Cosmetics brand Tarte has always been a social-first brand. So when the opportunity to sell via TikTok Shop came about, the brand jumped in feet first.
Tarte has been operating on TikTok for years, first showing up when the app was still Musicl.ly. The brand’s TikTok has over 1 million followers and frequently features product swatches, new product reveals, and behind-the-scenes looks at the office and Tarte team. Tarte has been owned by Japanese conglomerate Kosé since 2014. According to the conglomerate’s nine-month earnings report released in mid-November, its cosmetics net sales were 174.4 billion Japanese yen ($1.19 billion), representing a 13.7% increase from the year prior. The report said Tarte’s sales increased significantly due to strong sales of core products globally.
“[TikTok Shop] is the first significant social commerce that we’ve seen in the U.S.; we don’t have any other channels like this right now, where we’re both getting branding content out in the world and producing direct revenue from it,” said Sam Kitain, CMO of Tarte.
Tarte’s TikTok Shop strategy largely relies on livestream shopping, with several sessions hosted every week. Tarte is experienced with live shopping through QVC. Maureen Kelly, founder and CEO of Tarte Cosmetics, said Tarte has not invested any money into establishing its TikTok Shop presence. The typical average viewership is a few hundred people, said Kitain.
On Nov. 29, Tarte hosted a 12-hour livestream featuring employees in the Tarte office that had an average of 25,000 viewers during the period and sold “several hundred units,” said Kitain. Of the sales, 70% of shoppers were from people who do not follow Tarte on TikTok. The content consisted of giveaways, Q&A sessions, makeup tutorials and a segment dedicated to a brand launch event in L.A., giving viewers a peek into influencer events. Kelly said that some of the livestreams have led to Tarte adjusting its online strategies. For example, it added more information to its product display pages based on requests from livestream viewers.
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“Building up the viewership is about having a combination of encouraging people to join and being fully engaged with those who are on at the time,” said Kitain. “People love value and finding value in their purchases, and that doesn’t necessarily mean a steep discount or a cheap price. It’s about [answering], ‘Why is this meaningful to me? Why do I want to have this?’ So [we have to] break down that value and show why it’s important and how people will enjoy it.”
From a content creator standpoint, Tarte has opted for an open affiliate strategy for TikTok Shop, meaning anyone can link to products and earn from an undisclosed range of affiliate commissions. The other option is gated, where creators must receive approval to earn a commission. The Ordinary and Estée Lauder employ a gated strategy, for example. Kelly said that TikTok Shop is already proving to be a significant sales channel and that Tarte is exceeding TikTok’s sales benchmark by about 50%. The initial benchmark is in the high seven figures, she said.
Tarte has observed a halo effect on wholesale retail, with a triple-digit lift on products featured in TikTok Shop since the brand joined TikTok Shop during the beta program in mid-2023. Those have included products in the Maracuja Juicy Lip franchise, as well as Tartelette Tubing Mascara and holiday sets. Tarte has created TikTok Shop-exclusive product sets with the hope of demonstrating value and introducing the brand to new customers through its hero products.
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“Social media used to be for awareness only. But now social commerce innovations are collapsing the funnel, so you can discover a product and buy it within a minute on the same platform,” said Kelly. “But [social selling] tools would do nothing for our bottom line without an engaged community, strong social strategy and a robust influencer program.”
Through the livestreams, the Tarte team hopes to understand better how to sell complexion products like foundation and concealer. Kitain said these products have a higher repurchase loyalty than other products but can be more difficult to select in a digital environment. Therefore, Tarte’s related content focuses on understanding different Tarte complexion products, choosing a shade and using them.
“TikTok Shop is like the infomercial of today,” said Kitain. “Twenty years ago, brands invested in infomercials because it was a cheaper way of advertising. You could also offer all this education on television and sell directly from an infomercial. And likewise, people could buy the featured products in stores because they’ll recognize it.”
