Case 01 · Brand strategy (spec)
rhode in europe
A US beauty brand just landed in Europe. What works in America may not work here.
My idea: build trust slowly, market by market, using real local people instead of one big celebrity push. Why it works: people trust people who feel like them.
the brand
Founded by Hailey Bieber in 2022 around roughly ten products: “one of everything, really good.” A tight, confident range that became a phenomenon.
Now expanding into Sephora Europe (April 2026), the moment this strategy is built for.
the challenge
Rhode’s style is very American: clean-girl look, food vibes, one famous founder. But Europe isn’t one market. It’s many.
Deep beauty tradition, skeptical of celebrity brands.
Ingredients & honest claims come first.
Trend- and influencer-led, closest to the US.
The risk
Copying the US playbook makes Rhode feel like a foreign brand passing through.
The opportunity
Be the first US clean-girl brand that feels genuinely local in Europe.
local first, slow trust
Pick three starter countries: UK first, then France & Germany.
Use local creators, not big stars.
Translate the vibe, not just the words: elegance in France, proof in Germany, fun in the UK.
what it looks like
Strategy is only as strong as what actually goes live. Same brand, one hero product per market, three locally-true first moves, not one campaign translated three times.
A local creator’s unfiltered “glazed in 30 seconds” GRWM with the Peptide Lip Tint. Trend audio, no script. Closest to the US playbook, so we launch here first.
A quiet editorial film with a respected French esthetician. One product, beautiful light, no celebrity. Elegance earns the trust a famous founder can’t buy here.
An ingredient-first breakdown of the Glazing Fluid: what’s in it, what it does, honest before/after texture. Claims you can check.
the psychology
People trust people like them.
We copy what feels normal around us.
Less choice feels better.
Food makes us want things: sensory transfer.
Belonging sells.
how we’d measure it
Engagement & saves.
Fan posts per hashtag.
Repeat purchase per country.
Followers per country, monthly.
the kind of thinking I’d bring in‑house.
Get in touch →Independent portfolio concept, not affiliated with Rhode. Facts drawn from public sources, 2025–2026.