Skincare Unboxed Newsletter | 🚀 Fospha’s SXSW Masterclass Secrets—Winning Strategies Revealed

Masterclass Wrap Up ✨

🎯 What Marketers Learned at SXSW

ClickZ had the inside track at Fospha’s SXSW Masterclass series, where industry leaders unpacked the biggest challenges — and opportunities — shaping eCommerce in 2025. Here are the top takeaways:

1. The Amazon Measurement Struggle Is Real — But Now Solvable: At the Halo Masterclass, brands shared how they’ve struggled to measure the impact of off-platform ads on Amazon sales — a consistent challenge we’ve heard across the industry. Fospha’s latest research introduced Unified ROAS, a game-changing metric that connects external ad spend with Amazon performance for the very first time.

2. There’s More Headroom on TikTok and Snapchat Than You Think: Sessions with TikTok and Snap experts revealed that there’s still huge untapped potential for brands on these platforms. Full-funnel strategies, creative best practices, and better targeting are key — and data-driven approaches are already driving real results.

3. It's Time to Quantify the Power of Brand-Building: Upper-funnel investment can’t be ignored — but it also needs to be justified. Fospha’s data shows how to connect brand investment with business impact, making brand-building a measurable growth driver rather than a leap of faith.

📌 Like what you’re reading? There’s more to come. Fospha continues the Masterclass series at Shoptalk Spring (March 25–27, Las Vegas) with sessions on Amazon measurement, TikTok, Snapchat, Applovin, and measuring brand impact.

👉 Explore Masterclasses at Shoptalk Spring

Enhancing Skincare Credibility with Retinol and Consumer Education

Retinoids have become the benchmark for collagen renewal, as noted by the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. This highlights the critical role of scientific credibility in the beauty industry, especially in consumer education and product transparency. For leaders in brand marketing, effectively communicating retinol's benefits can boost brand presence and consumer engagement.

This marks a shift towards transparency and science-backed claims. A Mintel survey shows that clear, science-backed product labels increase purchasing confidence. This trend underscores the need for brands to simplify complex scientific information, making it accessible and relatable. By doing so, brands build trust and empower consumers to make informed decisions. Those excelling in this area often see higher conversion rates

Aligning scientific credibility with consumer-friendly education is vital. By using AI and personalization, brands can tailor messages to individual needs, enhancing engagement. Aligning with clean beauty trends and sustainability can position brands as leaders in ethical skincare, appealing to environmentally conscious consumers. For example, creating educational content that highlights retinol's efficacy clearly. Collaborating with dermatologists can add credibility. Integrating consumer feedback into product development ensures offerings meet market needs.

Simplifying complex information and aligning with consumer values fosters trust and drives growth. As the industry evolves, those prioritizing transparency and education will lead in consumer engagement and brand loyalty.

Sector Spotlight 🎥

DIGITAL COMMERCE INNOVATION

MONAT Pioneers TikTok Shop Integration, Advancing Beauty Marketing and Consumer Engagement

MONAT's launch of a groundbreaking TikTok Shop revolutionizes direct sales, fusing eCommerce with Market Partners' compensation tracking. Utilizing TikTok's powerful social commerce, this initiative expands brand presence and consumer engagement through creative, viral content. MONAT's strategic innovation strengthens their sales model, offering insightful approaches in beauty marketing for those leading in the digital realm.

EVIDENCE-LED INNOVATION

Medik8 Elevates Skincare Marketing with Pioneering Peptides and Strategic CSA Approach

Medik8, founded by UK scientist Elliot Isaacs, excels in the beauty industry with a CSA philosophy centered on vitamin C, sunscreen, and vitamin A, ensuring evidence-based skincare efficacy. Forecasted 2025 revenues hit $75-100 million, as the brand innovates with peptide technology and expands geographically. Its strategy emphasizes community-driven marketing, offering strategic insights and leveraging digital channels to enhance brand presence and consumer engagement in an increasingly competitive eCommerce landscape.

INNOVATIVE ECOMMERCE INTEGRATION

Estée Lauder Elevates Beauty Marketing with AI-Driven Adobe Partnership

Estée Lauder expands its digital marketing prowess by collaborating with Adobe, seamlessly incorporating Adobe Firefly Services into their Creative Cloud workflows. This step, within their "Beauty Reimagined" framework, targets improved efficiency and faster campaign deployment. The initiative directly addresses the surging demand for content and underscores a commitment to consumer-centric digital evolution, positioning Estée Lauder advantageously in the fiercely competitive beauty market.

BEAUTY INDUSTRY ENGAGEMENT

Malibu Skincare Event Boosts Brand Strategy with Influencer Engagement

Cetaphil's SkinLabs event in Malibu strategically attracted 134 influencers, aiming to strengthen brand engagement and community appeal among Gen Z consumers. By integrating in-depth skincare science with dynamic experiential marketing, this initiative exemplifies an innovative approach to enhancing brand presence and fostering authentic consumer connections in the beauty eCommerce landscape.

BEAUTY MARKET INNOVATION

Tech and Sustainability Transform Beauty Industry Strategies for Digital Marketing Leaders

In 2025, the global beauty market sees a pivotal shift, driven by personalization, eco-conscious strategies, and tech innovation. Brands like Dior and Lancôme prioritize skin health and AI-powered products. As sustainability takes center stage, the battle against greenwashing intensifies. Leading the charge, K-beauty capitalizes on traditional ingredients and advanced skincare technology, underscoring the strategic necessity of embracing these transformations for sustained brand success.

🎯 Exclusive: Get 10% Off Shoptalk Registration

Shoptalk brings together the biggest names in eCommerce and retail to explore the latest trends and challenges—from AI-driven personalization to shifting consumer behavior.

ClickZ will be on the ground at Shoptalk, sharing exclusive insights with our readers. Fospha will be attending too—book a meeting to discover how performance-driven measurement can transform your strategy.

👉 Register now using the code RBCLICK269.
👉 Book a Meeting with Fospha

Influencer Corner 📣

Optimization Hub ⚙️

SCARCITY MARKETING

Elevate Your Brand with Exclusive Scarcity Marketing Techniques for Greater Appeal

Scarcity marketing leverages limited availability to drive demand, creating authentic value when consumers believe in the genuine constraint. Successful scarcity marketing involves engaging storytelling and transparency, enriching customer experience by transforming purchases into significant cultural events across industries like fashion and gaming.

ADVERTISING FORECAST

Digital Media Surges as Traditional Advertising Stagnates Amid Economic Shifts

U.S. ad spending growth is forecasted to slow, with non-political growth at 3.6% this year. Digital platforms lead this shift, as traditional TV ad revenue declines. Brands are redirecting budgets towards digital media, particularly platforms like Amazon and eCommerce media, offering measurable returns, highlighting an industry trend towards strategic digital investment.

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING

Leverage Pinterest's Elegant Feature for Seamless, Sophisticated Ad Promotions

Pinterest's innovative features like the "Ad only toggle" and "Promotions" are crafted to enhance advertising strategies. They allow for precise scheduling and integration of limited-time promotional content, akin to Meta's offerings. Integration with Shopify underscores ease of use for eCommerce marketers, emphasizing strategic advertising efficiency.