The Customer Engagement Strategy Behind Hailey Bieber’s Rhode Beauty Boom

Celebrity beauty lines are everywhere, but very few build lasting communities. Hailey Bieber’s Rhode Beauty has done exactly that, not by leaning only on her name, but by designing a customer engagement strategy that makes fans feel directly involved in the brand.

Rhode’s approach is rooted in transparency, feedback, and participation. From unfiltered TikTok routines to product launches shaped by community demand, the brand invites customers into the process. That’s why a small skincare line has quickly turned into a brand culture shaped by the people who use it.

Let’s look at the key drivers of Rhode’s engagement: owned content, UGC, product feedback loops, and demand-driven scarcity. I’ll show you how these ideas can translate into loyalty and growth for your brand.

Owned Content Strategy: Turning Routines Into Rituals

Rhode’s engagement playbook starts with owned content. That simply means the posts a brand shares on its own channels, like TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube. For Rhode, that usually means Hailey Bieber filming simple Get Ready With Me videos or sharing her skincare routine at home.

These posts aren’t high-production campaigns. They look and feel like everyday content that shows how the products fit naturally into Hailey’s routine. A Sunday Reset video with Glazing Milk feels like something a friend would share, not a sales pitch. That matters, because it gives fans a way to see Rhode as part of a lifestyle they can copy and make their own.

What makes it work even harder is Hailey’s direct engagement. She often replies to comments or answers questions, which tells fans their voices matter. That kind of presence makes the brand feel approachable.

Takeaway for brands: Use your own channels to show products in action. Keep the tone real, not polished. Share content that people can relate to and invite them to respond. Most importantly, be ready to answer back. That two-way conversation is what turns brand posts into connection points.

UGC and Micro-Influencer Activations: Building Trust Through Everyday Voices

The second piece of Rhode’s engagement strategy is how it leans on content created by others. Marketers call this user-generated content (UGC). In simple terms, it’s when fans, customers, or smaller creators make posts about a brand on their own. It’s also considered a form of earned media, since the brand doesn’t pay for it. The exposure is “earned” through community enthusiasm.

Rhode has been quick to recognize the power of UGC. When everyday people share their own try-on videos, skin routines, or product reviews, Rhode often reposts or comments back. That recognition makes fans feel seen and motivates others to join in. Over time, it creates a steady stream of authentic content that doesn’t look or sound like advertising.

Research backs this up. A 2024 study in Social Media + Society found that influencer authenticity and relatability were the strongest predictors of brand credibility and purchase intent (Liu & Zheng, 2024). In other words, people are more likely to trust a brand when they see real voices sharing real experiences. Rhode has benefited from this dynamic by amplifying micro-influencers and everyday fans, not just Hailey’s celebrity platform.

Takeaway for brands: Encourage your customers and creators to share their own posts, even if they aren’t polished. Repost their content, tag them, and thank them. It doesn’t take a big budget to build credibility. It takes listening and amplifying the right voices.

Customer Engagement Strategy in Action: Feedback Loops That Drive Loyalty

One of Rhode’s smartest moves has been how it listens to its community and turns that input into action. Fans don’t just buy products. They shape what comes next.

When customers asked for restocks of the Jelly Glaze Lip Treatment, Rhode responded with new drops and even expanded shades. Social comments, DMs, and reviews aren’t treated as background noise. They’re signals that guide product decisions. The result is a feedback loop: the brand listens, adapts, and customers feel like their voices matter.

Using community input to drive product decisions is what I call a Product Feedback Loop. Customers share feedback through comments, DMs, and waitlists. The brand responds by restocking fan favorites or expanding products that have strong demand. Fans feel heard and the cycle continues.

The parts of the Product Feedback Loop are:

• Customers Give Feedback → Comments, DMs, waitlists, product reviews.
• Brand Takes Action → Restocks, creation of new shades, expanded lines.
• Fans Feel Validated → Customers feel listened to, valued, connected to the brand.

Bonus outcome: Running this loop consistently gives Rhode ongoing product insights that guide future strategy.

Takeaway for brands: Make space to hear your customers and show them you’re acting on what they say. Use waitlists, polls, or comments as a way to gather input. Then close the loop by letting people know their feedback shaped the outcome. It builds loyalty and keeps customers invested in your success.

Metrics That Matter: Engagement Over Reach

Rhode’s success isn’t measured only by how many people know the brand. The real driver is how deeply customers engage with it. This is a reminder for any marketer: reach alone doesn’t guarantee results. What matters more is engagement:  the volume of conversations, posts, and community participation that show people aren’t just aware of your brand, they’re acting on it.

On TikTok, #Rhode has more than 356,000 posts and #RhodeSkin over 119,000. Most of these aren’t created by the brand itself but by fans and micro-influencers sharing their own routines, reviews, and recreations. That steady stream of content has fueled buzz and contributed to repeated sellouts.

Those sellouts aren’t just luck. They’re part of how Rhode has turned demand into energy for the brand. Research shows that not all scarcity works the same way. See the tips below for how to implement scarcity effectively.

What the Research Says:

A 2023 meta-analysis in Psychology & Marketing (Ladeira et al.) looked at how scarcity influences buying decisions. The study found:

• Excessive demand beats exclusivity. Products that sell out because everyone wants them create stronger demand than those limited by supply.
  
  Expert Tip: Highlight waitlists or fast restocks to show popularity, rather than just advertising a “limited edition.”
• Variety scarcity works best. Scarcity of a specific shade or flavor has more impact than broad category shortages.
  
  Expert Tip: Launch limited runs of new product variants (like Rhode’s tinted Jelly Glaze shades) instead of restricting the whole product line.
• Social signaling matters. Scarcity is more persuasive when owning the product signals belonging.
  
  Expert Tip: Rhode’s minimalist tubes act as a visible badge of the “clean girl” aesthetic, much like sneaker drops signal status in streetwear culture.
• Seasonality amplifies urgency. Limited-time or seasonal launches heighten desirability.
  
  Expert Tip: Tie new product drops to cultural or seasonal moments, such as a “summer skin” edit or holiday gift bundle.

Takeaway for brands: Don’t just lean on “limited stock” messages. Create demand-driven drops, launch new variants based on fan input, and tie releases to cultural or seasonal moments.

Takeaways for DTC Brands

Rhode’s rise shows that customer engagement strategy doesn’t require a massive celebrity platform. What sets the brand apart is how it uses transparency, community input, and demand-driven scarcity to keep people involved. These lessons apply to any DTC company, whether you’re just starting out or already scaling.

Here are a few ways to adapt the approach:

Bottom line: Engagement isn’t about more content, it’s about better connection. Brands that make customers feel included (and show they’re acting on what people say) earn loyalty that goes beyond a single campaign.

Conclusion: Engagement That Scales

Rhode proves that customer engagement strategy is built through small, consistent choices that make fans feel involved. Fans don’t just watch the brand, they help shape it through content, feedback, and the demand that drives every product drop. That sense of involvement is what keeps Rhode’s community loyal and excited for what comes next.

For marketers and founders, you don’t need celebrity status to pull this off. You need to listen, respond, and invite your audience to be part of the story. When people feel seen and valued, they create the kind of momentum you can’t buy.

Want to measure and scale engagement like Rhode?  Explore how Influencity helps brands turn insight into impact.