these relationships through strategically planning experiential activations. For example, they hosted a “Candy Shoppe” event celebrating their Candy Glaze Lip Gloss Stick during NYFW with many beauty and fashion creators attending and posting content from the event to their socials.
YSL’s Influencer Program Stats (H1 2024):
- VIT Score: +82% YoY
- Overall US Rank (VIT): #8
- Fragrance US Rank (VIT): #2
Charlotte Tilbury’s Influencer Program
Charlotte Tilbury’s influencer program soared to the top of the list in the UK. increasing its VIT by 82% year-over-year, and earning the #8 spot on the Beauty Brand Leaderboard.
During the first half of 2024, there were a few factors that helped Charlotte Tilbury’s influencer program succeed:
- Investment on Instagram and TikTok. While Instagram remained the primary platform (67% of VIT), TikTok's contribution rose to 28%, reflecting a strategic shift.
- Loyal community of beauty creators. Charlotte Tilbury benefitted from having a large community of beauty creators with high brand loyalty. These creators frequently mention one or more of the brand’s products in makeup and skincare routine videos.
- Strategic paid partnerships. During H1 2024, the brand developed a number of strategic, unique, and long-term paid creator partnerships. These partnerships earned brand awareness and engagement at a larger scale through key pop culture events. Examples include the brand’s groundbreaking partnership with F1 Academy, its special wedding collection with Banita Sandhu, and its long-term partnership with Phoebe Harriet Dynevor, where she tagged the brand in content from big events like the Met Gala, BAFTA’s, and Critic’s Choice Awards.
Charlotte Tilbury’s Influencer Program Stats (H1 2024):
- VIT Score: +34% YoY
- Overall UK Rank (VIT): #2
- Video Views: +194% YoY
Garnier’s Influencer Program
Garnier’s influencer program achieved great results in France in H1 2024, ranking fourth on the overall beauty brand leaderboard and first across all brands for skincare and hair care. It increased VIT by an impressive 102% YoY with big increases in engagements (+870%) and video views (+3,232%).
Some pillars to Garnier’s influencer program success:
- TikTok as a priority. TikTok was critical for Garnier in France, earning 85% of its VIT. The brand had a larger number of activated influencers and total mentions on TikTok than Instagram — something that is rare amongst beauty brands.
- Multi-tier creator strategy. Mega tier creators drove the most performance for Garnier, earning 33% of its VIT. However, the brand also saw a large portion of its influencer program performance driven by creators with modest audiences. Mid-tier creators, for example, earned the 2nd highest VIT of all tiers.
- Impactful paid TikTok campaigns. Garnier’s success was in large part due to the impressive performance the brand saw on its paid TikTok campaigns. The top performing posts for the brand were skit videos with comedy creators like @valeriandh and @nicocaponecomedy. Both posts went viral, generating a combined 1M+ likes and 25M+ video views. Other top paid content promoted Garnier’s Ultra Doux hair care line in a collaboration with popular local reality game show Koh-Lanta where creators posted “survivor-themed” content with viewers encouraged to recreate and submit their own videos for a chance to win a trip to a Garnier Ultra-Doux x Koh-Lanta event in Paris to meet past show contestants as well as a bunch of Garnier product packages.
Garnier’s Influencer Program Stats (H1 2024):
- VIT Score: +102% YoY
- Overall FR Rank (VIT): #4
- FR Skincare and Hair Care Rank (VIT): #1
As the influencer landscape continues to evolve, these insights into YSL, Charlotte Tilbury, and Garnier’s influencer programs highlight effective strategies that brands can adopt to enhance their own influencer marketing efforts. For a deeper dive into brand insights, top influencers, and emerging trends, get the full State of Influence report.