The Rhode beauty marketing strategy behind a $1B e.l.f. Beauty acquisition, broken into seven copyable moves. See how product design, creators, and community turned Rhode into a fast-growing beauty brand.
A free playbook for founders and marketers
Here is the real depth inside the ebook. The other five lessons, every source, and the full eight-point checklist are in the PDF.
"If people relate to me, they should relate to the brand." - Hailey Bieber, 2022
Strategic takeaway: when the founder is the audience, every touchpoint resonates with the target consumers.
Rhode embedded creators into its growth loop from launch, blending gifting, organic seeding, and community-building.
Strategic takeaway: automate gifting so it scales past a handful of creators.
The map
This is one page from the full playbook. The remaining lessons, supporting sources, and practical checklist are inside.
The launch-to-acquisition system condensed into seven strategic moves, plus a checklist for putting them to work.
Hailey built Rhode skincare for people just like her, not for a mass market.
Every SKU was engineered to be shared, not just sold. Rhode launched with only three core products.
A gifting and seeding system built for scale, not one-off influencer sends.
GRWM and lo-fi content built a stronger emotional connection than polished ads.
Ambassadors were picked and activated for cultural relevance, not just reach.
Collaborations were engineered for organic UGC, not just a co-branded product drop.
Rhode owned its audience and waitlist before Sephora came calling.
An eight-point checklist you can apply this quarter, whatever your category.
Rhode did not rely on celebrity alone. Hailey built a digital-first, creator-powered brand. The ebook breaks down that repeatable system move by move.
"Rhode isn't luck. It's a repeatable system. I wrote this playbook so any DTC brand can copy it."
Paul Boulet, Founder and CEO, Click Analytic
From launch to acquisition
2022
Rhode launches
400K+
waitlist signups
$1B
deal announced
In May 2025, e.l.f. Beauty announced an agreement to acquire Rhode for up to $1 billion, less than three years after the brand's June 2022 launch.
3 yrs
from launch to acquisition
$1B
e.l.f. Beauty deal
3
products at launch
$212M
net sales in the 12 months ended March 31, 2025
4.7M+
social followers
$1B
e.l.f. Beauty acquisition
400K+
waitlist signups before launch
Founder and CEO, Click Analytic
Paul has worked with more than 100 DTC brands to build scalable influencer growth engines. He wrote this playbook after seeing brands chase one-off gifting or one big influencer instead of building a real creator community.
Yes. The full 30-page PDF is free. No credit card is required. We ask for an email so we can send it to you.
You will learn the seven strategic moves behind Rhode's growth: product design for virality, creator seeding at scale, ambassador selection, brand partnerships, and how Rhode built demand before retail.
No. Rhode's marketing strategy translates to any DTC brand that wants creators driving organic growth, including skincare, wellness, fashion, and food.
Most coverage focuses on Hailey's celebrity. This ebook focuses on the repeatable system: creator gifting, ambassador choices, and product decisions that another brand can apply.
Yes. Click Analytic helps you find micro and nano creators, automate gifting and outreach, and track results. Those are the same building blocks used in Rhode's playbook.
The data behind 23.6M creators, updated annually.
How a skincare brand scaled creator gifting with Click Analytic.
A DTC brand's playbook for creator-led sales.
Run creator gifting without the spreadsheet drag.
Seven lessons and the system behind a $1B beauty acquisition. Read it once, then apply it this quarter.
A free playbook for founders and marketers
