Overview
Brand Snapshot: Kara Beauty
Kara Beauty launched in 2011, right at the heart of L.A.’s Indie Beauty boom. Known in the wholesale space for their signature yellow lash packaging and high-impact pigment, the brand quickly became a trade show favorite. But Kara’s real breakout moment came in 2020, when their bold, cannabis-themed eyeshadow palette collection lit up social media and put them on the map with beauty lovers everywhere.
New Website Launch
Case Study: Website Relaunch – Turning Clicks Into Community
Goal:
Drive traffic to and engagement with Kara Beauty’s newly redesigned official website.
Approach:
To build excitement around the site launch, I orchestrated a two-phase campaign that blended product buzz with a strategic giveaway:
Phase 1: One week before the website went live, we released the first product launch of 2023, generating social media hype and curiosity.
Phase 2: We sent out curated PR gift packages timed to arrive with influencers the weekend before launch, ensuring organic social traction.
Launch Day: We gifted our new eyeshadow palette exclusively through the website. Social media CTAs like “Hit the link in bio” drove users to claim their free palette (just pay shipping)—incentivizing immediate traffic and exploration of the new site.
Results:
The entire giveaway inventory sold out in just 20 minutes.
Massive spikes in unique visitors, site sessions, and average session duration across the launch window.
Strong data capture through on-site behavior gave us insight into new and returning users—providing a foundation for personalized retargeting and future launches.
Takeaway:
While the core goal was to introduce users to the refreshed website and branding, the campaign also generated a trove of behavioral data and successfully deepened brand-to-consumer connection in an authentic way.
New Platforms
In 2022 Kara Beauty closed the year as the #1 seller on the Super Great App.
As marketers, we are always looking for new ways to raise awareness. Through research, I discovered the Super Great App.
The Super Great App launched in 2021 and is a beauty community with raw, unedited product reviews and is open to trying new, budget-friendly brands. It was crucial to me to speak and captivate the SG audience and position Kara Beauty next to household brands in the beauty community.
APPROACH
- Coordinated Live Shows with Super Great Hosts for “Key” product launches.
- Offered exclusive discounts, and FREE goodies unlocked at the end of the Live shows.
- Sent PR Gifts to Super Great creators ahead of the first Halloween-Themed launch ever.
- Joined the App’s official Instagram Halloween Giveaway.
- Participated in the App’s Holiday Sales Events.
Through the Live Shows, Kara Beauty connected with the users. While some of the Live Shows took place in studies with hired talent, most of the shows took place in the Kara Beauty headquarters. The Live Shows provided first-hand feedback on the products and what the users wanted to see from the brand. The audience enjoyed getting to know the people behind the brand.
Power Of Influence
Case Study: Kara Beauty – Building a Community Through Influencers + UGC
At Kara Beauty, I led a grassroots-style influencer and UGC strategy that turned customers into creators and creators into superfans. In a highly competitive niche, our approach helped a small indie beauty brand punch well above its weight.
Recognizing the power of authentic content, I built a tiered network of nano to top-tier creators within the Indie Beauty and drugstore cosmetics space. My focus was on recruiting influencers whose values aligned with the brand and who already loved (or were excited to try) Kara Beauty. These influencers weren’t just collaborators—they became an extension of the brand. We supported their content, regularly checked in, and prioritized them for future paid opportunities.
This consistent relationship-building paid off. Kara Beauty’s social channels became a hub of daily activity, with UGC and influencer content always available for re-sharing—allowing us to stretch budget by running an effective Gift-for-Content PR program that felt genuine and community-first.
To ensure users felt just as seen as influencers, I introduced a bi-monthly UGC spotlight on Instagram. This consistent feature not only reinforced brand appreciation, but motivated more followers to join the content conversation. The result? A constant stream of organic content, deeper customer loyalty, and a thriving digital community that truly showed up for the brand.
Ingrid was instrumental in improving Kara Beauty's online presence. Her marketing strategies have resulted in a significant increase web traffic, social media engagement and email open rates, all which have led to an increase in sales. I am grateful for her knowledge and highly recommend her work.
