The Creator Economy started 2022 with a bang: new collections in the skincare industry, a return to tradition in fashion, and plenty of beauty trends on TikTok. Through it all, passionate brand advocates supported product launches and campaigns that took the internet by storm. Here’s a quick summary of the industries and brands that excelled in their influencer partnerships in Q1 2022.
Industry titan MAC ranked No. 1 on the cosmetics leaderboard in Q1, thanks largely to the campaign #MACChallengeAccepted, which brought together two music industry giants: Cher and Saweetie.
Through an inspirational promo video featuring the two artists, MAC celebrated the musicians and challenged its customers to test products with pigmented and waterproof formulas against humid conditions. Influencers took creatively to the challenge, with TikToker Noor Stars eating hot peppers to break a sweat while wearing various products. Creators participating in #MACChallengeAccepted collectively generated $21.6M of MAC’s $165.3M EMV Q1 total.
Additionally, the season 2 release of the HBO series ‘Euphoria’ had cosmetics brands buzzing in Q1. #EuphoriaMakeup impacted almost every cosmetics brand, with die-hard followers replicating iconic looks from the show on their social channels. As of May 5th, creators on TikTok had generated 2B views using the hashtag, while across social media as a whole, 2.1k creators mentioned the hashtag in 6.4k posts, driving $31.7M EMV.
Hydrating serums and formulas for a youthful glow dominated the skincare industry in Q1. Glow Recipe topped the mainstream skincare leaderboard at $19.9M EMV, increasing its EMV by 55% quarter-over-quarter thanks to the launch of its first-ever sunscreen, the Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Sunscreen SPF 50. Powerhouse ambassador Karen Gonzalez (@iluvsarahii on Instagram) generated $142.9k EMV of the sunscreen’s Q1 total across three posts, ranking as the product’s top earner.
Youth to the People ranked No. 2 on the natural and clinical skincare leaderboard, generating $13.8M EMV. Contributing to the brand’s success was the release of Triple Peptide + Cactus Oasis Hydrating Serum, which achieved $1.2M EMV. A significant $63.5k EMV of the serum’s total stemmed from Sephora (@sephora), with the retailer authoring eight posts promoting the product’s high-impact ingredients and hydrating after-effects.
Top European beauty brands prepared for Q1 launches by bolstering their partnerships with influencers. In Germany, haircare brand Syoss grew by 76% quarter-over-quarter to capture $1.1M EMV. The brand owed much of this success to the development of its creator community, which expanded by 26% QoQ. New additions to its community included powerhouse Instagram creators Joline Elisa, Ana Johnson, and Soraya Naomi, who collectively generated $287.3k EMV for the brand.
Throughout the quarter, the U.K.’s most successful beauty brands leaned into content trends on TikTok, with key partnerships proving invaluable for brands looking to make a splash and pull ahead of competitors.
No. 6-ranked beauty brand Revolution Beauty benefited from TikTok creators in Q1, thanks in part to an impactful partnership with beauty guru Chloe (@chloeandcos), who drove an impressive $1.1M EMV. Among Chloe’s 28 posts were shoutouts of Revolution Beauty’s new collaboration with powerhouse creator Lena Bagrowska (@lenkalul), the cosmic-themed Revolution X Lenkalul collection. In all, Revolution Beauty closed Q1 with $27.1M EMV, a 13% quarter-over-quarter increase.
Loyal advocates put Olaplex on top of the U.K. haircare leaderboard, with heightened influencer potency in Q1 sparking a 16% QoQ EMV increase for the brand. Averaging $5.4k EMV each, Olaplex’s 858 creators generated $4.6M for Olaplex in Q1, pushing the brand ahead of competitors Color Wow, L'Oréal Professionnel, and Kérastase. Olaplex’s top five brand advocates all exponentially increased their EMV output versus the previous quarter, collectively averaging a 15.8k% jump. Among these top five were powerhouse beauty gurus Lydia Elyse Millen (@lydiamillen on Instagram) and Daisy Goord (@daisy_goord), who combined to drive $369.9k EMV across 35 brand mentions.
In addition to dressing the stars for prominent Hollywood events like the Oscars and the SAG Awards, top designers returned to their traditional roots at fashion week in Europe, dominating leaderboards in Q1.
Versace boasted a 20% QoQ growth on the global market. During the brand’s Milan fashion show, supermodel sisters Bella (@bellahadid) and Gigi Hadid (@gigihadid) walked the runway and shared behind-the-scenes content from the show on their social channels. As Versace’s top two earners this quarter, the models collectively generated $2.4M of the brand’s net $100.9M EMV.
For a comprehensive look at our quarterly findings and top influencer trends in the beauty, fashion, wellness, and other industries, visit our Knowledge Hub. And to learn how Tribe Dynamics can help your brand manage its influencer marketing program, schedule a free demo today.