Tula Skincare, the self-care and cosmetics brand made with probiotics and superfoods, not only witnessed a wild growth trajectory over the last few years – they recently reported that they were also able to stay successful during the COVID-19 crisis.
After numerous internal discussions at the start of the pandemic, Tula searched for ways to give that same instore consultative selling experience when brick-and-mortar shops shut down. They decided to cross-train their entire retail sales team to be digital skincare advisors on chat and live chat on Tula.com.
“That’s just an example of how we’ve had to pivot. When customers engage with us via online chat, their basket size is typically 20% higher. We were able to retain our team, translate that offline customer experience to online, and drive business results,” said Savannah Sachs, CEO at Tula Skincare, in a recent MediaPost interview.
The company’s online sales even made up for its lost brick-and-mortar sales at premium retailers, like Ulta. More specifically, applying accountability to emerging channels like influencers and OTT helped the company’s sales grow amid the pandemic.
“We knew from the beginning that we wanted to be omni-channel. [But] we started with being digitally native and social first as a brand and Tula.com is our largest channel today,” said Sachs in the same interview.
Another way the brand adjusted to the new reality was by polling its audience on social media. In March, they asked what sort of content and messaging customers would find appropriate at this time. And overwhelmingly so, people were interested in Tula being a source of escapism and positivity.
Therefore, Tula quickly shifted marketing campaign messaging to speak both the benefits of indoor and outdoor products on offer. As most consumers would be working from home on Zoom calls, they marketed products to help protect skin from blue light, for instance.
And it was very well received. An SPF product they launched in April was one of the most successful product launches in the company’s history.
What’s fascinating here is that a sunscreen lotion was of consumer interest even under quarantine when stuck at home.
As consumer interest continues to grow among skincare and cosmetics brands since the start of the pandemic, another thing that sets this brand apart is their unique influencer program. It’s their largest performance channel in terms of revenue and is an ongoing growth engine for the brand.
Content creators who collaborate with Tula gain full creative control over the product and marketing when posting to social media. As an incredibly powerful distribution channel, Tula treats these content creators as entrepreneurs.
This unique influencer program allows the brand to receive feedback from the various follower base each influencer has, through their own use of Tula products, giving them access to a wide range of personal experiences to foresee.
Their most recent (very promising) collaboration occurred last week in the form of a presale with Courtney Shields, Austin-based fashion and lifestyle blogger, who has been empowered to use her platform as a virtual storefront.
Together they launched a new product, Glow Hour, that serves as a solution for 43% of Tula customers, who expressed concerns over dark under eye circles.
“As a mom, entrepreneur, and creator, I always want to make the most of my daily routine and Glow Hour makes it simple to give a little extra self-care in an instant. With Tula’s support, we developed this passion product for my followers and the larger market to feel more comfortable in their own skin,” said Shields.
“Courtney has been a part of the Tula family for more than 4 years and has learned over time exactly what her community wants. Over the last year she has worked side-by-side with our team to hand pick the perfect mix of ingredients that brought the new formula to life and as consumers invest more in their skincare routines, we wanted to bring that much needed feeling of a ‘Glow Hour’ to market now,” she concluded what seems to be a D2C success story many can learn from.