On October 1, the skin-care brand Derma E posted a TikTok video in collaboration with Dr. Mark Strom (@dermarkologist, 1.1 million followers), explaining that he’d be hitting New York City’s streets to see what real New Yorkers are using in their skin-care routines — and taking viewers inside their bathrooms. At press time, the teaser post has over 200,000 views. The campaign is officially dubbed “Derm Takes the Street.”
The next day, Dr. Strom, Derma E and Nicole Scherzinger (3.9 million TikTok followers) posted a collab video, in which Dr. Strom takes viewers inside Scherzinger’s bathroom — and, naturally, recommends a number of Derma E products that would work well for her skin. Derma E has 85,000 TikTok followers. Thus far, the post has over 382,000 views.
According to Katie Guild, gm at Derma E parent company Topix Skin Health, the brand has spent the past 18 months pivoting its strategy to lean into TikTok and move away from Instagram. Simultaneously, Derma E is moving away from its identity as a primarily “natural” brand to embrace a “clinical” positioning, aligning with the growing popularity of expert-founded lines such as Dr. Idriss, Sofie Pavitt Face and Shani Darden Skincare.
In the coming days, the brand will roll out similar videos with Tinx, who is often called “TikTok’s big sister” (1.5 million TikTok followers) and cast member of “The Real Housewives of New York City” Erin Lichy (41,000 TikTok followers). It will also debut two videos featuring brand customers. The talent and the customers were selected to ensure representation across “all ages and skin concerns,” Guild said, noting that some had formerly worked with the brand. Scherzinger is 47 years old; Christina Najjar, known as “Tinx,” is 35; and Lichy is 38 — Lichy just gave birth to her fourth baby, allowing the brand to address postpartum skin concerns in the content. The featured customers, meanwhile, are 22 and 30.
In July, Derma E was inspired to delve into celebrity partnerships when Joe Jonas (6.9 million TikTok followers) posted a video — having nothing to do with skin care — talking about being stopped on the street and told he had “tiny nipples.” By August 4, Derma E had negotiated a partnership with Jonas in which he wore its Vitamin C Bright Eyes Hydro Gel Eye Patches on both his under eyes and his nipples. Jonas’s caption read “Glowing skin doesn’t stop at that chin 😏 with @DERMA E Vitamin C Bright Eyes Hydro Gel Eye Patches #DERMAE #ad”
“It really took off, created a ton of engagement and conversation about the brand,” Guild said. “We had 8.8 million views and almost 7 million engagements.” Guild noted that, while the “Derm Takes the Street” campaign was already in the works by then, the collab opened the brand’s eyes to doing something “unconventional” as a brand, offering “a new path forward.”
With the new series, “we are aspiring to be the personality hire of the derm category,” Guild said. At the same time, the brand wanted to put a dermatologist front and center while spotlighting that its products are clinically-effective, cost-effective and dermatologist-approved. As for focus on people’s bathrooms, she said, “People always love to [peek] inside places they’re not normally able to.”
“I’m always looking for ways to share my skin-care insights in fun and digestible ways, and I think this series does exactly that,” said Dr. Strom. “[‘Derm Takes the Street’] taps into the viral ‘man on the street’ format, but it has a really fun twist. I’m not just chatting with people on the streets about their routine. I actually get to go into their bathrooms, examine the products they’re using and then make personalized recommendations from Derma E … The series is all about making skin care approachable and inclusive, while also reinforcing that dermatologist-recommended products don’t need to drain your bank account.”
Derma E will evaluate the campaign’s results based on the cumulative engagement of all five videos, through which it’s looking to make a “big statement” and provide “edutainment” to consumers. Guild said the brand hopes to reach 4 million total views.
Derma E was founded in 1984, and for most of its 41-year history, it has primarily played in the naturals space. But now, it is looking to expand further into the mass category — it entered Ulta Beauty in 2012. A Derma E representative shared that its views on TikTok are up 700% year-to-date, thanks to its increased strategic focus on the platform. They declined to comment on the brand’s revenue.
“Over the last year or so, we’ve been making a conscious effort to lead with our clinical positioning. We are still natural, but it’s not our reason for being,” Guild said. “Our reason for being is clinically efficacious products at an affordable price point that are derm-recommended. [We want to make sure] that message is front and center of everything we do, [and that] is a big pivot for us.” The brand’s prices range from about $11-$38, with most under $25.
TikTok offers the brand access to a younger demographic. “We have a lot of loyalty with women in their 40s and 50s, and we’re looking to stretch down to the zillennial customer — those who are starting to see the first signs of aging, the first little tiny line, and are looking for [affordable] products that are going to deliver,” Guild said.
