Learn the secret sauce from Youthforia, redefining startup growth beyond fame.

Viral Gen Z TikTok makeup brand, Youthforia, has hired its first marketer as part of its strategy to expand the brand beyond the fame of its founder, Fiona Co Chan. The move follows Chan securing a $400,000 investment on the US reality show Shark Tank. In addition to securing the funds, the appearance on the show has helped propel the brand to its next growth phase.

• Youthforia: The brand, which was established two years ago, offers neon-colored makeup products which have been designed to allow users to sleep with their makeup on. Youthforia’s products have proven popular with TikTok users.
• New hires: Recognising the need to scale the business, Chan hired Tina Shim as the brand’s first-ever marketer in October. Shim has since been recruiting for a senior marketing manager and an influencer coordinator to bolster her team. Chan also hired Kristen Giddings as the first vice-president of sales and appointed SolComms as Youthforia’s first PR agency.
• Brand strategy: Having spent quality time with Chan to understand her vision for the brand, Shim plans to maintain elements of Chan’s personal touch while scaling the brand. Part of this strategy includes finding a balance between highlighting the product’s benefits and maintaining the fun and emotional element of the brand that Chan wanted Youthforia to exemplify.
• Brand awareness: Prior to joining Youthforia, Shim had spent her career working with legacy beauty businesses launching new brands or rebranding existing well-known brands. She plans to apply the lessons learned from her previous roles to strip down Youthforia to its core and blow out awareness. One of her first tasks has been combing through social media comments and reviews to understand which messaging resonates best with users. The standout unique selling point identified was “makeup you can sleep in”.
• Further platfrom expansion: Following the brand’s success on TikTok, Shim plans to expand the brand’s presence on YouTube, where Chan’s long-form videos have been performing well, and on Instagram to reach millennial beauty shoppers. Additionally, the brand also plans to invest in improving its in-store creative with retail partner Ultra Beauty next year. On the influencer marketing side, Shim plans to create an ambassador program that goes beyond gifting and PR.