How the lipstick effect helps beauty brands

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup

This week on the DTC Podcast, we sit down with Jake Bailey, Head of Industry at Meta, and Scott Kramer, VP of Growth at AS Beauty, to explore the evolving dynamics of holiday performance marketing in 2025.

Jake leads Meta’s work with its exclusive Disruptors program, partnering with fast-moving, high-growth brands to push the boundaries of performance marketing. AS Beauty is one such brand — and Scott walks us through how they’ve used that collaboration to build one of their strongest Q4 playbooks yet.

Together, they break down how creators, AI-native tools, and smarter campaign structures are shaping more resilient and scalable customer acquisition strategies.

You'll learn:

How Meta’s Advantage+ and Partnership Ads are driving real DR performance

Why AS Beauty prioritizes incrementality over traditional ROAS

What creative diversification means in the age of AI and how to structure tests

How creator content is now integrated throughout the funnel — not just for awareness

Tactical insights on budget pacing, exclusions, creative testing, and campaign simplification

Whether you’re navigating Cyber 5 or building a long-term performance engine, this episode is packed with the playbook and proof points from two powerhouses in the space.

Timestamps

00:00 – Meta’s partnership with AS Beauty and the Disruptors team

02:00 – How AS Beauty drives growth across DTC, Amazon, and retail

04:00 – Testing, innovation, and Meta’s two-way learning loop

06:00 – Holiday 2024 challenges: uncertainty, tariffs, and consumer sentiment

09:00 – The “lipstick effect” and how beauty brands thrive in downturns

10:30 – Meta’s push toward value optimization and incrementality

13:00 – Practical ways to measure incrementality and track new customers

16:00 – Evolving partnership ads and creative diversification

19:00 – Holiday creative strategy and combining catalog + creator content

21:00 – Creators’ role across the funnel and authentic storytelling

23:00 – Modern campaign structures, retargeting, and consolidation

29:00 – Scaling spend safely during Cyber Week

32:00 – AI-generated creative: performance, ethics, and practical use

36:00 – Blending data with creativity for high-performing ads

38:00 – Inside Meta’s exclusive Disruptors program

Hashtags

#DTCpodcast #MetaAds #ASBeauty #DigitalMarketing #EcommerceGrowth #HolidayMarketing #PerformanceMarketing #AdStrategy #CreativeTesting #PartnershipAds #AIMarketing #Incrementality #FacebookAds #ReelsAds #MarketingPodcast #BlackFriday2024 #CyberMonday2024 #BeautyBrands #MarketingInnovation #DirectToConsumer

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup

Advertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertise

Work with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouse

Follow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletter

Watch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video